The Trance of Hypnosis

A Common Everyday State of Mind

Oct 19, 2009

Whilst there have been many theories over the years about hypnosis, current thinking suggests that the hypnotic trance is a natural, everyday occurrence.

A first visit to a hypnotherapist is often connected with a degree of concern from the client about what they will experience.

With vague ideas and impressions derived from stage or television shows, many people expect to have an experience that is completely new to them. Whilst a solid definition of hypnosis has yet to be established, there is consensus about the nature of the hypnotic trance.

Historical Definitions of the Hypnotic Trance State

In the 19th century, a physician and surgeon James Braid witnessed a demonstration of mesmerism named after the Viennese physician Anton Mesmer. Mesmer was known for his often startling healing results. A charismatic man, Mesmer held sessions in which he passed his hands over the patient's body or touched the affected part. Mesmer believed that he was redressing the imbalances in a fluid he named 'animal magnetism' which permeated the universe and the human nervous system.

Braid noted during the demonstration that the patient appeared to have passed into an altered state of consciousness through being directed to fix his gaze on a bright object. Braid deduced that the patient was in a sleep-like state.

Through his own experiments, Braid supposed that eye fixation on an object caused fatigue in certain centres in the brain facilitating the person passing into a state resembling sleep. Braid called this state one of 'nervous sleep' and originally referred to this state as 'neurohypnotism.'

Later, Braid modified his ideas stating that hypnotism could be induced by focus on the practitioner's words to the point of complete absorption as well as by means of eye fixation. He named this state 'monoideism.' Braid is generally credited with identifying the hypnotic state as essentially a psychological one.

Hypnotic Trance as a Naturally Occurring State of Mind

As hypnosis has become more mainstream, ideas about what hypnosis is have changed. In his book Trances People Live, Dr. Stephen Wolinsky refers to the view that Milton Erickson M.D., generally considered to be the 'father' of modern hypnotherapeutic practice, held that trance is a common everyday experience. He further goes on to quote from the writings of Milton Erickson and Ernest Rossi in 1979 in which they stated "We have the concept of the common everyday trance for those periods in everday life when we are so absorbed or preoccupied with one matter or another that we momentarily lose track of our outer environment."

In his book The Art of Hypnosis, Roy Hunter quotes from his mentor Charles Tebbitt's book, Miracles on Demand (second edition) wherein Tebbitt's states, "Every time we become engrossed in a novel or motion picture, we are in a natural hypnotic trance." Hunter goes on to mention a personal experience of crying during the film "E.T." He describes being completely caught up in the emotion and "tuning out" the people around him and their accompanying noises.

Indicators of Hypnotic Trance

So a state of absorption is characteristic of the hypnotic state. But what are its other features? Having experienced the hypnotic trance during a visit with a hypnotherapist, the client will report that they experienced some or all of the following:

There is nothing here that is extraordinary or exceptional and indeed all is very familiar. Since the hypnotic trance can be such an ordinary experience — in contrast to the mystique with which hypnosis is often publicly presented — a person will sometimes question whether he has, in fact, been hypnotised.

Further Examples of Everyday Trance States

As already indicated, a state of absorption is one characteristic of the trance state. This state of absorption can be so profound that one fails to hear the phone or doorbell ring or indeed someone calling one's name. There are a limitless number and variety of activities that can provoke this state of awareness and span both the recreational and work areas. Notice also the mention of time distortion, that experience of being so engrossed in something that the amount of time that has passed causes huge surprise.

The indicators of hypnotic trance above include comfort and lack of desire to move. Again, familiar experiences for all. Each and every day except in cases of insomnia, everyone has a period before they go to sleep where they become still, feel very comfortable and have a strong resistance to being disturbed. A trance state itself, this is known as the hypnogogic state.

Finally, there is an experience that when mentioned causes people to exclaim in recognition. Known as 'highway hypnosis,' it is that activity of driving completely safely to one's destination and yet having little memory of the journey. However, most people are surprised to know that this is a trance state.

Taking the mystique out of the hypnotic trance in no way devalues its use in the therapeutic context. What it can do is reassure those people who would perhaps like to try hypnotherapy that they are simply using the natural ability of their minds to create the conditions for change.

The copyright of the article The Trance of Hypnosis in Hypnotherapy is owned by Catherine Chadwick. Permission to republish The Trance of Hypnosis in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.