The True Trance

Just ran across this quote about what a trance is, as well as what happens to the hypnotist when trancing with a client. I think it is wonderful!

"...trance is not a state of being asleep, unconscious, or 'under'...Trance is a state of hypersuggestibility...If the suggestions are designed to focus attention, it will then tend to be focused on a designated object or mode of experiencing or thinking. And, of course, in a trance one can be more in touch than usual with that we call the Unconscious Mind. In fact, Erickson's last definition of hypnosis was that hypnosis is the evocation and utilization of unconscious leanings.

Hypnosis can make possible intense communication between people, communication on more levels than usual. Many have had the experience, when in trance while working therapeutically, of responding to our patient's mood and thoughts even before they were verbalized. it seemed like mind reading, but undoubtedly it came from increased sensitivity and increased recollection of past patterns of thinking, as well as increased awareness of minimal sensory and bodily clues."

This is from Sidney Rosen's "One Thousand Induction Techniques and Their Application to Therapy and Thinking" from Ericksonian Methods.