Trance and Hypnosis.
Trance is a state of sharply focussed attention. It is commonly believed that this is an "alternate" state of consciousness, a special kind of awareness, unrelated to day to day experience. But this is far from the truth. Hypnosis and trance are an essential part of our mental functioning and all of us experience trance at least to some degree every day.
Hypnosis is a skill. It is our ability to manage trance statesin a way that allows us to respond effectively to events as they change during the day. In this sense hypnosis combines a number of abilities: To focus our attention, to unconsciously respond to our environment and to change our focus of attention appropriately when circumstances dictate. So by means of hypnosis, we can in any given situation, direct our attention in the most productive direction.
You enter a trance every time you focus your attention, and even more so when you become totally absorbed in an activity or a subject. So rather than being something exceptional, the truth is that without trance we simply couldn't function on a day to day basis.
Hypnosis and trance are built into human nature. It is neither a magical power of a hypnotherapist and it is definitely not a susceptibility to social engineering on the part of the client. It is an ability of both the client and the therapist working together. And it is your ability to absorb the influences of your environment, to act effectively upon them and to build from them beliefs, expectations and skills that can make a good life better.
