The truth of the matter is that we ALL shift through various states of consciousness throughout the day. And throughout the night, for that matter. What we think of as “trance” is really mostly a matter of where our attention is focused, and how intently. Most of our waking life is spent in Beta wave state, where the conscious mind is busy analyzing, comparing, criticizing, hypothesizing, predicting, and formulating strategies. When you are driving, you are usually in Beta state, which could be thought of as a very active trance state. You are entranced by your own critical thought processes and paying careful attention to multiple events, conditions, and changes going on around you. But who hasn’t had the experience of suddenly realizing that they missed their exit and have no idea where they are or how they got there? Welcome to Alpha state. Congratulations, you’ve been hypnotized!
When you are daydreaming, you are very likely in an Alpha wave state of brain function that is the most common “trance” state associated with therapeutic hypnosis. It’s also the state you enter into when passively watching television. Which is why advertisers spend such phenomenal amounts of money for the opportunity to insert suggestions. Your conscious thought processes are a bit on “hold”, and it works. You recognize logos, jingles, slogans, and other “anchors” that you’ve associated with a pleasantly relaxed state and they become part of your internal map of the world. The odds are excellent that you don’t buy a certain brand of toothpaste because you have absorbed all the scientific data that verifies that brand as superior to its competitors. You’ve been hypnotized. An Alpha state trance simply lowers your resistance to suggestion by shifting attention away from critical conscious thought processes, usually through simple relaxation.
You also move past Alpha and into Theta state every night, just before you fall asleep (and enter Delta wave state). You may not be aware of it as it’s a very deep and narrow wave state and is closely followed by sleep. For most of us it is a practically seamless transition. So there is no doubt that you CAN shift trance states. The question is not whether you can be hypnotized into an altered state of consciousness. The question is one of cooperation.
If you can follow simple instructions, you CAN be hypnotized by another person acting as an agent. In the context of “therapeutic hypnosis”, it is an entirely cooperative process.
In reality, ALL hypnosis is self-hypnosis. No one can hypnotize you against your will or impose a suggestion that you object to. But when you have a self-selected goal, a clear understanding of what will (and will not) happen, and trust in a professional hypnotist to act as your advocate and honor your preferences, you will find it quite an easy process. You’ve been practicing hypnosis all your life.
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