Stages of Trance

Many people are surprised to hear that Trance is not a binary state (i.e. in trance or not in trance) but more of an analogue scale from very light trance all the way through to a very deep trance. Milton Erickson defined trance as the process of learning to go into trance. He went on to suggest that there are three experiential stages of hypnosis that you can learn to go into:

• Light Trance: Critical faculties are put on hold.
• Simple Trance: The client manifests the appearance of a deep trance but internally is merely compliant with suggestions.
• Deep Trance: The client actually experiences the suggestions as reality.

Both Light and Simple trances can be induced in a relatively short time. On the other hand, Erickson recommended an initial period of three to eight hours for training a subject to into a deep trance! Results will vary depending on your client, it is the time that it takes them to learn to go into trance that will decide on the time involved as much as it will rely on your skill as a Hypnotherapist.

So how do the levels of trance differ?

In Light Trance it is normal to comfortably experience:

• Lethargy
• Relaxation
• Eye Catalepsy
• Arm Catalepsy
• Catalepsy of isolated Muscle Groups
• Heavy or Floating Feelings

In Simple Trance it is normal to comfortably experience:

• Smell and Taste Changes
• Number Blocks (Where the client forgets numbers)
• Amnesia
• Analgesia (No Pain)
• Automatic Movement

In Deep Trance it is normal to comfortably experience:

• Hallucinations (Positive)
• Bizarre Post-Hypnotic Suggestions
• Anesthesia (No feelings)
• Negative Hallucinations
• Comatose
• Somnambulism

Related posts:

1. Don't Listen To This Unless You Want To Go Into A Trance A few people have emailed me recently wondering whether Hypnosis...
2. Using a Yes Set A “yes set” is an agreement frame that is used...
3. Sensory Acuity In modeling Milton Erickson the creators of NLP observed that...
4. Milton Model Part 3 Following on from my previous post Milton Model Part 1...

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