Trance. When I mention that word people generally say things like, ‘are you going to swing a watch in front of my face, or make me cluck like a chicken?’. People think that if I put them into trance I will be able to control what they think, say, and do. If only I was that powerful!
The truth is that trance is simply relaxation. It guides the brain to relax enough so that it can get out of its own way.
Within our brain we have our intellectual mind. This is the concious part, the part that interacts with the world, the part we use to be aware of our interactions. We also have our primitive mind, this is the fight flight part of the brain that we have had since we were cave people.
When we operate in our intellectual brain we tend to get things right in life. It comes up with a rational, sensible solution and its generally very positive. However when we operate in the primitive part of the brain we can only respond to situations with anger, anxiety, depression, or a combination of all 3. The primitive brain was designed to keep us alive, so its really useful in emergencies, for example if we run into a polar bear on the street and need to run for our lives. .
Heres the rub, we don’t need to run into a polar bear to end up operating from our primitive brain. When thought patterns and life events cause our anxiety to rise, and this can be gradual, we move out of our intellectual, sensible brain, and into our angry, anxious, depressed brain. This is not helpful for dealing with decisions that need a more balanced approach, like defusing an argument, or a tricky work situation.
So how can we get back into our intellectual brain? In short, relax.
If you are someone who struggles with anxiety you’ve probably been told this many, many times. I know I was, and in my head I was thinking ‘great, but how do I actually do that?’ . This is where trance comes in. Trance allows the two minds, intellectual and primitive, to come together to focus on the same thing, and this is when we have access to the subconcious. This is where our beliefs sit. Now when in trance the concious part of our brain takes a nap, and our subconcious continues to listen to what is being said. Taking it all in, and allowing all that lovely language to sink right in. The brain is able to rest, relax, and to foocus on positive language and imagery.
This is why trance, coupled with talking therapy in a Hypnotherapy session, is such an effective way to get the brain to unclench and let in new, positive thought patterns that better serve you.
You can download a free copy of my trance to listen to at home as often as you would like to. A great time to listen is just before you go to sleep, this can help you slip smoothly into a restorative nights rest.
The brain loves repetition, so its important to continue to listen to the same trance each time you want to relax. This makes sure the brain drops into relaxation, and isn’t distracted by new information it hasn’t heard before.
If you are struggling, give trance a chance. I have been amazed at the power of it both for myself, and my clients. A lovely story from a client suffering with anxiety at work was that each time things got tough in the office, she would just slip on her earphones, and her brain was whisked away to its happy place, alleviating her distress and anger. Her brain had heard my voice speaking those words so many times, it knew exactly what to do.
Trance can be the tool you turn to when things get tough. Another world to escape into while you get some much needed rest and relaxation.
