Therapeutic Trance

Therapeutic Trance

Trance is something we all experience throughout our day, often without even realizing it. Maybe you're zoning out on the train, or watching TV but not really paying attention to what's on. Trance can show up as daydreaming, dancing, or even just getting lost in music. It can also happen through repetitive movements, like chanting, meditation, or prayer.

When it comes to therapeutic trance, the goal is to connect with the deeper, creative part of your unconscious mind. It's a way of communicating that bypasses the usual defenses the conscious mind puts up—defenses that were there for a good reason at one point but may no longer be serving you well. These old defenses can sometimes block growth, healing, and change, and that's where trance comes in. It helps the unconscious self cooperate in ways that make transformation possible.

Therapeutic trance can help you release old habits and beliefs. Sometimes, it's not enough to just work with the conscious mind in a logical, cognitive way. That's where hypnosis and trance come in—they can bypass those defenses and help create a more positive, healthy way of responding to life.

Milton Erickson, a pioneer in this field, believed that the unconscious mind is naturally cooperative when it comes to healing and change. He worked on the idea that, with the right approach, the unconscious can spontaneously support transformation.

In a soul-centered approach, we look for the right moment for the client to experience therapeutic trance. This usually involves introducing "trance language" and guiding the client into a state where they're aware of the process happening, which helps them become more aware of the habits or dynamics that need to change. Personally, I love working with trance because it feels incredibly creative, especially when using story and metaphor as tools to unlock deeper transformation.