13. Altered States, Hypnosis, and Trance

Related Reading

Activities are based on Chapter 13, “Altered States,” in Healing with Language.

Watch the video, What if you’re a hypnotist?

Watch the video, Abreactions in Hypnosis.

Watch the video, Double Induction.

Hypnosis is the Rule

Richard Bandler says, “Hypnosis isn’t the exception. It’s the rule.” Most people spend most of their time in one trance or another. At the moment, for example, I am in a “writing-things-for-WordPress” trance. You probably have a driving trance, an eating trance, a brushing your teeth trance, and a variety of other trances that you enter in specific ways at specific times.

Discussion Questions

1. What is hypnosis? How does formal hypnosis differ from the hypnosis of everyday altered states and trances? How do you know when you’ve been hypnotized?
2. Provide a brief summary the process of inducing hypnosis. What seems most important to you?
3. With a willing volunteer, practice inducing a deep hypnotic trance and having your subject exhibit some of the hypnotic phenomena (see pp. 257 – 259 in Healing with Language). Report on your results.