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ยป Home ยป Starting The Journey

How to Induce a Trance State For Deep Psychospiritual Work

by Aletheia Luna ยท Updated: Jul 1, 2023 ยท 60 Comments

Image of a woman entering a trance state while dancing
Image of a woman flying during a shamanic trance state

Entering the trance state is ancient and primal.

For thousands of years, humanity has utilized various techniques to enter altered states of consciousness which open a door into the โ€˜spirit realm.โ€™

From our shamanic ancestors to the indigenous traditions found on every continent, trance states are bridges to the unconscious and the earthy hidden realms of our souls.


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These days, even mainstream religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism make use of subtly induced trance states to assist the faithful in feeling more connected with the Divine.

No matter what your spiritual beliefs or practices look like, the trance state is a vital tool which you need to think about using. Iโ€™ll explain why soon.

What is a Trance State?

A trance state is an altered form of consciousness in which a person is neither fully awake nor fully asleep. In essence, the trance state involves walking between the world of the conscious and subconscious mind. Trance states are sometimes referred to as โ€œzoning out,โ€ โ€œbeing off with the fairies,โ€ โ€œout of it,โ€ and even โ€œday-dreaming.โ€

The Five Levels of Altered States of Consciousness

You might be wondering, โ€œhow deep in trance do I need to go to do psychological or spiritual work?โ€ Iโ€™ll answer that question soon.

But first, itโ€™s important that you get a brief summary and overview of the five levels of trance. See how many youโ€™ve experienced recently:

Level 1 โ€“ Very Light Trance

This stage involves becoming more self-aware of your inner workings. For example, in a light trance, you may become more conscious of your thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions. Those who practice mindful meditation often experience very light trance states.

Level 2 โ€“ Light Trance

This stage is characterized by a dreamlike state of consciousness. A person experiencing light trance may get lost in daydreams or fantasies. Those who get absorbed watching TV, reading a book or driving a car without remembering the trip have all experienced light trance.


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Level 3 โ€“ Medium Trance

This stage is characterized by feelings of being โ€œin the zoneโ€ โ€“ also known as the flow state. In this state of consciousness, it is common to lose awareness of oneโ€™s surrounding, the time, and even oneโ€™s body.

Level 4 โ€“ Deep Trance

This stage occurs when we fall into hypnagogic and regular sleep states. You can read more about hypnagogia here, but to summarize: this strange and fleeting state of consciousness occurs just before we go to sleep and our conscious minds wind down. It is common to see strange visuals, wacky stories unfold in our minds, and even experience auditory or tactile hallucinations.

Level 5 โ€“ Very Deep Trance

This stage is defined by complete loss of consciousness โ€“ such as those we experience during deep dreamless sleep or in a comatose state.

Of all the trance levels listed above, the best for creating psychological and spiritual change are the light to deep trance states.

Trance States and Deep Psychospiritual Work

You might be wondering how trance states help create psychospiritual (a word that means spiritual + psychology) change.

The answer is simple: entering a trance state helps us to bypass the critical mind which interferes with deep inner transformation, and communicate directly with the unconscious mind.

Why does the critical mind interfere with our psychospiritual work? The answer is that the rational mind is a barrier to the irrational mind (or unconscious mind) โ€“ and the unconscious is where the majority of our pain, neurosis, and unresolved trauma is buried.

Naturally, the role of the ego is to protect us from perceived threats, but often its defensiveness and stubbornness prevent us from shaking off old toxic roles, adopting new habits, and releasing pent-up pain. You can think of the ego โ€“ or rational mind โ€“ as the soldier who is eternally on guard. Our egos โ€“ like soldiers โ€“ have a number of weapons that keep us locked in certain roles and modes of living that are believed to be โ€˜safe.โ€™ These weapons are called defense mechanisms. Common examples of defense mechanisms that our egos use to keep us โ€œsafeโ€ include denial, projection, splitting, and repression.

The only problem is that what our ego perceives to be โ€œsafeโ€ actually provides us with superficial comfort and the unsatisfactory ability to function as socially acceptable citizens. What the ego doesnโ€™t understand is that everything that has been buried, avoided or rejected hasnโ€™t been successfully evaded just because it has been hidden. Whatever is buried within us grows. Like a seed, all the fear, trauma, and pain we carry sprouts and blossoms into a monstrous plant within the fertile earth of our unconscious minds. We cannot escape what has been repressed within us. Eventually, the โ€œmonstersโ€ of the deep will burst into our conscious awareness and will continue to do so until we face them.

Entering trance states that induce ego death is a powerful way to explore, embrace, and heal certain parts of ourselves that our egos have prevented us from exploring or facing.

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What about spiritual work?

Perhaps more popularly, trance has been used for millennia for spiritual purposes such as contacting spirit guides, seeking animal allies, communing with ancestors, and communing with oneโ€™s own Soul.

How is this the case?

There are many explanations out there which detail how trance states โ€œopen a doorโ€ to the other side of reality. I wonโ€™t explore the myriad of theories out there, but the one that is the most believable and accurate to me is that our unconscious minds are connected to the greater web of the Collective Unconscious โ€“ a term coined by famous psychologist Carl Jung.

The Collective Unconscious, also known as the Universal or Deep Mind, contains the energetic blueprint experienced by all of life. Within the Collective Unconscious live the archetypes, known by the ancients as the โ€œGods and Goddessesโ€ of old. All I can attest to from my own shamanic experiences of journeying into the Collective Unconscious is that our Souls live in or emerge from this primordial space.

Whatever the explanation is, itโ€™s undeniable that trance helps us access deeper states of awareness and even undergo mystical experiences that have a life-changing effect.

9 Ways to Enter a Trance State

Image of a woman flying during a trance state

The trance techniques explored below will lead you through the light to potentially deep trance states. How you decide to use these approaches is completely up to you. If, however, you have a history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or any form of severe mental illness, please consult a medical professional before trying these techniques.

In no particular order, I will briefly outline each practice:

1. Breathwork

Changing your breathing pace and rhythm is probably one of the better-known trance state techniques. There are many yogic breathing practices out there which you may like to work with such as pranayama which is used to remove mental and emotional obstacles โ€“ but can also induce a trance-like state.

Holotropic breathwork by Stanislav and Christina Grof is another form of altered breathing which involves breathing rapidly and rhythmically and can lead to intense altered states of consciousness. If you have high or low blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or glaucoma you should consult your physician before trying holotropic breathwork.

Another simple breath work technique is simply to breathe in and out slowly and deeply. You can even incorporate mindfulness into your breathwork practice by focusing your attention on your inhalations and exhalations which often produces a light trance state.

2. Mantra and Prayer

Mantra, or repetitive sounds or words, is another way to enter a trance state. Many Hindu, Buddhist, and even Christian monks and believers utilize mantra as a way of altering their consciousness.

Prayer is a gentle technique that can alter consciousness, but I find that prayer induces only a light trance state as the conscious mind is integral to the practice. However, if prayer calls to you, experiment with different ways of praying (such as in a different language or made-up language) to try and bypass the barrier of the rational mind. Research the term ‘glossolalia’ for more inspiration.

3. Primal Rhythms, Beats, and Sounds

Thereโ€™s a reason why shamans are often depicted beating their drums and this is because the beat induces a trance state needed for inner journeying.

You might like to buy yourself a drum (such as a djembe, hand drum or bongo) or find some primal rhythmic soundtracks online. I like listening to Mongolian throat singing because it has a profoundly earthy, almost abyss-like, quality to it. You may like to research sounds from indigenous cultures or music from instruments that relax you. Try to find sounds that are repetitive and without voices (unless they are in a language you donโ€™t understand). The reason why itโ€™s best to avoid music sung by those who speak your language is that the rational mind becomes too involved. The point of inducing trance is to move past the rational into the fluid state of the subconscious.


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You might also like to experiment with binaural beats which are sound frequencies which easily put you into an altered state of consciousness. Read our article on binaural beats for more insight (I recommend exploring the Delta and Theta tracks).

4. Self-Hypnosis

I am quite frankly surprised by how largely ignored self-hypnosis is within spiritual circles. Maybe Iโ€™m missing something, but self-hypnosis is a powerful trance tool that can help us create deep psychospiritual change. Perhaps hypnosis has been tainted by stage performers or the fear of having oneโ€™s mind โ€œcontrolledโ€ โ€“ but true hypnosis is perfectly safe. Not only that, but you are always in control (i.e. no one can make you โ€œdoโ€ anything unless you agree to on some level).

My favorite way to induce self-hypnosis is to lie down in a dark and quiet room, focus on my breath, and repeat in my mind, โ€œsleep … deep sleep โ€ฆ sleep … deep sleep โ€ฆ sleep … deep sleep.โ€ After a few minutes of repeating these words slowly, a notable sense of warmth and lightness fills the body and my mind becomes silent. There are many ways to induce self-hypnosis, and I recommend you read more about alternative methods in our self-hypnosis article.

5. Stare Upwards

This simple technique involves sitting somewhere comfortable and undisturbed and staring at a certain point or object above your level of sight. As you focus on this single point, become aware of the walls or objects in the periphery of your vision and focus on the point and your periphery simultaneously. Hold this gaze for at least five minutes.

6. Hold Out a Pendulum

Yes, I know this sounds cliche, but focusing on a repetitive movement can help induce a trance-like state. You can easily get pendulums from new age stores or on Amazon. You can also make your own pendulum by getting the string of a tea bag and tying something heavy like a button or safety pin on the end.

To do the pendulum technique, sit comfortably in a quiet place and focus on your pendulum. You can either โ€˜willโ€™ it to move (and it will move due to something called the ideomotor effect) or gentle swing it to get it in motion. Try this exercise for five to ten minutes to induce a trance state.

7. Visualization

This is a common technique that many people have no trouble with. If you have a strong imagination, you will have no issue with visualization as a trance technique. You can use a pre-recorded visualization or you can create one of your own. For example, you might like to visualize light filling your head and entire body. You might like to visualize yourself soaring through the sky like a bird. You might even like to use a traditional technique like the stair visualization where youโ€™re walking down a set of stairs, and when you reach the bottom your consciousness expands or opens (and you exit that state of consciousness by returning up the stairs). Use whatever visualization is most powerful for you โ€“ this may require a bit of experimenting, but itโ€™s worth it.

8. Incense and Essential Oil

Burning incense or topically applying essential oil is another wonderful way to induce a trance state. I like to โ€œstackโ€ this technique with other trance practices to enhance the depth of my trance states. Good scents or essential oils for trance include frankincense, palo santo, sandalwood, copal, myrrh, and lavender.

9. Physical and Emotional Catharsis

Physical exertion exhausts the body and tires the mind โ€“ which is great for inducing a trance state. There is a reason why indigenous people dance a lot in their rituals. On some level, they must understand that dancing is a powerful way of bypassing the limited ego and reconnecting with the deeper Self.

You may like to do catharsis through intense cardio exercise (running, jumping, swimming, dancing) or try a technique like dynamic spiritual meditation to induce a trance state. Intense or prolonged yoga can also create an altered state of consciousness.

***

If all else fails, I hope a stereotypical optical illusion like the one below helps to inspire a trance-like state (try staring at it for five or more minutes):

What to Do Once You’re in a Trance State

Here are some ideas:

  • Repeat loving and empowering affirmations (to reprogram any negative beliefs you may hold towards yourself)
  • Request to speak to a spirit guide or animal ally
  • Communicate with the archetypes (or Gods and Goddesses)
  • Use active imagination (a Jungian technique) to go on an inner journey to meet lost parts of yourself
  • Meet your inner child and do some healing inner child work
  • Meet your shadow self and do some shadow workย (note: please ensure you’re psychologically prepared to do this and have established healthy self-esteem beforehand)
  • Recall a forgotten dream
  • Do a healing ritual (or spell if you follow the esoteric spiritual path)
  • Access altered planes of consciousness
  • Connect with your Soul essence and inner wisdom

These are just some ideas โ€“ the sky is the limit!

***

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Trance is a state of consciousness that (in my opinion) every serious psychospiritual seeker needs to acquaint themselves with. By moving beyond the limited rational mind and entering the realm of the unconscious, we are able to create deeper change and healing within ourselves. And this change ripples out into the world.

I would truly love to hear any trance techniques you have experienced (that arenโ€™t listed above) as this is such a fascinating topic. Please share below if you do!

Please note that this article has affiliate links. If you decide to purchase anything we link to, we get a small percentage to help with our work. Thanks!

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About Aletheia Luna

Aletheia Luna is a prolific psychospiritual writer, author, educator, and intuitive guide whose work has touched the lives of millions worldwide. As a survivor of fundamentalist religious abuse, her mission is to help others find love, strength, and inner light in even the darkest places. She is the author of hundreds of popular articles, as well as numerous books and journals on the topics of Self-Love, Spiritual Awakening, and more. [Read More]

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  1. Jane Fannin says

    July 08, 2024 at 4:24 am

    Hello, I ran across your site here, love this too! I honestly didnt tap into what i was seeing, dreaming, or hearing, till older in life. Quite amazing to say the least, I had visions of what was to come, mostly in my everyday life, even of my family, good and bad!
    Some I set on the back burner, or conveyed to family of what i saw, and waited to see it played out, a lot did too, come to fruition. Some very unsettling! I had fear, being scared, and not wanting to share!
    First off, I’m an Identical TWIN, mirror Twin, both girls, left and right -handed too. The thing that stuck out the most, was a “Trans State” of my mind, to where I just laid down, the TV came on, very vivid! The sky appeared, the clouds parted, then a grey haired man appeared, somewhat older. He did not talk, nor I, but I got his message, some disturbing. Then at some point, it became like a scramble, or static I was seeing, not hearing.
    It felt like a memory was erased with this static, what else? I began to tremble, girate, became sorta scared. Very uneasy feeling! But then, I felt there was to be some sort of abundance coming, felt good. He disappeared instantly then. I called my Twin, shared this, felt like I should anyway. She said it was Spiritual Jane. Ok, well why me, not her? We do feel some things like, And I have many of her events, in me, but she don’t share any with me. WHY?
    Sometimes I think Im the more sensitive one here, have more empathy! Just not sure. What would your take on this be, with me. I’m an Empath, can read minds, or know their intentions, feel danger. Also hear voices, like a message I’m to hear, or take heed to. Anyway, alot to be told here, this is some! Hoping to get your opinion soon!

    Reply
  2. Lisa says

    March 18, 2024 at 5:22 am

    What about a type of trance that can occur without conscious attempt? Is this a thing?

    Reply
  3. Laurie says

    September 17, 2023 at 7:51 pm

    i first started by staring into the light of a candle. Looking into a mirror, dark room with a little light behind you. Watch you face change. It has induced trance for me. And bathing is another way. I like drumming a lot and know it happens in church.

    Reply
    • Aletheia Luna says

      February 14, 2024 at 4:29 pm

      Love these suggestions ๏ปฟ๐Ÿ’—๏ปฟ

      Reply
  4. Mothra says

    July 13, 2023 at 4:59 am

    When I was very young (under 8), Iโ€™d get out of the tub after a warm bath and squat down with a towel around me to stay warm. I would stare and trance out and enter a nether state. No visions or insights, just deeply comforting. I had to consciously pull myself back to reality. I seemed to know instinctively that I couldnโ€™t stay there or Iโ€™d get lost. Btw, I was a happy child with a happy home life. I never knew what this was, and never heard of anyone having a similar experience.

    Reply
  5. AnonymousPerson says

    July 11, 2023 at 2:45 pm

    Just some suggestions of things to google for a trance experience within secular spaces, meaning often light to mid trance states, but hey, you won’t get into deeper ones, if you don’t know how to get into the lighter ones, hahaha. 1. Psychology of flow 2. How to get into a flow state 3. How to daydream. 4. Benefits of daydreaming 5. Open awareness meditation 6.Things to daydream about / Ideas for daydreaming 7. How to imagine more vividly / How to have a vivid imagination 8. Guided imagery for relaxation 9. Autogenic training for relaxation 10. Progressive muscle relaxation exercise (This one I recommend) 11. Relaxation techniques list 12. Affirmations for relaxation 13. EFT tapping or emotional freedom technique 14. Alexander technique 15. Foods that boost happiness 16. Foods that boost energy 17. Exercise benefits for mental health / stress / brain 18. How to reframe negative thoughts 19. Apps for depression/anxiety 20. Anxiety/depression blogs

    Reply
  6. Angel Chrysalis says

    June 24, 2023 at 10:33 pm

    Yes my name is Angel (Chrysalis) and I know how to enter trance state. I also have become telekinetic before, while in trance state. It’s very important that nobody disturb a person, emotionally, while they are in a trance state. I am aware that I could help people while in a trance, but I do not know how. I will see people’s faces change and know I have seen what they looked like in past lifetimes. I would like to collaborate with someone here. Thank you! Angel

    Reply
    • Laurie says

      September 17, 2023 at 7:45 pm

      Ask a bunch of questions. Who are you? Where do you come from? Do I know you ? From where? Do you have a message for someone or me. What can I do for you? How can I help you? Anything you can think of. You will be able to remember the answers. It may take time but keep practicing. I feel we see, hear, feel in order to help. We are Gods helpers.

      Reply
  7. Someone and Everyone says

    June 11, 2023 at 2:03 am

    I have a particularly fidgety pocket knife that inadvertently started my ‘spiritual journey’…. was sat playing with it, opening it and closing it, click, clack, click, clack…. next thing I knew it was a lot later than I thought it was ๐Ÿคฃ… few days later I decided to start meditation and the rest as they say…. was….. ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ™ƒ

    Reply
  8. Maddie says

    May 11, 2023 at 11:26 pm

    hi I went in and I got paralysed and saw a doll and an old man ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿผ

    Reply
  9. Yohannes says

    February 26, 2023 at 6:55 pm

    Muchos Gracias

    Reply
  10. Sensei Victoria Whitfield says

    December 17, 2022 at 10:54 pm

    Thank you for NOT listing herbs, edibles, smoking and drugs nor alcohol. I am so grateful that I can be fully sober and engage in trance for my own spiritual fulfillment!

    Reply
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