Trance
Story Title
Sleep?
Daydream?
What is it?
Unconscious?
Trance, simply put, is an altered state of mind. It can occur at various levels of depth and levels of awareness. It spans from something simple like a compelling day dream state to something as complex as the deep state that occurs when a medium is working with Physical Mediumship.
There are various misconceptions about trance. The most common misconception is that it is always like sleep, we awaken knowing nothing at all and have no memory. Sometimes this is true, but it is certainly not always the case. Another misconception is that we give up all control and have no knowledge or say in what is happening to us. We do not "give up" ownership of our bodies. Rather, we willingly blend with a spirit entity. Mediums use trance states to achieve different levels of consciousness whereby varied spiritual phenomena can be produced.
Trance in Mediumship
Trance is a phenomenon that is very misunderstood. Many people are under the misconception that you can't be in trance if there is any level of awareness at all. Robin Hodson, President of the International Spiritualist Federation and whom I consider to be a leading authority on trance,expresses it analogically as a matter of percentages. He first distinguishes between trance in a general sense (daydreams, etc.) and trance in a mediumistic sense (to produce phenomena). He likens mediumistic trance to a balance scale. As the level of spirit control increases your level of perception and awareness decreases in comparable amounts. In reverse, the opposite is also true. As your awareness increases, spirit control decreases. It is a balance we achieve based on our level of trust in the spirit we are working with and our ability to relax into the state of trance. Mr. Hodson also goes on to suggest that all levels of mediumship have an element of trance in them. We must be in an altered state to produce phenomena and therefore, in some level of trance.
Ecudorian Shaman from the Amazon
The topic of trance has a long and rich history. Ancient cultures earlier even than the Egyptian civilization are reported to have had their rituals and methods for the induction of trance. Shamans from many cultures could induce trance through various means including dancing, drumming, and ingesting or smoking hallucinogenic substances. Shamans or Medicine Men from the Native American Indian tribes of the Great Plains used plants and natural substances including Mescal, peyote cactus, thorn apple, psilocybin mushroom, green tobacco, jimsonweed, and devil's weed to induce trance. From this state they could mange healing, prophecy, and numerous tribal affairs through communication with nature spirits. Every culture has its stories of trance induced states which were used for numerous purposes.
Peyote Cactus from Mexico
Cannabas or Marijuana
Shamanic Drum
Trance Today
If trance figures into all mediumship, then it stands to reason that different levels are achieved in the various phenomena. Light levels of the trance state are observable in Mental Mediumship while giving readings, Inspirational Poetry, Inspirational Speaking and Writing.
Trance Mediums today bring through spirit teachers and guides for the benefit of teaching, healing, education, and evidential messages. Omar is one of the spirit teachers of Rev. Nancy Ryall. For an example of TRANCE ONLINE go to the OMAR page and experience it!