You can give hypnosis a myriad of labels really, and some people choose the word trance to describe the experience. Unfortunately, trance seems to have quite a few negative connotations associated with it. People tend to think of a trance as something weird and mysterious. The perception is generally that a trance is some sort of dangerous, controlling occurrence, and is almost paranormal state that shouldn’t be entered.

While being in a trance is not mysterious, I prefer a better label like creative hypnotic relaxation. This is a better description of exactly what is happening and is certainly easier and more comfortable to discuss. I think the word trance got a bad wrap from early stage hypnotists and from people not fully understanding what was occurring. Old Hollywood movies used to portray hypnotic states in quite a frightening manor and trances were a common description. These negative images played a large part in society’s definition of the word.

Because of these early encounters with the word trance, I don’t think it can really be used to describe a positive experience. It comes across as something unnatural and not really nice. The word now connotes some sort of external power or force over you. This is completely different from what hypnosis really is, especially when compared to my self-hypnosis recordings.

Sometimes you’ll hear a hypnotherapist talking about people entering a trance, but I shy away from this description. All of my hypnosis recordings use the words creative hypnotic relaxation to convey the easygoing feelings experienced while in hypnosis. I think it more appropriately describes the way you feel. Hypnosis is a wonderful thing and the terms used to describe it should match accordingly.

You are fully aware and in control of yourself while in hypnosis. You have knowledge of everything that is going on around you and within your own mind. You may be more open to suggestion and find yourself willing to try things and see things differently while in hypnosis, but you are not in trance brought on by some powerful external controlling force.

Creative hypnotic relaxation is a natural and wonderful experience. As more people become aware of hypnosis and its potential to bring about positive and lasting change, we can only hope these negative connotations will fade away like the old Hollywood movies in which they were created.

HypnoShop Recommends: We have over 80 self hypnosis sessions including anger management hypnosis, and our weight loss hypnosis sessions, to name just two. You won’t hear the word trance mentioned in either of these self hypnosis sessions, or in fact any of our hypnosis CDs and downloads.