Customer Reviews

The Trance Workbook: Understanding & Using The Power Of Altered States

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Trance is a way of accessing the subconscious mind for the purposes of relaxation, healing, intuition and inspiration. This book explains what trance stats are and how they work. Trance conditions include all the different states of mind, emotions, moods and daydreams that human beings experience. The transcendental perspective reveals that there is an alternative to being subject to one's own conscious thoughts. This marvellous book deals with the history, principles and benefits of trance, the ways of inducing trance, the types of creative trance, plus traditions and rituals associated with it. The function of trance in religions is discussed and many useful exercises are provided for the practice of creative trance. The exercises include affirmations, visualizations and the use of linguistic metaphors. This excellent book concludes with a glossary, bibliography and index. It is the best book on the subject that I have yet encountered.

Kay Hoffman's Trance Workbook is a rarity: It is both profound and clear. As a workbook, it introduces an impressive variety of techniques. As an introduction to trance, it presents thought-provoking ideas. A powerful tool for anyone concerned with deeper levels of spirituality and alternative healing.

I appreciated this collection of trance techniques and exercises along with uses for trances. This is a short introductory book that covers quite a bit of territory. I take the shamanic journey so I know how to use monotonous rhythms, but haven't tried another other techniques. The book starts off explaining what a trance is and the general principles and process of trance. There are practical uses for the trance such as pain reduction, solving sleep disorders, reducing stress, aid decision making, eating disorders, giving up bad habits, etc. and I appreciated the book had practical applications and wasn't just about having a psychedelic experience. There are a variety of induction techniques offered including rhythm, breathing, smell, tasting, seeing, touch, hearing, movement, rituals, and combining forms of trance. The exercises are simple and readers can try a variety or combinations techniques to find a method that works. There is a short section on trance and spirituality. At the back is a glossary which I appreciated.

One of the reviewers criticized the book as not producing deep trance states. Deep trances are achieved by the practioner by finding an approrpiate personal method and practice. I didn't achieve a trance state for the shamanic journey the first few times I tried, but it came with practice. It can also be useful to induce trance states in groups as I believe the intent and energy of the group can assist the effort plus those experienced can offer the benefit of their experiences to help novices. This book is kept simple and that is how it should be. A psychic once said to me "it should be simple. If it is complicated it is probably wrong." I have found this to be true and if a method is too complicated few will try it, remember it, or contiinue to practice it. For me it offered a lot of new ideas to try.

I found this book to be practically useless. I don't know if it was the translation or poor editing, but it is awkwardly written and organized. It never quite gets around to explaining how to achieve a deep trance state. I know that information on this subject can be subtle but this is just a lot of silly useless nonsense.