Executive summary about hypnosis by Sue Watson
The word "trance" in a general sense means that your state of mind has been modified in some way. A hypnosis trance goes deeper than that. In this kind of trance, a person has a very narrowed focus and is relaxed and is sitting or lying with their eyes closed and their mind as quiet and as calm as can be.
A person who teaches themselves to use self-hypnosis can deliberately put themselves into this type of trance in order to help them with a problem they are having. An individual may appear to be sleeping while in a hypnosis trance but instead their mind is calm but very active.
It is important to be aware of the fact that being in a trance is not necessarily the same for everyone. To start you need to find a quiet, comfortable place and then use deep breathing exercises and progressive relaxation techniques in order to center yourself and be open to the trance state.
There is more than one way to enter a trance. You might try one way and find it is not helpful. If that is the case they try another way. There is guaranteed to be one way that is right for you. The first way is through eye fixation. Focus your eyes on a spot in front of you, such as on the wall, and make sure it above your line of sight.
Breathe deeply and concentrate as completely on that spot as you can, to the exclusion of everything else. In your mind tell yourself how relaxed you feel and how heavy your eyes are becoming. Once you have become extremely relaxed and your eyes are too tired to keep open, close them and let the trance begin.
Visualization is a very popular way of putting oneself into a hypnosis trance. Conjure up images in your mind that encourages you to relax and become focused. A common one for many people is to imagine themselves lying on a beach, with the waves gently lapping the shore and the sun warming their body. Allow these mental images to take over your mind and make it possible for the trance to get underway.