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Signs of a Trance

A person in a trance state is not fully awake and not fully asleep -- he is in an altered state of consciousness. Though some people can induce a trance state in themselves, usually a trained hypnotist triggers it. Trances are used for several purposes, including divine communication, recollecting buried memories, stress reduction and religious rituals. People in a trance exhibit some marked characteristics.

  1. Eyes

    • People who are in a trance experience changes in their eyes, such as a pronounced reddening, the result of the blood vessels around the eyes relaxing. Blinking becomes less frequent, and tears may begin to flow. Some people may lock their eyes on a particular object without shifting their gaze for a long time. In other instances, a person's eyes may close, but her eyelids will continue to twitch as if she is in the first stages of sleep.

    Deep Relaxation

    • Deep relaxation is another sign that a person is in a trance. His body may look deflated because his arms and legs are loose, his head lolls to the side, and the muscles in his face are relaxed, giving him a calm expression. His breathing slows and he may take deeper breaths. Unlike movement associated with sleep, a person in deep relaxation does not move or make noise.

    Fixed Position

    • Some people who fall into a trance may lock themselves into the position or movement they were in before the trance took effect. If a person was sitting with her hands on her lap or sitting with her legs crossed, she may be fixed in that position without movement. Often her eyes will remain open and her expression may be blank. This state is usually transitory, and the person in the trance will often collapse into deep relaxation after a few minutes.

    Temperature and Pulse

    • Other outward signs of a trance include changes in body temperature, changes in pulse rate and a reduction or cessation of swallowing. Depending on the hypnotic technique used to induce the trance, a person may feel warmer to the touch or slightly colder than normal. This change correlates with the pulse rate, which can increase or decrease depending on what is being said to the person in the trance.

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