Hypnotic states of consciousness

A mode of awareness with superficial resemblance to sleep or trance, which may be self-induced or induced by a hypnotist. It differs from dreaming in that the hypnotized person responds physically as directed, even to the extent of control not normally experienced in the normal waking state - altering body temperature, for example, or increasing pain thresholds. Also it is not a unitary or consistent state.

Experiments by Professor Charles Tart on deep, unguided hypnosis have shown this mode of awareness to be very flexible. As the subject goes deeper into a hypnotic trance, he experiences similar effects to those induced by psychedelic drugs. At a particular depth of experience there seems to be a consciousness threshold, beyond which the individual, personalized identity disappears and existence appears as potential identity; space and time are meaningless concepts; and there is no spontaneous thought. Studies on mutual hypnosis show that, at least at a depth similar to psychedelic drug hallucinations, experiences in hypnotic trance can be shared. The transcendental and transpersonal potentialities of hypnosis are yet to be fully explored.