Introduction - The Pervasive State of Trance

Summary

Trance pervades our lives. Whenever we are creative, contemplative, imaginative, or become lost in the world of our memories, we are in an altered state – a state of trance. Altered states of consciousness are a normal part of existence and fundamental to the creative process, where they are collectively called a creative trance. These psychologically significant experiences, ranging from relaxation to rapture, from daydreams to transcendence, are essential aspects of the mind and distinct from waking awareness. Occupying a greater part of life than generally realized, they demonstrate that the waking state of consensual reality is only one facet in the complexity of human consciousness. The Introduction includes summaries of the book’s twelve chapters. They investigate the unconscious substrate of the creative trance, uncover its evolutionary origins, examine its neuroscience, nonlinear dynamics, and heroics, how it is shaped by cultural traditions and individual efforts, and may be positively influenced by illness, disabilities, and dementia.