Phenomenological characteristics of auto-induced cognitive trance and Mahorikatan® trance.
Neuroscience of consciousness – January 01, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
Trance states can profoundly alter consciousness, with participants reporting significant personal benefits. In a study involving 25 individuals practicing auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) and 26 in Mahorikatan® trance (MT), both groups experienced emotional shifts, altered perceptions, and a sense of unicity. AICT practitioners noted increased creativity and interactions with their environment, while MT participants often felt body dissolution. Remarkably, over 80% of participants indicated positive impacts on their lives from these trance practices, highlighting the potential for further exploration of their therapeutic applications.
Abstract
Trance states include various practices characterized by a modulation of consciousness, but with their own specific characteristics and induction techniques. They have been very seldom scientifically studied, and their phenomenological similarities and differences are poorly documented. This paper will focus on two types of Western trances developed after the leaders were trained in traditional shamanic communities: the auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) and the Mahorikatan® trance (MT). Twenty-five AICT and 26 MT participants who were able to self-induce the trance state completed questionnaires about their trance practice (e.g. context of the first trance episode, frequency of practice, and consequences on personal life) and the phenomenological characteristics (i.e. emotional, physical, and cognitive) of the trance episodes they experienced. These characteristics were compared to explore similarities and differences between the two trance states. AICT and MT are characterized by the expression of different emotions, modification of various perceptions, a feeling of unicity (i.e. being completely oneself), and an expansion of consciousness. AICT participants commonly reported body movements, vocalizations, as well as increased creativity, visions of entities and/or places, and feeling of interaction with the environment. MT participants commonly reported a feeling of body dissolution. Most participants in both groups reported positive effects of their trance practice on their personal life. These results helped characterize AICT and MT, as well as their similarities and differences. Further studies should continue to explore the characteristics of such trance states, as well as their potential clinical applications.