Cogent Psychology
April 24, 2017
P. Flor-Henry, Yakov Shapiro, Corine Sombrun
100 citations
A trained Mongolian shamanic practitioner self-induced a trance state without external sensory stimulation while undergoing quantitative EEG mapping and LORETA source imaging. The shamanic state of consciousness involved a shift from the normally dominant left analytical to the right experiential mode of self-experience, and from anterior prefrontal to posterior somatosensory mode. These neurophysiological changes may help explain brain networks underlying the autobiographical self, the boundary between self and others, and dissociative, psychotic, and transpersonal experiences. The findings offer a basis for integrating Western and traditional healing approaches.
NeuroImage
June 1, 2024
Pradeep Kumar G, Rajanikant Panda, Kanishka Sharma et al.
20 citations
High-order interactions between brain regions, measured as synergistic and redundant information, change differently across three non-ordinary states of consciousness. During Rajyoga meditation, synergy increased across the whole brain in delta and theta brainwave bands, while redundancy decreased in frontal, central, and posterior electrodes in delta and beta bands. During hypnosis, synergy decreased in mid-frontal, temporal, and mid-centro-parietal electrodes in the delta band, and in left frontal and right parietal electrodes in the beta2 band. During auto-induced cognitive trance, synergy decreased in delta and theta bands in left-frontal, right-frontocentral, and posterior electrodes, and at the whole brain level in the alpha band. Redundancy changes during hypnosis and auto-induced cognitive trance were not significant. Subjective reports of absorption, dissociation, and mystical experience did not correlate with the high-order measures.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2022
Charlotte Grégoire, Nolwenn Marie, Corine Sombrun et al.
20 citations
A protocol describes a planned trial comparing three group interventions—hypnosis, mindful self-compassion meditation, and self-induced cognitive trance (SICT)—against a no-intervention control for improving quality of life in cancer patients who have completed active treatment within the past year. The study targets cancer-related fatigue, emotional distress, sleep difficulties, pain, and cognitive problems. Each participant chooses their preferred arm. Data from questionnaires, neurobiological measures, and medical records are collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. The trial aims to enroll 160 patients and will assess short- and long-term effectiveness.
Neuroscience of consciousness
January 1, 2024
Charlotte Grégoire, Corine Sombrun, Philippe Lenaif et al.
10 citations
Two Western trance practices, auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) and Mahorikatan® trance (MT), both derived from traditional shamanic training, share core phenomenological features such as emotional expression, perceptual changes, a feeling of unicity, and expanded consciousness. AICT participants commonly reported body movements, vocalizations, increased creativity, visions of entities or places, and interaction with the environment, while MT participants commonly reported body dissolution. Most participants in both groups reported positive effects on personal life. The findings characterize the similarities and differences between these trance states and suggest further research into their potential clinical applications.
Neuroscience of consciousness
January 1, 2024
Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Marie-Carmen Castillo, Charlotte Martial et al.
7 citations
Auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) produces richer and more distinct subjective experiences than ordinary rest, auditory stimulation, or imagination. In 27 trained participants, free recalls of experiences were longer during AICT than in other conditions. Text mining identified four distinct classes of discourse, with AICT forming its own class clearly separate from ordinary conscious states. Nine content categories emerged, including nature, animals, body modifications, and difficulty describing thoughts. AICT was specifically characterized by reports of nature, animals, body modifications, and difficulty describing thoughts. These findings indicate that AICT generates a unique and richer phenomenology compared to other conscious states.
OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine
March 5, 2025
Gaëtan Collignon, Aminata Bicego, Marie-élisabeth Faymonville et al.
2 citations
A 68-year-old man with chronic pain from an open Spina Bifida at L4-L5 used auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) to manage his condition. After four days of training, pain intensity, anxiety, and depression slightly decreased; most attitudes and beliefs improved; the mental component of quality of life improved while the physical component decreased, and the patient reported his overall health had worsened. Qualitative analysis of his diary over two months revealed themes including trance characteristics, pain location, difficulties with practice, and medical history. The findings suggest AICT may alter subjective pain experience, but its effects on physical health and global well-being were mixed.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2025
Aminata Bicego, Naji Alnagger, Etzel Cardeña et al.
1 citation
Auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) can produce mystical-type experiences in healthy individuals, with 29% of participants reporting such experiences during AICT compared to none during a rest condition. The study examined twenty-seven people who could self-induce AICT, measuring their religious and spiritual practices and paranormal beliefs beforehand. Participants completed five conditions including rest, imagination, and AICT with or without auditory stimulation. The intensity of the AICT experience and features resembling near-death experiences were linked to mystical-type experiences only during AICT. This is the first demonstration that AICT, a technique distinct from hypnosis or meditation, can induce mystical-type experiences outside life-threatening situations.