Schizophrenia and Trance

Dennis R. Wier
Director, The Trance Institute, Bruetten, Switzerland

In my book I wrote about the possibility of mimicing schizophrenia by means of trance techniques.

I conducted an experiment on myself in which I created more than two simultaneous separate trance states and then examined the relationship from one of the trance states to the others. One of the separate trances I created was a chattering monkey. I then purposefully did not end the trances and I did not ground myself afterwards. That is, I remained in one or more trances and then I terminated another trance in order to become 'normal'.

After the trance delta time, I noticed distinct schizophrenic-like phenomena such as more of a sense of voices going on which I could not make out distinctly, and some visual hallucinations such as 'mice' running around corners, shadows looking at me and so on. I knew that these phenomena were the result of my not terminating some of the trances correctly, but supposing someone had created such trances inadvertently and were experiencing such bizzare mental phenomena? I could easily imagine that they could become paranoid and could exhibit schizophrenic symptoms.

I also noted that in our society it is the case that many trances are not terminated. Television, for example, creates many trances which are deliberately not terminated. Even among some meditation circles and religious groups the trances produced are not terminated. Why? Because first of all, many people like the 'high' of trance, and second of all, most people do not know how to terminate a trance, and thirdly, the creators of trance realize that if you want a post-hypnotic suggestion to take place, you cannot terminate a trance 100%.

It is because of this experiment that I noted that if someone does not know what they are doing with trance, it is fairly easy to create such schizophrenic-like states, and presume that they are 'real'. Not knowing what is 'real' is very frightening to most people.

I can also imagine that if someone does not know how to terminate a trance, then such schizoid trances could eventually become of the addictive type, which is to say, more or less permanent.

The treatment of such synthetic trances with drugs may suppress the symptoms of schizophrenia and may certainly provide relief for family members from reactive behavior and provide a measure of peace for the sufferer, but I feel that simultaneously some work should take place to help the sufferer recognize what is happening and to help in breaking the trances, if possible.

There are several considerations which professionals must consider with regard to schizophrenic symptoms and the misuse of trance as the causal agent.

First, whatever the cause of schizophrenia, if left untreated for a period of time, there is the likelihood that the state will become permanent and severe irreversible ego damage can occur. Therefore, prompt treatment from a trance point of view is urgent.

Second, organic causes of schizophrenia are not amenable to treatment by trance techniques. There may be other forms of schizophrenia which are likewise untreatable due to the etiology.

Schizophrenia which may be caused by the ignorant or even malicious application of trance techniques will also fall into different categories which should be determined. The ignorant creation of trance can often be resolved simply by instructing a patient how trance works and how it is possible to create such behavior, and what are the ways to terminate such trances. Malicious creation of trance by others - for example, sales people or sexual preditors familiar with hypnotic techniques - can also result in delusions and behavior anomalies which can often be traced back to a trance which was deliberately created and deliberately not terminated. There is also what might be termed the non-malicious creation of trance. Parents sometimes inadvertently create and do not terminate or even recognize that they have created a trance with potentially damaging effects.

Schizophrenia is not treatable with trance techniques if a continuation of drug treatments is not terminated as well. It is important to reduce and terminate drug treatments in such a way that symptoms can be fully experienced and dealt with trance awareness.

The patient should be empowered to deal with the creation and termination of trance. This means primarily the patient who has the capacity and willingness to understand trance theory and can apply various techniques to himself, under guidance, and also gain the power to terminate the trances he or others have created. This can virtually reduce or eliminate the symptoms associated with the schizophrenia in some cases. One should be aware that schizophrenic symptoms can spontaneously disappear only to reappear later. This fact does not mean that the trance techniques did not work; it means that there are additional trance generating loops which need to be handled.

If it can be determined what the etiology of a specific schizophrenic attack or behavior may be, then there are very often within that cause, the elements of the trance generating loop. Trance treatment consists in modifying the elements of the loop in order to destabilize the trance, and to ground all trances that are created.

After I had written my book, I gave a copy of the manuscript to a psychologist at Kenyon College. A female student had witnessed an invited hypnotist put some classmates into a trance. She herself somehow also went into a trance, but her trance was not terminated or not terminated properly. She subsequently - after some days - began to exhibit schizoid behavior. The psychologist gave her the manuscript to read. She read it and began to understand what had happened to her. Her symptoms then disappeared and she became normal. She claimed that she experienced 'trance abuse' in the sense that she was an unwilling and unaware hypnotic subject.

Over the past several years, I have consulted by email with various people who - after getting a handle on some trance techniques - claimed that some problems had vanished and they thanked me. I had the impression that it was the model alone which gave them sufficient important practical information which enabled them to solve their own problem - whatever it may have been.

Recently I was contacted by a woman who reported that a teenager who was showing signs of schizophrenia came across my web site, read the papers, and concluded that he had been suffering from trance abuse. He somehow figured out the causes of the trances, terminated them and his symptoms disappeared shortly thereafter. I am continuing to monitor him.

While these few cases are certainly not enough to be conclusive, I report them because it may encourage others to apply trance theory in specific cases of schizophrenia. I would, of course, be interested in consulting in any such cases.

References:

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Wier, Dennis R., Trance: from magic to technology. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Trans Media, 1996.

About the Author:

Dennis R. Wier is the Director of The Trance Institute in Switzerland. He may be reached by email at HERE. See also www.trance.edu

The Book: Trance: from magic to technology How and where to get it.