Attendee Handouts (AH)

We want to provide opportunities for understanding what
a trance is, where they can get more information, how
to avoid trance abuse, relationship of drugs and alcohol
to trance.  Other ways to create a trance.  Concept of
the ‘trance virtuoso’.  ‘Powerful trance masters are changing
the world for evil purposes, we need to organize for good.’

1.What is a Trance?
2.How can I create a trance?
3.Trance Abuse
4.How Trance Works in Cults
5.TRF Membership Information
6.Trance Party Project Brochure
7.Volunteering for the Trance Party Project
8.Trance: from magic to technology Order Form
9.Standups: for table, displays, etc.

PTSD is considered to be a trance complex of hypnotic and addictive components in which well-established dissociative realities predominate. These dissociative reality components result in highly disturbing anxieties.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1994) lists PTSD (309.81) under anxiety disorders, stating that it may result from direct or indirect exposure to trauma. Its essential features include intrusive and avoidance symptoms, and symptoms of hyperarousal, for greater than 1 month and causing clinically significant distress or impairment in important life areas. Indirect traumata may include observing the serious injury or death of another person through violence, accident, war, or disaster or the chance encountering of a corpse or body parts. Although Adjustment Disorder and PTSD both require a psychosocial stressor, PTSD is identified by an extreme stressor and specific symptoms, while Adjustment Disorder may be triggered by a stressor of any severity and can involve a wide range of symptoms.
At least 7 factors have been found to be associated with PTSD as antecedents, precipitants, or collateral events and/or features of PTSD.

Pre-existing traumas. These have a cumulative or sensitizing effect upon the ease of acquisition of later trauma (Blanchard & Hickling, 1997; Brewin, Dalgleish & Joseph, 1996; McKenzie & Wright, 1996; Resnick, Yehuda & Foy,1995).
The pretraumatic state, the immediate social environment, the nature of the trauma, the dynamics of the traumatic episode, and the nature of the posttraumatic state which contribute to the stability of the disorder (Woolston, 1988).

Recent life events, chronic strains, and social supports (Ullman & Siegel, 1994). Risk of increased posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms following a traumatic event was associated with other life events, sexual assault, and household strain. The level of PTS varied according to the trauma after adjusting for demographics. Women and younger adults reported more PTS than other subjects.
Negative life events during the year before the trauma, health problems during the previous ten years, and a personality trait characterized by high emotional reactivity (Tjemsland, Soreide, & Malt, 1998).

Personality disorders. These may occur in 5 to 15 percent of the population. Patients with personality disorder have not only a maladaptive response to stress but elicit dysfunctional responses by a pervasive pattern of interpersonal stress (Adams, 1997).

Worldview: After trauma, one’s worldview (in German, Weltanschauung) may alter. This is the general perspective used to perceive and interpret reality, the existential beliefs supporting one’s existence. Perceptions of vulnerability are heightened and self-view are significantly diminished for trauma victims, with similar results across different types of trauma (Gluhoski & Wortman, 1996).

The degree of trauma: There is a correlation between the severity of PTSD and the presence of other disorders, including depression, substance abuse disorders, adjustment disorders, psychosomatic disorders, and antisocial behavior (Rundell, Ursano, Holloway, & Silberman, 1989).

Wickramasekera (1998) defines 3 risk factors associated with PTSD symptom intensity. These are high hypnotic ability (high dissociation), low hypnotic ability (low dissociation), and a high Marlowe-Crowne score (Crowne & Marlowe, 1960). The latter measures culturally acceptable statements that are probably untrue of most people and undesirable statements. These measures may produce incongruent responses between psychological measures (e.g. no perception or memory of negative emotions) and physiological (e.g. sympathetic activation, high skin conductance, high heart rate, high blood pressure) measures of threat perception. These risk factors reduce or block negative emotions from conscious awareness but not from behavior (e.g. violence, avoidance, substance abuse) or physiology (e.g. migraines, autonomic nervous system dysregulation, musculoskeletal pain).

From the above, the usefulness of psychophysiological measures may be adduced as a valuable supplement to PTSD assessment.

Dissociation and Hypnosis

Dissociation is described as “a disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment. The disturbance may be sudden or gradual, transient or chronic” (DSM IV, 1994). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may be conceptualized as part of a dissociative spectrum in which recall/re-experiencing of the trauma (flashbacks) alternates with numbing (detachment or dissociation), and avoidance (Turkus, 1992; also see Briere, Evan, Runtz, & Wall, 1988; Carlson & Rosser-Hogan, 1991; Goodwin & Reynolds, 1987; Jaschke & Spiegel, 1992; Kuch & Cox, 1992; Mellman, Randolph, Brawman-Mintzer, Flores, & Milanes,1992; Roszell, McFall, & Malas, 1991; Shalev, Schreiber, & Galai, 1993; Southwick, Yehuda, & Giller, 1993).

As Wickramasekera (1998) addressed hypnotizability, Spiegel, Hunt, and Dondershine (1988) examined this trait in veterans with PTSD contrasted with a normal control group and four patient samples. The results demonstrated that PTSD patients show significantly higher hypnotizability scores than patients with schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder-depressed, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and the controls. This supports the hypothesis that dissociation effects may be used as defenses during and after traumatic experiences.

Bremner and Brett (1997) examined dissociation in premilitary, combat-related and postmilitary traumas and the presence of long-term psychopathology in Vietnam combat veterans with and without PTSD. Most interesting was the finding that PTSD patients reported higher levels of dissociative states at the time of combat-related traumatic events than non-PTSD patients. These higher levels of dissociative states persisted in PTSD patients as higher levels of dissociation in response to postmilitary traumatic events. The dissociative responses to combat trauma were linked with higher, long-term dissociative symptoms as measured by the Dissociative Experience Scale and an increased number of “flashbacks” since the time of the war. The findings are congruent with earlier concepts that traumatic dissociation may be a sign of long-term psychopathology.

Treatment Implications

Contrary to the symptom-specific expectations of insurance reviewers, current research demands flexibility in the diagnoses and treatment of PTSD. In some instances (see Foa, Hearst-Ikeda, & Perry, 1995), brief cognitive–behavioral program undertaken shortly after assault reduce the re-experiencing of severe arousal symptoms as well as depression. However, a history of physical abuse in childhood has been strongly correlated with dissociative symptoms later in life as well as combat experiences in veterans (Spiegel, &. Cardena, 1990). As dissociative symptoms during and soon after traumatic experience predict later PTSD, brief, symptom-focused treatment may not always be applicable.

Hypnotic procedures may be helpful because the population has been shown to be highly hypnotizable. Hypnosis provides regulated access to painful memories that may otherwise be blocked from awareness. In treating PTSD victims, dissociated traumatic memories are connected with a positive restructuring of involved memories, a cognitive reorientation. Accordingly, patients are helped to confront and manage traumatic experiences by inserting them into a new context meaning or “worldview.” Feelings of helplessness are endorsed while experiences are interlaced with restructured memories, emphasizing positive efforts at self-protection, affection with the living and those who may have died, or the capacity to control events and the environment at other times.

Although medication use shows a modest, clinically meaningful effect on PTSD, in their literature review on the effectiveness of PTSD treatments, Solomon, Gerrity, and Muff (1992) found more robust effects for behavioral techniques involving direct therapeutic exposure in reducing PTSD intrusive symptoms. There is a caveat, however, in that complications were reported from the use of these techniques in patients with collateral psychiatric disorders. Cognitive therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and hypnosis may also hold promise, but further research is needed.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on helping the patient examine their reactions to the physical or emotional personal violations of the traumatic event(s). The goal is to increase awareness of intrapersonal conflicts and their resolution. The patient is guided towards developing increased self-esteem, self-control, and a regenerated sense of personal integrity and self-confidence.

Group therapy may help PTSD patients develop a reference group and a sense of community, reacquiring the capacity to relate to others in a controlled, health-inducing manner and setting.

Most PTSD treatment is outpatient. When symptoms make it impossible to function or lead to other symptoms (e.g., alcohol or drug problems) inpatient treatment may become necessary.

Some types of therapy used in PTSD treatment include:

Cognitive therapy. This type of talk therapy helps patients identify and change self-destructive thought (cognitive) patterns.

Exposure therapy. This behavioral therapy technique helps patients safely confront the very thing that they find upsetting or disturbing, so that they can learn to cope effectively with it.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). This type of therapy combines exposure therapy with a series of guided eye movements that help patients process traumatic memories.

Cognitive behavior therapy. This approach combines cognitive and behavior therapy to help patients identify unhealthy beliefs and behaviors and replace them with positive ones.

Trance Analysis. This approach helps patients identify the causes of specific compulsive trances, associate the causes with the effects and enable intervention, symptom mitigation and help develop the personal self-esteem which comes from successfully breaking the PTS syndrome.

Discovering and developing a uniform drug policy which is practical, which reduces harm and increases public safety is not an easy undertaking. Yet, public policy makers need such guidance if there will ever be the possibility of solving the “drug problem”. The Drug Policy Project advocates policy based on scientific knowledge and increased personal responsibility. Promoting such radical changes needs concerned experts on trance able to commit to a presence at various meetings of public policy makers around the world.

The Trance Research Foundation Committee NGO on Drug Policy is developing a proposal for a uniform drug policy based on a scientific approach. The goal of this policy is harm reduction and increased public safety rather than control, repression or the promotion of fear propaganda. Our approach attempts to bypass some of the legal compulsions of the past, and explores the potential dimensions of a transcultural and uniform drug policy. The proposal uses the trance model as an analytical basis.

Maybe you are not exactly sure what a trance is. What we mean by trance includes meditation, hypnosis, addictions, charisma, electronic and chemical means of inducing trance as well as brainwashing, mind control, cults, magic, music, ritual and dance, and advertising.

You might already have a good idea of what hypnosis is. But you probably don’t realize all the ways that it is used on you without either your awareness or permission, a form of trance abuse. Increasing public awareness of trance abuse, and showing how to prevent it, is one of the main jobs of the Trance Research Foundation.

Our vision and commitment

The Trance Research Foundation has an ambitious vision because the problems are huge.

Realizing our vision will require the personal commitment of many people just like you. It means a lot of work, expended over a long period of time. We know it will also require large financial investments from socially conscious benefactors.

But the results will be

• a greater public awareness of how trance works
• a greater public immunity to trance abuse
• a measurable worldwide decrease in drug and alcohol abuse problems
• a more enlightened worldwide drug policy
• a greater number of people who practice meditation for personal development
• an increase in consciousness and planetary wisdom.
• And this will result in greater world peace for future generations.

What is important

Here are some of the basic areas we see as important:

• Trance – its use and misuse – continues to have important social and psychological effects worldwide.
• Understanding how trance works enables and empowers people to explore themselves and the world they live in.
• The lack of understanding of trance exposes people to trance abuse and can cause life-long psychological problems.
• A thorough investigation of the ethics of trance has far-reaching implications in law, politics, religion, business. An exploration of trance ethics will result in best practices.
• Until now there has not been a model which attempts to explain meditation, hypnosis, addiction, magic and charisma with one robust theory. We feel we can provide that now.
• To study important contemporary trances, to understand their structure, their creation, their effects, the mechanisms used to change them or to bring about their dissolution.To facilitate advanced psychological study through the open sharing of special known trance mechanisms.
• To provide consultation and practical training to psychologists and therapists.
• To publish in peer reviewed journals the results of trance research.
• To operate a virtual educational institution to make the results of trance research available as widely as possible.
• To make a strong presence in the media, including audio, video, internet.
• To promote education about trance by means of on-line courses, teacher training, having a presence in and relationship with schools, organizing annual international conventions on trance.
• Staying in the news by means of publicity releases, involvment with international personalities.
• Clinical treatment programs for drug/alcohol abuse, prevention programs, individual trance analysis, workshops for medical professionals, workshops and social programs to promote the best practices of trance.

Our interests are in:

Meditation: religious and nonreligious meditation techniques, their physiological and psychological effects. This includes shamanistic, occult, daydreaming, channeling and other practices which incorporate meditation.

Hypnosis: advertising, sales, television, video games, virtual reality, and many other hypnotic trance phenomena.

Addiction: drug, psychic, performance, belief and other repetitive and compulsive behaviors.

Magic: ritual, devotional and religious magic from witchcraft to contemporary religions.

Music: many traditional as well as contemporary musical genres including drum and bass, acid trance, goa trance, traditional voodoo, shamanistic, native and electronic forms.

Drug Policy Research: recreational and traditional drugs create trances through the suppression or modification of cognitive functions.

Electronics: ultrasound, microwave and electro-biologically based trance inductions have been successfully used in publicly little-known military and neurophysiological applications.

Charisma: guru-worship, cults, political, religious and entertainment charisma.

Our mission

The development of courses centered around trance is essential. The on-line courses at tranceinstitute.com are the start.

Our educators develop courses, presentations, workshops and they participate in conferences, research and consulting. Activities span the range from trance parties to workshops and conferences.

The Trance Research Foundation is not wedded to one trance model as expressed by Dennis Wier’s model. Other models and interpretations or perspectives can make for a rich and vibrant research environment.

Multimedia presentations of trance course content including audio, video, virtual reality, etc. are but one way we create trance-related products.

Producing books, journals, blogs, newsletters, publicity releases, and so forth is an important on-going need.

Consulting as international experts in trance means that educators are available for individual clinical consultations.

Such expertise also provides important research material and data for conferences, journals and other media.

Additionally, acting as consults in the area of advertising, politics and religion can provide important income, as well as a public presence, for the Trance Research Foundation and its members.

By consulting and contributing to government and United Nations agencies activities we can help to promote the ideas of the Trance Research Foundation and can help influence laws relating to drugs, terrorism, addiction, trance abuse, and addiction prevention and treatment programs.

Research activity will involve providing project management for academic research in various institutions in order to carry out research projects which will be funded by entities such as the National Institutes for Health, and other international agencies and foundations.

Are you still with us? You can support our mission when you:

• Read the papers on trance.edu
• Get a copy of the book, The Way of Trance. Check our websites for details.
• Call or actively communicate with the Trance Research Foundation by mail, email, fax or phone. We need to know who you are, and what your interests and skills are.
• If you are interested in trance parties, you might like to help us maintain a presense at them by organizing trance workshops, distributing literature, etc.
• If you attend a university, you might like to help us to make trance the subject of student forums, seminars and to promote academic research on trance.
• If you are a professor or teacher, you can help develop on-line trance courses.
• If you are a journalist or like to write, there are hundreds of examples of trance to write stories about.
• If you are well-off and wish to make any trance project move more rapidly and effectively, a financial contribution in any amount will make a huge difference. You can make a direct donation to our bank account.
• If you are a creative person with ideas about trance, contact us. Let’s discuss your perspective.
• If you are a drug, alcohol, addiction counselor or therapist, you might like to start using our techniques.
• If you manage a group of people you might like to learn how trance affects your organization.
• If you have organizational skills abilities, contact us now to learn in more detail the many interesting projects awaiting you.
• We encourage regular local Trance Pot Lucks everywhere. These are small parties hosted by friends who come together to practice trance, discuss it, and celebrate community. We stay in touch with each other, provide literature for the Trance Pot Lucks, and come together in larger groups for workshops or public meetings.