One participant of a techno trance later recalls: “I remember nothing of the trance dance and was quite surprised when my friend told me I had danced for a long time (over an hour). I thought it was two minutes. I now realize I was dancing the abuse out, no wonder my head was burning. No wonder I was excited. I knew the next day was going to be even more amazing!” There are a number of hypnosis techniques but perhaps none as mysterious as the trance dance.
Trance music is the primary component of the techno trance self-hypnosis. While various forms of electronic music may be used to invoke a dance trance, Goa Trance is said to be the most mesmerizing of all. The energetic music pulses at four quarter note pulses per bar (a “4/4 beat”), while light melodies and rhythms overlay the thumping bass drum kicks. Goa’s roots are in ancient shamanic dance rituals that aimed at transcendence. These long eight to twelve minute tracks focus on gradually building energy and creating mental imagery (much like classical music) and producing a hypnotic and intense feeling much like a state of trance. Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom, Juno Reactor, Etnica, Dimension 5, Doof, Hallucinogen, Man With No Name and Transwave are some of the most notable artists producing techno, dance trance music.
When one enters a techno trance, they feel a lightness of body, perhaps even a numbness or disassociation, where the mind and body feel detached, as though a person is watching him or herself move. Blinking slows down, there is a distortion of movement, space and time, and the senses become more vivid. Another common occurrence is catalepsy, a condition where the muscles contract and remain soft, rather than rigid. The body’s natural endorphins and pain relievers flow freely, allowing dancers to continue moving for hours on end. While listening to trance music, people often report feeling that they are less inhibited and more able to talk about their emotions. Often a deep sense of interconnectedness takes hold and the dancer begins to feel a bond with those around him or her. It is almost as if these dancers are in another time and place, where rules do not apply and the outside world has ceased to exist.
To come out of a state of trance is natural. Once the music stops, the daylight enters or one sits down to take a break from dancing, the emotional high gradually wears off. The question remains: Is a dance trance a viable therapy for mental disorders like anxiety and depression? Some dancers report that their awakened feelings spill over into everyday life, freeing them to speak of their emotions better or showing them a new positive way of thinking. Yet for others, the only time they are truly connected to these sensations is when they’re listening to techno trance in a club environment.
