“Be ye trance-formed by the renewing of your mind.”

"Be ye trance-formed by the renewing of your mind"
Jessica L Hanson CHt

Yup, it's another sunday. Sitting in a pew, my mind wandering.
Every week I find new ways to entertain myself: analyzing the music and when it is played, watching the people go through the ritual standing, sitting and reciting of creeds. It's like being in elementary school in phys-ed, playing simon says or red light green light.
I find humor that if one person stumbles in wording, so does everyone else, especially when the Lord's prayer is recited. Then there are the times when the pastor loses his spot or blanks out for a moment. You can hear everyone stop breathing, as if life cannot continue if the pastor cannot recite the proper words. Ah the joys of the creative wandering mind!
One scripture passages come to mind from Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect, the will of God." (KJV) This had nothing to do with the sermon, it's just what my church trance brought me today.
This passage, along with much of the bible, has never been the same since completing my hypnosis training. You see, sentence structure, word usage and suggestion; along with story telling, meditation, deepening and all aspects of hypnosis work can be found in the bible as well as many other religious books.
The late Milton Erickson, a man who helped bring much credibility to hypnosis, often did his best work by simply telling the client or group a story. Erickson knew the value of stories and how easily the client can identify with a character(s), internalize the metaphors, and create change within themselves, with Erickson never having to address the original issue.
Storytelling is a powerful form of trance communication. It has been used far past recorded history for passing knowledge, skills and heritage to the next generation. Every culture has a creation story, a flood story, and a saviour story.
When you allow yourself to identify with a character or situation, your subconscious mind begins to compare your experience with the fictional one and learn or relearn, opening up possibility where before there was pain, anger, issue, etc. It is through the metaphors and symbolism of the story that change happens. Remember, the subconscious mind loves to play. Whether or not the story is true holds no value, it is in the identifying with a character or situation which holds the value.
It doesn't matter what you think a symbol means, it's what it means to the person hearing it that matters most. Remember, the cross, swastika, skull, star, triangle, eye, and a myriad of other symbols all hold different meanings to different groups.
Going back to "being trance-formed by the renewing of your mind".
One of the most beautiful things about Hypnosis is that we get to help clients rewrite their stories, and create change using their metaphors and symbolism. Their story has already been written and we have a way to help the client trance-form, edit or change the ending.
If we really live from one trance to the next, then there is so much room for growth, change and potential! All we need to do is help the client shift their next habitual trance story slightly. We do this in so many ways, changing the: size, shape, color, location, temperature, volume, etc or the trance inducing issue. If the original association with the trance inducer; fear, hate, pain, has been changed, then so has the trance. It has been trance-formed by renewing the clients mind - allowing room for change where before there was no choice. The client was in bondage or a slave to this trance of fear, hate, pain, etc. not aware of another option.
No matter which religion or spiritual belief you subscribe to, it should offer you an option for change. It should tell you stories which stir up memories and desires, but it should also leave you changed in some way. With a desire to want better, do better and be better. A reminder that you matter in the world and are here for a reason, and that you are worthy of good things.
If the place you attend for worship leaves you feeling depressed and unpassionate about yourself and life, RUN! Find a place or group of people who uplift you. A place you can go to hear a story, which creates change within you. A place which you leave trance-formed.
By trance-formed, I am not talking about BIG dramatic changes, though they can and do happen. I mean the transformation of yourself; a change in how you feel, speak and act. It may be something as small as using a new word or smiling, but this is trance-formation at its core. When the trance has been changed, it can never be experienced in the same way again.
I leave you with this: Be trance-formed by looking at your issue from a new point of view. Seek possibility and ask yourself, 'how can I ....?'
Happy trance-forming!