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Trance v Meditation
lobster
Crusty Veteran
As you may know, some Buddhists are entranced by nuns, yoga nidra, my little pony samsara toys, Dukkha overload, meditation, HH The Daily Lama etc
However meditation is not trance. Trance is useful, healing for sure. Does it have a place in your repertoire of Dukkha Dealing Dharma?
Me yes.
. . . Going deeper . . .
. . . and wide awake . . . how was it for you? 
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Comments
Trance: a half-conscious state characterized by an absence of response to external stimuli, typically as induced by hypnosis or entered by a medium.
Really, what's your point, @lobster?
Maybe he's subtly suggesting a group trance?
Isn't trance a type of modern music that they play in those dreadful night clubs, all those young people taking drugs? Shameful.
Hypnotic trance is healing, I often notice that people 'meditating' have in fact entered a light trance. Yoga nidra and led meditations are often forms of trance induction as are many empowerments. Nothing wrong with that if helpful.
It helps me on occasion. Just asking if others use, avoid or think they are not in a trance?
I'm still not sure what a trance is like? Could you try and describe it a bit more? What would it be like as a meditative state?
If the commonly-referred to "zoning out" is a trance, then I spent a lot of my time in Trance-ilvania!
I have never experienced a trance in meditation over a period of 17 years. I assume it depends or is cultivated by the method used?
@Lobster
Them be sparring words fer sure.
In my world, when meditation becomes trance like, I stop calling it meditation.
Concentration** can** become closer to a trance state which is one of the reasons that this spoke of the 8FP also has a "right" designation connected with it to differentiate from a potential trance state.
Is the dream that the Buddha exhorted his followers to awaken from not simply identity's trance.
I am not saying that it does not have it's place within the checks and balances of a Shaman's practice...Just not one that the Buddha appeared to have backed.
As @how and others point out, it is NOT Buddhist meditation. However people entering and leaving meditation are often entering altered states of consciousness, including light trance.
You don't enter and leave meditation. That is affectation, trance, sitting with purpose, concentration, mind games etc.
Hypnosis and trance work is useful and I provided an example. What is it like?
a healing modality used for pain relief, altering behavioural traits, reinforcing positive loops etc
So like deep relaxation?
There are degrees of trance, many induction techniques are based around relaxation.
I would suggest that many meditators enter trance states. These states are relaxing, sometimes even euphoric, with long term subtle improvements, people think they are on the right path. Maybe it is useful incentive . . .
It is similar to how painful sitting releases endorphins. People are engaged in a subtle form of self induced sado-masochism, again this makes a fun hobby for those so inclined but is it likely to lead to Buddhist emancipation . . .