Generative Trance
What is Trance?
Trance is seen primarily as a naturalistic learning state that occurs from within, not an artificial state created or controlled by an outside “hypnotist”. Generative Trance teaches skills for cultivating these higher states of consciousness for purposes of improved health, happiness, healing, and helpfulness to others. Generative Trance is open to those seriously interested in generative personal change and altered states of consciousness. It is not a workshop for receiving personal therapy or learning to do therapy with others; it is an experiential community for learning how to experience and utilize generative states of consciousness. It sees each trance as an experiment in consciousness, and shows how trance skills can allow those experiments to lead to many new patterns. The goal is to learn how to create a Generative Self capable of transforming one’s life in many powerful ways.
The Experience of Generative Trance has many dimensions. The course usually runs from 9 – 6 pm each day. Each day is filled with Dr. Gilligan’s talks, group trances, Dr. Gilligan’s work with volunteer clients, generative trance exercises with partners, and group discussions. The trances start out simple and short, and progressively deepen and extend into core pieces of transformational work. A group of experienced assistants is there to help as needed, and we all work to ensure that the group space is safe, intimate, and lots of fun. In addition to the main course, there are optional early morning chi Gong classes and optional evening events ( a 45 Minute movement practice „dance journey to self as well as presentations on related topics, and the last evening “trance follies” talent show).
Generative Trance is also known as ‘Trance camp’ which was aptly named by previous participants on Stephen’s summer residential programme. They felt the training to be a like an amazing and timeless “summer camp” where people gather to enjoy a safe and intensive transformational community experience. Participants report profound and meaningful changes that extend far into the future!
Stephen discusses the two modules of the Generative Trance certification course in these videos:
Part I: A Method for Sustainable Change
Part II: Generative Trance and the Hero's Journey
This workshops is a certification course in Generative Trance certified by the Community for Integral Mind and Action (CIMA).
On successful completion you will gain a certification as a ‘Certified Professional Coach in Generative Trance.'
It should be noted that the requirements for licensing (and advertising) one’s self as a hypnotherapist vary by country and state/province.