sustainability

[sisalfish]

Of the last three trances the team has done, two had half the facilitators drop out at last minute due to illness; the Kali etc trance was just - so big. All three left me and several other facilitators wondering how we can do this work without being utterly whacked when it's over

Comments

[poustinia_3]

I am not a trained trance person, only someone who has tranced in the past. To me, all that is truly needed is a sacred space in which to trance, the sound of a drum to aid the trancers, and the spoken voice opening the door. In fact, all that is most needed is the open door. Outer aids like decorating the space, etc., are good, but they could also distract people from going deeper, keeping trancers too much in this world, dazzled by their surroundings. Creating those surroundings WITHIN the trancers, taking enough time to create a rich connection before heading into the trance work, can be something to ponder.

[skywind8]

The three year old says, "WOW!! Christmas presents EVERYWHERE!!"

The five year old says, "I'm gonna build.... big dreams."

There's a spirit of play and wonder and awe that physical transformation of space produces... see also, Disney attractions, and theater. But those are expensive, in materials, time, and physical energy (ask anyone who runs stage sets in the weeks before a show), and the same people don't take all parts (set builders are not also actors).

What does the glitz and drama serve? Does it help to move a person farther out of mundane space and into imagination and possibility? Does it help to break the "but I can't" limitations? What value does it give to the trance facilitators as well?

Find its core contribution, its essence, and making things simpler might get a little easier.

Having the energy to continue high quality engagement can only be a good thing. :)

[sisalfish]

Well, I don't see it as glitz and drama - I see it as creating mythic space. We often physicalize in ritual, and I'm trying to find a balance between effective physicalization, and things that, as singingwaterdrum said above, trance can handle just as well -

I think a lot about Shauna Aura. I think for her, the whole experience comes alive when she creates the space to hold it. For me, if I'm aspecting, I fully step into what I'm aspecting when I dress Her (or it). Something about shining body sparks to the physical, on this plane - to having tree branches all around that say: YOU are Vasalisa, in the forest -

And I wholly believe in the power of trance to create an even better forest. I take to heart what both of you said - the branches around the edge of the room, the fire we had going, all encouraged the trancers to keep their eyes open. I think it gave them a stronger ritual experience, maybe, but a lesser trance experience, and that's worth remembering -

[shauna_aura]

As always, your posts make me think :D

What people need

[ext_238030]

One thought occurred to me amongst the other comments about who trances easily and who needs more props. I was thinking about how, if you provide concrete props (or induction phrasing), you have nailed down a part of the trance experience that might need to be something communicated by the participants' inner self. So, the forest you constructed is the forest they experience in trance. It might be deciduous when one person's mind might have placed them in a conifer grove, for example.

This may or may not be key to their exprience, so, do you consider this in the elements you choose to represent physically (or even describe concretely in induction phrasing)? Some things may be incidental, some things may be essential to be communicated from within, and it may differ for each person. I can see this being quite a challenge to balance if you let it, but in the end you have to deliver an experience within a fixed time and space, so you have to do something!

What people need

[ext_238030]

One thought occurred to me amongst the other comments about who trances easily and who needs more props. I was thinking about how, if you provide concrete props (or induction phrasing), you have nailed down a part of the trance experience that might need to be something communicated by the participants' inner self. So, the forest you constructed is the forest they experience in trance. It might be deciduous when one person's mind might have placed them in a conifer grove, for example.

This may or may not be key to their exprience, so, do you consider this in the elements you choose to represent physically (or even describe concretely in induction phrasing)? Some things may be incidental, some things may be essential to be communicated from within, and it may differ for each person. I can see this being quite a challenge to balance if you let it, but in the end you have to deliver an experience within a fixed time and space, so you have to do something!