Shifting from Trance to Presence to Reveal Your Truest Self
If you often find yourself caught up in and limited by the mind’s fear-based stories, this post is for you. Read on to learn more about the default state of Trance so many of us exist in and how to break through it to reveal your truest self.
“Trance encloses us in a virtual reality of thoughts and emotionally charged stories. We’re trying to solve problems, satisfy desires, get rid of discomfort, or make our way to a future when things might be better.”
Although we’re only at the halfway mark, 2020 has most certainly been a year of discomfort. If you’ve made space for the discomfort to unfold, then you’ve likely also been experiencing this year as one of tremendous evolution and awakening, too.
It’s been a year of letting go, yes, but also of letting be and stepping into.
Stepping into the self you’ve been hiding, holding out on, or saving for a brave day. The time to embrace yourself—fully and openly and without fear—is now.
In recent months, I’ve heard this calling to step into myself more loudly than ever before.
In response, I’ve challenged myself to move deep into long-protected shadows of self-doubt and fears of rejection to both illuminate and excavate that which is no longer serving myself or the greater good.
It’s hard and sometimes terrifying work.
But the world is asking each of us to bravely step into our truest, most authentic selves so that we can heal—both individually and collectively.
And we’re each responsible for doing the hard work.
trance vs presence = ego vs higher self
In her book Radical Compassion* (affiliate link), Tara Brach calls out two distinct states of existence: Trance and Presence.
Her goal in describing each one is to illuminate the various pathways back to Presence from the mind’s default state of Trance.
When we’re in a state of Trance, we’re dominated by thoughts that lead us to feel separate, alone, fearful, threatened, incomplete, worried, disconnected from ourselves and others, not enough, faded, shackled, trapped, and limited.
Conversely, when we’re in a state of Presence, we gel into a sort of homeostasis with all that is. We feel connected, united, empowered, free, illuminated, capable, complete, whole, and limitless.
Trance is a state of ego dominance whereas Presence is a state of open connection with the higher self.
Trance is defined by thinking, presence is defined by being.
how trance dulls our spark
Existing in a Trance state takes so very much away from our lives. Because while we’re in trance, we’re unable to fully immerse ourselves in the moment that surrounds us.
Instead, we find ourselves skimming across the surface of life or living on the periphery of its fullness.
But perhaps worst of all, the fear-based ramblings of Trance lead us to live on the periphery of ourselves, too. Afraid to step fully into who we are, we trim ourselves down to who the mind has told us—through Trance—that we should be in order to fit in.
We spend so much time thinking about how to be accepted by everyone else that we neglect our own heart’s very real callings to simply be who we already are. To step fully into the person we were born to be without worry.
Trance convinces us that we need to first change ourselves before we can fully show ourselves to the world.
It says we need to learn more, look different, have more, etc. before we can be who we’re meant to be.
But while following Trance’s lead, we move further and further away from our truest self.
let yourself grow wild
The other day, my husband, Dan, pointed out how the bushes lining our yard have all sorts of random and wild growth at their tops. The conversation brought to mind the idea of Trance vs. Presence.
“Maybe we should trim them,” he suggested.
“No, I quite like their wild, unconforming nature,” I replied. “They’re growing in response to the moment, feeling their way through life.”
The more time I’ve spent thinking about Trance, the more I’ve recognized just how much it trims away at us. Cutting us back to the limitations it's imposed upon us.
Like a tamed shrub, the limiting nature of Trance trims us back so that we conform to that which surrounds us.
Trance convinces us to stand down not out.
It doesn’t allow for or appreciate the wild, unruly nature of the heart’s callings and curiosities that lead us back to who we’ve always been.
To break free from the limitations of Trance, we must be willing to let ourselves grow wild. To shoot out in different directions as we try our various callings on for size.
To not worry so much about how we appear to others as we grow, stretch, and reach into limitless potential. Because it won’t make sense to them unless they’ve allowed themselves to grow wild, too.
the illuminating u-turn
In her book Radical Compassion, Tara Brach shares a simple way out of Trance that she refers to as The U-Turn to Presence.
Tara suggests that in moments when we recognize that we’ve lost ourselves to the fear-based stories of Trance, we begin by pausing, sitting comfortably, and allowing our eyes to gently close as we begin to take a few deep, grounding breaths.
Next, we begin to shift our attention away from the mind’s stories and thoughts, and instead, take notice of our present-moment experience.
An effective way to do this is to visualize the act of pulling attention away from the mind's thoughts and pushing it outward toward the body, noticing sensations, emotions, and the physical experiences unfolding within the body in the moment.
From here, we can then become curious observers. Asking ourselves questions like:
How does it feel for me to pull away from the mind’s stories?
Are these stories a reflection of my authentic self or the mind’s fears?
How do these stories hold me back from who I really am?
Who could I become without these stories?
Once we’ve taken the u-turn, we can then resume whatever it was we were previously doing with continued curiosity and take note of any shifts in the quality of our presence, energy, and mood.
The beauty of this activity is its simplicity and versatility. We can keep this strategy at the ready and take it on the go with us to call upon as needed.
Despite its simplicity though, the u-turn strategy is incredibly powerful.
Thanks to neuroplasticity, the more u-turns we make, the more we rewire the brain out of its default circuitry of Trance.
Through this intentional act of rewiring, we pave the way for Presence to occur organically and with regularity. And we create continuous opportunities to reunite with and reveal our most authentic, limitless self in the process.
INTENTION
I root firmly into presence so that I’m able to reach out into the world as I truly am.
intuitive WRITING PROMPT
Write to your intuition** (higher self) to answer the following questions.
What are my most limiting thoughts of Trance?
What does the mind say most loudly or frequently to keep me from moving into alignment with my truest self?
What are the energetic sparks that exist within me that I’m afraid to show to others?
What would I do and who would I reveal myself to be if I released my fear of rejection?
**If you’re unsure how to write to your intuition, read this post to learn how to access your intuition in 5 easy steps.
RESOURCES
Book: Radical Compassion* by Tara Brach
Book: A New Earth* by Eckhart Tolle
*This is an affiliate link. Purchasing through affiliate links helps support me at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
