Trance states are known to be associated with diminished pain and substantial increase of strength.
There are numerous examples of parents deploying incredible strength in emergency situations to save their children – they were probably in a trance state at that moment.
The most well-known example comes from Scandinavian lore: it is the berserker (which led to the english expression ‘going beserk’). Another example of a commony-admitted trance state, the berserker was traditionally a warrior in a trance state with much increased strength and almost not sensitive to pain. It was also associated with the image of a bear or a wolf, two of the common animal associations in the relevant culture.
“In battle, the berserkers were subject to fits of frenzy. They would howl like wild beasts, foam at the mouth, and gnaw the iron rim of their shields. According to belief, during these fits they were immune to steel and fire, and made great havoc in the ranks of the enemy. When the fever abated they were weak and tame.”
Recent research is ongoing to confirm and quantify how trance states are effectively associated with less pain and more strength. In any case, the beserkers are clearly another example of a well-established and socially accepted trance state.
In a series of post I will describe a personal journey into an altered state of consciousness – cognitive trance – that I was privileged to undertake this year. Previous posts in this series:
