Trances

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition where one experiences a profound alteration in consciousness or focus, resulting in diminished awareness of external stimuli or surroundings
2. An altered mental state characterized by intense concentration and detachment from reality, often accompanied by a lack of awareness of one's environment
3. A mental state marked by deep focus that reduces awareness of the outside world

Etymology: The word "trances" is simply the plural of "trance," so the history belongs to the singular. Its earliest sense was not mental at all but a state of fear and dread. In Middle English it appeared as "traunce," borrowed from Anglo-Norman "transe," which meant "fear of coming evil" and also "passage from life to death." That second sense points to the word's ultimate source, the Anglo-Norman verb "transir," meaning to be numb with fear or to die. That verb traces back to Latin "transeo," "to cross over," so the core image is of passing from one state into another. The modern sense of a dreamlike, absorbed condition developed later, as the notion of being carried across from ordinary awareness took hold. Behind the surprising shift from deathly terror to rapt concentration lies that single idea of crossing over.

Synonyms: hypnosis, stupor, daze, bewitchment, rapture

Antonyms: awareness, alertness, consciousness, lucidity, vigilance