You go into a trance state many times a day:

• when you're focused reading a book or even watching TV sometimes
• when you're daydreaming and gazing out of the window
• just as you're going to sleep
• just as you're waking up
• when you're driving on automatic pilot e.g. on motorways

When in a trance state:

• your mind is calm but focused, your body is relaxed
• you are not asleep, but can choose to go to sleep if you so desire
• if your choose to go to sleep / have a nap - that's fine you will wake-up as you would at any other time
• you can hear everything or choose not to hear everything
• you can move / get up / or choose to stay still
• you can speak / nod etc
• you can open your eyes any time you like
• you are in control at all times
• a microsecond after you open your eyes you will be out of the trance state, just a little more calm and relaxed

Hypnosis starts the process of self-balancing and self-healing. (See also history of hypnosis).

Our conscious mind is really only the small part of the overall network that we are accessing / using at any one time. The Buddhists understood this concept which is what they mean when they say that reality is only ever perceived when in a deep meditative state and that everything else is a "dream" (a perception or interpretation of external events V simply experiencing external without "thinking" about what we are perceiving).

When we are in trance we are simply allowing more neurones to communicate with one another in a positive way. This undoes a human tendency to generate areas of isolated groups of neurones that don't communicate with other neurones in other parts of the network. Trance facilitates integration of all aspects of the self and manages the natural process of some level of fragmentation over time in a healthy, positive, safe way.

Try to schedule self-hypnosis for a time when you will not be disturbed, this may require some negotiation sometimes with family members. Remember, you have the right to time to devote to yourself, which means that they have a duty to support that right. If you're still getting distracted eg by thoughts, write them down and come back to self-hypnosis later on.