▁to ▁gaz e ▁off ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁or ▁left , ▁depending ▁upon ▁which ▁c ere br al ▁hem is phere ▁is ▁most ▁dominant ▁( B ale en , ▁ 1 9 6 9 ) ▁and ▁get ▁that ▁far away ▁or ▁blank ▁look . ▁Their ▁eyes ▁may ▁actually ▁close , ▁their ▁bodies ▁tend ▁to ▁become ▁imm obile ▁( a ▁form ▁of ▁c ata le ps y ), ▁certain ▁ref lex es ▁( e . g ., ▁sw allow ing , ▁resp iration , ▁etc .) ▁may ▁be ▁suppress ed , ▁and ▁they ▁seem ▁moment arily ▁ob liv ious ▁to ▁their ▁surr ound ings ▁until ▁they ▁have ▁completed ▁their ▁inner ▁search ▁on ▁the ▁un cons cious ▁level ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁idea , ▁response , ▁or ▁frames ▁of ▁reference ▁that ▁will ▁rest abil ize ▁their ▁general ▁reality ▁orientation . ▁We ▁hypoth es ize ▁that ▁in ▁every day ▁life ▁conscious ness ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁contin ual ▁state ▁of ▁flux ▁between ▁the ▁general ▁reality ▁orientation ▁and ▁the ▁moment ary ▁micro d ynam ics ▁of ▁tr ance ▁... ▁ ▁Because ▁Er ick son ▁expected ▁tr ance ▁states ▁to ▁occur ▁naturally ▁and ▁frequently , ▁he ▁was ▁prepared ▁to ▁explo it ▁them ▁th era pe ut ically , ▁even ▁when ▁the ▁patient ▁was ▁not ▁present ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁consult ing ▁room . ▁He ▁also ▁discovered ▁many ▁techniques ▁for ▁increasing ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁that ▁a ▁tr ance ▁state ▁would ▁occur . ▁He ▁developed ▁both ▁ver bal ▁and ▁non - ver bal ▁techniques ▁and ▁pione ered ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁the ▁common ▁experiences