Caught in 'trances?'

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I have two lava lamps in my room. One of them has more bubbles than it should have bouncing around inside of it. It's too busy, and I don't really like it. For the most part, it's only on for the ambiance. The other one however, seems to work perfectly. And I've noticed at times that I essentially will get lost in a thoughtless 'trance', watching the chartreuse bubbles slowly float up, then descend down, sometimes onto another large glop on it's way up...

Uh, *ahem*, anyway. I don't smoke nearly enough pot to be one of those stoners who would get stuck in things like this. In fact, it happens to me all the time with different things, and has been ever since I was little. Something will catch my eye and I have to study it intently-- don't really know what to call it.

But this might just be me. Anyone relate?

One of my earliest memories is getting 'lost' in a shopping centre (think mall if you're american), because I'd become transfixed with something in a shop's window display. I still do this from time to time, especially when I'm sleep-deprived.

Well, more sleep-deprived that usual.

I'd go to the mall just for such an occasion when I was feeling bored and living in the more urban areas. It was always fun to people-watch, too.

i think its a well known fact that rythmic drumming, chanting can open the mind up to sugjestion

Lol. I don't think I'm ever "open to suggestion". I'm far too headstrong to be hypnotized.

This happens to me sometimes, especially when I'm tired. I'll be in class or wherever, and some random thing will catch my attention - like the way the light hits my water bottle, or the unusual way someone pronounces a word - and I'll just start thinking about that. And then I just completely zone out. I don't even know what I think about during these times. While I'm in this sort of trance I completely block out my surroundings. After anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes, I'll snap out of it, which can be disorienting.

I think it's kind of a mental stimming and not a bad thing. When I pour cream into a glass mug of coffee I like to watch the swirls. There are so many small bits of beauty that people overlook, I consider myself lucky I can be swept away by these things. I could just listen to the breeze in the trees forever.

Haha, you speak my mind entirely.

I do get swept away by the little nuances as well-- especially in nature. It could be that I'm very hypersensitive to my environment... I have radical taste, hearing, and farsightedness, at the cost of being super light sensitive. I usually have to wear glasses (or my hat) to go out during the day.

I'm also an artist, so I suppose that helps.

Actually, funny fact: One of my friends is a photographer, and he takes me out with him for nature shoots and sightseeing because I always manage to find the best photo-ops for him... I wonder what he'll do without me once I move and he goes to Journalism school.

I feel this way when I improvise on piano... If I don't put a clock in front of me I will stay at the piano for hours (literally) and just keep playing.

Also, I just wanted to compliment you on your amazing avatar.

I go into trances every time that I post on WP and I only intend to make 25 posts and than maybe watch a movie afterwards. I end up in a posting trance and before I know it, it's it's 9:30 at night and I have to get ready for bed and I realize that I've posted over 50 posts.

Lousy hypnotic subject.

Ben known to space out/

First of all, GaijinRanger, I must compliment you on your avatar - it's very witty!

To answer the topic - while I don't become transfixed on objects, I do stare off into space whenever I slip into my imagination. Normally it takes a lot for me to be able to go into my own world, but sometimes it happens spontaneously, especially when I'm tired.

I got lost in the mall as well, and when my family had gone away and a realized it I went to the car because I figured if they leave they will have to come to the car. So then they searched the mall for me, called over the intercom probably, and then when they had lost all hope and came to the car there I was. oO

I'm almost constantly fighting against this. I don't realize I'm in a trance until I'm in it and five minutes have passed. I wouldn't need to fight against it if it happened only a couple times a day. But I probably lose hours a day getting stuck inside the clouds, shadows, light reflections, color transitions, shirt patterns, architecture, rocks, fire, the vague little triangular sections on my skin, wood grains on tables, ceiling popcorn and textured walls, grated vents, tiled floor, buildings with many glass windows, the movement of water, movement of birds, peoples legs walking...etc...etc...etc...

but these are the things that mean the most to me in life. I don't really care at all about my sister's wedding. but I care very, very much about the patterns in clouds. if i had to choose between my sister and the clouds...well...i'll be alone my whole life anyway

I have a favourite spot in town, overlooking the river, where I can sit without too much attention in the summer. I take a book, my mp3 player and something to eat, and watch the people walking by below me. It's such a great escape venue when life is too much.



Although I can be transfixed by visual patterns, I'm much more likely to get lost in the sound of a place.

When I was around 6 I used to have a thing about climbing trees. There was one quite near my grandparents' house that I could get right into the uppermost branches of. I would sit there listening to the wind whispering in the trees, the birds singing and the far off sounds that floated up on the wind.

Have you ever watched the ocean by moonlight, listening to the waves breaking on the shore?



My mother learned to keep a very close eye on my when I was very young. I was also told stories of 'the bad man' who would come and take me away if I strayed. It made me curious to see what he looked like. I'd never met a bad man before.

This.

I commented to a coworker today about how I can get lost watching a flock of birds swirl in the sky because there was one right there - it was so beautiful and I am immediately transfixed by their flight patterns. He looked up at the birds as though he just got what I said and sort of shrugged saying "Huh, I've never noticed". I was shocked. I always see them and without fail will get lost in their movement.

Same with water and fire.