About us
Why TranceScience
Trance states have been practiced for millennia among most human cultures, providing guidance and healing to communities. Usually a particular individual in the group (a “shaman”) uses this tool for the benefit of others. These days, neuroscience is re-discovering those states as fundamental capabilities of each human brain and potentially useful tools for self-awareness, cognitive amplification, and personal transformation.
With her singular journey, Corine Sombrun has been at the forefront of three simultaneous efforts: the neuroscientific understanding of trance states; the exploration of their applications for our well-being, self-awareness and creativity; and the diffusion of tools for people to access such states without the need for external substances or stimuli.
Having inadvertently discovered her capability to enter trance states, she was trained over eight years in Mongolia in traditional shamanic practices. At the same time, she underwent scientific research (Prof. Flor-Henry at the Alberta hospital, Canada), to better understand those states. She then developed a method to help people enter a trance state and learn to self-induce it. This self-induced Cognitive Trance is unique as it simply uses the person’s will, with no external substance or stimuli (such as psychedelics, shamanic drumming and so on).
TranceScience was born from her encounter with Prof. Francis Taulelle, Research Director at CNRS (France) and professor at KU Leuven (Belgium). They share the conviction that the phenomenon of trance and its benefits should be studied scientifically. They created TranceScience to pursue scientific research, while exploring the potential applications of trance in a variety of fields — from psychiatry and psychology to creativity and self-awareness.
What We Do
Fundamental research on brain structure & activity
TranceScience is pursuing a variety of research projects on brain structure and activity in trance states with dissociation between conscious and unconscious processes exhibiting cognitive expansion.
Among others:
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Neuroscientific studies of the brain during trance: understanding cognitive trance state on trance practitioners using MRI, fMRI, EEG, TMS, in collaboration with Alberta Hospital (Prof. Flor-Henry, Prof. Yakov Shapiro - Flor-Henry et al. 2017) and « and the University Hospital of Liege and the University of Liege (Prof. Steven Laureys, Dr. Olivia Gosseries, Dr Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse).
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Cognitive expansion effect: identification of the consciousness dissociation and amplification mode of cognition
Exploring the applications of Cognitive Trance
TranceScience is exploring a variety of applications of Cognitive Trance, including:
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Artistic education and creativity: studying the impact of expanding cognitive perceptions in the arts
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Self-awareness, coaching, psychotherapy: using Cognitive Trance as a tool for increased self-awareness and self-guidance
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Post-traumatic states: using Cognitive Trance as a tool to alleviate the effects of trauma
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Functional motor rehabilitation: using Cognitive Trance as a tool to amplify self-healing process
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Psychiatry: collaborating with psychiatrists to study the effect of trance on alleviating psychiatric conditions
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Research of new tools, blueprints, protocols and methodologies to educate and train people in accessing and integrating trance states
How We Work
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An international network of scientific collaborations — in particular with academic neuroscience laboratories — to study trance states as a way to reveal fundamental aspects of brain functions
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Research and development of tools for a safe and impactful use of Cognitive Trance in a variety of fields
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Media and conferences to share research and experiences (scientific meetings, articles, books, movies, conferences)
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Training modalities of Cognitive Trance for individuals and groups, in academic, therapeutic, corporate environments; development of curriculums to train Cognitive Trance teachers
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Scholarships for PhD and Post-Docs students