En-Trance: How Doorways Shift Our Mind into Trance

Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you went there? Or opened your phone, only to scroll aimlessly, forgetting what you were even looking for?

You’re not alone—and it’s not just forgetfulness. It might actually be something much deeper: a subconscious shift, a mental trance triggered by a simple transition.

Let’s look at the word “entrance.”

Break it down: en-trance.

To enter… a trance.

That’s right – every doorway, every entry point, might just be a trigger for a subtle shift in consciousness. A mini spell, if you will, that quietly changes your mental state.

Portals Everywhere

Think of every time you walk through a door. You’re leaving one environment, one train of thought, one energetic state—and entering another. That small threshold can act like a reset button. A doorway. A portal. A spell.

And it’s not just physical doors. This includes things like unlocking your phone screen, opening a laptop, clicking into a new tab, getting into a vehicle, even scrolling from one app to another. Each one can mark a shift. A moment when your attention, and possibly your entire state of consciousness, gets redirected. In other words: every entrance invites a trance.

Why We Forget Things When We Change Rooms

Ever heard of the “doorway effect”? It’s a real phenomenon studied by neuroscientists. When you walk into a new room, your brain compartmentalizes the experience. The simple act of passing through a doorway tells your mind, “New scene. Let go of what came before.” That’s why you forget what you were about to do, It’s like your brain just closed a tab.

This boundary isn’t just spatial—it’s energetic. Doorways mark shifts in intention, identity, and attention. They are liminal spaces—thresholds between one version of you and another.

Trance States and Technology

When you pick up a device, you’re not just “checking in”- you’re entering a new trance. Screens are designed to pull us into hyper-focused (or dissociated) states of awareness. Your mind narrows or drifts, time warps, and suddenly you’ve been scrolling for 30 minutes.

It’s no coincidence that devices feel addictive. They are digital entrances—gateways to other realms. Just like a literal doorway can make you forget your grocery list, an app can make you forget your purpose.

Using the Doorway for Conscious Reset

But here’s the powerful part: once you see it, you can use it. Every doorway can become a moment of intention. Pause before you walk through. Breathe. Ask: “What am I carrying into this space?” Or better: “What can I leave behind?” During stressful moments, people often escape to another room and close the door behind them. Why? Because the mind craves a reset. That simple act of moving through a threshold can mark the transition from chaos to calm. From overwhelm to reflection. What if we did that deliberately?

Try This: The Doorway Ritual

Next time you walk through a door—physical or digital—imagine it as a sacred threshold.

Breathe in.

Exhale the mental noise.

Picture yourself releasing the past few moments.

Step in with presence.

Even the act of closing a door can symbolize sealing off stress, creating boundaries, and reclaiming your energy.

Walk Through with Awareness

The world is full of entrances. Some are obvious. Others are silent—built into our routines and habits. But once you see them, you can work with them.

A doorway doesn’t have to be the start of a mindless trance. It can be the start of a sacred shift. A chance to wake up, rather than drift off. Because every entrance is a choice: To trance… or to transcend.

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