Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Trance-Migrations: Stories of India, Tales of Hypnosis
    Trance-Migrations: Stories of India, Tales of Hypnosis
    Trance-Migrations: Stories of India, Tales of Hypnosis
    Ebook365 pages5 hours

    Trance-Migrations: Stories of India, Tales of Hypnosis

    By Lee Siegel

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Listen to what I am about to tell you: do not read this book alone. You really shouldn’t. In one of the most playful experiments ever put between two covers, every other section of Trance-Migrations prescribes that you read its incantatory tales out loud to a lover, friend, or confidant, in order to hypnotize in preparation for Lee Siegel’s exploration of an enchanting India. To read and hear this book is to experience a particular kind of relationship, and that’s precisely the point: hypnosis, the book will demonstrate, is an essential aspect of our most significant relationships, an inherent dimension of love, religion, medicine, politics, and literature, a fundamental dynamic between lover and beloved, deity and votary, physician and patient, ruler and subject, and, indeed, reader and listener.
               
    Even if you can’t read this with a partner—and I stress that you certainly ought to—you will still be in rich company. There is Shambaraswami, an itinerant magician, hypnotist, and storyteller to whom villagers turn for spells that will bring them wealth or love; José-Custodio de Faria, a Goan priest hypnotizing young and beautiful women in nineteenth-century Parisian salons; James Esdaile, a Scottish physician for the East India Company in Calcutta, experimenting on abject Bengalis with mesmerism as a surgical anesthetic; and Lee Siegel, a writer traveling in India to learn all that he can about hypnosis, yoga, past life regressions, colonialism, orientalism, magic spells, and, above all, the power of story. And then there is you: descending through these histories—these tales within tales, trances within trances, dreams within dreams—toward a place where the distinctions between reverie and reality dissolve.
               
    Here the world within the book and that in which the book is read come startlingly together. It’s one of the most creative works we have ever published, a dazzling combination of literary prowess, scholarly erudition, and psychological exploration—all tempered by warm humor and a sharp wit. It is informing, entertaining, and, above all, mesmerizing. 
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press
    Release dateOct 9, 2014
    ISBN9780226185460
    Trance-Migrations: Stories of India, Tales of Hypnosis
    Author

    Lee Siegel

    Lee Siegel writes about culture and politics for a wide variety of publications, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a recipient of the National Magazine Award. He is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife and two children.

    Read more from Lee Siegel

    Related to Trance-Migrations

    Related ebooks

    Psychology For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Marie-Helene Bertino

      Dec 10, 2020

      Both books imagine then endanger tender, delicate bodies and listen only to their own strange pulses against the universe. The post A Year in Reading: Marie-Helene Bertino appeared first on The Millions.

      4 min read

    • Article

      When Mystery and Mythology Collide

      Aug 7, 2023

      Writing and publishing advice for picture books, middle-grade, and young adult storytelling. The act of writing is already a deeply personal endeavor. We sit at our desks or on our couches, at kitchen tables or back patios, and we pour out of us the

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Chelsey Johnson

      Dec 13, 2018

      I launched a debut novel and bought three to five books at every store where I read on tour, so I struggle to even start to encapsulate this year in reading. And year-end lists tend to cycle around the same famous books again and again, so I’ll try n

      6 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Anne K. Yoder

      Dec 12, 2021

      Reading Levy helped me envision a way to write myself again into existence, to remake a home and a life, to visualize it as the adventure I was thrust into. The post A Year in Reading: Anne K. Yoder appeared first on The Millions.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Arinze Ifeakandu

      Jun 15, 2022

      Arinze Ifeakandu
      4 min read

    • Article

      TheTimeIsNow

      Dec 16, 2020

      “When we name things simply, with words preceding their meaning, a cosmic narration takes place. Does the discovery of origins remove the dust?” writes painter and poet Etel Adnan in Shifting the Silence (Nightboat Books, 2020). “It reminds me of a c

      2 min read

    • Article

      A Book That Changed How I Think

      Oct 25, 2023

      The right book read at the right time can alter not just what you think, but how. The effect can feel like putting on a new set of glasses: Everything remains the same, but you view reality with sudden clarity. It can also be more unsettling—great wr

      6 min read

    • Article

      Why Do Found Texts Fascinate Us So Much?

      Jun 6, 2019

      We don’t know the writer, nor the intended recipient, nor the intention. The text comes from nowhere and finds us as much as we find it. It haunts us. The post Why Do Found Texts Fascinate Us So Much? appeared first on The Millions.

      7 min read

    • Article

      Some Room to Breathe

      Apr 3, 2018

      LEESA CROSS-SMITH is the author of Whiskey & Ribbons (Hub City Press, 2018) and Every Kiss a War (Mojave River Press, 2014). She lives in Kentucky. QUIET books are often misread, misunderstood, or, sadly, missed altogether. If a book is labeled quiet

      9 min read

    • Article

      Unable To Read, I Listened – And Found Out Just What An Imperfect Reader I Am | Paul Daley

      Apr 8, 2023

      A sudden, severe eye infection had sidelined me. It rendered my eyes painfully photo-sensitive. The sunlight was excruciating. So, too, screens for more than a minute or so. This meant no dog walking. No TV. No writing. No reading. I was relegated to

      2 min read

    • Article

      Nicola Chester

      Mar 9, 2023

      Nicola Chester
      2 min read

    • Article

      Nicola Chester

      Mar 9, 2023

      Nicola Chester
      2 min read

    • Article

      Hearing Voices and Talking Back: On Bibliomancy

      Mar 29, 2018

      I. Bibliomancy is a form of divination in which one consults a book for answers and advice. The process is simple: Stand the book up on its spine. Ask your question. Let the book fall open to a random page. With your eyes closed, place your finger on

      7 min read

    • Article

      Robin Ince Is On The Road

      Mar 27, 2023

      This year continues to be one spent mainly touring bookshops and libraries, so it is time spent with the best people. We live in a world of anxiety with a low hum of panic around us, so each act of kindness becomes increasingly powerful. I was recent

      3 min read

    • Article

      Sounds of Silence

      Feb 9, 2017

      Sounds of Silence
      7 min read

    • Article

      Then Who Am I? The Millions Interviews Kathleen Hill

      Oct 19, 2017

      It’s sometimes when we’re most at sea, even desperate, that novels speak to us most strongly, as if our lives depend on learning something from them essential to our own survival. The post Then Who Am I? The Millions Interviews Kathleen Hill appeared

      6 min read

    • Article

      Vagrant & Vulnerable

      Aug 16, 2017

      Vagrant & Vulnerable
      12 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Trance-Migrations

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Trance-Migrations - Lee Siegel

      ߶1^book_preview_excerpt.html}ےF寠2Kvmf5͊dIoVUl"DK&Oa%GvZͪL ǏG=?>ۇwogo?^>ow-Bo8?*^.a,Ii˷j_cq~TG/o+KOc1c5ޟ|n_VPG&nW{?>ȁߤ&L'&EyM0?a* <gˀ .CWyײ/^m L+ۏuqO/_|]'__K=x,\q0Hv:va_OM[ eJͳ^h|1+X^;nҭ rnzۓ%7[4E]Ǐ էnCYF]+c2xw}O 軕͕'6+n=n>ݻQ6Cyu,#Of-csؿ"%NL,+W돲uEc'2RvUp]i@ӲhS-(vlod{7g7E"A _v}0tĻVI$oP~;õA/ank_Nsd]( .[[Qb{ENtO~8voIdh2?=7"~mu2{iُ\fk~ ܇v]hʢN CH"#L1.LM!v>(ڱYMz˖ţ)oD칉{Q?1nxOiN*ZEuq* Mjjp7̣ qb#n|*Eeں]s'L;Vt}vz:E!! "8ڥBغClE`rFQw,|YQN?&Z)q߅/.C_TxoesWq|Qd\V5Ξ+ȺAiOdQ+M<҆U=ez,Y-|9`RrǢ!=d3.1бT2Juc'W{"GN_x/@e)u(Ua`:u8SS72iIC8Yo}и"Y82Rtł jA\qqEwN/ q!H# <8G4r;{nPjHK+6B^-#^F波zd 0;Y|o?T/NBu7a,~l.JܦOzӏزaQGעw1AYμ]Ux-U}}V7j];%#~Rv"Z6ĮDݔS pFDMb(=U |OsHE;$é A6Ӟ+dؾSeJC>Yƺ9~`Ɠ`E4*ԋE4+,Y(;5oG׈a,^'F(PyS GWF M2U;Y*O"sbNN`z:dQ@<aؖ}Kh4+p7cBe&/{^B'(BN<2*ԬlwZ4W// '9a+PTjLmn樄Ulي~+3i;GÝ{S7؛&*uɈ[o*'Ń%<5g]5[({50wT=~I~&ϥ-65b{@* LPγ&ITa|}s|@Tu$яtqx{P&-"09!#-Y;l2^5PHXFt\5R\"t`D 'w:V,*0]#I5"4wh<2t@M~QT>8m0_{} [&@Uă87+- G|z\Y4srtO~^'m}I! [qqrҠB'۠5ciDm.+=4nMQdDy6B [lepbO#NȊ 2 YPLf_z9J:)㠀 \ 7u;RagYq鼋^hT . ´ĖؚMLHA/%!f7.DuMN]ǪD,5[Y $N[XƠjF\AHXԼ 8H,DiK݆imʌHO5yk8@`GP |(pw2KjAƄ$?)GT;E#G^$>$У eLE_ƜŽ}i)0D$L&^/ڴ$иjj\w2~U0Ƈ,Om{ۜYUJebXV]{Ɩ((i9xs>rbݰ"Vq|';(._][G65t4_?*VV|[*W]H3|U/>f*9)yI$lҳUk蚙W65 .9>MN*HX2)qpX,Yg!n Ct K)nqiOu dWb sIx3g:'N!eC1qIZn` !%mr qOױC ]"h֑lL "ĿY٬{LaLVNdHG'sҍrC܉(~ i?w5R Z-px},Q@r0 AP GD-$?ȟ $ k5ći ;`1Fd='dV|7yrݣFVKxx;Qr]a]eiaXogX6;v3.>йh9=}`Ot2bυ6Ѷ")0B13|Q pi2\6``_-"Z L+=Hp_;@fi&UwcW:RG$O6q,!4ک/dHB>.oWL3Nqr)FkAt 0 S5H9t4vrɐBbr3hB&u:Ta =JI0.`]4kF"6_Vq"\9V?x4ƙ,{@#$4)>&*vڪU<+w4u -S%Un[EtirKK'RPmOq/]vWPsXY)4b@o̩5>MFhHf퍬rlifzkT=~IB%(kTb}2dVCUuhJ7k&gSHbSeL#6sn2Xdtn$znhdȍ&]DgR̕;2&)?ӸNjqr**zkmꜛC:/,SnqcB]Zn1ey__ GIeK_ S9fᲠ)sM@] N3{O9YD?TҨKp<< =2jl4x%SGϞEvd.Й kGթ=s^*5]Ok35H%LSoaIej3ٞCTfg!%\2tg^ddze\pR+ѭb#I?ZL]^XE  Q2oF*uV(*-Dޥ4 $.9Ո=Vj(,Pbr{/P Ύ8 T^( 7kFkM Y$ha,{גE9KgꆥAc Y> V+i{YB!?W%0Iq%%eH"2F[L ,:IZ^.a@^¯BTqunA,BĠ"LX'gfk5[PMJO,lq:/|6lΎTY(semMKG՜'Fhe9ry򪼕%.{w$XѢcnYJKXCba3fٜ &uT"FKaCz@>7LG_#Mik1/.bTpM5"2h8KтH_߮X,?3ç? En3kBAYK>up )v<K6F51f9G Q-H֟Yxit(xj{x_,+:Pst_X *#0dP {t [˘l'k\Asqْ@Ըْ-Һͻ)spBM͛Tk 3.ޓzW<)n_,dBNCEn]qMٲTW"u0rRƚKY Tb!*23rJhK\+eׯ;ф J'~"ﱽ*~soJk(5Ӭf,U҄US(%PiB%~u˯o:\?|L6;We=~[SƸfqS^Xy/K TvE0S )0N*+[Ę{(^ܿ}/2~Ne^,n~Y [.tzK dfPy~ 9gLAO(N.r/2q Slg[M<) ~+rJM bBӒb Ǵ3iX NfK#3ܥuz hѩ@}~<|І'QA9TC:a\D2<>e,t XĊxBbԢJtF0%!Թk#%UzTLiR^\tж+7KD}VHbFdfgeEHNoYց\e7ťeRo{PqUfdlMJG^s[l8Q@*71T\]BlA @1m,EoBY:n}ᄢqc+>\x`SJT!7iQ{[b:Lݭ2PYQR4*#Y)t@ca~cOG#,L&C)V))GbOm%k_ xo,$b;P 5/||mfXWfAN+Qz%\UW# ́-,u^^{vG۪wg[ W}Pt+K .ާBGU2YҰ1-FYWGsi -6L=끾]kf-GXe-lj貪cippI*h 1=F %mڝLI9uq)Gڑ,_%k,tcߏQX?zBWz|Rw\ ,޾շ?7ˤQ7>[wsrfaGz`U D;`tTΌ7+-SZ4@9C /bȻҌ< ЦMԎ'\Q/dƵV >$ TN.~97;d,V/-`ؔ6𴼰 Ƃ{<6!m@)Ye2(h4m!r:}ÔZ5^b| 5[U:u r?΍e*f*]P\TD-@Dmnrz􊹷UAŦNj:I[TGէP.tw!ݥPrLy1PV ϡ\(`pmW>.-eMJhZbC)Z7brHݢz}Y$]oK, &jYg Dl2ԍZ/L"Ču0l'aMK)˽DhZةfEFS11ӭV \x2ffR 7K\wE% ΪqsXNr>m[ GP=D^r՗z$S8xByuu-2h-umwV2%ZجkfW%.iz=S[f^LɶfIk%;GJ)X9Ȭ9UOYM9׬0zMů]JCM]z1SKAXsgMqüZO(k.<FkaP9Tz% hj;3Srnމ[SvT2'QQ`J-(l`iNGes2.H4&wn,ˮ S%geIл>^W/%H w,p SSl榗ۦ}Ua,!gp#zka&F5iD>%` C;jfuVsZؤR*}$0w@sYT> :0 st/U0InjDܴ1 \Nf.mg9PXVdy߀:5j9%K-Lf ܣ>ZoP'U4BԨD% UVՌBZzhŌMĽJq,u>ibŎsv_h{ ex`3]*vQ֓TP{,"(3$Fq^"a*/VJ!J[DNRIV4cSK $ʬɂ LI Z"Ί'q[%|I[[_PnH`N3%LZ)޸v3Ff=R??K !euɫ'.hH y:R^M?<vܝA ]֘dpD&ap)B1x uKP:nD7:z{MS[! zZ&UKWHhG-jOBAmtỷLDW~Kהq]ΤZQwU=O'9{asK"譅װHeuY ) EEgy:%q\e9vE`Ogu,:Hg(pEf4S{M);LVlP &3s!]N Q[]70(R|QK9j (\W3B?ܰʀ&<c+<-A62gjP6ZH?vji:A]=iʚкsH\҄o6F~}TpwsNׇ_nonnۛol_? &1}d6"d݂k9{%XLjKUVu_ғ)
      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1