A trance can be induced by any repetition. And religious ritual is replete with repetition. And in our prosperous societies today we have many opportunities for repetition, from shopping, to TV, to surfing the waves or surfing the internet.
Edward L. Bernays, the father of American propaganda, or public relations as we call it today, discovered this in 1928 with his book, "Propaganda". To read, "Propaganda", click on -
www.whale.to/b/bernays.pdf
It is wise to learn that as we enter a trance, our critical mind starts to go to sleep and we become suggestible.
Religion took advantage of this and introduced their doctrine and dogma to us while we were suggestible in a religious trance. Today the advertisers introduce us to their products and services while we are suggestibe in a TV, movie, or cell phone, or an ipad, trance.
Most of us have not learnt to be aware when we are entering or leaving a trance, and so we have not learnt when we are suggestible.
And indeed most of us haven't learnt how to stop being put into a trance involuntarily.
This is painfully obvious on Central when the naive try to counter suggestion with logic.