Inducing trance?

[CinStoneCity]

So, I can get deep physical relaxation. It usually takes a minute or 10 to let all tension slide off, and there I am, not feeling my body. Could go on for hours. Cool.

It takes a little more time to zero my mind, letting the little thought trains go by without hopping on, and after a while the trains no longer ride, just like the Dutch railroads. This state is a lot harder to maintain, however, and I feel I need to make some kind of conscious effort to keep an empty mind. Once I give up, I am back to normal, immediately, with the usual chitchat going through my head. No cool.

Is there any way to reach a state of mental relaxation, I guess it is trance, which will maintain itself without conscious effort? I played a bit with ladder/elevator/falling visualisations, but these do nothing more than just ladder/elevator/falling visualisations. Hypnagogic state, yes, but I don't seem to be able to maintain this for long. Also, whatever I try, I don't fall asleep, and the harder I try to meditate/relax/hypnagoogle, the more awake I get.

How should I proceed? Start to drink?

[susan]

Have you tried doing this Cinnibar after you have had your main sleep and still physically very relaxed, cosy and warm and a little sleepy but not enough to drop back off. 5-6-7am?
This has been the best for me because my mind could silence easier than through the day.

[CinStoneCity]

Have you tried doing this Cinnibar after you have had your main sleep and still physically very relaxed, cosy and warm and a little sleepy but not enough to drop back off. 5-6-7am?
This has been the best for me because my mind could silence easier than through the day.

Doesn't work for me, I wake up real slow in the morning, and if I don't get out of bed, I fall back asleep. Sometimes I think it is a miracle I wake up at all. Thanks for the suggestion, though...

[CinStoneCity]

Looks like I'm getting somewhere! I have reached MAP Chapter 5, and believe I can reach light trance. The key was to improve my ability to empty my mind, as well as feeling the downward movement, instead of just visu/verbalising. It was another 'aha erlebnis', like 'ha, is that what they call trance, I have experienced this before, but never knew what is was'. So, now I know what to look for, I guess I can go deeper and deeper...