“Trance & Romance” — Preface & Introduction
Preface
Dear Reader,
Welcome to a world where the lines between the subconscious and the heart blur, where the power of hypnosis meets the allure of romance. This book is not just a guide; it’s an invitation into the depths of what we understand about love and desire, about control and surrender, each threaded with the potent force of hypnosis.
Hypnosis has often been portrayed with a hint of mystery and a touch of danger — much like the thrill of falling in love. It has the power to unveil our deepest desires and our hidden fears, elements that are crucial to forming and nurturing romantic connections. In these pages, I will take you on a journey that explores how these elements can be influenced and enhanced through the ethical use of hypnotic techniques.
As we delve into the historical romances influenced by hypnotic enthrallment, you’ll discover that the essence of this book is not manipulation but understanding — understanding oneself and one’s partner on a level that most can only dream of. This exploration can be as intoxicating as any passionate love affair, with the power to deepen the bonds we share and heighten the emotions that pulse through our intimate connections.
Prepare to challenge what you think you know about seduction and influence. Prepare to see how the mind can play a powerful role in the dance of romance. This journey is for those unafraid to delve into the complex interplay of love and psychological intrigue, where each page promises to leave you questioning the very nature of desire.
Are you ready to uncover the secrets that lie within? Let’s begin this daring exploration together.
Yours in discovery,
Kali DuBois
In the dimly lit corner of the bustling dive Peter stood, his glass of whiskey forgotten in his hand as he watched her.
Kelly, with her entrancing smile and sharp gaze that cut right through the facade, was the cliché ‘dumb blonde’ in a social circle of
wealth-chasing, pocket-picking tech geeks — except she played the game differently.
There she was, a bold and blonde figure of allure, in a seedy dive bar at the edge of the silicon mines, not chasing wealth but unabashedly after Peter.
Her movements were graceful, a stark contrast to the assertive aura she radiated, a compelling paradox that Peter found irresistibly weird. She was weird.
As the evening wore on and the bar emptied out, two lesbians, likely Google employees, lingered, leaving Kelly and Peter in an almost magnetic solitude.
She sat next to him with a confidence that matched the sway of her hips, her gaze locked onto his with an intensity that made his heart race.
“Peter,” she said, her voice a soft melody that seemed to resonate with his deepest desires. “Do you believe in the power of the mind?”
[M’aimes-tu? Si tu m’avais aimé, Peter, tu serais venu.]
Her question hung in the air, mingling with the soft music that drifted around them. Before he could respond, she took his hand, her touch sending a jolt of electricity through him.
“Let me show you something,” she whispered, leading him to a secluded balcony overlooking the city.
The night air was cool, but Peter felt enveloped in warmth with Kelly so close. She turned to face him, her hands gently cupping his cheeks. “Look at me,” she instructed, and he found he could do nothing but obey.
As he gazed into her eyes, Kelly began to speak in a rhythmic, soothing tone, her words weaving around him like a cocoon. Peter felt himself slipping into a trance, the edges of reality softening as Kelly’s voice guided him deeper into himself. It was a place of shadows and whispers, but with Kelly’s voice as his anchor, it felt like home.
“Imagine us, free from the world’s expectations, from the chains of our differences,” Kelly murmured, her lips inches from his. “Here, in this space, nothing can keep us apart. We are just you and I, hearts bare and souls touching.”
Peter’s breath caught in his throat as her words painted pictures in his mind — pictures of them together, laughing, loving, unfettered by the complications of their outside lives. It was a reality he had never allowed himself to envision, but under Kelly’s gentle guidance, it felt tantalizingly possible.
Kelly leaned in, her breath warm against his lips. “Let yourself feel it, Peter. Let yourself in.” And as she bridged the last bit of distance between them, her lips met his in a kiss that seared straight to his soul.
It was soft and sweet, filled with promises and confessions, as if her kiss was somehow sealing their fates together.
The world around them, with all its barriers and doom, faded away, leaving nothing but the feeling of her lips on his and the unshakeable belief that in this hypnotic space, they could indeed be together.
Here, in the void they filled with stolen moments and whispered dreams, love was not just a fleeting shadow but something real and pulsing between them.
As they parted, breathless and with hearts racing, Kelly smiled, that knowing, mysterious smile that had first drawn him in. “See?” she said, her voice a caress. “Even the impossible becomes possible.”
In that instant, Peter knew. No matter the forces arrayed against them, in this space carved out by hypnotic gifts, they had found a sanctuary. A place where love, like the night around them, was deep, endless, and theirs to claim.
In the shadows of our constructed world, where every emotion and connection is tinted by the societal norms that envelope us, love emerges as the most intoxicating and profound of all experiences. It is in this space, between whispers and desires, that we find love often mirrors the trance-like state induced by hypnosis — a deeply immersive experience that alters our perception, guides our emotions, and dictates our actions, all while seemingly under the spell of another’s allure.
And yet, there are so many others, not like you. How did we find each other? Those strange nights — filled with sweat and lace, still dance in my mind today, as if they never existed beyond the shadows of my thoughts, on the very edge of sanity. And maybe I’ve lost my mind, Peter, but perhaps I never truly had it to begin with.
Yet to so many, Peter, I am merely a pawn in their game, an expendable asset they plan to use for their own ends-an orgasm, validation, a false pretense to fill the vacancy. So, I chose to play a role to perfection — inflicting pain, knowing they would simply move on, discarding moments together like forgotten remnants of yesterday’s meal. That was most, my dear Peter, a reflection of so many others, seemingly incapable of genuine affection — no more significant than the shit beneath my shoes.
That’s what they seem to aspire to — to be shit.
It’s strange how that works, isn’t it?
“So why throw your pearls before swine?” You ask. “Practice your Kung Fu, forget these fools, and just keep writing about me,” you insist. “Leave no room for anyone else, as I was the only one who ever truly adored you, kid. I was the only genuine affection, as I never wanted anything in return — not even your touch,” you’ve said.
Ah, damn, here I am working on another book — believe it or not, it’s my 54th, Peter. This one’s about romance. Maybe you know a thing or two about that and could help me out with it.
Ready, Peter? Let’s delve into why people love who they love, the actions they take in the name of love, and how trance states influence it all.
Social Construction and the Reality of Love
Our understanding of love is not merely an emotional response but a concept sculpted by the cultural and social narratives that surround us. From the tales of tragic romance that permeate classic literature to the idealized love stories projected in modern media, our expectations and expressions of love are crafted long before we ever fall into its grasp. This societal blueprint shapes who we love, how we love, and what we expect from love, often dictating the roles we play within our relationships.
In a dance as old as time, we are actors on a stage set by society, performing scripts handed down through generations. These scripts teach us that love is sacrifice, love is possession, love is forever — each a chapter written by the prevailing culture, compelling us to conform to its norms.
Eva Illouz eloquently captures the complex interplay between our cultural landscape and personal experiences of romance, presenting a compelling viewpoint on how our emotions and narratives are shaped by societal norms. She articulates this perspective in her critical examination of love and its sociocultural underpinnings:
“Romantic suffering does not happen ‘in nature’ but in a specific cultural setting and it is a response to very specific social and cultural expectations.”
This insight is explored in depth in her work on the sociology of emotions, where Illouz delves into the ways in which modern capitalist societies have transformed our understanding and experience of romantic relationships. Her analysis provides a critical lens through which to view the phenomenon of love — not as a purely natural and spontaneous experience, but as one deeply embedded in and influenced by the social and cultural scripts that dictate human behavior.
In this narrative, where the lines between hypnosis and romance blur, Illouz invites us to reconsider the notion of romantic love. It is not merely an emotional state but a socially constructed space where individuals experience love as much as they perform it, influenced by cultural narratives that shape their expectations and emotional engagements. Her work challenges us to see beyond the spontaneity of romantic passion, to recognize the cultural forces at play that shape our most intimate relationships.
Through this perspective, offered in her various writings on the sociology of emotions and particularly highlighted in her book “Why Love Hurts: A Sociological Explanation,” Illouz provides not just an analysis but a revelation, urging us to understand the broader implications of how we love and why we suffer in love.
Yet, it is essential to understand that this suffering, often viewed as an inherent aspect of love, is not a prerequisite but a consequence of deeper, more complex processes at work within us. One such process is the trance-like state induced by our own traumas, which can profoundly shape our experiences of love.
Trance states in love are not merely poetic metaphors but psychological realities. These states often occur when our past traumas and unresolved emotional conflicts influence our present relationships, causing us to react not only to the person in front of us but to all the ghosts that linger in our subconscious. For example, someone who has experienced abandonment might find themselves hypersensitive to their partner’s moods and actions, perceiving threats where none exist, their fear of being left again keeping them in a continuous state of emotional high alert.
Similarly, individuals who have endured emotional manipulation may enter a trance of perpetual suspicion or defense, unable to relax into the vulnerability required for genuine intimacy. Their past traumas script their responses, casting a long shadow over new relationships and often precipitating the very abandonment or conflict they most fear.
Moreover, these trance states can make us blind to the reality of our partners as separate individuals. Instead, they become screen onto which we project our fears, desires, and past pains. In this way, a lover might be seen not as they truly are but as an idealized savior or, conversely, as a likely betrayer, roles assigned not by their actions but by the scripts written in the depths of our psyche.
However, understanding these dynamics offers a path toward liberation. By recognizing how trauma shapes these trance states, we can begin to differentiate between past pains and present possibilities. Therapy, mindfulness, and honest communication are tools that can help unravel these complex emotional webs, allowing us to see our partners more clearly and engage with them more authentically.
Thus, while trance states compounded by trauma can lead us into cycles of suffering in love, they also hold the key to our healing. By confronting and processing these traumas, we can step out of the hypnotic rhythms of our pasts and into a present filled with healthier, more conscious love. In this light, the dance of love can transform from a path of suffering to a journey of healing, where each step forward is guided not by shadows but by the light of self-awareness and mutual understanding.
And that, my dear Peter, is why I drowned you in the last book, ending your series. You were never going to show up, and I had waited for years.
It’s those damn crickets again, their noise filling the void where you should be — the epitome of emptiness. You were nothing to me then and nothing now. Love is peculiar; we can fall quickly, wait endlessly, pine desperately, and even perish. Yet, you never show up.
So, this book explores love, romance, moving on, and perhaps even the idea of drowning the man you once loved in a vat of his own sweat and tears. But hey, it’s all just fiction, right? After all, who really believes in hypnosis? And this book, it’s all about that — hypnosis.
