The Enchanted Imagination: Storytelling's Power to Entrance Listeners

Abstract

Consciousness has been described as both a variety of discrete states and a constantly changing flow. Charles T. Tart has developed a systems approach to consciousness in which he describes a baseline state of “normal,” waking consciousness and multiple altered states induced by a disruption of that baseline. This concept of a system of interrelated components is applicable to the altered state of consciousness associated with listening to a story: the “storylistening trance.” This research was designed to be exploratory and to elicit information concerning the characteristics of the storylistening trance and any influences (positive or negative) that affect it. The methodology was naturalistic, combining interviews and participant observation. The results show that many listeners do experience a qualitatively different state while listening to some stories. The article addresses characteristics of this trance state and influences upon it, and it concludes with a theoretical model of the storylistening trance and the applicability of the findings to library media specialists.

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