From The New Artist:

VISUAL TRANCE: A Technique Section

Pick any small object that interests you and place it about a foot and a half away. Now look at it actively, that is, actively move your eyes over the object, noticing one detail after another, and be aware that YOU ARE looking. Notice, if you look actively, the object stands out from the background and becomes more interesting. Now look at it passively, that is, relax your eye muscles and blankly stare at the object. Notice, if you look passively, the object fades into the background, but notice also how passive seeing makes your eyes and body feel. You will find that if you remain in this mode for awhile, you will begin to enter another state of consciousness. You will also become aware that you can see, at once, everything in your entire field of vision and that all objects will appear to be in focus. You may have the experience of "looking at nothing but seeing everything." If you practice this passive seeing for awhile, and become fairly comfortable in it, and if you go into it and stay there, you may experience a sudden shift in your field of vision--it will be as though you have entered another reality. Some people describe this state as one of time slowing or stopping, seeing the reality of things, or being in paradise.

One aspect of this state which is a bit frightening is the fear of not being able to get back to normal seeing. Therefore, it is important to practice going and coming back as much as being there. With practice, and added confidence, you will find that you can go further and further out and stay in this state for longer and longer periods of time.

In a trance, we open up our sense organs and allow the stimuli to overwhelm us so that we lose our ego boundaries and merge with the environment. This will be experienced as a sudden shift in the eyes, ears and body.

A shaman looks at nothing and sees everything.
Nothing is everything.

2003 Channels The New Artist