Definition

1. Noun:
   • A trance induced by intense religious devotion; does not show reduced bodily functions that are typical of other trances: An altered state of consciousness characterized by profound absorption, intense emotion, and a sense of union with the divine, often achieved through prayer, meditation, or ritual. Unlike some trances, it is not marked by a significant decrease in physical or sensory awareness.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The mystic entered an ecstatic state during her prolonged prayers.
  • Reports describe the prophet's ecstatic state, where he received divine visions.
  • The ritual was designed to induce an ecstatic state in the participants.

Advanced Usage

• "to be in an ecstatic state": to be experiencing this specific form of religious or spiritual trance.
  • The shaman was in an ecstatic state for several hours, communicating with the spirit world.

Variants and Related Words

• Ecstasy (n): A state of overwhelming emotion, especially rapturous delight. Can also refer to the intense joy associated with religious experience.
  • The music filled her with a sense of ecstasy.
• Ecstatic (adj): Feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement.
  • She was ecstatic about the news.

Synonyms

• Religious trance: A trance state specifically related to spiritual practice.
• Rapture: A state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion; often used in a religious context.
• Transport: A state of being carried away by strong emotion.

Notes on Meaning

This term is highly specific to contexts involving intense spiritual or religious experience. It is not typically used to describe secular states of extreme happiness (for which "ecstasy" is more common). The key distinction in its definition is the absence of the reduced physical functions often associated with hypnotic or deep meditative trances.

Noun

1. a trance induced by intense religious devotion; does not show reduced bodily functions that are typical of other trances