8 minWhen Our Own Emotions Take Over: How to Step Out of the "Trance Monkey" Mode
Some people experience the stories, moods, and emotions of others with remarkable intensity. Robert Gene Smith uses the provocative term “trance monkey” to describe this type of response. It is not a psychological diagnosis, but a metaphor for how our imagination and internal references can quickly create powerful emotional experiences.
This article explores why we do not necessarily have to literally “absorb” other people’s emotions, how stories and memories can activate our own experiences, and why sensitivity does not have to mean powerlessness. Using FasterEFT principles, we can learn to recognize what creates our emotional response and work with it without suppressing our feelings or withdrawing from the world around us.