This great BBC clip shows how certain animals can be put into hypnotic trance. Evolutionary biologists theorize that these states may be used as a defense mechanism to avoid predators.

As you will see in the video, these animals become very still and almost “dead-like” after they enter state. Since most predators react to their prey based on movement, they often overlook their targets when these animals enter trance. In this video you will see hypnosis applied to chickens and alligators: