Interesting, I found today's easier than usual.
spoiler
I wonder whether today's is more British leaning than usual? I tend to struggle with the overtly American puzzles.
Inspector Morse, for example, is a classic British TV show that is still sometimes shown in re-runs.
Hypnotic wouldn't have been the word I used to describe yellow but haze clearly fits with dream, trance, and spell as a being in a "fuzzy" mental state e.g. alcohol haze, drug trance, under a spell, dream state.
Also, I'm fairly sure I learned nanny at school.