The word “hypnotism” was first adopted by Scottish physician and surgeon James Braid in the 1800’s as an abbreviation for “neuron-hypnotism” or sleep of the nerves. Braid wrote and lectured extensively on this subject and is considered the first genuine Hypnotherapist.
Hypnotism, which later became known as hypnosis, derives its name from the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos. Thanatos, the god of death, was the twin brother of Hypnos. So you had your little sleep and your big sleep. Their father was Morpheus, the god of Dreams. Morpheus gave form to the images that are dreams.
So dreams and hypnosis have a lot in common.
Dream-working is a very ancient spiritual practice. As far back as 2000 BC the Egyptians recorded their dreams on papyrus. They believed dreams were based on real things that could not be perceived by waking consciousness. And that the gods could appear and communicate directly through the dream state.
The Egyptians were the first to practice dream interpretation. They established temples where the gods could be invoked and consulted in dreams for the purposes of healing.
The Greeks loved Egyptian customs and adopted many of them. They, too, built healing temples, the most famous of which was the Temple of Epidaurus
Like the Egyptians, the Greeks consulted dreams for the purposes of healing. They practiced both dream incubation (from incubare, to lie down) and dream interpretation.
The bringer of sleep was the god, Hypnos. By touching or fanning you with his wings, Hypnos would transport you into the dream realm.
His father, Morpheus (meaning “to shape”) gave form to the images that are dreams. Sometimes the dream itself was the healing. Sometimes the dream provided a prescription for physical or psychological healing. With the assistance of a healing priest, such dreams could be interpreted and then acted upon.
Carl Jung believed that dreams are vehicles of self-realization and that bringing dreams to the light of consciousness provides insight and understandings that would otherwise be impossible.
Modern-day research clearly shows that both sleep and dreaming are essential to our physical and psychological well-being. When we sleep the body is free to perform all the restorative functions necessary to maintain health. And when we dream, psychological healing occurs as the subconscious mind sorts through all the stuff our limited conscious mind wasn’t able to address during the day.
Jeremy Taylor suggests that all dreams come in the service of health and wholeness. And that only the dreamer can say for sure what his or her dream means.
“I have given this all the meaning that it holds for me.”
– A Course in Miracles
Dreams can help and guide us to free ourselves from obstacles in our everyday life. They can provide creative inspiration or guidance.
When used with hypnosis, dreams can act as gateways to the past. Dreams can also provide a barometer to ongoing healing work using hypnosis.
Pay attention to dreams - your own and your clients!
No comments:
Post a Comment