The ancient cult of Asclepius was a dream and hypnosis cult. As patients waned in and out of trance into a dream like state, they were given healing suggestions. During the night in an induced trance or dreamlike state, Asclepius, or more likely, a priest dressed as Asclepius, would roam about the chamber with a staff in his right hand and a non venomous yellow and black snake in his left hand. Asclepius would lay his staff on patients, even allow the snake to lick the patient while providing healing suggestions. In this all too real symbolic healing process Asclepius would often revisit the patient in the dream state and additional impart healing words. Then in the morning their dreams were ‘interpreted’ by the priests, thus, reinforcing the healing effect. Of course, surgeries and other procedures were implemented too. Essentially it was a combination of cognitive, affective, behavioral, social, physical, and spiritual therapies.
The staff and the snake of course make up the caduceus of modern western medicine, as Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, was an Asklipian physician priest on the island of Kos in ancient Greece. The sacred Hippocratic oath to ‘first do no harm’ is said to originate in this dream and hypnosis cult. This may surprise many, however, it shouldn’t, as a review of the scientific literature will show more medical studies involving hypnosis than mental health.
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