When Does General Knowledge Become Hurtful? |
I have been working with a 13-year-old patient, Sam (not her real name), who has been struggling with serious allergic reactions, for which she required shots of adrenaline to prevent her from developing life threatening breathing problems.
In order to help Sam reduce the severity of her allergic reactions, I taught her how to calm herself with hypnosis. Also, in order to help her gain insight into the possible psychosocial triggers of her allergic reactions, I taught her how to interact with her subconscious, which she learned to hear in her mind as a voice different from her own.
Recently, Sam reported that her allergic reactions had become stronger. I asked her subconscious whether the reactions were related solely to physical problems.
Her subconscious responded that there was also a spiritual component. I asked the subconscious to elaborate.
Sam sees a snake with feet. It wants her to gain more knowledge.
As my clinical approach is to follow my patients’ lead, this response took my thoughts straight to the Garden of Eden.
In the third chapter of the Bible, the serpent convinced Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, which was against God’s command to Adam and Eve. God punished the snake by condemning it to slither on its belly for the rest of eternity.
Rabbis who interpreted........