THE BIBLE'S CONTRIBUTION TO HUMAN TRINITY HYPNOTHERAPY

By Chaplain Paul G. Durbin Ph.D. 

I have written about Alfred Adler, Viktor Frankl, Maxwell Maltz, and John Powell's contributions to Human Trinity Hypnotherapy. I could have also written about Maxie Dunnan, Keith Miller, Bruce Larson, Robert Leslie, James Colaianni, and others outside the field of hypnotherapy who have greatly influenced me. Perhaps I will write about their contributions at another time. I conclude this series by acknowledging the Bible's contributions to Human Trinity Hypnotherapy. The Bible has been the most influential book in my life and it still speaks something new to me each time I read it. The idea of the human trinity came to me from the Bible for there I learned that we are made up of body, mind, and spirit and each part affects the other parts. 

Paul writes of the human trinity in the twelfth chapter of the book of Romans. Paul wrote, "I beseech you therefor brethren by the mercy of God, that ye present your body as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service and be not confined to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1-2) 

In God's sight, the body and mind as well as the spirit are important. The body is the temple of God, and the place where the spirit dwells for Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within you." From Romans, I hear God saying through Paul that real worship is more than the offering of great prayers. It is more than the offering to God of a ritual, however magnificent. Real worship is the offering of everyday life to God. 
The renewing of the mind calls for a change in attitude. It calls for us to let go of any negative thought because they can be a block to living life to its fullest. God wants us to realize our talents, our abilities, our potential, and with divine guidance to use them for our own good and for the good of others. He leads to look into the heart (subconscious) and mind (conscious) to see our potential and our possibilities rather than our failures and limitations. 

In the Bible, one can find several references to hypnotic like activities. For instance, the first written record of the use of hypnosis is recorded in the book of Genesis 2:21-22, "So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh, and the rib which God took from man, he made woman and brought her to him." In this incident, God used hypnosis so that Adam felt no pain during the removal of his rib. 

Paul speaks of going into a trance while praying in the temple (Acts 22:17). Peter "fell into a trance" and from that experience came to understand that God loves all people and accepts all people who come to him (Acts 10:1-18). Through the book of Acts, there are a number of references to the apostles looking into the eyes or gazing into the eyes which resulted in the person being healed (Acts 14:9-10). The practice of "laying on of hands" mentioned in the Bible uses some of the techniques of hypnosis (Acts 28:8). 

The writer of Proverbs 23:7 said that as a person thinketh in his heart, so is he. St. Paul wrote, "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap."(Gal. 6:7) This says to me that what is sown by the conscious mind through thoughts and images into the subconscious mind tends to become a reality. Mental images give the subconscious mind a model to work toward for good or bad. The use of positive imagery improves life and health. Until there is an image in the mind, there can be no reality. The author of Proverbs 29:18 also wrote that where there is no vision, the people perish. Jesus said, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because... he sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4:18) Following that guidance and the proper use of hypnosis, we can heal the broken hearted, bring deliverance to those in captivity, release pain, fear, and phobias; give sight to the emotionally and spiritually blind, and set at liberty those who are bound by unwanted habits. 

Mr. Smith's Case History: 
I was on my surgery schedule rounds, when I went to visit Mr. Smith. He was scheduled to have his left leg amputated just below the knee. As we visited, Mr. Smith told me hat he had been going though many emotional states since learning of the need for surgery. He said, "I felt angry, sad, mad, and disappointed." He went on to talk about his faith and how he had always relied on that in the past, but was having difficulty experiencing the presence of God now. I talked to him about Job who had some of the very same feelings which he was experiencing. Job questioned but remained opened to God's presence and indeed God came to assure Job of His love and presence. 
I told Mr. Jones of a devotion which I had read in Guidepost a few days before. In a little town in the French Pyrenees, there is a shrine which is known for its miracles of healing. As the story goes, an amputee veteran of World War II appeared one day at the shrine. As he hobbled up to shrine, a bystander remarked, "Poor man, does he think God will give him back his leg?" The veteran overheard him and replied, "No sir, I don't expect God to give me back my leg. I am going to pray to God to help me live without it." 

Mr. Smith asked me to pray with him for courage to adapt to his amputation and to help him learn to live without it. After the prayer, I shared with him this scripture, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword?...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither life, nor death, not angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depths, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God (Romans *:35-36). No formal hypnosis was used but waking hypnosis was used. May each of you experience the joy of God's presence according to your spiritual understanding of God so that you may be revived in body, mind, and spirit.