Is Ritual a Form of Hypnosis?

It is undeniable that there is intelligence in traditional rituals. An intelligence that connects so deeply that it's difficult to put into words, the emotions felt in these ceremonies are powerful.

I have been looking into the power of the subconscious mind and how deeply we can be influenced by subtle external forces such as symbols, colour, repetition, language, storytelling and particularly vibration and geometry. 

Down this rabbit hole I found incredible synchronicities between the psychology and sciences of these subtle forces in ritual across almost all religions. So much so that I have started viewing ritual as more of a form of hypnotherapy.

This does not necessarily make the act of ritual any less mysterious. At the core of our being lies the greatest mystery of all.

A lot of these traditions are so advanced in their knowledge of the subconscious mind, archetypal symbols and vibration that it begs the question of a hidden intelligence or a hidden realm of knowledge stored away deeply in the collective unconscious that we have been tapping into for as long as introspection has been an art.

This would explain all of the shared symbols and themes and collective truths that we have been seeing in these symbols since ancient times.

The psychological significance of symbols

I learned that symbols are what our mind produces when we receive more stimuli than we can process. 

Our mind condenses this information into symbols which lie in our subconscious mind which is why symbols in dreams are so significant for deeper insights about ourselves. A picture is worth a thousand words after all. They are more of an intuitive language with deeper meaning (some symbols more than others). 

Metaphysically speaking, if there were an intelligence beyond our own conscious comprehension, would we not only perceive them through symbols found in the subconscious mind?

It is interesting that symbolic interpretation is fundamental in religion as well as ritual and that often there are shared symbols or very similar symbols shared between religions. 

Oftentimes ritual takes the form of what I would describe as a symbolic theater, people meditate on symbols for their interpreted power or praise symbols or even rather symbolic entities. 

If we view entities such as religious figures and spirits as archetypal symbolic beings found in the collective unconscious it adds a new layer of depth to our understanding of religion and ritual as a form of hypnotherapy when ritual is also used to connect to certain gods or entities. 

“spirits, viewed from the psychological angle, are unconscious, autonomous complexes, which appear as projections because they have no direct association with the ego. Such entities are of particular psychological significance, since they can give us insights into certain trends in the unconscious.” -Jung

If you are a well seasoned meditation practitioner with experience connecting to the collective unconscious it is likely that at some point you have experienced certain symbols or archetypal entities that you have seen reflected in certain religious or spiritual philosophies. 

With the intensity and peculiarity of these experiences I would not be surprised the is what connects people to such philosophies built on interpretations of the subconscious mind. 

check out my blog the subtle language of symbolism here

Colour psychology

Color psychology plays a significant role in creating a specific atmosphere and conveying spiritual messages within religious rituals.

In a lot of rituals colour is used very intelligently. It is more consciously used in pagan practices where different coloured candles are lit to support or represent their intentions of the ritual, the corresponding property for the colours used in ritual align with colour psychology. 

I have also noticed that in crystals the crystal properties resonate with colour psychology, crystals are used in ritual as anchor points for intentions. 

Ceremonial clothes often have deeply symbolic meanings based on their colours too. 

Affirmation and prayer, the power of language

Affirmation is used as a prayer in Buddhist and Hindu cultures. When you want something you repeat it in a meditation ritual until the words lose form and they begin to feel like a sound strung in loops. This would traditionally be in Sanskrit.

In many other religions there is the ritual of affirmation through prayer. 

There are now new psychological insights into the power of affirmation and language in cognitive behavioral therapy.

CBT shows how our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are interconnected. By changing our thoughts, we change our lives. When we repeat something we are essentially rewiring our brains.

Over time what we are affirming becomes more and more ingrained in our subconscious mind. I speak more about this topic in my blog post "The Intuitive Nature Of Language."

3-4am

3-4am in pagan culture is known to be a good time for ritual work. This is true for sacred prayer in Hinduism as it is associated with Brahma Muhurta which is a time that holds great significance in Hinduism. Brahma Muhata translates to “Time of the creator”. 

The time varies but the bottom line is that it's around 1h 36 mins before sunrise typically landing it approx between 3:30-5am. It is believed that Brahma Muhurta is the time which is best for doing meditation and spiritual work. 

In Islam there is an optional night prayer that falls between 3-5am called Tahajjud. It is said that God is more present around these hours and the veils between the realms are at their lowest.

3-4am has been the subject of much speculation from a psychological standpoint. Some experts believe that it represents a time of transition, when the mind is more open to ideas and experiences. Others see it as a time of heightened creativity and intuition, when the subconscious mind is more active and receptive to inspiration. 

For more insights about this topic feel free to read my blog post “The significance of 3-4am."

In the end, my perspective is that it seems that ritual can be broken down into deeply symbolic and vibrational music, theater and immersive art. as deeply immersive as the collective experiences of the subconscious mind can go.

I see it more as an act of interactive meditation that has the power to connect to states which ultimately help you to better connect to art and philosophy made with rich knowledge of the subconscious mind which can form incredibly deep attachments.

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