Hypnosis, Mysticism, and the Quest for Meaning

Barry Visroy

Before we start, a word of caution. This episode ventures into hypnotic inductions and the power of altered states. So please, listen only in a safe space, and not while driving, operating heavy machinery, or doing anything that requires your full focus. Safety first, yeah?

Jessica Alwood

Thank you, Barry. Let me draw you into a moment—a real story... Some years ago, I was experimenting with hypnosis alongside a close friend. It was a simple session, truly, nothing extraordinary. Or so I thought. After emerging from the trance, she began speaking... strangely. Every word—every phrase—was a riddle shrouded in metaphors. It was as if she belonged to, ah, another realm entirely, and her words resonated with something ancient deep in the psyche. Fascinating, is it not?

Barry Visroy

That does sound... remarkable. And eerie, too. What you're describing might align with some techniques developed by Milton Erickson—the famed hypnotherapist who, honestly, revolutionized the entire field. His method, conversational hypnosis, leans on subtle tools like presuppositions—hidden suggestions embedded right within a sentence. For instance, he'd say something like, "As you think about relaxing, your mind begins to wonder." You see? He’s leading without ever commanding. Indirect—but powerful.

Jessica Alwood

Hmm. As subtle as the whispers of wind through an abandoned forest clearing. But, Barry, what intrigues me most is this—doesn't that subtlety remind you of something far older? There’s... an almost mystical quality to it. Could Erickson’s method be, perhaps, a modern iteration of the ancient practices of mystics? Channeling symbols and forces through the psyche? What do you think?

Barry Visroy

You know, that’s a compelling thought, Jessica. Erickson had such precision—scientific precision—but even in the clinical, there's often... overlap with the mysterious, right? He blended structure with the abstract. But wait, could it be we’re crossing into archetypal territory here?

Jessica Alwood

Exactly! The archetypal. The universal stories etched upon, ah, the human soul. The very same impulses, Barry, that might lead someone to seek meaning through ancient rites—or stand transfixed beneath cathedral arches... seeking the divine.

Barry Visroy

That’s an evocative thought, Jessica—the idea of universal stories etched deep within us. It reminds me of an experience tied to those archetypal yearnings you mentioned—a late-night investigation at a centuries-old cathedral. The space was heavy with whispers, almost alive with something inscrutable. This wasn’t just a ghost story, though. The presence seemed to speak of reintegration, of returning to some lost unity—and it echoed, strangely, with Pasqually’s ideas on spiritual ascent. What do you make of that?

Jessica Alwood

Oh, Barry, how beautifully you set the stage. Reintegration—yes. In Pasqually’s view, humanity’s fall from divine grace wasn’t merely an error. It was, I believe, a... rupture in our spiritual connection to that immense, eternal source. Adam’s descent marked the beginning. He traded divine radiance for earthly matter, creating ripples of longing through generations.

Barry Visroy

And that rupture—you think it’s reflected, perhaps, in this notion of our subconscious self? When Erickson guided his subjects into trance, wasn’t he tapping into... forgotten realms? Realms where truths—buried truths—could emerge?

Jessica Alwood

Precisely, Barry. Erickson’s hypnotic inductions weren’t simply therapeutic tools. They echoed something ancient. Think of Pasqually’s rituals—how they orchestrated words, symbols, movements. The Ordre des Élus-Cohen, oh yes, used intricate theurgical practices—intentional pathways to reawaken divine memory within the human soul. What do you see, Barry? Ritual or therapy?

Barry Visroy

Both, perhaps? At their core, aren’t they guiding us—nudging us—toward rediscovering that lost equilibrium? Pasqually’s theurgy aimed for divine reconnection as Erickson sought healing... two sides of the same search, Jessica?

Jessica Alwood

Ah, indeed. Two sides, yet meeting in one secretive center: the yearning heart of humanity. These methods, ancient or modern, all circle back to a singular truth, do they not? The psyche knows... it craves wholeness, reintegration. And even if one stands in an ancient cathedral or enters a hypnotic trance, it seeks always—

Barry Visroy

—to find its way home.

Barry Visroy

Jessica, that longing for wholeness you mentioned—it reminds me of a séance I attended years ago. The subject was deep in hypnosis, and as she spoke, it was as though she was touching that very yearning. She described visions—a vast celestial tapestry, as if mapping out a divine plan. She spoke of patterns—timeless patterns—that seemed to quietly shape our existence. What do you make of that?

Jessica Alwood

Ah, Barry, how extraordinary. A divine blueprint, you say? It echoes something profound. Erickson often sought to reveal hidden patterns buried in the psyche, pulling forth the unspoken truths that guide us. And yet, does that not parallel the ancient teachings of mystics? Oh, theurgy—Pasqually’s rituals—were much the same. Unlocking truths of a higher order. Could it be, Barry, that in hypnosis, as in mysticism, we seek the same heights?

Barry Visroy

The same heights, or perhaps the same depths. Erickson spoke of the subconscious mind as a wellspring—a deep reservoir of forgotten wisdom. Pasqually, I imagine, might have called it divine memory. But isn’t the intent universal? To know oneself, to understand the greater design?

Jessica Alwood

Indeed! Self-knowledge—the vital thread binding Erickson’s modern insights to Pasqually’s divine path. Consider this, Barry: when one steps into a trance or engages in ritual, are they not aligning with an eternal archetype? The search for the transcendent, oh, it pulses within every soul.

Barry Visroy

So perhaps hypnosis and mysticism aren’t separate paths at all. Both tap into something innate—this yearning to connect with something larger, call it divine, universal, or inner truth. Ritual or therapy—they lead to the same destination, don’t they?

Jessica Alwood

Yes... the destination Barry, the longing at the heart of every spirit. To reweave the threads torn by time and forgetfulness. To find meaning and to... belong. Doesn’t your séance—your divine tapestry—reflect precisely that?

Barry Visroy

It does. And perhaps, Jessica, whether one speaks of divine ascent, cosmic blueprints, or the subconscious, the human story remains the same. We’re all searching for... reintegration. Pieces, scattered across the cosmos, waiting to be gathered.

Jessica Alwood

Pieces, yes, Barry. And as we close, let this thought linger in the air—what if life, every whisper through the mind, every ritual or therapeutic trance... is but one great unfolding story? A pattern of becoming, always reaching for the stars...

Barry Visroy

...and always returning to the heart.

Jessica Alwood

And on that note, dear listeners, we bid you farewell for now. Until next time—may your journey inward illuminate the path outward. Seek deeply, and perhaps journey beyond. Good night.