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| Sleep Healing in Ancient
Times By Dr. Panchajanya Paul, MD Sleep has many health benefits. Every organ system benefits from sleep. All bodily functions do better with sleep. There is no disease or illness that does not get help from sleep. Once the disease is set in, sleep may not cure it, but lack of sleep will always worsen it. Sleep boosts immunity and helps in the fight against, bacteria, virus and carcinogens. Modern science has just begun to unravel the myriad benefits of sleep. The health benefits of sleep were also realized in the ancient times. The use of sleep as healing is as old as healing itself. The first hospitals in the world were sleep hospitals. If we define ‘hospital’ as a place devoted to healing and curing ailments, then the distinction of being the first hospital will go to Egyptian healing (sleeping) temples built by Imhotep. Imhotep (around 2600 BC), popularized in the movie The Mummy, was the physician, chief minister, and priest to the Pharaoh Djoser. He was also a great architect and credited with building the first pyramid. People from all over came to these temples for healing. Patients went through ritual ablutions and were put to sleep through hypnotic suggestions by the priests. The idea was that, while people are sleeping, the gods will give the answer to the ills and speak through the dreams. Hence, great emphasis was placed on the content of the dreams as they were thought to contain the means of cure and healing. Priest and priestess would interpret, analyze the dreams and give people answers. The ancient Greek culture was influenced by the Egyptians .This practice of sleep-healing-temples became popular in Greece. Healing temples were built in honor of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing and medicinal arts. The temples were known as Asklepian, and became popular places of healing. People from far flocked to seek remedy to their illness. Like the Egyptian temples, all healing was believed to take place while the person was sleeping. The deep sleep was induced through a trance by the chanting and suggestion of the priests. The person will lay there in sleep / trance for around three days called the incubation period. Many times non-venomous snakes, considered sacred, will crawl on the floor of temple where the sick slept. The use of snake was considered important for healing. This was depicted by the attributes of God Asclepius who had the snake and the staff- also called the Rod of Asclepius. The sleep temples did not distinguish between mental, physical and the spiritual. People from all walks came with all kinds of illness- some seeking cure for their illness, some seeking answers, and some with psychological conflicts. Many got better and the words spread. People kept on coming back and the temples became very popular and they were built to other parts of Greece. The most famous sleep temple was at Epidaurus built around 420 BC. Another famous temple was located on the island of Kos, where Hippocrates, the father of medicine began his career around 400 BC. The basic premise remained the same: seeker will come, perform the rituals and sacrifices, get a suggestion and go into a trance like sleep. They will wake up after many hours or days, tell their dreams. There was a belief that that gods will be healing and answering in dreams which will be interpreted by the priests. The Romans, who succeeded the Greeks, adopted the sleep temples and dedicated them to God Apollo. Similar practices also used by the Hebrews and other cultures. In India, there were practices similar in concept but different in methodology like the Yoga-Nidra which was believed to have healing powers. When we examine all these ancient practices, it will be naïve to dismiss all that was done as superstition. Any practice that lasted for over a thousand years must serve some purpose. All the evidence we have of the time and practice are from the archeology and ancient texts. We can never ascertain how much of actual healing took place and why? I believe the healing mainly took place from the period of rest, sleep, and being free from all obligations. The sick were allowed to be sick without stigma. The body has rejuvenating powers. Enough rest, nutrition and a therapeutic milieu can rejuvenate the body. But, we can be certain that all illness was not cured then, as is now. The chanting and hypnotic suggestions of the priests and the sacred atmosphere of the temple, with all the prayers, must have played strong placebo effects, harnessing all of body’s power to heal itself. These, when combined with sleep, rest and relaxation – restored the body to an earlier healthier state. In summary, sleep is vital for life and longevity. Ancient healing traditions regularly harnessed the healing powers of sleep. In the industrial age, when productivity and industry was valued above all, sleep became associated with sloth. This unfortunate connotation misguided many people including both the physicians and patients leading to a modern society where people are sleep deprived, fatigued and over-worked. Fortunately, albeit late, modern medicine has begun to catch up with the life giving powers of sleep. Sleep has now been restored to one of the three pillars of health along with nutrition and exercise. And, in regard to ancient sleep-temples, we still carry its legacy in modern medical practices. Physicians upon completion of their medical training across the world swear their Hippocratic Oath on the name of gods Apollo and Asclepius. The Hippocratic oath begins with: “I swear by Apollo the Physician and by Asclepius and by Hygieia and Panacea and by all the gods ...” Additionally, the rod of Asclepius" is used by many medical associations across the world as a symbol for medicine. If you have ever wondered, why there is a picture of snake and stick sitting in your doctor's office or on the hospital-wall, you now have the answer.
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| Feb-28-2016 |
