Does HypnoBirthing Conflict with Christianity?
This post is in answer to a specific question about how hypnosis relates to Christianity. It is in no way meant to promote Christianity or disparage other religions. In fact, future posts may explore the history of hypnosis as well as its relationship to other religions and other cultures. Let me know in the comments if any of these topics would be of interest!
HypnoBirthing and hypnosis in general can make some people feel wary and worried that they are putting themselves in danger by submitting themselves to someone else’s will. There’s an idea that you are surrendering control if you participate in hypnosis. This is very much not the case. For anyone who is interested in learning more about what hypnotism is and is not, please check out my earlier post called What is HypnoBirthing and who should use it?
For many people, the idea of relinquishing control is what goes against their Christian views, so if we know that someone can’t actually give over control via hypnosis, how does hypnosis stack up to Biblical teachings? Although the words “hypnosis” and “hypnotize” are not explicitly used in the Bible, there are other mentions of things like deep sleep and trance-like moments throughout. We see these occur most frequently in stories of prayer and healing.
Chaplain Paul G. Durbin, PhD, a former Chaplain (Brigadier General) in the United States Army and Director of Pastoral Care and Clinical Hypnotherapy at Methodist Hospital in New Orleans has argued that the creation of Eve from Adam’s rib can be viewed as the first record of hypnosis. Genesis 2:21-22 says, “So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” Durbin argues that this is an example of hypnosis — Adam’s willingness to go into a deep sleep — being used as a form of anesthesia for pain management. In fact, the origin of the word hypnosis is Hypnos, which was the name of the Greek god of sleep.
There are also arguments for prayer as a form of self-hypnosis, in which the person willingly goes into a deeply relaxed state that allows them to communicate with God on a spiritual level. Many places in the Bible speak about prayer as a trance-like state. For example, in Acts 22:17, Paul says that he “was praying at the temple [and he] fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking to [him].” And according to well-known pastor and author Dr. Roger Barrier, “The Bible is filled with injunctions for Christians to meditate upon the word of God. Twice Peter entered into meditative states and the Bible approved his ‘trances’ both times. Isaiah, Daniel, Paul, and Jeremiah all experienced times of hypnotic trance and heightened awareness inspired by God to give them deep insights into his person and character.”
In Galatians 6:7 Paul writes, “Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” One could apply this direction to how we think, not just to deeds and actions. In a HypnoBirthing context, this would mean that whatever we think consciously has an impact on our subconscious, which then tends to become our reality. If we think negative thoughts about something, we are likely to have a negative experience of that event. Conversely, if we implant positive images, thoughts, and affirmations about something like birth, we are more likely to have a positive birth experience. Our minds work through repetition and imagery. Something like HypnoBirthing simply works with the mechanisms of our memories and minds to help us achieve a positive birth.
As I said at the very beginning of this post, I do not mean this post to in any way espouse one religious view over another. I simply wanted to address a question and offer some suggestions for further research. As with anything, especially surrounding your pregnancy, birth, and child, YOU are ultimately in the driver’s seat and make the best decision for you and your family. Regardless of how you choose to prepare for childbirth and your postpartum period, I wish you health, happiness, and a speedy recovery.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me!