I have been working with a 13-year-old patient, Sam (not her real name), who has been struggling with serious allergic reactions, for which she required shots of adrenaline to prevent her from developing life threatening breathing problems.

In order to help Sam reduce the severity of her allergic reactions, I taught her how to calm herself with hypnosis. Also, in order to help her gain insight into the possible psychosocial triggers of her allergic reactions, I taught her how to interact with her subconscious, which she learned to hear in her mind as a voice different from her own.

Recently, Sam reported that her allergic reactions had become stronger. I asked her subconscious whether the reactions were related solely to physical problems.

Her subconscious responded that there was also a spiritual component. I asked the subconscious to elaborate.

Sam sees a snake with feet. It wants her to gain more knowledge.

As my clinical approach is to follow my patients’ lead, this response took my thoughts straight to the Garden of Eden.

In the third chapter of the Bible, the serpent convinced Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, which was against God’s command to Adam and Eve. God punished the snake by condemning it to slither on its belly for the rest of eternity.

Rabbis who interpreted the Bible explained that God had removed the serpent’s feet as punishment.

Keeping the Garden of Eden story in mind, I told Sam I did not think it was a good idea to follow the snake’s suggestion. I suggested that some knowledge could be harmful. Sam asked, “Like What?”

We discussed several possibilities:

• Our human brains may be unable to understand or process certain types of knowledge, which can lead to feeling disconcerted or uneasy.

For example, young children may be unable to effectively process information that is more suitable for older children or adults, such as the concept of the permanence of death.

Or, many people have difficulty with accepting the physics idea of quantum entanglement in which one particle appears to act in tandem with another particle even when it is at a great distance away.

• People can gain knowledge that they might use unwisely.

For instance, knowledge can be used destructively such as by learning how dominate others by making and threatening use of weapons.

Or, knowledge can be used to manipulate people’s behavior through advertisements, or presentation of addictive feedback, such as occurs with video games.

• A little or insufficient knowledge could be misleading or harmful.

For example, information that appears scientific but is not (pseudoscience) has led to the development of “fake news” and demonization of others.

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Or, some owners have elected to avoid vaccinating their cats for fear that their pets would develop autism, even though there has never been a cat which has been diagnosed with this developmental disorder.

• Certain knowledge can feel overwhelming or scary, and be difficult to erase from memory.

For instance, exposure to some events can be mentally scarring (including that which may be seen in movies (such as horror films) or amplified by social media (such as news about school shootings).

This can lead to psychological disturbances that may trigger the development of anxiety, depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sam said she felt okay that she would not pursue the knowledge proposed by the snake. I wondered if the Biblical Eve could have been dissuaded by such reasoning. I thought that perhaps not because she didn’t have enough baseline knowledge to assess the veracity of my reasoning.

Unconscious Essential Reads

A week later, Sam reported that the snake was still around, and that she had developed itchy skin. She asked if I could help. I asked her subconscious why the snake was still around.

The snake still wants her to gain knowledge.

What kind of knowledge? I asked.

The snake wants her to gain knowledge about other realms.

Could that be harmful?

Yes.

Why?

That kind of knowledge would change Sam’s life path, and she is on the right path at this time.

I can follow that logic. Do you know what’s causing Sam’s itching?

She is so distraught by the presence of the snake that she has been scratching herself.

Do you know how to get rid of the snake?

No.

Perhaps we could borrow a solution from the Bible. Ask God to remove the snake’s legs and banish it.

The snake is gone and so is the itch.

The following week Sam reported that the snake had not reappeared, and asked why her itch had disappeared. This was a reminder that her conscious mind had remained unaware of the ideas we exchanged while I was interacting with her subconscious.

In my clinical practice, I have noted that such amnesia is common when the subconscious is expressing itself through talking or typing.

In reflecting on the interaction I had with Sam’s subconscious, I think it was valuable for her to be taught and for me to be reminded that some knowledge can be harmful.

Furthermore, Sam apparently was still bothered by being tempted to gain knowledge despite its potential costs, until she allowed a deliberate step to remove the temptation.

Of course, much of the knowledge available to us in today’s world can be beneficial including that which allows us to live more productive, resilient, and fulfilling lives.

Conclusion

Before exposing ourselves, our loved ones, or people with whom we have influence to new ideas or knowledge, we should consider whether this is likely to be harmful or helpful.