Posts: 1396
From: The Mists of Avalon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted October 30, 2002 10:17 AM         

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Hi Ra - this dream is unrelated to the other string so I wanted to separate it.

The recent discussion of past lives brought to mind a childhood dream of mine. I've always had a big phobia about insects - and most especially spiders.

I remember a dream where I was about 7 or 8 and living somewhere in the Middle East. It was very hot and sunny. I remember it as being especially dry and desertlike. I remember walking backwards ( don't remember why) and I fell onto my back into a sandy pit that was maybe 3 feet deep. Suddenly, there were many, many spiders crawling all over me. I remember screaming, and my parents came over and lifted me out.

Do you think it's possible this dream was a past life memory and that this event is what created my phobia? The phobia has gotten better this year, I believe in large part due to my efforts to "connect." However, it is still there. If this is a past memory, do you have recommendations as to how to alleviate the phobia? Oh, and of course, and thoughts on the dream?

Hopeful

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Posts: 690
From: greece
Registered: Aug 2002

posted October 30, 2002 11:20 AM         

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I once discussed insect phobia with a psychologist and she firmly believes that it's related to the relationship with your mother. Actually, she said that all phobias are related to someone...

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Posts: 2641
From:
Registered: Apr 2001

posted October 30, 2002 02:14 PM         

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I disagree. That sounds far too Freudian for my tastes! Do you not think so Stella?

Back to you in a couple of days!

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Posts: 690
From: greece
Registered: Aug 2002

posted October 31, 2002 12:13 AM         

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Absolutly! So I asked that since I've now cured myself more or less of my fear for insects, does that mean that the relationship with my mum is healed? No...

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Posts: 558
From: Hotlanta
Registered: Dec 2001

posted October 31, 2002 01:18 AM         

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I too have insect phobia. It must be a Virgo thing.

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Posts: 1987
From: King Arthur's Camelot
Registered: Jun 2002

posted November 02, 2002 05:33 PM         

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I too have a huge spider phobia. I hate killing insects but when it comes to spiders I just can't help it and I always feel bad afterwards.

-Yes this phobia does have to do with your past life. Not the actual spider but the symbol of the spider, maybe.

Wait I'm getting a vibe!
Scorpoins or Spiders are usually reminders of some Eygptian past life. Perhaps you saw a traumatic scene that had to do with insects while you were living in Egypt or in Africa.
-Most likely I believe this fear may have come from an Egyptian past life, because the Egyptians would use a form of torture where they would bury someone alive putting scorpions and tarantulas inside with the person.
Although I could be wrong!

-StarLover

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Posts: 2641
From:
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posted November 03, 2002 03:53 PM         

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Hopeful, this does have the feeling of a past-life memory that could very well explain your fear of spiders. How to end the phobia? I am not certain. My wife has the same fear, and I have not helped her much! But if there were some way to re-experience this past-life situation, and to detatch from it so that it could be better understood by your waking consciousness - this would work. The only way I know to do this is through the out-of-body state. But perhaps there is some sort of dream-work that can be done - I will look into it.

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Posts: 1396
From: The Mists of Avalon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted November 04, 2002 11:50 AM         

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At least I'm not the only one with this phobia! It has gotten better this year, but that didn't stop me last night from pulling out the vaccuum to suck up a centipede that was crawling around my bathroom. ick! I did feel a little bad for the thing, but I still can't stomach the thought of insects in my house!

hmmm, Egypt. I've always felt an affinity towards Egypt. I suppose with the sand and all in the dream, that might be a possibility.

As for re-living, I hope there is another way! Perhaps it would be easier in a dream...

Hopeful

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Posts: 690
From: greece
Registered: Aug 2002

posted November 05, 2002 01:10 AM         

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Hi Hopeful, I'm currently reading The Edgar Cayce story on reincarnation by Gina Cerminara and the Cayce files refers to many cases like yours - where a phobia has it's cause in a past life experience. For exampel a woman who always since a small child had a fear of closed places - in a former life she had been killed when a cave collapsed. Two other people who were hysterically afraid of water had been drowned in a former life. At least your dream tell you the cause of your spider phobia. So now you can tell yourself 300 times a day that "IN THIS LIFE there is no reason that I should be afraid of spiders". And "I'm a big girl now". Or you can pay a psychologist to tell you the same under hypnosis...I used to be pretty hysterical about insects, but it somehow passed. I think my lust for travelling to exotic places became stronger than that fear - I realized I'd just had to calm down and don't get hysterical..in Africa there are insects the size of my hand..But a few years ago I was having a shower when I felt something strange in my hair - a huge grasshopper. I got absolutly panick, ran out of the bath and grapped the insect killer spray and just emptied the whole box. It took me really long before I stopped checking the bath for insects before having a shower...

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Posts: 1396
From: The Mists of Avalon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted November 05, 2002 03:48 PM         

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stella - I used to live in a house that is 80 years old, and it had a TON of spiders! It was an insect phobes worst nightmare. I used to get it sprayed twice a year, and finally just before I moved (naturally) it got better. Now, I almost wonder if it was the uni-verse trying to cure me?! Anyway, I had to laugh at your grasshopper story as I would walk around my house staring at the ceilings.

BTW, I love Greece. I was there for the first time this year. It's a beautiful country.

Hopeful

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Posts: 303
From: Beach
Registered: Jul 2002

posted November 05, 2002 03:59 PM         

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Hi Everyone,

Let's face it, insects are not very charming. We create phobias ourselves typically by early childhood occurrences. They have always been looked upon as a creepy, crawling species that is not as welcomed in the home environment as dogs and cats have.
In fact, they are pests. UNWANTED pests. That alone creates a negative response in all of us, except for those rare breeds of people with insect fascinations.
As a Professional Certified Licensed Clinical Hypnotherapist who have studied extensively in many areas of the human psyche, phobias are created by ourselves. Phobias are how we INTERPRET the IMAGE of bugs or anything else. Our mental processes accepts or rejects each image we have. For instance, our first experience with insects or anything else comes as children. Whether we have a positive or negative reaction to it depends on our attitude toward it in the experience. That it called conscious thought.
Then we experience the effect, and from that, draw our conclusions to that experience whether real or imagined, which becomes processed and logged into our subconscious mind as either a negative or positive experience. Both lie within your subconscious and you act upon those experiences throughout your life, most of the time unconsciously.
In situations of self-defeating behaviors or fears as well as phobias, all is not lost.
The theory is that if you've programed those experiences IN there, then you can program them OUT using Hypnosis as a tool of elimination. To eliminate a negative, it is pertinent to reinforce the area with a positive to eliminate the condition with the help and support of a skilled Professional Hypnotherapist.
Anything is achievable, and we all have HOPE!

NOTATION: Phobias are created by the INTERPRETATION of THOUGHT.
Fears are REACTIONS from an ACTUAL EXPERIENCE of an ocurrance.

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Posts: 690
From: greece
Registered: Aug 2002

posted November 06, 2002 01:50 AM         

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I just thought I'd add that my oldest son, who's almost 9, is crazy about all kind of insects and has always been. I've read a lot for him about insects and I have actually started to find them quite fascinating myself...My son collects spiders, scorpios and other bugs and kills them by putting them in the freezer. So opening the door to the freezer I'm always aware that something not-quite-dead might still move around in there between the frozen pizzas and the frozen peas..
Maybe he choose me as a mum to help me get over this fear/phobia...Besides, he's really useful - I can always trust him to catch those huge bugs that I wouldn't dare to get close...
Hopeful, there are PLENTY of insects in Greece. How did you survive? Where did you go?

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Posts: 303
From: Beach
Registered: Jul 2002

posted November 06, 2002 04:10 AM         

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Hi Stella,

Your son sounds like he'd be great in the medical research lab.

Perhaps his fascination WILL help you get over your fear/phobia. As a Virgo, your more logical right? Well, I would imagine that logic will eventually kick in and say, hey, my son is not afraid of these little critters and he is inviting these insects deliberately into our home environment where I'm unexpectedly discovering them amongst my other supplies and foodstuff. In the process of cleaning out, you are almost forced into the ACTION of dealing with it, rather than moving away from it, so yes, I would say that eventually you may get over your fear/phobia on your own. Course, remember no one likes to have bugs and pests around, but at least, you will no longer be afraid of them. Phobias are nothing more than an exaggerated thought of something not explored or understood.

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Posts: 1396
From: The Mists of Avalon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted November 06, 2002 12:56 PM         

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VWP - what are you thoughts on Aries and phobias!

stella - I was in Athens, Delph, Olympia and a couple islands - Mykonos and Rhodes. It was great!

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Posts: 303
From: Beach
Registered: Jul 2002

posted November 06, 2002 03:57 PM         

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Hi Hopeful,

Phobias are strictly an INDIVIDUAL thing.
It is not related to anything other than an individual's exaggerated thought of something perceived.
With bugs per se, it can be viewed upon differently from person to person.
I personally hate any bug or spider in my house. I am not afraid of them, it's just that I am a clean freak, and to me, bugs mean that perhaps I have something to clean out as in "a food crumb that perhaps got left behind." In most cases, for me, it is a nuisance.
I don't like the thought of having them in my personal things or eating away at my expensive suits. Besides, there are much more pleasurable sensations other than have an unknown creepy crawler casually cruise your face.

Hope that answers your question.

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