Loki’s Children

A Healing Story of Antiquity, Shamanism and Psychotherapy

Nicholas E. Brink, Ph.D.

Paperback
978-1-954744-85-1
US $22.95 Amazon
eBook available
August 2022

Two tools of psychotherapy to access the unconscious mind are clinical hypnosis and dreamwork. Recently added to these tools is ecstatic trance as used by the hunting and gathering shamans, both ancient and contemporary, ways that open the doors to the hidden stories or narratives that need to be faced for healing the emotional struggles of life.

Many of the myths that came from the collective dreams and trance experiences of the ancients are healing stories. One, the Nordic myth of Loki's Children, provides direction in the healing process for many of life's problems, the map for the healing journeys of three clients using their narratives from dreams, hypnosis, and ecstatic trance. The three children sired by the trickster god are dangerous monsters that threaten the Nordic pantheon of deities: Jormungand, a poison-spitting serpent, is thrown into the sea where it grows to encircle the earth to hold its tail in its mouth. The second child, Hel, whose body is half rotten with decay is thrown into the underworld where she suffers with remorse for the guilt of those who died dishonorably. The third child, Fenrir, a wolf of tremendous size who continually grows, is our obsessive thoughts and worries. This map of the psychotherapeutic journey to overcome this fear, guilt, and obsessive worry takes us into the unconscious mind and beyond into the universal mind, the world of the spirits for healing and personal growth. Each client finds the way to overcome these monsters to find innocence with the rebirth of Odin's beloved son Baldr.

Nicholas Brink, Ph.D., is Board-certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology, past board member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, a past president of the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery, a certified instructor of ecstatic trance, and the author of seven books: Grendel and His Mother; The Power of Ecstatic Trance; Baldr's Magic; Beowulf's Ecstatic Trance Magic; Trance Journeys of the Hunter-Gatherers; Ecstatic Soul Retrieval; and Applying the Constructivist Approach to Cognitive Therapy.

“Nick Brink has been a dedicated practitioner of The Cuyamungue Method that I also teach, using ancient postures in a ritual context to evoke ecstatic trance familiar to shamans among contemporary urban people. In this book he brings his considerable experience and creativity to a fascinating integration of indigenous and modern ways of healing mind and soul. Nick has been inspired to guide his clients in altered states using methods he knows from hypnotherapy and dreamwork along with Ancient Ritual Postures and the myths from his Nordic ancestry. He is blazing a new trail in how to work with clients to help them find deep spiritual and psychological wholeness.” —Belinda Gore, PhD, author of Ancient Ritual Postures: Oracle Cards with Companion Book, Former President, The Cuyamungue Institute

“In an act of love, Nick’s compassionate heart invites the reader on a journey of self-exploration to remind us of the ancient ways. We are given a valuable opportunity to experience inner healing by honoring the ancestors, becoming stewards for Mother Earth, and listening to Spirit as we embrace what Nick terms the ‘New Age.’ Building upon his prior work on ecstatic trance, Loki’s Children introduces the reader to a harmonious balance between the clinical application of ecstatic analytic hypnotherapy and mythical storytelling. This work can be of great importance to those seeking to embark on an inner quest and for clinicians interested in learning a novel approach to integrating ancient healing practices with psychotherapy.” —Manuel E. Varela, PsyD, Curandero, Center for Imagery and Shamanic Studies

“This fascinating book combines elements of Jungian depth psychology, Norse mythology and Ecstatic Trance into a remarkable and profound synthesis of inspiration and wisdom. It is highly recommended to individuals seeking to explore their repetitive patterns of self-entrapment and re-connect with their true essence.” —Robert Dale Rogers, Herbalist, Assistant professor in Family Medicine, University of Alberta. Teachers Earth Spirit Medicine, Northern Star College, author of 52 medicinal plant books