Archive
2010 year, issue 1-2 read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2022. #5 (167). P. 1011-1244 DOI... read »
2009 year, issue 3-4 read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2023. № 5 (173). P. 1151-1330 DOI... read »

« 2023. # 3 (171)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2023. № 3 (171), 586—596

UDK 398.47(161.2):159.962/.963

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

REALITY OF «IRREAL»: PROGRAMMING FUNCTIONS OF DREAMING IN THE MAGIC OF SUGGESTION (A STUDY OF TRADITIONAL CULTURE OF UKRAINIANS)

TEMCHENKO Andriy

  • ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3999-9459
  • Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor,
  • Associate Professor of the Department of the Ukrainian History
  • of the Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy,
  • boulevard of Shevchenko, 81, Сherkasy, 18000, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: temchen@ukr.net

Abstract. Introduction. The programming functions of dreaming in the magic of suggestion are analyzed in the article.

The purpose of the publication is highlighting of the semantic connections between dreams, myth and reality, as well as an attempt of the meaningful reconstruction of rites with elements of hypnosis.

Research methods involve the use of such means of scientific knowledge that are used in related fields, namely: Psychology, Linguistics, History, Philosophy, Cultural Anthropology.

The results obtained. In the «everyday» worldview, dreaming is perceived as a reaction of the psyche to everyday activities, but in traditional culture it can form its «agenda». So, dreaming can not only reboot the system, but in a certain way reprogram its functionality. The property of the psyche for programming and self-programming can be arbitrary and adjustable. Voluntary rebooting is associated with the psychophysical functions of dreaming (restoration of resources, processing of information, compensation of unfulfilled desires and needs, adaptation of the psyche to new conditions).

In traditional culture, there are ritual mechanisms by means of which regulated suggestion takes place in a limited mode. The corresponding practices resemble the methods of directive hypnosis used by Ukrainian women in relation to their husbands. An important feature of such practices is the determination of the time and place of the ceremony. The nights from Thursday to Friday and from Saturday to Sunday were considered to auspicious, which is due to the mythological semantics of these days of the week. The purpose of performing the relevant rites is to visualize the necessary dream image, with the help of which the behavioral model of a marriage partner, which is necessary for a post somnum woman, is created. The application of magical practices with elements of hypnosis involves the creation of subject installations that functioned as a kind of communication portals associated with the semantics of water (wells, bridges) that were supposed to teleport the dreamer’s secret aspirations. The objectification of the «imaginary» strengthens the effect of the ritual in the sense of more effective suggestion, as it stimulates the suggestion of the person who / with whom the corresponding manipulations are carried out. The corresponding actions were not a common phenomenon and related mainly to female reproductive magic aimed at keeping or attracting «her» husband.

Keywords: hypnosis, a well, magic, a bridge, a myth, simulation, suggestion, a rite, subconscious, psyche, Friday, reproduction, a ritual, a dream, a stereotype, Saturday, enchantment, Thursday, marriage, déjа vu.

Received 24.04.2023

REFERENCES

  • Ivanov, V.V. (1998). Odd and Even. Asymmetry of the Brain and Dynamics of Sign Systems. In Ivanov V.V. Selected Works on Semiotics and Cultural History. Sign Systems. Movie. Poetics (Vol. 1, pp. 381—602). Moscow: School «Languages of Russian Culture» [in Russian].
  • Garces-Foley, K. (2005). Death and Religion in a Changing World. London: Routledge.
  • Kamau, C. (2013, june). What Does Being Initiated Severely into a Group Do? The Role of Rewards. International Journal of Psychology, 3 (Vol. 48).
  • Pustovalov, S.Zh. (2006). Rites of Passage and Catacomb Burial Ritual. Scientific Notes of NaUKMA. Theory and History of Culture (Vol. 49, pp. 62—67). Retrieved from: https://ekmair.ukma.edu.ua/server/api/core/bits­treams/7ba0b651-6176-4d83-a527-17043e23c969/content (Last accessed: 12.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Naumovska, O. (2022). The Invariant Structure of Rites of Transition between Worlds in the Scientific Understanding of Arnold Van Gennep. Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. Literary Studies. Linguistics. Folkloristics, 1 (31). Retrieved from: https://philology-journal.com/index.php/journal/article/download/58/51 (Last accessed: 12.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Vdovchenko, S. Death and Birth: Rites of Passage in Ukrainian Folk Tales. Verbum, 41: Time of Transition. Retrieved from: https://www.verbum.com.ua/08/2019/time-of-transition/the-rites-of-transition-in-ukrainian-fairytales/ (Last accessed: 12.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Honcharuk, V.A., & Orel, M.V. (2018). Theory of Rtes of Passage: Historical Aspect. Philological Sciences: Modern Trends and Development Factors: International Scientific and Practical Conference, Odesa, January 26—27, 2018. Odesa: Southern Ukrainian organization «Center for Philological Research». P. 87—90. Retrieved from: https://dspace.udpu.edu.ua/xmlui/handle/6789/8555?show=full&locale-attribute=ru (Last accessed: 14.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Dmytriuk, V. (2019). Photo-Folkloric Aspects of Modern Rites of Passage: from Private to Public Practices: on the materials of Odeshchyna. Ethnological Notebooks, 5 (149), 1274—1285. Retrieved from: https://nz.lviv.ua/archiv/2019-5/25.pdf (Last accessed: 16.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Mayerchyk, M. (2011). Ritual and Body: Structural and Semantic Analysis of Family Cycle Rites. Ukrainian Institute of Harvard University; National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: Institute of Folklore; Institute of Criticism; Center for Cultural and Anthropological Studies. Kyiv: Krytyka [in Ukrainian].
  • Boryak, O. (2009). The Midwife in the Cultural and Historical Tradition of Ukrainians: between the Profane and the Sacred. Kyiv: Institute of Art History; Folklore and Ethnography named after M.T. Rylsky of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine [in Ukrainian].
  • (1992). Secret power of words (charms, spells). Kiev: Znannya [in Ukrainian].
  • Chubynsky, P. P. (1995). The Wisdom of the Ages. Ukrainian Ethnography in the Creative Heritage of Pavlo Chubynsky: in 2 vol. (Vol. 1). Kyiv: Art [in Ukrainian].
  • Hypnosis: fiction or reality? Retrieved from: http://www.rusnauka.com/40_NNM_2015/Psihologia/7_201951.doc.htm (Last accessed: 15.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Malinowski, J.E., & Horton, C.L. Dreams Reflect Nocturnal Cognitive Processes: Early-Night Dreams are More Continuous with Waking Life, and Late-Night Dreams are More Emotional and Hyperassociative. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053810020305389 (Last accessed: 16.03.2023).
  • Aamodt, S., & Wang, S. (2009). Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life. New York: Bloomsbury.
  • Witkowski, Sadie. How Sound and Smell Cues Can Enhance Learning while You Sleep. Edited by Pam Weintraub. Retrieved from: https://aeon.co/ideas/how-sound-and-smell-cues-can-enhance-learning-while-you-sleep (Last accessed: 22.03.2023).
  • Temchenko, A.I. (2014). Traditional Orders: Semantic Transformations and Ritual Paradigms: Monograph. Cherkasy: IntroligaTOR [in Ukrainian].
  • Myloradovych, V.P., & Talanchuk, O.M. (Ed.). (1992). Ukrainian Secret Knowledge and Charms. Ukrainian Charms (Pp. 5—13). Kyiv: Lybid [in Ukrainian].
  • Yudin, K. To Metaphysics of Dreams. Retrieved from: https://www.gumer.info/bibliotek_Buks/Psihol/Article/Jud_MetSn.php (Last accessed: 7.04.2023) [in Russian].
  • Hobson, Allan. (2004). 13 Dreams Freud Never Had: The New Mind Science Hardcover.
  • Potebnya, A.A. (1989). The Word and the Myth. Moscow: Pravda Publishing House [in Russian].
  • Bilyi, V., & Loboda, A. (Ed.). (1930). Tales of the Ukrainian Dyers. Ethnographic Bulletin (Book 9, pp. 53—95) [in Ukrainian].
  • Tereshchenkova, S.M., & Loboda, A. (Ed.). (1930). Tales of Dying (Recorded in Zvinyhorod District). Ethnographic Bulletin (Book 9, pp. 97—109) [in Ukrainian].
  • Afanasyev, A.N., Pomerantseva, E.V., & Chistov, K.V. (Eds.). (1985). Folk Russian Fairy Tales: in 3 vol. (Vol. 2). Moscow: Nauka [in Russian].
  • Fasmer, M., Trubachev, O.N., & Larin, B.A. (Ed.). (1986). Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language: in 4 vol. (Vol. 2 (Е—Муж). Moscow: Progress [in Russian].
  • Temchenko, A. (2015). Semantics of the Days of the Week: Thursday in the Mythological Representations of the Slavs (a Study of Orders). Folk Creativity and Ethnography, 3, 28—34 [in Ukrainian].
  • Kysil, I. (1995). Transformation of Ancient Slavic Mythology in Modern Slavic Languages. Materials for Ukrainian Ethnology. Kyiv: Institute of Art History of Folklore and Ethnology named after M.T. Rylsky of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Issue 1 (4), pp. 338—340) [in Ukrainian].
  • Demchyk, I.L. (2013, november). Dialect Ideographic Dictionary: Features of Arrangement and Construction. Science and Education: a New Dimension: Philology, I (2). (Issue 11). Retrieved from: https://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:W3rSMtGLMU8J:scholar.google.com/+%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B3+%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA&hl=uk&as_sdt=0,5 (Last accessed: 25.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Tolstoy, N.I. (Ed.). (1995). Thunder Arrow. Slavic Antiquities: Ethnolinguistic Dictionary: in 5 vol. (Vol. 1, pp. 561—563). Moscow: International relations [in Russian].
  • Hrinchenko, B. (Ed.). (1996). Dictionary of the Ukrainian language: in 4 vol. (Vol. 4 (A—Я). Kyiv: Naukova dumka [in Ukrainian].
  • Pazyak, M.M., & Nomis, M. (Ed.). (1993). Ukrainian Proverbs. Sayings and so on. O.V. Markovych’s and others Collections. Kyiv: Lybid [in Ukrainian].
  • Agapkina, T.A., Levkievskaya, E.E., & Toporkov, A. L. (Eds.). (2003). Polesye Conspiracies (in the Records of the 1970—1990s). Moscow: Indrik [in Russian].
  • Lukinova, T.B., & Trubachev, O.N. (Ed.). (1986). Vocabulary of Slavic Paganism. Etymology 1984 (Pp. 119—124). Moscow: Nauka [in Russian].
  • «Horses are not to Blame?»: the Erotic Symbolism of the Horse in Ukrainian folklore. Retrieved from: https://webcommunity.org.ua/2011/02/23/koni-ne-vynni-erotychna-symvolika-konya-v-ukrajinskomu-folklori/ (date of access 15.03.2023) [in Ukrainian].
  • Stavytska, L. (2008). Ukrainian language without taboos. A dictionary of profanity and its equivalents. Kyiv: Critics [in Ukrainian].
Our authors
Stepan Pavluk. Prof., full member of NAS of Ukraine,... read »
Olena Nykorak. Senior Researcher, Doctor of Arts read »
Boliuk Oleh - kandidate of sciences in arts, Doctoral... read »
Oksana Kis. Senior scientific employee, candidate of... read »
Wax candle as ukrainian Christmas and epiphany ritualistic text
For the first time in native ethnology the article has brought some results of special study in sign functionality of a wax candle under the context of Ukrainian Christmas and Epiphany ritualistic text (ritualism of Christmas Eve, New Year, Epiphany Eve and Feast of Epiphany). The study has stated extremely high semiotic position of a wax candle as projection of Sun, mediator between the spheres of sacral and prophane elements, symbolic analogue of human existence, apotropy, cultural symbol re-establishing borders of acculturated space.
Read »

On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »

Boikos’ pandemonium: categories of evil deceased
In the article have been presented some research-work on peculiarities of Boikos’ traditional demonological notions as for so-called evil deceased; on the basis of field records and ethnological literary sources quite a number of scum categories have been defined as well as essential habits, modes of behavior and functions of these personages of people’s demonology.
Read »

Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »