LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Asklepijas; Asklepionas; Gyduolis; Gydymas; Inkubacija; Ritualas; Sapnas; Asclepias; Asclepion; Dreams; Healer; Healing; Incubation; Ritual.
ENThis article discusses the cult of the Greco-Roman god Asclepius and the healing practices associated with him - "incubation", where an ill person is healed (advised) by the god who reveals himself through dreams. Incubation was also of interest to Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Įung. The latter saw in human psychic processes many links to ancient healing rituals. It is believed that the architecture of the sacred places of Asclepius, the asclepeion, also reflect our mental setup, while the rituals that take place in the holy place - deep mental processes. The Asclepian healing principle - similia similibus "like is cured by like" - became the basis for homoeopathic medicine and psychotherapy. This principle is also very apparent in the Lithuanian innate world-view. When searching for Baltic deities that perform similar functions, we look to Asclepius as an earth spirit, and this way we can note analogues to the Lithuanian imagery of the earth. Žemyna, snakes. The prophetic dream of Grand Duke Gediminas in Šventaragis valley and the burial ground of rulers may also be interpreted as the Lithuanian asclepeion. [From the publication]