As she raised her coffee glass in the Siwa Oasis restaurant, he glimpsed a golden link bracelet on her
arm with a medical ID tag.
E p i l e p s
y
Co-incidence, synchronicity?
He recalled that the Greeks favoured epileptics as Sybils for Oracle
prophecies, believing that seizures and convulsion showed that they were
spiritually closer to the gods.
Did the Siwan priests think the same way?
“You’re looking at my bracelet and I know what you’re thinking.”
“That Sybils were usually epileptics, chosen for their condition. The
Greeks called it the Sacred Disease,” he said.
“Yes, I know.”
“I suppose because of the ecstatic appearance of a seizure.”
“Partly, she said, “but there’s another reason. There is a link between
epilepsy and psychic ability in many cases. In fact, there’s even a diagnosis
called Epilepsy-Psychic type. I was psychic from a child, but when my condition
developed it seemed to heighten things. In fact I was a little concerned that
by controlling my seizures with medication I might lose my sharpened ability. But
I think I have found a balance, although stress can still trigger an event.”
“And do you black out?”
“Invariably.”
“Do you need help?”
“Certainly not putting something in my mouth in spite of what you hear.
If I’m bad, rolling me into the recovery position after the seizure helps. But
don’t panic if it happens and you’re around. Mostly I come around okay in two
minutes and I’m fine afterwards, just a bit drowsy and confused.”
“I’ll
try to remember. Interestingly, that link between epilepsy and psychic
activity. Historians have wondered about epilepsy, whether Tutankhamun and his
family suffered from an inherited epilepsy disorder. If the boy king was
accident prone because of seizures, it may have contributed to his early death.
The theory goes that earlier members of his family, like Thutmosis IV, were also
affected. As a young man, while resting during the heat of the day, Thutmosis
fell asleep between the paws of the Great Sphinx. In a dream, the sphinx told
him that if he would clear the desert sand that had encroached on the sphinx’s
body, he would be crowned king, which of course came to pass. A sun-induced
psychic episode? Thutmosis recorded his fulfilment of the prophetic dream on
the ‘Dream Stela’ that stands between the paws of the sphinx.
The theory also raises questions about
the heretic king Akhenaten, who famously worshipped the sun disk Aten. Even his
temples lay open to the sun’s rays. It seems when people with epilepsy are exposed
to sunlight they are susceptible to seizures, hallucinations and strong religious
visions. Maybe sunstroke gave birth to the Aten...”
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