Illness and Healing

Illness and Healing

Illness and Healing

Introduction

The paper starts with examining the relationship between the models of traditional shamanism with the western concepts of psychotherapy. The main aim of this paper is also to compare the healing procedures and psychotherapeutic functions and process with the contemporary psychotherapists. Further, the paper will also articulate the parallel that may exist between shamanism and psychotherapy and the distinction which can be drawn from both the forms of healing. The concept of neo-shamanism will also be a part of the discussion with comparing the result of it with the modern practices, with the traditional shamanic cultures.

Relationship between models of traditional shamanism and western psychotherapy

The shaman is the expert who knows his way through healing structures of the universe and is able to activate those powers which are necessary in a certain situations. A psychotherapist is much more involved in the actual healing process which involves mind and not the spirit. The phenomenon of shamanism focuses on the figure of the shaman, a person who is believed especially to be well equipped to treat through the spiritual world (Stanley, 2012, pp. 72-79). Considering the use of medicine, shamans themselves has the magic that includes the power to heal the sickness and illness (Abby, 2012, p.n.d). The word is derived from the Ural-Altaic language, which is spoken throughout Central and North Asia. Shamanisms also crossed the Bering Strait in prehistoric times and today are present among the Eskimo, Aleut, American Indian tribes throughout North and South America and Africa. Similar systems exist in Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, and among the Australian Aborigines and also in remote tribal groups in India and Korea. However among American Indians they are known as healers (Achterberg, 1985, p.n.d).

Shamanic models of healing is very different from today's modern healing models, the models of shamanic has it entire focus on the closeness with the natural world, along with the closeness of life, it also deals with the person's body and life spiritual dimensions. It is actually a process which deals with the reflective practices and ideas of knowledge and harmony in terms of healing (Stanley, 2012, pp. 72-79). Shamanism actually deals without any division among the body and mind, whereas on the other side the western psychotherapy deals with the division which has to be done with the combination of mind and body, which refers to the mental illness. Being in particular with the concept of Shamans, it is defined as the socially sanctioned practitioners, who claim regulate the attention of the client in order to have the information which is not available in a regular basis, and thus using the same information of the purpose of serving the members of the community and the society as a whole (Frank, 1973, pp. 58).

However, converging the overall theorist and practitioners perspective shamans, actually claim to enter the world of spirits, and in order get the knowledge and power, that they can use in order to serve and benefit the people of the society ...