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How shamanism works, from an outsider’s point of view

How shamanism works, from an outsider’s point of view. Paper-writing hint #2 .

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How shamanism works, from an outsider’s point of view

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  1. How shamanism works, from an outsider’s point of view

  2. Paper-writing hint #2 • Whatever recommendations you make should include specifics. A good recommendation would not, for example, simply state that “a cultural interpreter should be placed on permanent staff”. A good recommendation would state what the new staff person would do, and why. So a good recommendation would state something like: “there should be a cultural interpreter on staff who can offer reassurance to Hmong patients by doing the following things: a) b) and c)…”

  3. Paper-writing hint #2, cont. • OK, but how do I come up with “specifics”? • Identify specific points of DIFFERENCE between Hmong and non-Hmong worldviews and values • Identify specific points of SIMILARITY between Hmong and non-Hmong worldviews and values. • pay special attention to chapters 17 and 18

  4. The “Sleeping Death” • SUNDS: “Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome” • Cardiac failure caused by sudden shock • Associated with preexisting cardiac irregularity, obesity, sleep apnea; sometimes with severe potassium and thiamine deficiencies • Also associated with clinical depression, severe survivor guilt and post-traumatic stress syndrome • May include belief in encounter with angry spirit of ancestors • If you are interested: Shelley Adler, “Refugee Stress and Folk Belief: Hmong Sudden Deaths”, Social Science and Medicine 1995, 40 (12), June, pp. 1623-1629. (Based on interviews with 118 Hmong men and women in Calif. Since 1977)

  5. What happened to Dale? • Dale improved • Within two weeks after ceremony, symptoms significantly improved • gastro-physical pains receded • sleep became more regular • began to put back weight • Why?

  6. The Hmong Interpretation • According to the Hmong, why did the shamanic intervention work?

  7. The psycho-analytic dimension • Psychoanalyst Thomas Scheff’s theory, advanced in his Catharsis in Healing, Ritual and Drama (1979) • Applying theory to Dale’s case • Example from Professor Burdick’s own experience

  8. The physiological dimension: the placebo effect • From Latin placere, “to please” • any positive physiological effect of an intervention (administration of a substance, performance of a procedure) that results not from the objective qualities of the intervention but from the patient’s belief in the power of the intervention. • Frank (1985) estimates that 40-60% of effectiveness of biomedicine due to placebo

  9. Physiological placebo effects • Pain reduction (Lewis, Gordon, and Field 1988) • lowered anxiety associated with increased pain tolerance, and with release of endogenous endorphins (analgesics) • Heightened immune response (Akil and Watson 1978) • lowered anxiety reduces epinephrine production from adrenal glands • lowered epinephrine levels reduce blood pressure and heart-rate • lowered blood pressure enhances immune response (ability to fight infection and absorb vitamins and minerals) • Further reading: Michael Jospe, The Placebo Effect in Healing (Heath, 1978)

  10. Sociological aspects • Effects of gathering together supporters (family, shaman) • feelings of isolation and helplessness increase stress and anxiety, exacerbate symptoms (McGuire 1989) • reduction of isolation and helplessness decrease stress and anxiety, alleviate symptoms (McGuire 1989) • Effects of perceived alteration in judgment and behavior of significant others • Social stressor (in-laws’ disapproval) removed from barren Ndembu woman • Social stressor removed from Dale. What was it?

  11. Self-healing • Self-healing • The oncologist’s skepticism • Structured delay in Hmong shamanistic healing

  12. What if the ritual fails to heal? • The kidnapping spirit may be unexpectedly mean and tenacious; a shaman with a solid reputation will not lose it • the shaman may not yet be sufficiently well-developed to do effective battle • the initial diagnosis may have been faulty: other diagnoses will be tried (e.g., a curse; spell; witchcraft; wrath of a nature or house spirit, the anger of an ancestor) • imbalance of hot and cold in body • still: shaman with a long record of failure may be incompetent

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