by Norman W Wilson, PhD
Trends in contemporary medicine suggest a holistic approach to patient treatment. Such an approach is not new. For centuries, the ancient Chinese traditional medicine as well as that of the Indian Ayurveda have treated the ill from a holistic point of view.
Our own Native Americans have long placed an emphasis on the treatment of the whole person, that is, the body, mind, and spirit.
A key ingredient of Native American medicine is the belief the health of an individual is inextricably connected to that individual's surroundings. Consequently, the shaman works to promote harmony between the body, mind, and spirit as well as the harmony within the community, the environment, and the spiritual world.
Four practices common to nearly all shaman:
- Use of herbal remedies
- Purging and or extraction
- Ceremonies of purification
- Contact the spiritual world
Today, many of the practices of the healers are working their way through modern medical practice. For the Native American, there is a strong belief that all things in nature are connected and that every human and non-human have a corresponding connection in the world of spirits. More importantly, they believe these spirits can help promote a return to good health.
Generally, the shaman functions as an intermediary in the spiritual world, asking for answers to why the person is ill, and learning what will make that individual well again. Sometimes, herbal medicines are used in combination with other special ceremonies. The bottom line is always the total person, body, mind, and spirit.
Norman W Wison and his wife Suzanne are Camano Island residents. This essay used by permission from the author. His website is http://www.shamanicmysteries.com
It is a sad thing to lose Native traditions that have a proven past of healing remedies and yet modern medicine have mostly disregarded those properties. It has only been recently that "non-traditional" or "alternative medicines" have resurfaced and begining to be accepted by the medical community. To have a combination of both modern and native tradition medicine accepted in modern society is still a long way off, but thanks to people like Dr. Wilson who bring these issues to the forefront maybe progress can be made.
Posted by: M. Benda | 10/21/2010 at 01:04 PM
good reading,holistic medicine has been with us a long time.
Posted by: Merle Benda | 10/14/2010 at 08:40 PM