Illness is something that for many is a term taken for granted. There is a conception particularly in the west, that illness is simply matter of physiological malfunction. It is through pure manipulation of the physical body; through mainly traditionally western scientific methods that illness is eliminated. However, this is a singular way of viewing illness. Throughout the world, traditional and indigenous practices have shaped cultural perceptions about the body in ways western medicine cannot comprehend. One of the most common ways to rationalize illness is through some form of possession. Within the Sufi tradition, healing is derived from mystical knowledge, which Muslims refer to as ilm-i-ruhani, or soul knowledge. Sufi healers known as …show more content…
The Bala are derived from a class of spiritual beings known as the Jinn (demons or spirits). Each person has a Jinn who stays with them the entirety of their life. However, in the case of a sinful person, the Jinn can escape through the impure organs of elimination. The Jinn then becomes a Bala, and wanders the earth. It is important to note that Bala’s enter the bodies of Muslim devotees, not the mind or soul. This process of transmission takes place mainly through mouth in the form of dairy products; Baba the Sufi healer from Sadhir Kakar’s book Shamans, Mystics, And Doctors explains “Almost Invariably the demon will get into some item of food or dink like milk, curd, and cream.” (27) The Bala’s sole purpose is to suck the victim of their blood, and prevent them from performing their societal duties. Bala’s have a curious taste for virgin flesh and blood in particular as Baba says, “The taste of fresh blood is of course best and the blood of virgins is especially fresh.” (26) It is for this reason that young women are more susceptible to Bala possessions than …show more content…
With the Bala removed the afflicted can go back to their normal self and continue to play their culturally appropriate role. From an etic perspective, there are several cultural reasons for why demon possession is a rationale for illness in North India. Firstly, there is a general cultural consensus that demon possession truly exists and occurs. This subconscious understanding of illness through a supernatural force, provides several benefits to believer of this system, as well as helps perpetuate this conception of illness as legitimate. First, the belief in demon possession provides a decreased sense of fragility to the body, as well as the psyche. In other words, it is not a malfunction of the physical, but rather an uncontrollable spiritual force that causes illness, and thus the afflicted is always a victim of the Balas. Observers do not hold the afflicted person responsible for their behaviors. Because the person themself in not acting out, but rather the Bala is acting out through them using their body as a vessel. Balas are the manifestation of repressed unconscious desires. Balas act as a protective mechanism for those who suffer from culturally impure thoughts. Those afflicted, can place these unacceptable desires onto the Bala and rationalize that it is not their thoughts and actions, but rather the Balas. This is exemplified by the fact that Balas prefer the
...uals, even if they don't agree with them. It really falls to nurses to address the situation properly, and effectively ensure that the cultural communication between the doctor and the patient does not break down. Nurses most of all have to communicate with patients in a healing way, even if they do not agree with mystical remedies because the nurse has to recognize that there is nonetheless a function that mystical ritual remedies do serve, even to western medicine: to comfort the patients and their families. Ancient rituals or customs, retained to some extent or respected by western caregivers, can serve to maintain a healing and positive attitude, and as a psycholgocial support which the nurse can provide through respect and symbolic use of non-western cultural myths as a psychological stimulant to assist the healing process and inspire the patient thereof.
Sufism is often described as being the mystical branch of Islam – a spiritual path that speaks to the very heart of the believer and brings to the fore, a very real sense of God’s immediacy within the context of daily life and religious practice. As a mystical tradition, it propositions a God that has shared His divine essence with mankind – a God who is available to address and dwell within the human condition. By discussing Sufi practice and its development of traditional Islamic precepts including prayer and fasting, this essay will place it within the context of Islam with a look at how its mystical notions contribute towards a more immediate understanding of God. Furthermore, the practice of dikhr s well as the Sufi path of divine love as a journey towards divine unity will be discussed in showing how Sufism involves a sense of self-denial in favour of comprehending the divine nature of God. Sufism’s intersection with Greek science and philosophy will also be outlined in illustrating the all-encompassing nature of the Sufi God. Comparing different viewpoints, this essay includes critical commentary that will suggest that as a progression of the Islamic faith, Sufism indeed makes a substantial contribution to an understanding of the Islamic God – one that is relevant within the context of modern day society.
Throughout time, mankind has persistently been seeking ways to maintain their health and to cure those that had not been so fortunate in that task. Just about everything has been experimented with as a cure for some type of illness whether physical, spiritual or mental. There has always been evidence of spiritual healing and it will continue to be an important part of any healing process, large or small. In particular, the roots of Native American Medicine men (often a woman in some cultures) may be traced back to ancient times referred to as Shaman. A special type of healer used by the Indians is referred to as a medicine man (comes from the French word medecin, meaning doctor).
The philosophy and practice is composed of many different systems of traditional medicine, which are all influenced by prevailing conditions, environment, and geographic area within, where it first evolved into WHO (2005). Although it is a common
Ross defines and differentiates between the terms healing and curing. She recognizes the fact that healing and curing are very intertwined and it can be hard to distinguish between the two terms. There are differences between the definitions in scholarly and general settings. She references an ethnographic study of healing versus curing conducted by anthropologists Andrew Strathern and Pamela Stewart in 1999 with native groups in New Guinea. The results of the study looked at how energy used by the different types of tribal healers to either cure or heal a patient. Eastern medicine focuses on how energy interacts with the healing process in connection within the mind. Whereas Western medicine is focused on the mind and the body separately. The practice is considered a holistic approach to finding cures. According to Ross (2013), healing is more a therapeutic process targeting the whole body and specific illness including emotional, mental, and social aspects in the treatment. The act of curing is a pragmatic approach that focuses on removing the problem all together. The life experiences of a person playing into how well certain treatments will heal or cure what is ailing them. These aspects can not be defined with textbook definitions. The interaction that the healing process has with energy is a variable in the success rate. Uncontrolled emotions can have a greater impact on the inside the body than a person can realize. The exploration of energy interaction within the body can be used for greater analysis of health care systems. (21-22). Are Western healthcare facilities purposely “curing” patients just so that they return are few years later? Is Western Medicine built upon a negative feedback loop? The terminolo...
Sufism is a Muslim movement whose followers seek to find divine truth and love through direct encounters with God. Sufism arose from within Islam in the 8th-9th centuries C.E. as an ascetic movement. The movement may have been given (or taken on) the name Sufism because of the course wool garments they wore as a mark of their rejection of worldly things; Sufis have traditionally taken vows of poverty and celibacy. Sufism developed religious practices focusing on strict self-control that enable both psychological and mystical insights as well as a loss of self, with the ultimate goal of mystical union with God. The Sufi movement consists of fraternal orders in which leaders train and assist disciples in the mastery of Sufism's philosophical
Bala was the neighbor who convinced The Ugly One to heal people. The Ugly One was not sure if the Bala was good or evil because of her name. The letters in Bala's name were so similar to the Devils' names. Bala treated The Ugly one very cruelly and had no respect for her because she was a hunchback. When The Ugly One turned into a witch, Bala was very quick to turn against her and sided with the crowd.
Throughout history, explanations for mental illness have been described as supernatural, psychological, and biological. Prior to the early Greek physicians, the supernatural model of mental illness prevailed. Early humans did not have science to explain natural events so magic, mysticism, and superstition were used as a substitution. They believed in animism, the idea that all of nature is alive, and anthropomorphism, the tendency to project human features onto nature. Reification was also a popular belief that assumed if you can think of something, it exists. Sympathetic magic was the idea that one can heal and individual by influencing an object that is similar or closely associated to them (Frazer, 1890/1963). Primitive healers would often imitate the patient's ailments and then model the recovery. Reification also lead to the bel...
“In 1988 it was reported that 67% of therapist treated patients who were involved in Satanism.” Says Gary Steck. He also states, “Homicide, mayhem, assault, suicide, child abuse, and animal mutilations have all been attributed to satanic occult groups.” -1988- They’re many adolescents who’re not fully inveterated into Satanism but preferably are just mild to intensely into it. “Paranormal beliefs have been found to be related to personality variables such as locus of control, self-concept, dogmatism, irrational beliefs, and death fears (Tobacyk & Milford, 1983). Members of a West Indian Pentecostal community identified as "spiritually possessed" have been found to score higher on the neuroticism and hysteria scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Eysenck Personality Inventory than those "not possessed" (Beaubrun & Ward,
was much later that Sufi teachings and practices were formally [laid] down in writing for future generations. 1.3 Formative Years The formative years of Sufism were between 620 to 1100 AD. It was during this time the Sufi masters, known in Arabic as "Shaikhs," started to form the first Sufi fraternities.
The Sufis believe that a person's soul abides with God before it ever inhabits the body of man. This connection is the reason for all Sufi practice. Their rituals and ceremonies are an attempt to reconnect their soul with God, its original keeper. This pursuit of God also leads Sufis to believe in a pursuit of ecstasy, which can be reached through repeated convocations, breathing exercises, and chants, all of which are accompanied by vocal and/or instrumental music. This ecstasy requires freedom from conscious thought, which Sufis believe can be attained through music.
Religion is a sensitive aspect that various people have tried to explain and practice. People have different reasons for their participation in various religions and to fulfill their quest for what they look for, various rituals and traditions are practiced to improve on their spiritual lives. Zen and Sufism are part of the main religions practiced and just like other religions; it follows a certain criteria and beliefs. Sufism is an important dimension in Islam and those who practice it belong to an order formed around Muhammad peace be upon him the grand master. Zen on the other hand is believed to originate from China and is a mixture of Indian Buddhism and Taoism.
In the Tibetan medical tradition, the concepts of well being takes into account the full dynamics of mind, body and spirit to achieve an effective and comprehensive healing strategy. (Bonnie Pasqualoni, The Art of Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective) Tibetan medicine is also known as the ‘Art of Knowledge” (Bonnie Pasqualoni, The Art of Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective ).Buddhists use Tibetan medicine practices to gain knowledge about oneself and others. Gaining knowledge about others suffering, helps Buddhists to be more compassionate. Traditional Tibetan Medicine is different from the average medical care system.
the Hindu culture in rural India, mental illnesses can be viewed many ways (much like in our own culture). But, just because this is rural India, that does not mean that they do not know how to treat people with a mental illness, doctors in this area use what can be viewed as the recovery model, the medical model, and with a little of the family model thrown in. One person’s perspective on what causes a mental illness may be different from another person’s. In one instance, a doctor believes that many of his clients develop a mental illness from un-fulfilled sexual desires, loss of a loved one. Still many people of this culture also believe in witchcraft in which case a curse could be placed on an individual by someone using black magic, to