Healing Practices Research Articles

Projectile points, dangers and Amerindian ontologies at eastern Catamarca (Argentina) during the first millennium CE

ABSTRACT Evaluating the links between South American Amerindian ontologies and the contextual study of knapped lithic technology is the main goal of this paper. To this end, we focus on a study case from eastern Catamarca province, Argentina, during the 1st millennium A.D. We identified projectile points in only one context, a rock art rock shelter (Oyola 7), while in other archaeological sites in the area, we have not recorded this type of stone tool. Drawing on ethnohistoric and ethnographic data regarding the connection between arrows and shamanic practices of illness and healing, we propose considering the agencies of these objects, as well as their intrinsic danger and their multiple possibilities of affecting beyond their traditional functional interpretation.

Buddhist Monastic Healing Tradition with Special reference to <em>Bhesajjamañjusā</em>

The intricate relationship between Theravada Buddhism and traditional healing practices is vividly illuminated through the lens of the Bhesajjamañjusā (Bhes), a Pāli manuscript known as the "Casket of Medicine." This ancient text stands as a testament to the harmonious interplay of spirituality, holistic medicine, and compassionate care within the Theravada tradition. This article unravels the intricate tapestry of the Bhes by exploring its historical context, authorship, and intended audience. The study delves into the medical content of the Bhes, encompassing disease diagnosis, medicinal characteristics, and the rules of health articulated in this unique work. Additionally, the study investigates the traditional role of the Buddhist monastic community in medicine, emphasising the evolution of Vinaya regulations over time. This paper aims to substantiate the profound role of traditional healing practices within ancient Buddhist monastic traditions, highlighting the significance of Bhes. This exploration seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the significance of Bhes, contributing to a nuanced perspective on the intersection of Buddhism and medicine within the context of the Buddhist monastic community. The Bhes underscores the holistic approach to health advocated by the Buddhist teachings. While the Theravadin position on medicine places restrictions on monks treating the general public, the Bhes allows for internal use, highlighting the compassionate ethos of Theravada Buddhism by emphasising care and support for fellow monks in their pursuit of physical and spiritual wellbeing. The journey from its historical roots to its current status highlights the evolving dynamics in healthcare practices, with the Bhes standing as a timeless symbol of the enduring connection between ancient wisdom and the pursuit of wellbeing.

Divine Medicine: Healing and Charity Through Spirit-Writing in China

This study traces the evolution of religious healing practices associated with divine presence in China, from pre-modern traditions to the modern use of spirit-writing for obtaining divine prescriptions. It examines the continuity and transformation of these practices from the late imperial period to contemporary times. It argues that healing through divine prescriptions obtained via spirit-writing challenges the perceived dichotomy between religion and science, demonstrating that they have complementary roles, rather than being strictly opposing categories. For members of Jishenghui 濟生會, a lay Buddhist charity devoted to the Buddhist god Jigong 濟公 in Republican China, religion and scientific medical practice were integrated as complementary elements of daily life, combining doctrinal beliefs, ritual practices, and moral self-cultivation. This study examines how Jishenghui used spirit-writing to obtain and distribute divine prescriptions and medicines, demonstrating that the organization’s philanthropic activities and social standing were enhanced by the integration of religious beliefs with medical and charitable practices during the Republican period. This study bridges existing research on the histories of spirit-writing and Chinese medicine, and the distinctions made between “Buddhist medicine” and “Daoist medicine”. The article contends that, for ordinary people, no strict distinction existed between Buddhist and Daoist healing practices; instead, a shared religious culture regarding illness and healing was predominant. By contextualizing key analytical concepts such as “divine medicine”, especially “divine prescriptions” (jifang 乩方 and xianfang 仙方) within the broader history of Chinese medicine and religious practices, this article demonstrates the social significance of spirit-writing as a ritual technique to provide healing and charity by lay Buddhists in Republican China, and its enduring relevance in contemporary Chinese societies.

An insight into understanding ancient perspectives of respiratory health

This article explores the historical evolution of respiratory diseases highlighting its references in early Vedic texts such as the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda & Upanishads, offering insights into ancient understandings of respiratory diseases. It also delves into Ayurvedic treatments and practices detailed in classical texts like Veerasimhavalokana in relation to respiratory disease . Additionally, it covers traditional healing practices including Vedic mantras and their impact on human health. The narrative extends to folklore with the story of Ondine’s Curse, which inspired the term for central hypoventilation syndrome. By synthesizing these historical sources and practices, it underscores the depth of ancient knowledge in managing respiratory health and its influence on contemporary respiratory therapy.

Bringing Traditional Medicine into the Health Humanities Classroom with Kali Fajardo-Anstine's "Remedies".

In this essay, we recommend Kali Fajardo-Anstine's short story "Remedies" (2019) for inclusion on health humanities syllabi based on our experiences teaching it at two undergraduate institutions. The story is drawn from Sabrina & Corina, Fajardo-Anstine's award-winning book of short stories about Chicana and Indigenous women in Colorado, but is available for free online, making it highly accessible for students. "Remedies" is narrated by Clarisa, who turns to her great-grandmother Estrella for the traditional knowledge that ultimately cures her family's recurrent outbreaks of lice. As a health narrative that centers familial and cultural healing practices, "Remedies" offers a much needed counterpart to the biomedical frameworks that tend to dominate health humanities syllabi and curricula. At the same time that it illuminates the physical and emotional efficacy of such practices, "Remedies" rejects a binary that pits them against biomedicine, offering a complex portrait of how various members of a family integrate traditional and biomedical approaches to health. We discuss how themes related to familial and cultural healing practices are developed in the story and introduce our approach to initiating productive conversations about the relationship between traditional healing and biomedicine in our classrooms.

If Not Us, Then Who: Supporting Black Graduate Students

Empirical studies about Black graduate students have emphasized their experiences with oppression and marginalization, related psychological impacts, and the survival practices they enable them to persist within Historically White Institutions (HWIs). Yet, some literature falls short of examining how individuals thrive despite racial trauma experienced professionally and personally. Moreover, there is a need for research to explore the role Black faculty play in assisting Black graduate students with addressing racial trauma and engaging in healing practices. Thus, this paper aimed to understand how early-career Black faculty supported Black graduate students in their attempt to do more than thrive while pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education.

Alternative and Herbal Pharmaceuticals

Alternative and herbal pharmaceuticals have gained significant attention in recent years as completing approaches to conventional medicine. This review explores the increasing interest in these organic remedies, meeting their productiveness, security, and supervisory challenges. Herbal medicines, arisen plants, and floral beginnings have existed secondhand for centuries in differing breedings for their healing features. The revival of interest in this natural device is compelled by one growing demand for whole and deterrent healthcare options. This review explains the pharmacological exercises of key herbaceous compounds, their machines of operation, and the clinical evidence advocating their use. Additionally, the unification of alternative healings into prevailing healthcare is checked, highlighting the significance of control of product quality, uniformity, and severe dispassionate experiments. While alternative and herbal pharmaceuticals offer hopeful benefits, they too pose challenges, containing instability in effectiveness and potential interactions accompanying unoriginal drugs. The review underlines the need for more inclusive research to confirm the efficacy and security of these analyses. In conclusion, alternative and herbaceous pharmaceuticals show a valuable addition to the healthcare arsenal, supported they are secondhand sensibly and as well evidence-located practices. Future research guidance and policy approvals are projected to embellish the unification of these healings into modern healing practice.

The Persistence of Traditional Healing for Mental Illness Among the Korekore People in Rushinga District, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Despite concerted attempts by colonial governments to stamp out traditional healing practices, the Korekore-speaking Shona people have continued to seek healing for mental illness from traditional healers in present-day Zimbabwe. In this article, I discuss the health-seeking trajectories of Korekore people when confronted with mental illness, particularly when and why they seek out traditional healing, and the role that traditional healers play in the quest for therapy.

Practices of disease diagnosis and patient monitoring by traditional herbalists in Mpigi district, Uganda: Implications for integration into the conventional health care system

BackgroundThe use of herbs by traditional healers plays a vital role in primary health care in rural Uganda, where most patients still prefer and use herbal medicines. However, specific literature on the traditional healing practices of herbalists is lacking. This study documented the methods traditional herbalists in Mpigi District, Uganda, employ to diagnose disease, monitor patients and handle cases of treatment failure. Materials and methodsAn exploratory study was carried out from June to November 2019 in the rural district of Mpigi in Uganda. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 herbalists. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and themes were generated using qualitative content analysis. ResultsThe methods used to diagnose disease included; prior conventional diagnosis, the patient’s description of their experience with the disease condition (including signs, symptoms, and history of disease), physical examination for signs of disease, referral for conventional diagnosis, or to another herbalist, and use of conventional tools. Herbalists use phone calls, patients’ visits, and set review dates to monitor response to therapy. Patient monitoring during therapy emphasizes the improvement or resolution of signs and symptoms of disease and does not consider adverse drug reactions to therapy. Disease conditions that do not respond to therapy are referred to conventional health centres and other traditional health practitioners. ConclusionsDiagnosis of disease and monitoring of patients depends on presenting symptomatology as observed by the herbalist or described by the patient. There is considerable dependence on the conventional health system through referral for diagnosis and management of non-responsive conditions.

Traditional healing and medicine in dementia care for Indigenous populations in North America, Australia, and New Zealand: Exploring culturally-safe dementia care policy from a global perspective.

In 2018, the World Health Organization recognized traditional healers as community stakeholders in dementia care. This scoping review aimed to summarize the existing dementia care literature regarding strategies for the integration of traditional healing in dementia care and the roles of traditional healers. A group of Indigenous Elders from Northern Ontario, Canada, guided, reviewed, and validated the research process and findings. The Joanna Briggs Institute approach was applied to a structured search strategy across the CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases. A title and abstract screening were completed, followed by a full-text assessment of the identified manuscripts. A total of 143 full manuscripts were reviewed, of which two studies fully met the community-determined inclusion/exclusion criteria. The integration of traditional healing practices into dementia care offers a pathway to culturally-safe care for people with dementia. The findings identified policy advocacy as key to engage, educate, and empower traditional healers. The WHO recognized traditional healers as community stakeholders in dementia care and prevention worldwide in 2018; however, traditional healers are underrepresented and marginalized in healthcare systems due to the lack of culturally-safe dementia care (CSDC) policies at community and national levels globally.Community-based CSDC models were critically reviewed and validated by local Indigenous community stakeholder consultations.The result is a call to action to assist the WHO and Alzheimer's Disease International in developing guidelines for CSDC policy improvements with the global Indigenous community for the engagement and empowerment of traditional healers to navigate dementia care and to implement the WHO Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia (2017-2025).Integration of Western biomedical and Indigenous traditional healing and medicine in dementia care in the healthcare system can reduce health disparities and empower traditional healers on a global scale. Indigenous-led models that include traditional healers in dementia care are critical for improving equity gaps in dementia care for Indigenous Peoples.

Biological activity and characterization of leaf and seed lectins from Terminalia brownii: Insights into their analgesic and antiulcer properties

Terminalia brownii Fresen, an African medicinal plant, is known for its analgesic, antiulcer, and antimicrobial properties, with its leaves, bark, and fruits deeply ingrained in indigenous healing practices. Two lectins, TerBLL (from leaves) and TerBSL (from seeds) of Terminalia brownii Fresen, were purified using salting-out and affinity chromatography on a fetuin-agarose column. The purified lectins were then assessed for protein yield, hemagglutination activity, and physicochemical properties. Both TerBLL and TerBSL have subunits with molecular weights of 57.3 and 65.7 kDa, respectively. TerBLL remains stable at 60–80 °C and is activated by Mn+2, while TerBSL is activated by Zn+2. These lectins maintain consistent activity under acidic conditions, with TerBLL demonstrating heightened activity at extreme alkaline pH. TerBLL retained 50 % of its activity in 2–8M urea, in contrast to the 13 % of TerBSL. Investigation of the properties of TerBLL revealed that it had antinociceptive effects, reducing abdominal pain and prolonging latency time in the hotplate assay, potentially through μ-opioid receptor blockade akin to that of morphine. TerBLL exhibits antiulcer activity at doses of 0.25 and 1 mg/kg, reducing ulcer formation by up to 33 %, comparable to that of pantoprazole (80 mg/kg). The physiochemical attributes of TerBLL, in addition to its pain-relieving and gastroprotective effects, underscore its therapeutic promise, which is consistent with its traditional use.

Art healing practice program for rail worker mental health

At present, China's rail transportation industry is in a rapid development stage, and the work pressure of rail transportation workers is increasing, and mental health problems are becoming more and more prominent. This study adopts the questionnaire research method to investigate the main factors affecting the mental health of the employees of five rail transit enterprises in Guangdong Province, China and their attitudes towards art healing, and constructs a factor model to conduct a comprehensive analysis by using the SPSS software, which reveals that the work intensity, work pressure and life pressure are the main factors affecting the mental health of the rail transit employees, and that most of the rail transit employees are willing to accept the art healing and believe that art healing is a positive and effective way to solve the mental health problems. Most of the rail transit workers are willing to accept art healing and believe that art healing is a positive and effective way to solve mental health problems. When designing art healing programs, it is necessary to give full consideration to the high work intensity of rail transit workers, and in the case of fewer art healing programs in the existing rail transit industry, it is necessary to actively explore leisure and relaxing art healing programs for the workers in the rail transit industry in order to alleviate and heal the psychological problems of rail transit workers, and to assist in the healthy development of the rail transit industry. The healthy development of rail transportation industry.

Fostering collaboration: an exploration of knowledge exchange between Rongoā Māori practitioners and surgical clinicians.

This research investigates the potential for collaboration of Rongoā Māori, the Indigenous healing practices of Māori, with New Zealand's contemporary healthcare system. It aims to bridge the gap between Rongoā Māori and Western medicine by exploring the perspectives of practitioners from both fields, identifying barriers to integration, and highlighting potential areas for collaboration. Qualitative interviews were conducted with both Rongoā practitioners and Western surgeons. The data collected were subjected to thematic analysis to extract key themes related to the integration process, challenges faced, and the potential for mutual recognition and respect between the two healing paradigms. The study reveals a deep respect for Rongoā Māori among Western surgeons but identifies significant systemic barriers that impede its integration. These include bureaucratic challenges and the absence of clear referral pathways. Rongoā practitioners express concerns over being overlooked within the healthcare system and highlight a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals about their practices. Despite these challenges, there is a shared interest in collaborative approaches to healthcare that respect and incorporate Rongoā Māori. The findings underscore the need for systemic changes to facilitate the integration of Rongoā Māori into mainstream healthcare, including the development of clear referral pathways and initiatives to raise awareness among healthcare professionals. The study highlights the need for a more collaborative healthcare approach that values the contributions of Rongoā Māori, aiming to improve patient care through holistic practices.

TUMBUHAN OBAT TRADISIONAL SEBAGAI INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE MASYARAKAT SUNDA: KAJIAN ETNOPEDAGOGIK

This study discusses the use of traditional medicinal plants from an ethnopedagogical perspective, focusing on a case study in the Sundanese community. The research aims to understand the traditional healing practices involving the use of medicinal plants among the Sundanese people and how the ethnopedagogical approach can be used to uncover local knowledge and strengthen these cultural practices. The research methodology employed is a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation study. The research sample was purposively selected, involving community leaders or traditional healing experts with extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional healing practices in the Sundanese community. The results show that the use of traditional medicinal plants remains an integral part of the Sundanese healthcare system. These plants are used to treat various diseases and health disorders, serving as symbols of local wisdom and cultural identity. The ethnopedagogical approach facilitates the sustainable transfer of knowledge from generation to generation and raises awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage in the context of traditional medicine.

Care-seeking pathways and treatment practices for snakebite in Odisha, India

PurposeSnakebites represent a pressing global public health concern, with India shouldering a disproportionate burden and often dubbed the "snakebite capital." Traditional and spiritual healing methods prevail in India, yet their efficacy and potential adverse health consequences warrant investigation. This study seeks to elucidate the perspectives of healthcare providers and caretakers regarding snakebite treatment practices, with a specific emphasis on traditional healing modalities.MethodsAn exploratory study was conducted among ten healthcare providers–five traditional and five modern treatment providers, two snake trappers/catchers and 120 snakebite victims or their caretakers across three districts of Odisha, India. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed using content analysis.ResultsThe analysis revealed five main categories: various snakebite treatment practices, care-seeking pathways of victims, perspectives of patients and caretakers on treatment, traditional healers’ views on modern treatment, and allopathic doctors’ views on traditional treatment. Treatment practices observed included allopathic treatment, cold treatment, spiritual healing practices at temples, brass plate treatment, mantra enchanting, herbal treatment, and self-medication. Reasons for treatment delay included strong community beliefs in traditional healing, lack of control over irrational treatment by traditional healers, suboptimal care at primary and secondary healthcare facilities, and poor community literacy on snakebites.ConclusionsThe study emphasizes the need for improved snakebite preparedness strategies, community literacy, active involvement in prevention programs, and strong political commitment to control irrational treatment practices.

The Gut Health Revolution: Herbs and Dietary Phytochemicals in Balancing Gut Microbiota for Optimal Human Health.

The gut microbiota is a varied population of microorganisms that live in the human gastrointestinal system. Emerging research emphasizes the importance of this microbial ecology in general health and its influence on a variety of disorders. The review explores the synergy between herbal treatment and traditional medicine, emphasizing their cultural significance and therapeutic benefits. It delves into the intricate relationship between herbal remedies, traditional healing practices, and their sustained usage over centuries. The review highlights the pivotal role of the gut microbiota in herbal medicine, elucidating how treatments influence the gastrointestinal microorganisms, impacting overall health. Dietary phytochemicals are underscored for their significance in herbal medicine and nutritional well-being, along with the interdependence of plant extracts and botanicals. The investigation explores the molecular connections between phytoconstituents and gut microbiota, aiming to deepen the understanding of herbal medicine's tailored approach to specific health challenges. The summary concludes by emphasizing herbal treatments' unique ability to regulate gut flora, contributing to overall gastrointestinal wellbeing. In closing, the review provides a concise overview, serving as a valuable resource for integrative medicine research, with recommendations for future exploration of herbal medicine's potential in healthcare.

Shamans and “Dark Agencies”: War, Magical Parasitism, and Re-Enchanted Spirits in Siberia

Alleged practices of magical assault and vampirism are a recurrent feature of popular explanations of misfortune in Tuva, South Siberia. Based on a field study of healing practices in an “Association of Shamans”, this article analyses rituals of redressing curse afflictions in the context of Russian political domination. A central purpose of this discussion is to foreground the centrality of kinds of parasitical worship and occult threat to structures of political power in—and beyond—the territory of Tuva. Focusing on a “cursescape”, which develops from the combative practices of shamans, occult specialists, and office-holders, the article probes a repertoire of shamanic healing symbols. It is argued that healing efficacy is constructed in the process of engaging with hunting symbols and animal spirits, which appear in Indigenous Siberian cosmologies. The analysis shows that ideas of ritual risk underpin the process of symbolic resolution. Whereas shamanic practices provide refuge to spirits evicted from their natural landscapes, Tibetan Buddhism—the unifying religion of Tuva—offers an alternative path of healing the effects of the shamans’ propagation of spirits. The article highlights indigenous perceptions of a “cursed” landscape as a space where the agencies of “darkness” and their political sponsors are confronted with an emancipating religious modality emerging from local Buddhist rituals. The analysis displays the unsolved drama of itinerant spirits and shamanic ancestral souls, whose agency is revealed through successive—yet inauspicious—forms of reincarnation.

What Mamá Gallina Can Teach Literacy Educators about Healing Biliteracies

AbstractIn this Action & Learning article, we describe the connections between the popular Spanish nursery song “Los pollitos dicen” (The Little Chicks Say) and Aesop's fable's “The Fox and Hen” with the literacy teaching of bilingual Latinx students. In this metaphor, the bilingual teachers represent the Mamá Gallina (Mother Hen) and their students represent the pollitos (little chicks) in their care. Then, we detail the teaching context from three elementary classrooms with bilingual Latinx students that spurred the metaphor for Mamá Gallina taking care of her pollitos in the classroom. These classrooms suggest how teachers could act as the “Fox” and perpetuate white English hegemony and the “Mother Hen” who mobilized their biliteracies to metaphorically feed and clothe their “baby chicks” with cariño (often translated as “care”). The rest of the article centers on how the metaphor of Mamá Gallina serves as a compelling vision for the healing practices of bilingual teachers themselves, before detailing principles for healing biliteracies in the classroom. These tools include: personal connections, cultural practices, linguistic relevance, and bilingual/biliterate pride. Ultimately, this metaphor illustrates how emancipatory pro‐Latinx teaching must attend to dual purposes: responding to the harm to bilingual teachers and students' biliteracies while also nurturing their dynamic beauty.

Health professionals' attitudes towards traditional healing for mental illness: A systematic review protocol.

Mental illness is a global problem that receives less attention, particularly in developing countries. Integrating modern treatment with traditional healing approaches has been proposed as one way to address mental health problems, especially in developing countries. Despite health professionals' participation in traditional healing being crucial to integrative approaches, their participation is limited to date. This review protocol is designed to explore the attitudes of health professionals towards traditional healing practices in mental health services. The review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Searching databases, including PubMed/Medline, PsychINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Web of sciences will be conducted. Additionally, Google and Google Scholar will be searched for other information, including grey literature. Moreover, a manual search of identified articles' reference lists will also be conducted to help ensure all potential papers are included in the review. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed study methods published in English between January 2014 and April 2024 will be included. The qualities of the included studies will be assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) Version 2018. A mixed-method synthesis will be used to synthesis the results. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to provide culturally sensitive care to empower people to manage their health. This systematic review will summarize the attitudes of health professionals towards the adoption and delivery of traditional healing approaches to people experiencing mental illness. Therefore, the findings of this review will support integration between traditional healers and modern mental health practitioners for the treatment of mental illness. Protocol registration number: CRD42024535136.

Aboriginal Practitioners’ Perspectives on Culturally Informed Practice for Trauma Healing in Australia

Colonisation continues to impact Aboriginal children and families through perpetual cycles of transgenerational trauma. To achieve culturally safe and effective healing, practitioners working with Aboriginal people must be culturally competent, yet existing research suggests culturally informed practice (CIP) is often poorly understood and implemented by many practitioners. Centring Indigenous perspectives, the present study explored how Aboriginal practitioners in Australia conceptualise and use CIPs when supporting Aboriginal children and families to heal from trauma. Six Aboriginal women practitioners from mental health and social work settings participated in individual research yarns. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to generate four themes, including centring Aboriginal ways, approaches to healing, creating space for healing, and reflexive and responsive practice. CIPs are embedded within Aboriginal approaches to healing, consider the impacts of trauma and colonisation, and require all practitioners to actively engage with Aboriginal people and their ways of knowing, being, and doing.