Healing Rituals Research Articles

Voluntary Care for Older People: A symbolic Health Efficacy of Community-based Health Meetings

Community healthcare in Indonesia relies on volunteer workers who engage their clients outside fixed health facilities with limited resources and formal training. These volunteers are called cadres who learn their tasks to improve community wellbeing through ongoing engagement and without prior skills. They are drawn from the community to serve the community. This paper is based on field research carried out with cadres through interviews and visits to integrated health meetings (Posyandu) held by primary healthcare centres for older adults in villages. The paper first discusses the recruitment requirements and the incentives for being a healthcare volunteer. It suggests that both recruitment and incentives are rooted in community values of helping and doing good for the community. Volunteer cadres must have a direct normative and semiotic connection with clients, as they must be members of the community who speak the same language and understand local norms. In line with this community-centred approach, the paper then focuses on the health efficacy of Posyandu as a recurring structured symbolic event held in the village. The argument is made that a more qualitative approach should be taken to understanding the efficacy of these meetings, drawing on research methods from the anthropology of ritual (symbolic and therapeutic) healing.

Udmurt Healing Rituals. Semantic Models Of The Actional Code

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the actional code of the Udmurt healing rite, considered as a cultural text. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the ritual actions of the healing rite are classified into groups according to the particular method of achieving the goal involved, something which takes into account the semantics of its actional component. The proposed classification is based on the system developed by E. E. Levkiyevskaya in her study of Slavic protective amulets. As a result of the analysis, the author has identified the main semantic models manifested in the elementary semantic units and motifs. The semantic models under consideration are divided into three groups: the first group combines ritual actions aiming at establishing contact, the second one contains actions intended to have impact on the source of the disease; and the third encompasses actions aimed at giving a patient an invulnerability to the disease. The analysis of folklore and ethnographic material reveals that motifs of the semantic models belonging to the second group were the most widespread ones, something which is accounted for by the fact that the concept of the fight between two opposing forces underlies most Udmurt healing rituals that involve performing an incantation against the disease.

Zar: Spirit Possession, Music, and Healing Rituals in Egypt

Zar: Spirit Possession, Music, and Healing Rituals in Egypt

Transcendence of caste ideology in the realm of spirits and Muslim faith healers of Malabar: social contexts, meanings and religious rituals in contemporary Kerala

ABSTRACT Scholarship on faith healing and spirit-possession often overlookssignificant influence of caste and its diverse expressions.Through ethnographic study, we explore how Muslim faith healers in Kerala’s Malabar region integrate caste notions into healing practices, and also normalizing them as an effective strategy for healing. Caste’s role in healing rituals and at faith healing sites is located within the context of lived Islam, lacking ritual legitimacy from institutional religion. This prompts us to consider how caste ideology extends beyond human material conditions into the spiritual realm, notably on sites of healing, with long-term implications on the political Islam in the region. It further explores how the caste has been altered temporarily on healing sites in terms of categories of spirits, types of healers, social categories of possessed people and how political Islam have approached caste and faith healing in the context of reformist and revivalist movement in the region.

Islam In Everyday Culture And “Wandering Mullahs” In Kazakhstan in the 1950s–1960s

This article explores the role of Islam in the daily culture of the Muslim communities in Soviet Kazakhstan during the 1950s and 1960s. Drawing from a diverse range of materials, including memos, reports, secret communications of party officials, and accounts from commissioners of the Council for Religious Cults, the research sheds light on various facets of religious life among the local population. These documents, compiled from firsthand observations during official trips, consistently underscore the profound impact of Islam on the everyday culture of the faithful in Kazakhstan. The authors highlight a noteworthy discrepancy in the influence of Islam, emphasizing its markedly greater sway on the daily culture of Tatars, Uzbeks, Chechens, and Ingush as compared to Kazakhs. The findings suggest a discernible shift of Islam from mainstream cultural life into a “parallel world,” where pre-Islamic rituals and practices persist in society. Notable among these are fortune-telling based on the Quran and healing rituals performed by “wandering mullahs” employing ushyktau, ushkyru, and the recitation of Quranic surahs. Despite the inherent ideological bias and partiality evident in official documents, the authors argue that these sources remain invaluable for comprehending the impact of Islam on the everyday culture of the Soviet Kazakh population during the 1950s–1960s.

Potential of Bioresource Usage in The Tropical Area of Southeast Asia for Human Mental Well-Being

Human health and well-being depend on lifestyle, and current unhealthy lifestyles cause many health problems, including mental health problems. Therefore, people are searching for natural remedies to overcome such well-being problems. Medicinal plants have been used as a primary source of health care and treatments for many diseases. However, the recent search for valuable plants concentrates on human physical well-being. This attention needs to shift to mental well-being as the current limited and poor diet and modern lifestyle adversely affect people's mental health. Southeast Asia consists of tropical countries with abundant bioresources for potential medicinal plants and various food crops. Many underutilized plants have vast marginalized medicinal potentials and have yet to be fully exploited. The traditional knowledge of the application of medicinal plants for mental well-being and in superstitions and healing rituals in Southeast Asia is described in this paper. Scientific exploration of many traditional healing and magic practices in Southeast Asia will benefit in understanding the application of medicinal plants. The incorporation of advanced technologies in detecting beneficial plant compounds from such traditional practices in Southeast Asia will aid humans in finding remedies for modern health problems. This review focuses on the usage of potential plants available in Southeast Asia for human mental well-being and the application of herbals in superstitions and healing rituals.

Appropriation and Contestation of Akan Traditional Healing Approaches in the Healing of Mentally Ill Patients at Prayer Camps in Ghana

Abstract Prayer camps are Pentecostal healing centres established across various parts of Ghana. Prayer camps in Ghana have become notable centres offering mainly spiritual help to people with mental health conditions. Arguably, prayer camps serve as a breakpoint or watershed between traditional healing shrines and the ‘gardens’ operated by Spiritual churches, popularly known as Sunsum sorè, in Ghana. Analysing data collected from fieldwork between 2019 and 2021, this article shows that the healing rituals for the mentally ill at prayer camps in Ghana share similarities with traditional healing shrine practices. The article argues that while such practices reveal the appropriation of traditional healing approaches at prayer camps, they also bring the tension and contestation inherent to the concept of appropriation into perspective.

AZƏRBAYCANIN OĞUZ-TÜRK VƏ ŞİMALİ AMERİKANIN HİNDU XALQ NƏĞMƏLƏRİ: MÜQAYİSƏLİ TƏHLİL

Azerbaijan Oguz-Turk and North American Hindu Folk Songs: a Comparative Analysis Summary Folk songs of Oguz-Turk and Hindu people have addressed themes that are universal to most of humanity throughout history, including love, loss, treachery, and early death. They serve as a historical account of the circumstances that existed when they were written or oral traditions that were carried down orally. Folk songs are essential to music since they provide a brief overview of the musicians' lives. Important information is also frequently passed down from generation to generation through folk tunes. Folk ballads narrate tales of a life that has been forgotten or is about to vanish. Traditional Oguz-Turk and Indian civilizations use music for a variety of purposes, such as religious rituals, healing rituals, social songs and dances, work songs, game songs, courting, storytelling, and songs to bring luck in hunting, agriculture, and warfare. Key words: Folksong, Comparative features, Main directions of folksongs, In-text conceptions, Characteristics of folksongs

Concepts of illness etiology in a traditional medical system: analysis of philosophy of Aruh and healing ritual as ethnomedicine

The process of recovering from a disease can vary among ethnic groups, culminating in distinct medical systems. Indonesia, an archipelagic country with over a thousand ethnicities, requires extensive research on ethnomedicine. A critical aspect of this research is illness etiology, which plays a crucial role in understanding the concept of prevention, therapy, and treatment developed by these ethnic groups. An adequate understanding of illness etiology will facilitate formulating a powerful, superior traditional medical system and provide practical benefits to assist local community health efforts. Therefore, this research aims to describe illness etiology by analyzing the philosophy of life: aruh and healing ritual according to the ethnomedicine of the Dayak Paramasan in Meratus Mountains. The method used was ethnography, which involved two traditional healing practitioners. Based on the results, illness were caused by behavior that was not aruh (disharmonious) with the environment. The types of illness include alamiah (physiological), perbuatan (psychosocial), and kapuhunan (socio-cultural). Meanwhile, illness therapy with ritual aims to return the aruh (harmonious, intimate, and peaceful) living conditions between the soul of the sufferer and the natural environment.

Ethnomedicine in the USA: Aesthetics of Performance and Organic Wellness as a Posthuman Construct In the ‘Ifa’ Ritual of the Santeria

Performances across time have promoted human wellness, especially as we continue to incorporate the lived experiences of healing rituals into our contemporary artistic practices. Audience members practice good physical, emotional, social, and psychological health through their ability to create an illusion of mental escape, enlightenment, and entertainment. The paper comments on a specific shamanistic practice – “Ifa Ritual,” practiced by the African diaspora of the Americas as a metric for evaluation. I shall explore documented research on the performance expressions noticeable in the Yoruba Ifa ritual exemplary in the Santeria and their communal benefits to Afro-Cubans in the USA. The Afro-Cuban Yorubas called Lucumi are believed to have migrated as slaves from the Yoruba subgroups of Africa to the New World, and there they introduced a cultural practice called the Santeria. The Santeria is an attempt to decolonize the impact of Western religious ideologies on their spiritual and social life by performing Ifa rites as a mode of worship and healing. I interrogate how the performative styles and elements of “Ifa” including the divination techniques contribute to promoting the well-being of contemporary Ifa practitioners. Theoretically, the study considers rituals as a fundamental approach to performance and wellness that seeks to reinforce and provoke discourses in post-humanism. The scope of this study is confined to the branch of humanities and soft sciences devoted to prevalent research on the Yoruba belief system and Lucumi Santeria, aiding the discussion of "Ifa" as a post-humanist construct of performance and wellness.

Religious and mythological ideas of Karelians about smallpox, rubella, measles and chicken-pox diseases

about smallpox, rubella, measles and chickenpox diseases Traditional medicine has always triggered genuine interest among researchers. It reflects not only medical practice, ra-tional and irrational, but also prognostics of diseases, beliefs, conspiracy traditions, ritual magic, etc. Mythology occupies a significant place in ethnomedicine as well, affecting not only the cause-effect relationship between the occurrence of an ailment and abolition of it, but also the designation of some diseases, the nomination of which is motivated by the mythological percep-tions of the people. Christianization of Karelians, which took place in the 13th century, had a major influence on the Karelian culture. Christian and pagan views became closely intertwined, making a dual impact on such cultural layer of the ethnic group as traditional medicine. The problematics of scientific research is determined by the lack of a complex analysis of the issue. The information about the ethnomedicine of the proper Karelians, Livvik Karelians and Ludikov Karelians was collected from pub-lished sources (Karelian speech samples, dialect dictionaries of the Karelian language, periodicals) and by the means of gather-ing materials from respondents living on the territory of the Republic of Karelia. The author addresses the religious and mytho-logical ideas of the Karelians on the example of such diseases as smallpox, rubella, and chickenpox. The identification of an entire complex of common ideas about these diseases — their personification, family relationships, methods of treatment and nomination of diseases — became the main result of the research. Karelians believed that smallpox, measles, rubella and chickenpox are related, they are sisters. The reason of their invasion was seen in not honoring them or insulting them with an action or word. When patients with these diseases appeared in the house, various forms of coaxing were used towards them, and a solemn reception was held, aiming at propitiation of these ailments. In the treatment of smallpox, rubella and measles, the main emphasis was placed on the use of red matter in healing rituals, as this color was believed to have protective function. Proba-bly, this method was based on the “like cures like” or “like repels like” principle, typical for Karelian folk medicine. Engaging the data on folk medicine of Vepsians and Russians showed the similarity of the religious and mythological ideas of these peoples with Kare-lians, which is explained by their long-term contact and interinfluence of cultures while living on the same territory.

Indigenous Therapeutic Tourism: Challenges, Emerging Trends, and Sustainability

A healthy, harmonious, proactive, and happy life is not just desirable; it is a fundamental human aspiration in our increasingly threatened contemporary world. This social research, applied to tourism, focuses on the indigenous peoples of Aldeia Fulkaxó in the state of Sergipe, Brazil, conducted between 2022 and 2023. The primary objective of this study is to explore the healing ceremonies and rituals practiced by this indigenous community, which constitute a complex, systemic, and transdisciplinary phenomenon. The research aims to identify and assess the integrative and complementary aspects of the health practices of these indigenous peoples and their impact on governance. The methodology employed is exploratory and involves a review of the state of the art in this field from 2003 to 2023. Qualitative research methods are also utilized, including audiovisual ethnography and field diaries. This approach reveals the challenges and possibilities of indigenous phytotherapeutic processes as ethnocultural tourist attractions. We observe their annual retreats offered to both national and international groups. Preliminary findings indicate a growing demand for tourist experiences that immerse individuals in nature and the indigenous way of life, with a particular emphasis on therapeutic benefits. Furthermore, this study highlights the sociocultural emergence of therapeutic tourism as an innovative product within the realm of health and well-being, with a specific focus on addressing issues such as anxiety, stress, and depression.

Artistic Means and Therapeutic Effects in Sri Lankan Healing Rituals

Artistic expressions in the realms of mutually integrated sound culture and visual culture count as the essential elements of the traditional healing rituals in Sri Lanka. While music has a key role in the therapeutic process, visual ingredients provide the ritual setting with a glamour that exceeds the day-to-day domestic environment experience. Made for the occasion, a decorated ritual setting is the first sign to publicly announce the event and to create visual excitement. Its main aim is to welcome the invisible supernatural beings responsible for a disease. The sound produced by voices (chants, incantations, blessings, poetry, dialogues) and musical instruments (drums, handbells, hand cymbals, conch shells, anklets) aims to assure participation of community members and to act as a medium of connecting supernatural beings with the human world. Besides the visual and aural stimuli, the main roles in Sri Lankan healing rituals are given to unity thinking ,community caring, and community setup .Lessons learned from traditional healing rituals which integrate music, dance, visual arts, crafts ,and drama for the sake of individual comfort and the community’s wellbeing, have potential to benefit a variety of disciplines with a focus on artistic and/or therapeutic practices and outcomes such as medical and applied ethnomusicology and anthropology, psychomusicology, sociomusicology, visual arts, music therapy, including community music therapy and ethnomusic therapy, dance/movement therapy, psychotherapy, drama therapy, and more. The author’s arguments are expected to contribute to knowledge and understanding of holistic healing practices of Sri Lanka as non-pharmacological treatments marked by mutually interrelated artistic means and therapeutic effects.

DEFINING PAG-IPAT: A MULTIMODAL SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF MAGUINDANAON’S HEALING RITUAL

Pag-ipat (ritual against disease) is a traditional healing ritual of the Maguindanaon people in the southern Philippines. Devoid of Islamic components, it is based on numerous ideas such as possession, invisible spirits, mythological history, and the offering of sacrifice. This study explores the signs and symbols incorporated in pagipat. Through a multimodal semiotic analysis, specifically ethnographic observation, this research determines the meanings conveyed by the semiotic resources used, expounds on how semiotic resources are orchestrated to communicate meaning, and rationalises the ideology expressed in the ritual performance. Findings reveal that the resources utilised in the performance of pag-ipat communicate gratitude and love, recognition, honour, appreciation, journey, generosity, kindness, recognition of their ancestor, invitation to the neighbours and the community, healing, enlightenment, freedom from darkness, identity marker, greediness, and life. Through the manner of installing the pandala (flags), the presence of the sambulayang (set of flags), the quantity of food, the quality of the cloth, the number of days spent in the ritual, the design of the food and clothing material, the dance movement of the medium, and the kulintang music produced by the performers, the healing rite manifests social standing and artistic skill of the performers. The practise of pag-ipat tells us that regardless of Maguindanaon’s observance of Islam as official religion, some believe in the existence of ancestral spirits, mythological entities, and spirit animals which has a significant impact on their beliefs and behaviour. Thus, ritual elements increase signification and meaning-making potentials in the discourse environment because of their iconicity, indexicality, and meaning-making potentiality.

Exploring Cultural Hybridity Branded by Convergence and Syncretism in the Characteristic Features of the Pentecostal Charismatic Churches in Zimbabwe: Implications for Spiritual and Material Well-Being

When applied to Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe, the concept of cultural hybridity provides a framework for understanding how global religious movements can adapt to and incorporate local cultural elements. This process results in a unique form of religious expression characterised by convergence and syncretism, reflecting cultural and religious identity’s dynamic and fluid nature. This hybridity in religious practice is a testament to the ongoing, interactive cultural exchange and adaptation process. This article delves into the intricate cultural hybridity, convergence, glocalisation and syncretic tendencies within the characteristic features of New Religious Movements (NRMs) in Harare, Zimbabwe, illuminating their multifaceted role in addressing spiritual and material needs. Through a comprehensive exploration of selected NRMs that emerged from the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe, including Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries and Grace Oasis Ministries, this article unravels the central role of prophets and pastors in shaping the fundamental ethos of these religious entities. A striking and thought-provoking parallel emerges between the hallmark features of these NRMs and the tenets of African Traditional Religion and many other religious traditions. This parallel extends to practices such as exorcism, worship, healing, and deliverance, thus manifesting a profound form of religious expression informed by cultural hybridity, convergence, syncretism, and glocalisation. While there are ambiguities around scholarly debates on the definition of these terms, the article delves deep into the intricate religious elements embedded within the NRMs’ characteristic features, such as hymns, modes of worship, healing rituals, and deliverance ceremonies. These elements are tangible manifestations of their unique position at the crossroads of diverse belief systems. The cultural hybridity, convergence, syncretism, and glocalisation tendencies within NRMs offer gateways to invaluable networks, fostering social cohesion and the sharing of critical information. Consequently, these characteristics have become instrumental in the holistic development of individuals and communities within the vibrant religious landscape of Harare. Thus, this article provides profound insights into the nuanced dynamics of NRMs in Zimbabwe, shedding light on their various dimensions. It contributes substantially to our comprehension of the intricate interplay between spirituality, material prosperity, and the rich tapestry of religious traditions in Harare and the broader context of religious studies.

Unveiling the Healing Rituals of Spirit Media (Pari Khan) in Chitral: A Dramaturgical Analysis

Unveiling the Healing Rituals of Spirit Media (Pari Khan) in Chitral: A Dramaturgical Analysis

Nosaviraka’s Ritual Mantra on The Quran And Hadits: Intertextual Analysis

This intertextual analysis of the mantras in the Nosaviraka healing ritual does not intend to compare the contents of the Quran and Hadits with the oral text of the mantras because the Quran is a sacred divine word without the intervention of creatures. The study aims to describe the relationship between Nosaviraka healing ritual, the Kaili tribe in Central Sulawesi and the the Quran and Hadits. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative with an intertextual approach. The data source for this research is Nosaviraka healing ritual. The data in the form of the arrays in the mantras were analyzed using the intertextual theory, namely determining the link between the arrays of the mantras and the Quran and Hadits. Based on the research results obtained three findings. First, here is a relationship between the text of the Nosaviraka mantra and the text of the Quran and Hadits. This relationship is shown in all parts of the mantra, namely (a) the initial mantra of agreement, (b) the mantra of summoning ancestors, (c) the mantra of healing, (d) the mantra of salvation, and (e) the mantra of the end. Second, the Nosaviraka ritual mantra as a hypogram, while the text of the Quran and Hadits as the owner of the transformation. Directly or indirectly, the Nosaviraka mantra, the Quran, and the Hadits can be seen from the similarity in structure, but the use of imagination is slightly different in theme. Third, there is a strong tendency that the Nosaviraka mantra is a form of belief in Allah SWT which is associated with the Quran as its hypogram.

Urgensi Dakwah Kultural Tokoh Agama Pada Masyarakat Bajo Bungku Selatan Morowali

This research aims to identify the forms of cultural da'wah carried out by religious figures and the implementation of cultural da'wah carried out by religious figures in the Bajo Morowali community in Central Sulawesi. The research method uses qualitative research, where the research data is collected through observation and interviews. This research resulted in the finding that the cultural preaching of religious figures from the Bajo Morowali community in Central Sulawesi was carried out at ceremonies celebrating major Islamic holidays such as the Prophet's birthday and commemoration of the Isra' Mi'raj of the Prophet Muhammad. The forms of cultural da'wah carried out by religious leaders in the Bajo Morowali community, Central Sulawesi, are Matangong Ruma' Bau (building a new house) and cultural da'wah in the Sandro traditional healing ritual.

Badewo Kayangan in Okura Pekanbaru Community from Treatment Rituals to Aesthetic Dance: Ecotourism

This research aims to explain the form and function of Badewo Kayangan as a healing ritual in the past and present for the people of Tebing Tinggi Okura. This research is qualitative research with a descriptive approach that understands the phenomenon of the research subject. The data in this research is information obtained through various sources, both sources obtained directly through interviews with sources who know about the Badewo Khayangan dance, video recordings, photographs, and data in the form of documentation. Apart from this data, it is also supported by data in the form of notes obtained during observations. The research findings are that Badewo Kayangan was originally a healing ritual used to cure various diseases, including those caused by supernatural forces in the Okura High Cliff area. As time went by, people began to ask Wak Damai to change Badewo Kayangan into the Badewo Kayangan dance. The movements contained in Badewo Kayangan are combined with new elements and realized in the form of a dance performance known as the Badewo Kayangan dance. Badewo Kayangan has two main roles, namely as a traditional healing ritual and as a means of performing arts or entertainment. By considering the potential of the Badewo Kayangan Tebing Tinggi Okura dance as a local cultural asset, this dance has the potential to become part of the tourism industry based on culture.

Religious Tourism and Its Impact on Spiritual, Physical, and Mental Health: Insights from Pilgrims to Iranian Saints' Shrines.

This study investigates pilgrims' justifications for visiting Iran's Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S) and the positive role of such pilgrimages in their religious coping experiences and healing practices. The research confirms that pilgrims strongly associate shrines in Iran with religious coping benefits and spiritual, mental, physical, and ritual healing. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling. Behavioural strategies, religious beliefs, and spiritual concepts are considered. The findings reveal that faith and spirituality play a vital role in how individuals perceive and cope with mental and physical health issues when visiting shrines.