In the West (and those developing countries influenced by it), healing systems of their culture is considered absolute and the others given the collective nomenclature: Complementary or alternative. The western practitioners are often surprised that in many countries, including the populous ones such as India and China, it is the western medicine that is considered "alternative".
In the west, the psychosocial aspects of healing (the doctors cure but not heal) are neglected, so it is only normal that they do that of the "alternative" systems as well, grudgingly acknowledging that these systems may work because of the herbs or some other pharmacology. Enlightened western practitioners of medicine, would accept the symbolism of their own healing, which is based on their relationships with the patient. Psychiatrists fully understand this, perhaps that is why the best known Medical Anthropologists who practice Medicine are mostly psychiatrists (they tend to be jewish as well!)
Symbolic healing, that is, responding to meaningful experiences in positive ways, can facilitate human healing (Daniel Moerman) and in the article I had to read for during my Anthropology studies in London by James Dow 1986:
In this article I( JD) propose that symbolic healing has a universal structure in which the healer helps the patient particularize a general cultural mythic world and manipulate healing symbols in it.
Why do a Vietnamese patient choose to see a Vietnamese doctor? A Jamaican doctors surgery is full of Jamaican people waiting to see him? Aggressive women tend to favour male physicians and gentle men prefer female physicians. (my observations). Certainly culture plays an important part.
If you doubt whether Symbolic healing exist, then it is time you experienced it first hand or observed it. The Cuban system of Healing, based on West African system that the slaves brought over syncretized to the Spanish Catholic system is very powerful. Archaic forms of exchange (rather than money) makes the system even more powerful. It is symbolic in that it can be used at a distance, but even within that symbolic healing there are powerful symbols, which has different meanings to the healer and the healed. The healing (unlike in the western system where the medications carry their own meanings of potency) is very much dependent on the relationship between the healer and the healed. This relationship, if put in practice within the western system, brings fabulous results. We must never underestimate the healing powers of the words, tone of voice and gestures of the Healer.
The healer that I have observed, requested services for patients far and wide, lives in Cuba and she is like a sister and certainly the person I trust most when it comes to advice about symbolisms in relationships with the outside world.
Three weeks ago, I was told of some bad news concerning the family of a patient of mine whom I respect very much, a very knowledgeable elder of a tribe. I was so affected by it, first in my emotions and then my body became near paralyzed for 17 hours. The healer in Cuba could see this event in the context of my life: the event that precipitated the "illness", my role in the healing of the members of this particular tribe, my isolation from people that I love (covid isolation), lack of intellectual stimulation brought on by this and my exile from my beloved island (Cuba). She began a 21 day healing cycle which ended today .
The sensation of being healed is felt in the mind, in the spirit and in the body. First of all, persons creating inquiet in your mind slowly vanished, those who truly loved you became stars of your sky, your attitude to others changed in that you became more open and tolerant, your thinking capacity increased and sharper.
Those who mattered came into better focus.
I use symbolism in my own practice of healing, predominantly among the Indigenous people of the world. Even though I am a Physician, I consider my self a healer rather than a Curer. As Delacroix would say, relieving a little bit of the pain in this world.
Thanks to my sister in Cuba and my many friends there.
Friends in Mexico, USA, France, Belgium, Caymans, Colombia, Argentina,Israel, Kerala, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia all morally support me to carry on my work..
Lets go..
