Western esoteric healing I: Conceptual background and therapeutic knowledge.
Explore (New York, N.Y.) January 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2019.10.008 via PubMed
Summary
This article introduces a framework for understanding Western esoteric healing. It first provides background on Western esotericism and its healing traditions. The concept of therapeutic knowledge, drawn from philosophy of medicine and medical anthropology, is then explained and applied to esoteric healing. A taxonomy is proposed that categorizes sources of therapeutic knowledge in esoteric healing systems into channeling, initiation, and empirical observation or validation. The second part of the series will offer examples for each category and suggest directions for further research.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Channeling Esoteric Healing Initiation Therapeutic knowledge |
| Key finding | Sources of therapeutic knowledge in Western esoteric healing can be classified as channeling, initiation, and empirical observation or validation. |
Abstract
This article, the first of a two-part series, explores the subject of Western esoteric healing. First, conceptual background is offered on Western esotericism and traditions of esoteric healing. Second, the concept of therapeutic knowledge, which emerged from the philosophy of medicine and medical anthropology, is introduced and described in detail, including its application to the study of esoteric healing. Third, a taxonomy is proposed for sources of such knowledge in respective esoteric healing systems, traditions, or organizations. These sources are channeling, initiation, and empirical observation or validation. In the second article, examples will be given for each category of the taxonomy, followed by recommendations for further study.