The experiential foundations of shamanic healing.
The Journal of medicine and philosophy April 1, 1993 J Mcclenon 12 citations
An experience-centered approach reveals empirical foundations for shamanic healing. Surveys of Chinese, Japanese, Caucasian-American, and African-American populations and participant observation of over thirty Asian shamans show that shamans have a far greater propensity to experience anomalous events—such as apparitions, extrasensory perceptions, contact with the dead, precognitive dreams, clairvoyance, and out-of-body experiences—than general populations. These episodes, interpreted through folk reasoning, support belief in spirits, souls, and life after death. Shamans use these beliefs to produce ceremonies that change clients' perceptions of their illnesses. Although shamanism and Western medicine rest on different foundations, both traditions provide experiences that convince clients that specific procedural methods alleviate illness.