Shamanism as a healing paradigm for complementary therapy.
Complementary therapies in nursing & midwifery August 1, 2001 M Money 23 citations
Healing from infection, trauma, or distress relies on stimulating the body's own restorative functions, historically called the vis mediatrix naturae and central to traditional Chinese medicine. The immune system is modulated by external factors (e.g., infection type) and internal factors (e.g., the patient's meaning and imagery around illness). Enhancing internal variables to boost immune function can occur spontaneously as the placebo effect or intentionally through techniques like shamanism, which bridges internal and external worlds. Shamanic practice modifies consciousness, manipulates imagery and meaning, and generates therapeutic images. The psychoneuroimmunological perspective validates ancient shamanic healing, and both share principles with complementary therapies.