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Overcoming alienation and separation with shamanic methods: Their relation to contemporary alternative medicine

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Date Issued:
1991
Summary:
In this paper the literature of shamanism as well as psychology, biofeedback, hypnosis and other alternative therapies was researched, synthesized, and combined with direct clinical experience to provide a broad context for discussing why shamanic healing works. This approach was used in order to move shamanism out of the area of magic and sleight-of-hand into explanation systems more acceptable to western minds. Shamanic healing methods are demonstrated to be similar to those underlying many alternative therapies, especially in their use of altered states of consciousness and self-healing. Examples are given of their effectiveness in overcoming the broad spectrum of illnesses caused by alienation and separation which are presently beyond the healing powers of allopathic medicine and psychology. Finally, ways to integrate shamanic philosophy and the potential efficacy of its healing approaches into psychology and allopathic medicine are suggested, an integration shown to be prerequisite to a genuine lasting cure for the ills of an alienated society.
Title: Overcoming alienation and separation with shamanic methods: Their relation to contemporary alternative medicine.
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Name(s): Aras, Claudette.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Early, John D., Thesis advisor
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Department of Anthropology
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1991
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 157 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: In this paper the literature of shamanism as well as psychology, biofeedback, hypnosis and other alternative therapies was researched, synthesized, and combined with direct clinical experience to provide a broad context for discussing why shamanic healing works. This approach was used in order to move shamanism out of the area of magic and sleight-of-hand into explanation systems more acceptable to western minds. Shamanic healing methods are demonstrated to be similar to those underlying many alternative therapies, especially in their use of altered states of consciousness and self-healing. Examples are given of their effectiveness in overcoming the broad spectrum of illnesses caused by alienation and separation which are presently beyond the healing powers of allopathic medicine and psychology. Finally, ways to integrate shamanic philosophy and the potential efficacy of its healing approaches into psychology and allopathic medicine are suggested, an integration shown to be prerequisite to a genuine lasting cure for the ills of an alienated society.
Identifier: 14755 (digitool), FADT14755 (IID), fau:11546 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1991.
Subject(s): Shamanism
Mental healing
Medicine and psychology
Mind and body
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14755
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.