In What a Shaman Sees in a Mental Hospital, Marohn and Somé discuss the differences in the interpretations western physicians and shamans make from patients in a psychiatric facility. The differences are stark, but corroborate much of what Asian and Asian Americans experience in subtle ways in their life. Viewing mental issues as a disease that needs to be cured, versus shamans viewing the same issues as spiritual imbalances is a part of a larger western cultural approach to understanding the mind, emotions and spirituality. It is astounding to see aisles of medicine and treatment developed for sleep disturbances for folks in America, as for me, growing up in an Indian family, I was always taught that regulating emotional turmoil and stress was the best way to cope with difficulties in sleeping. In Western society, treating symptoms with a surplus of medicine is perceived as the most satisfactory way to address mental health. This is further encouraged and popularized by the pharmaceutical industrial complex, as discussed in lecture.
Media:
https://upliftconnect.com/shamans-dream-the-world/
References:
Marohn S. (2014) “What a Shaman Sees in A Mental Hospital”. The Mind Unleashed.
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