Week 8_Carson Ho_A04

While reading through "What a Shaman Sees in A Mental Hospital" by Stephanie Marohn with Malidoma Patrice Somé, it felt like an interesting journey through a topic that I feel is seen in a bad light in our current society. Whenever I come across the topic of mental disorders, and mental health in general, I feel like that due to the negative connotation that our society has, people tend to avoid getting into conversations about their own mental health. So when I found about how shamanic views sees mental disorders as "spiritual emergencies" and the "birth of a healer," I was fascinated by how another culture was able to not only avoid pessimistic views against those with mental illness, but they view mental illness as a sign for the other spiritual world. For me personally, I am not sure if I believe in such a spiritual world, but I never thought about how abnormality can be seen as something other than illness. By the end of the reading, I was also amazed by how these shamanic views were able to help those with mental illnesses. If western society would change their viewpoint on mental illnesses and provide better support than just giving drugs, it would help to create a better environment where people would not be as afraid to seek help and guidance.

?: how valid are these sacred rituals in helping to heal mental health?

Marohn S. (2014) “What a Shaman Sees in A Mental Hospital”. The Mind Unleashed.

image from http://www.tpr.org/post/how-can-we-change-minds-about-mental-health