Shamanism, one of the oldest spiritual healing disciplines,
has recently become a topic of interest in mainstream psychiatry. Shamans are
often compared to psychiatrists, searching the unconscious for hidden sources
of suffering and lost fragments of self. In a recent article for the webzine Mad
in America , Natalie
Tobert, Ph.D., a medical anthropologist and the author of Spiritual Psychiatries, compares and contrasts the role of diagnosis and treatment within
shamanism and psychiatry. Tobert explores both their methods of working, and
their function of maintaining social order. Comparison of their job
descriptions to alleviate human suffering is complex. Shamanic practice focuses
primarily on the individual within society, environment, and cosmos. In
contrast psychiatry focuses on the individual's body/mind -- though it is
beginning to consider wider issues. In both cases, the diagnoses which are made
by shamans and psychiatrists are linked to their own explanatory models of
causation. Although the societal role appears similar, their practices and
treatments are different. Tobert generalizes that in order to diagnose and
treat human suffering, one works within reductionist medicine, the other within
energy medicine. To learn more, read "Shamans and Psychiatrists: A Comparison."
