Therapeutic Shamanism

Shamanism is ancient; Its most recent incarnation is Psychology.

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The modern word, therapy, derives from The Greek word therapeuein. The Greeks used that word to describe any sort of attendant process that might lead to healing, including just asking what ails you.

These days we're careful to prefix therapy with more exact modifiers; either, Physical Therapy or Psychological Therapy.

The two forms of therapy are quite different.

I'm inclined to think of Physical Therapy as a process of medical healing. I'm inclined to think of Psychological Therapy as a form of bunkum - a sham promise of healing that might be more accurately called, Therapeutic Shamanism.

Shamans and Psychologists depend upon the belief of faithful acolytes, and upon the practitioners own belief that what they're doing actually works. Shamanism is ancient; Its most recent incarnation is Psychology. Belief is the magical tool of both.

Psychology received pop canonization in the late nineteenth century. It's acceptance was enhanced by medical successes in treating bodily illness. If the body could be fixed then couldn't the mind be fixed, as well? Well maybe. . . Why not? Sure. . . I guess. And so it went, from plausible possibility to foolish certainty.

Psychology is supposed to be the, “Scientific”, study of the mind and behavior. Unfortunately, there is little science in psychology. Science is about precise-measuring. Psychology is about pretend-measuring.

Psychology Is replete with charts, diagrams, statistics and theories, all of which are based on, “measurements”, of behaviors which are intrinsically unmeasurable - thoughts, feelings, and impulses.

Conclusions drawn from the gooey data of pretend-measuring can produce an aura of science, but not the fact.

Psychology can, and does, produce precise, ever-expanding nomenclature for the abundant mysteries of aberrant human behavior - none of which it can fix. It's attractive to those who have no faith in God, but somehow, do have faith in psychology.

I can’t muster that much faith.

The dreariest function of psychology is its diminution of, eccentricity, bacchanal excess, and real evil, to diagnoses. Evil and oddness alike are reduced to dry clinical pathologies.

I'm happy for those who believe they've been helped by Psychological Therapy in the same way I'm happy for those who believe in their lucky rabbit's foot. Nostrums have been influential in all sorts of healing.

Just lie back on the couch and relax. Tell me, "How does that make you feel"?

By K. L. Shipley

Website: https://www.eclecticessays.com