Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl00595)

At 03:40 PM 5/9/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Below Alexis gives words of concern regarding Bee's daughter.  The words are
>heart felt and dear; however, I feel compelled to caution anyone when
>approaching schizophrenia from this angle.  How does one determine if indeed a
>specific patient is suffering from (1) a biological problem, or (2) a psychic
>problem?  I would think that treating them incorrectly would be disastrous,
>particularly if what is needed first and foremost is a solid physical,
>earth-bound ground to build upon.
>
>The shaman/healer/teacher/leader who can do her duty correctly and without the
>dynamics of control dramas is a rare find ... I wouldn't trust anyone else if
>it were my daughter in question.
>
Donna:

Many thanks for the kind words. But I have a couple of comments. the first
being that, in my experience, it's far easier to treat AIDS than it is to
treat a personality based psychiatric problem, but as I understand it
schizophrenia is a problem whose primary component is chemical in balances,
and that makes it a physical problem.Now, in Shaman ism (as I know, and
practice it) the treatment is always the same no matter what the problem.
The Shaman provides a vehicle for spirit (usually what we call The
Grandfather-Grandmother Spirit of the patient) to focus the cosmic harmonic
through the patient. That's all there is to it. Any shaman who suggests that
a patient stop their usual medical treatment with mainstream medicines is
culpable. As a Shaman, I usually don't want to know what's wrong with the
patient lest my knowledge in any way colour my participation. The spirits
know what's wrong with a patient, it doesn't matter at all if I do.

Secondly: I have absolutely no idea of what you mean by "control drama", I
can conceive of nothing I do that in anyway could be defined as either
control or drama. I touch, and I chant, and when the spirits are finished I
stop. It even works over really long distances. This is what I do, and this
is what I was hoping she could find among the native Shamans in New Zealand.
A Shaman doesn't do what they do because it's their "duty" they do it
because it's their life.

alexis