Illnesses

Illnesses
   Among many animist communities, illnesses may be considered to be other-than-human persons or spirits in their own right. Elsewhere they may be caused by the actions of sorcerers, witches, or aggressive enemy shamans. In particular, illnesses may be thought to be inserted into bodies by darts thrown by such predatory beings. In either case, healing may be a necessary role for shamans in such communities. They may mediate with otherworld or other-than-human persons to resolve whatever problem caused them to intrude into human bodies, they may combat the invading beings, or they may apply local medical or doctoring methods to remove the intruding dart or other substance. In some cases, illnesses result in some aspect of patients being alienated from themselves, and shamans may need to journey in search of that part (e.g., lost, stolen, or damaged souls) and return it to their patients.

Historical dictionary of shamanism. . 2007.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Illnesses of Ariel Sharon — The illnesses of Ariel Sharon are a series of medical problems that former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has experienced, especially coming to the fore in late 2005 and early 2006. The second stroke, which was described as massive ,… …   Wikipedia

  • illnesses — ill·ness || ɪlnɪs n. disease, sickness …   English contemporary dictionary

  • List of mental illnesses — The DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), the U.S. standard reference for psychiatry, includes over 300 different manifestations of mental illness. Psychiatrists themselves are in dispute over how common some of these conditions are, or… …   Wikipedia

  • mitochondrial diseases — Illnesses, frequently neurological, which can be ascribed to defects in mitochondrial function. If the defect is in the mitochondrial rather than the nuclear genome unusual patterns of inheritance can be observed …   Dictionary of molecular biology

  • Intrusions —    Illnesses are often thought to be caused by the intrusion of artifacts (e.g., darts) or predatory beings into a body. A significant part of a shaman’s role can be doctoring, especially in order to remove such intrusions. They may also be… …   Historical dictionary of shamanism

  • internal diseases — illnesses that are internal in origin, diseases which originate from within the body …   English contemporary dictionary

  • viral diseases — illnesses that are caused by viruses …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Gulf War syndrome — (GWS) or Gulf War illness (GWI) is an illness reported by combat veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War typified by symptoms including immune system disorders and birth defects. It has not always been clear whether these symptoms were related to… …   Wikipedia

  • mental disorder — Any illness with a psychological origin, manifested either in symptoms of emotional distress or in abnormal behaviour. Most mental disorders can be broadly classified as either psychoses or neuroses (see neurosis; psychosis). Psychoses (e.g.,… …   Universalium

  • Health and Disease — ▪ 2009 Introduction Food and Drug Safety.       In 2008 the contamination of infant formula and related dairy products with melamine in China led to widespread health problems in children, including urinary problems and possible renal tube… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”