Modern Western consciousness is built on a series of fundamental splits—between body and soul, science and revelation, immanence and transcendence—that leave no unity between opposing spheres. Medicine, as a social institution, aligns with the side of these divides that excludes religion. This dualistic thinking shapes social structures that privatize religion, secularize time and space, and strictly separate church and state.
Healing from addiction involves addressing existential questions about drug use through self-discovery and spiritual approaches. The Quero tradition, descended from the Inca of ancient Andean Peru, offers timeless healing concepts rooted in cosmology and oral traditions. Case examples illustrate how shamanic paths can be integrated into addiction treatment. The chapter explores time, space, relativity, and quantum physics as interconnected with healing, presenting a whole-person spiritual approach that complements classic addiction recovery methods through medical anthropology and cultural exploration of Quero wisdom.
Philosophical responses to Cartesian dualism, especially Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, offer valuable insights for medicine. Phenomenology's focus on lived experience and embodiment helps address dissociation and alienation felt by both clinicians and patients. The work of philosophers, clinicians, ethicists, and patients including Havi Carel, S. Kay Toombs, Richard Baron, Edmund Pellegrino, Richard Zaner, and Fredrik Svenaeus demonstrates phenomenology's influence in healthcare. Counter-examples show the complexity of philosophical inquiry. The chapter closes with David Ferry's poem "Soul" to approach the relationship between body, mind, and spirit. The authors argue that philosophical understanding, particularly combined with literature, provides insight into healthcare's challenges and possibilities.