La cura chamánica: una interpretación psicosocial
May 5, 1999 DOI: 10.1590/s0036-36341999000300010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that shamanic healing is fundamentally a communicative act where a shared symbolic reality is constructed, and this process itself constitutes the cure. The shaman's worldview and the social relationship between shaman, patient, and community are central to the therapeutic effect. |
Abstract
The present paper is basically a theoretical analysis of the shamanic cure, which proposes communication as the basis of the healing process. This process is described as a communicative act focusing on the interpretation of symbolic elements. The context is the social dimension in which the process is inscribed, the linguistic mode employed, and the type of relationship established between the shaman, the patient and the people. We also recount the way in which a shared symbolic reality is built, and how the shaman’s world view has important effects on people. The interpretative framework is the psychosocial focus and an explanation is offered in terms of the establishment of a communicative act as a scenario in which the symbolic reality is constructed, and in itself constitutes the cure into which the patient enters every session. The magical vision of shamanism is analyzed and its influence on the health-illness process.