Native American Healing

[seeingred]

Source: Honoring the Medicine:

Summary of Native American Philosophies:

The use of plants as sources for healing the soul
And connecting to them
Not as recreational drugs
But they can produce ecstatic states of awareness

The Native American Belief System:
There is a Great Spirit, the Creator of all life
The elements of life that the Great Spirit created
are Nature's Elements
Humans are connected to each-other
But relate back to Nature's Source as a whole
And Nature promotes health
Living apart from the web of life creates sickness
Living with the spirit of Nature promotes health
Nature is alive
And nature's phenomena exist in the physical and spiritual planes
Humans all have the ability to become aware and communicate with both realities.

Life, Energy, and Power exist as natural phenomena
At varying degrees and in man-made objects
Holiness is an attribute of spirits, places, and phenomena and also exist in man-made objects such as: medicine bags, amulets, pebbles, etc.

Holiness can be attained by people following the path, and certain objects can be given holiness, as well as certain tasks and activities.

There are good/helping or bad/harmful spirits
"Witches" use their powers to cause harm
The Native American Sage knows the names, characteristics, and stories that associate with the things in nature, they communicate with the "Four Winds" of directions North, East, South, and West.

They greatly value silence, for from true inner peace form the most meaningful words.

Prayer is to the Great Spirit
The Symbols do not represent the meaning but they embody the actual meaning.
A Shaman is the Eagle, as he dances as an Eagle dances he becomes the Eagle. The amulet's symbol becomes the actual force it represents. I am inferring this is what is meant by this.

The spiritual person embodies spiritual values: honesty, wisdom, courage, etc. In other words, "He is a kind human being"
Their purpose is to find a meaningful joyful life, to deepen their connection with their creator and discover their calling.
These spiritual practices to deepen their understanding of purpose include: Praying, Fasting, Dancing, Chanting, Dream Interpretation, Sacrifice and so on.

Tobacco:

According to the Native Americans tobacco was used to communicate with the spirits. It is their sacred herb of prayer.
Wild Tobacco or Indian Tobacco is said to contain the highest spiritual power.
Tobacco is offered as a gift to Native American Healers, who will use various native techniques to heal the patient of their spiritual illness. The abilities of these healers to heal cancerous tumors, infections, and other illnesses seems incredible. The Native American healer looks for symbolism and meanings to the illness, rather than hand the patient a prescription to treat the perceived manifestation of the sickness.

They rely much on intuition to treat the patient. They look at the whole of the picture, learn more about all the circumstances that could lead to this sort of illness. But, sometimes they will direct them to other measures if there is only one medical solution.
They also use empowerment techniques, have them take charge of their own health.


I would love to do this sometime. I hope any of SWIYs found this helpful insight. If any are seeking aid to addictions, issues with mental health, although they do not claim to be professionals they treat the body, spirit, and mind...and connect it with the roots...
I think that it is worth looking into for anyone.


The core idea of the book I am reading, is that you address the plant not for just it's physical properties, but you can somehow connect on a level with the plant, and if you can find this connection, it has the power to heal a certain ailment.


~SeeingRed

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Enlightening
	Awesome post
	good subject, have a nice one

[Nature Boy]

Although the power of positive suggestion is indeed an incredible thing, there are limits to what it can achieve. A wise patient should never turn their back on what we know works. If one finds solace in alternative medicine, all power to you but keep your eyes open, don't get ripped off and don't sell yourself out to what may not be able to heal you when faced with certain ailments. Just remember, any supposed cure that apparently fixes what could have fixed itself on its own does not deserve full credit.

Reputation Comments on this post:

point well made

[seeingred]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

Although the power of positive suggestion is indeed an incredible thing, there are limits to what it can achieve. A wise patient should never turn their back on what we know works. If one finds solace in alternative medicine, all power to you but keep your eyes open, don't get ripped off and don't sell yourself out to what may not be able to heal you when faced with certain ailments. Just remember, any supposed cure that apparently fixes what could have fixed itself on its own does not deserve full credit.

The true Native American healers never ask for any money. Out of respect you usually offer a home-made pouch of tobacco, or food if they are in need of them, but it is up to the seeker. I have never tried this, and although there are certain things that you know can't be healed by Native American Medicine alone, the medicine definitely has a positive effect when used in the right ways on people who are open to this sort of thing.

[The Dreamer]

I don't think that we are simply talking about a placebo here. The Native American worldview embraces many concepts that I wish were a part of my own cultural upbringing. Certainly when you look at all the preservative-laced food we eat and the synthetic compounds we naively call 'edible' there is a great deal of wisdom in revering a natural lifestyle.

Now, certainly if I were dying of cancer I would much rather talk to a modern physician than a Lakota shaman. However, when it comes to my mental health I think some of the ancient ways are far superior to our modern psychological treatments. Perhaps the OP could clarify what he means by an 'illness.'

[seeingred]

They mean all illlness: physical, spiritual, and mental too.
SWIM read this one true example of a woman who came to this healer because of many ailments, the healer automatically detected there was an emergency and took her to the hospital, it turned out she had a tumor or cancer. Although she had only 24 hours in least and a few months to live at best in the hospital. This healer sat with her every day and used his Native American medicine tecnniques. She recovered and lived another year but eventually did die. And he doesn't deny practical medicine.
The book is called: Honoring the Medicine by Kenneth Cohen.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for the book recommendation. I read some reviews, and it looks very good!

[The Dreamer]

Yes I think that psychologically Western Medicine does an awful job of healing people. I don't think that anything else has ever held a torch to what it understands (and can therefore cure) in the physical body. But when it comes to the dignity of a life (especially non-human) and an inner sense of well being our culture has lost its way.

Reputation Comments on this post:

yeah i agree sad but true

[seeingred]

Originally Posted by The Dreamer

Yes I think that psychologically Western Medicine does an awful job of healing people. I don't think that anything else has ever held a torch to what it understands (and can therefore cure) in the physical body. But when it comes to the dignity of a life (especially non-human) and an inner sense of well being our culture has lost its way.

I couldn't agree more.

[nuffsaid420]

Does there then need to be an integration between the Western medicine and traditional healing?

I have seen this question many times, and believe the truth of it is that sometime both are necessary.


Thanks for the insight.

[sgurrman]

Yes, I suspect that some kind of integration would be the most effective thing. The trouble is that the basic world-views and assumptions of the shamanic and modern western views are so different, bringing them together is not easy to imagine. Whenever I have to visit my local GP (doctor) I am taken aback by most of their lack of understanding of the 'psychological' factor in health.

An interesting case is that of the Nepalese shamans that Christian Ratsch and others write about in 'Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas'. Though shamans, with a fairly classic shamanic understanding of how the cosmos works, they recognise and appreciate the value of certain gifts from the western tradition. Antibiotics, for example, they are very pleased to be able to use within their societies. So this is quite a good example of a pragmatic approach, rather than getting too hung up on an 'either/or' approach.

[The Dreamer]

Honestly, I think this is going to be a sticking point for as long as we hold on to our old worn out philosophy. I'm not saying that my philosophy is much better but it's pretty clear that we're getting to a point as a society where we need to start over philosophically. This doesn't mean that we should throw out all our accumulated science but it needs a new framework to settle into.

[Fat Cop]

I believe in the plant spirit. These types of things usually dont make any sense intill you apply your own meaning to the words. Entheogens have the potentail to release their spirit inside of you and than you will discover how to do something or discover something about yourself and the world. Then after the experience is over the spirit of the plant remains within you. Than you can call on it at anytime to remind you how or why. This is how entheogens can cure depression without continuous use.

And for physical illness, I believe that could possibly be cured by will power and love. Though believing that makes immortality seem possible.