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    Kaja Finkler - Sacred Healing and Biomedicine Compared

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    Kaja Finkler - Sacred Healing and Biomedicine Compared

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    Kaja Finkler - Sacred Healing and Biomedicine Compared

    Uploaded by

    Paula Biju

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Kaa Precise University of Norts Colina at Chapel Hil Sacred Healing and Biomedicine Compared Ths anabss adreses the simlartes and diferencesberween sacred (ialing ant bmeticne along several mportans dimensions that bear (on ih ciferental effets of patents’ experiences of ther treatment ‘lading the physical setng tclogcl bel, diagnose, the proc. ‘erp onl rarmen nt te heigl rem reperttres ond perceptions of ‘iploratin of these die ‘ccs lamintes he nanre of medial regines embedded in disimtar ‘Spot ofknonledge ond reveals the rents and weaknesses ofeach Frecnelys domonsrates the dramanuicel nanre ofthe biomedicine oicarcheconerwithitsinherem undersing conedictons, in conta (the sacred healer poet interactions where the drama stocking. The ‘ampartion reveals the importance of treaoent techniques in sacred Weal in const othe dtr persona in bicmedicelreament, The ee concludes wth a consideration of contonporary sococulal farce hor hove led to the emphats onthe Physician's persona in omedictprocice. (ace healing, bomedicie, doctor patente ‘onship, ealing procs, Mexico] Inrodection “a ths atl, | compare two stems of heling—Spiritalis and biomed ‘ino practical in Meno. Te comparison adresses several dimensions. cding ine physi setting etiological coneepsdagnoses, he protic ‘ati lator. recruitment ao he eaing ole and ene repertores 35 ‘alas iesoce recrant to the patlens perceptions of tir bodes and ther ‘hues, My extensive reaarch on Spieaise healing transformed my’ under SSS or bcmescal practice in Merion ad, tun, my stds of biomedical ‘racton Mexico frites me wih fresh insights ino Spruaistealing in ways [itTna pv ancipted. While my specic focus is on Spirtuaist healing Mihlcband oretiin peoctiod te fhe comparson Muminaes broader S005 ‘Seva saved and timed eeannen Teginens cos-clal “Ars partelpant and observer of bot baling regres an thes pation. ot siarides and distimarties terween secol and sacred Pealng that ‘roan be grasp ofthe fo matial systems and result in diferent impacts on ‘eke Aiopoogy Quarry 82) 178-97 Copyrah © 1994, Asercan Antpogie ASS “Sacneo ea.ne a6 Bonsai Conant " pions. The comparison shod ight onthe nature of medical repines embedded In disiniar systems of knowledge and divergent expences. In practi es, {he compari brings int lle th engin and weaknesses ofboth! ‘Wiis origns nthe 19th ear Spiritualism (Exprtuaiane) la Mexico {stoth a isin eligiovs movemen’ snd ahelh cae delivery sytem (lakler 1961, 1985, 1985. 19860) Spel tmpls, ques eae by women are \wiespeal in Mexico and i be border sates of the Unied States. Spirals ‘provides it followers with clearly fined cos ologcthie,and uel ode, {ranted oly ts adherens though amodivm i vance daring weekly als ‘Sonsstingchistly of sermons (Finklr 1983, 1985). Whi Spiral corpo. Fates an ant-Catbolc stance Fikler 1983), fim sed in JudeoCstian taahings "AS Dealing system, Spiiualsm ministers to hundreds of patenss> The major of the coming Spiritualist temples forthe fet tine seck weamect fiom te healers fer selfassesse, nograve aliments. Dung the period of my ‘tdy, about 10 pean of frst tie pasos became temple regular an parc pan in the movement (Fiskle 19858) “The French model of slic medicine was introduced into Mexico ia the 100 cenmry" At hat ime, Freeh ext replaced the elsial medieval ones pon ‘which Spanish Clonal medicine was based, ané Mexican physics stoi in France. Following Wold War, he Feochinfvence waned, athe US. mecca ‘model came 1 dominate Mexican biomedical pracce an coins io do so (Finkler 1991) However, whe bomsctcine hasbeen Cansporte from the United ‘State o Mexico, ha aleo been cutraly reshaped nt ato-day practic=* Even a synope view of Spriaaltbaalng reveals that Spintalism and biomedicine divege slong many dimensions Spintatism isembeded in sre ‘tond whe bord fs sanctione by secular seleoe. Usiag Klcinman's ‘ppolegy (Kisinman 1978), bimadin i 3 professional syst staffed by profes= ‘onal wth aay year of formal wining and leptmated by We ste Sparuaist ears ae fol provtiones acklng foal academies, academic preparation a fe leptnation And, atbouph te vo systems of being may have developed In Mesico during the sme itoctl period, they are ood Ia dsprate reales and distin epistenologies. Neverbeless, ey become unifed in yo I iy the people who resort to tem, 2 phenomenon that has Been recognized ‘oss-ofuly* Unite adele, ho regard the two healing regimes ss iamexiclly opposed and in competion, he penpe vo sek weannent do not Aistinguish he profound epistemologestdfereacos bet oon sacred eaing, och Spiritualism, and biomedicine Inthe search forthe aleviaion of pai, pragma tesmrevals people judge the eatats they ae piventy te eee. They lok {owt se who provige hem wi the st medicine era giveaskknes episode ‘By and ier people he word over including thse fn the Unie Ses nd ‘Meso, have scum at leat two ditnetve postures roped aleve baling. of which Spntulist healing ote vain On the on hand ek ales ‘se romaticied ao idealized expecially when thy are compared physicians, Tis cam, flkhelers ae usally regarded as enoying an ili relationship with ther ates. On the oder and, folk eater, inctuding Spas, ate imply dismissed s quacks snd chavlsas, impeding the work of physicians The “rgument isc, usually by lal physician, ta pretssboraly cling 180 Meolea ArinoroL0c¥ QUARTERLY ston tiation rete cieluntueetnencnennmareets eee eer or roe pecans nes ages ees OO) See wee in Mexbo alle 985, 1990- Seacoast Se rae on Speen baling. fund tha pues che Seaeeioren tan ated cues cone ttan seme So omnat een Spec caeemeetg ua ete rata Sieabeente amie pues Sect gc Sc ‘Greaalngcontions Mate go spurte rence Span oa se Tate Tape we Yas na Spot pee tetsu avid baer sn pain al a cen res 1983) Sateen po jens nase 2S tg we sto amd pate ad Pte ‘sme Oe 190 oe se omg ered 1212 baer pase nts, oe SoSmntalcthaos Subset 1leedup eae eo mass er apes teamed oh ee a ee paciel Ikea wo 7 ys 1 ko es wae emt er ec of MER canna wif geeacnngcolams elong eabes. aan ps in gel mao Soro Meson — neces arin nen Tes we een pce haan aceon esos ea By sso tn ter pct pans weet Bypass i det piel (el en cr Mc ego mani a Sem ce ee hho in he ¥ Tovcures resort to 4 wie vain of Dealing techy to wea te afc. Spi ey ee ‘Gt coding te oof an exesie parce ae pa gers mgs Pal, parece a8 a calls whe pleat expense ses of les Weer wt ving 2d amyng EAS 9B ue (Wee Spina balers do not provide the patent wih «dei ings td when hey Jos tually cons of informang the person eis tat ‘ SPoss nbc pt a rues exiesion, Noma eee wins Sn sy ahve Sanda Spat ocers WE ‘Aen HeAuno aN Browsbicoes Courant 18 ‘hese ypesofdagnoses. In ether nsanc, the pent reine to eter ining to develop the it for brain or o expel te vl spit Apeaon who dows 30 becomes wha eal egultanadherent of Spal and ct became esr or another typeof temple functonary. When a healer declares tha he pet possessed ofthe if of healing or by an evil spi itis sure way of rcrting bo sient nto the rank of Spiritualism Spiritualist ede and hose who become Fopulrsareerdnry poops hase ves become restructure by thet parcpation in community of persons inuoesed in Week and monthly feligius rituals and ‘by new networks of sections ‘Waite Spsiualist healing apd is practices may be alien wo many readers, Mexican biomaial prod, on fst glance, wil be faa as overall frm ‘The 17 physicians I sade, two of whom ere weren, rplo sme echo logical secourements (fr example, stethoscopes, sphygmomanometer, sales, ray machines) andthe interaonl vocabulary of sae ents falar © physica he world over The government hospi in ich arnt onthe soy ‘a poorly fund, ends impoverished state was feflecte inthe conditions under ‘which he physicians performed Weir medial activites. They recsved pies ‘sal eblesfuishd only witha es apd aco, and they shared stethosopes, ‘ood pressure monitors, and oher basic medical tool. The majority of He ignoses physicians gave to palenls were relaed to oaspecfc etolges, followed by conditon ssoeaed with infections and parses sseited with igestve, genitourinary, and respiratory problems (inks 199) ‘Before turning othe comparison between Spiritualist and biomesial prac- ‘es, Tmt emphasize hat my dlscussonatends to the general slr nd

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