Week 10 - Jane Kwak

Psychology is the study of the mind and its function. This area of study would benefit from the spirit realm in its studies and curriculum, because it could provide different explanations for mental variances. Psychologists commonly view mental or behavioral differences in individuals as problems that need to be fixed. As we have learned from previous readings in this class, specifically week 3 readings, demonstrating different behavior that may seen obscure, does not necessarily mean the individual is broken and needs to be fixed. For example, an individual who is to become a shaman may display certain behaviors that are inferred to have a basis of mental illness. Instead of a mental illness, Dagara people believe it is “good news from the other world” because the individual has been chosen to be a communicator with the spirit realm (2). These alternate methods of thinking about mental and behavioral differences can provide health professionals with alternative methods of healing instead of using medication to suppress or eliminate the “mental illnesses.”

            A challenge of incorporating spirit realm into psychology would be similar to the challenges of incorporating spirit realm in any field of science. Explanations of phenomena of the spirit realm are not usually tangible. The intangibility of the spirit realm creates fear in people, which decreases the likelihood of it being studied.  In psychology, there are methods to observe physical changes in the brain that is used to explain changes in mental processes and behavior. Spirit realm would question these methods and explanations, which could create fear because people would want an explanation about mental illnesses that has been proven to be true. 

            Just like there are trials of drug medication, there should be trials for healing processes. Studies of the spirit realm could provide psychologists with alternative methods such as Shamanistic healing rituals to heal people and understand the reasons for mental differences. These types of trials and studies would be able to demonstrate that aspects of the spirit realm should not be feared and can actually be helpful.

Question:

How can we eliminate peoples’ fear of the unknown? Is providing the history of the aspects of the spirit realm enough?  

Reference:

Marohn, Stephanie. “What a Shaman Sees in a Mental Hospital.” The Mind Unleashed: Uncover Your True Potential. 2014.

Visual:

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/practice-psychology-japan