Week 2 Blog (Jennifer Agcanas)

Week 2 Topic: Spirit Healers
Jennifer Agcanas
ASA189B

Through today's presentation by  Houa L. Her, a shaman herself, speaking on behalf of the United Hmong Shaman Organization, I was able to heavily connect Pa Lor through her article "The Journey between two Worlds" to Houa L. Her in that they both had similar shaman calling experiences. For instance, they both tried to dismiss and suppress their shaman callings growing up but once they both decided to embrace their power as a shaman, it became a gift. My knowledge in shamanism through this reading and the presentation today, especially on shamans in Hmong culture, has helped me developed an understanding and interest in something I never thought I'd delve into a million years but I feel enlightened and have a way better understanding of what a shaman precisely is and their (spiritual healing) duties.

Considering that shamanism has been prevalent in Hmong culture ever since Hmong people have existed reveals that minorities like Hmongs try their best to preserve their ancestral spiritual practices.  I think it's our duty to help understand and support minorities' ancestral cultural practices since the unwavering passion they devote towards preserving them is admirable and the stories they have to offer are truly awe-inspiring and mind provoking in which anyone can gain wisdom/insight from once they choose to have an open mind and heart. Growing up, I wasn't really exposed to other belief practices and didn't have quite the mental capacity to even understand them, especially in the spirit realm, so I feel intrigued in learning about them on a deeper level/understanding now that I'm older.

Additionally, hearing about shamanism being accepted as a form of spiritual healing alongside doctors in at least one hospital in California reveals times are changing in both spirit/religious realm and hospital care. There's so much beauty in this news since it reveals that in fact science and spirit realm/religion can coexist. I'm a firm advocate for this since I've always had an intuition for spirituality and the idea that higher spiritual forces can help cure but also into the belief that the sciences and medicine can also offer knowledge and cures. My question is: Has there actually been a good amount of evidence showing whether the intervention of a spiritual healer alongside the use of science/medicine caused a significant recovery on the patient(s)?