Week 3 - Alyssa Vang

ASA 189B - Spirit Realm: What a Shaman See's in a Mental Hospital

  When it comes to shamanism, I feel like this is a topic you should really know about and have appreciation before you judge other peoples beliefs. Shamanism is different than praying or doing good deeds when you go to church, it has to do with your own spirituality and soul. As said before you must believe in the spirit and soul in order for shamanism to work. When a person is sick (like the article says) you are or can be connected to as being a healer and when it comes to being a healer it's a large task a person has to take. 

    Because I was born Shaman, I try to stay open minded in other ways of curing other than shamanism, I wouldn't want to exclude medical help but I wish that people who do believe in medication through hospitals believed in the same way I thought about them and be open minded towards other ways like shamanism. But just because of a certain behavior, they shouldn't group you in a quick grouping to get your check up over with. This goes with the topic we were talking about in class how if you are ever in a hospital always have someone there to help you 24/7 because anything can happen. I feel like hospital nowadays just do things quickly to get it over with the day and not even really care for the client. 

          I appreciate the doctor (Dr. Some) in the reading because he was able to go to long ways in order to help Alex and what do you know, it did help him and he became more successful then ever attending Harvard! If his parents never let him go to Africa, I don't think he would be in the position he is now. They would have probably taken him to a psych ward and have him take medications everyday.