Week 4-Uyen Ngo

I have spoken of my struggles between medicine vs. my beliefs in spirits. The article makes an argument that I have come to stand by within these past few weeks, which is "of course science will offer some valuable new directions, but at the same time we must expand our vision to seek non-scientific alternatives" (Collective Evolution). When the Maori people were brought up, it got me thinking about America. New Zealand is a country of advancements much like countries such as Norway or Sweden or Australia, countries who have made countless medical contributions. However, they are still very much in touch with their spiritual side, their ancestors and their traditions. 

There is often this narrative of Western Medicine vs. the Spiritual World. It is the explanation that is often given when we question why America does not embrace its spiritual side. It makes it seem like it is it impossible to be both. And in this narrative, it seems as if medicine/science is the winner. However we must remember that while there are flaws with shamanism in the Western world, there are countless of flaws with science because the truth is" science reigns supreme and blinds most of our students, like the vast majority of us, to the diverse and richly varied paths to knowledge offered by other civilisations, contemporary and historic" (Collective Evolution). It can sometimes close our eyes off to other possibilities, an ideal that science actually preaches. It makes us narrow minded and disconnects us from other aspects of life. We must use New Zealand as proof that the rivalry is not needed, and that when we combine the benefits of both teams, we can become a stronger force.

Works Cited

The Scientific and Medical Network. ““We are not alone” The Shamans of the World Tells Us.”