Anh Pham-Week 5

 In the past, individuals with mental illness have been looked down upon and discriminated against. The stigma around mental health is one of the issues our society has yet to get rid of. However, in the present day, it is becoming more and more important. Scientists are constantly finding ways to treat mental disorders and the stigma is significantly reduced.

      To shamans, mental illnesses are spiritual emergencies, as well as spiritual crises, and need to be regarded as such to aid the healer in being born, according to the article “What a Shaman sees in a Mental Hospital” by Stephanie Marohn. Moreover, in the Daraga tradition, the people who were increasing the pain of the inmates on the mental hospital ward were actually attempting  to merge with the inmates in order to get messages through to this world. The people they had chosen to merge with were getting no assistance in learning how to be a bridge between the worlds and the beings’ attempts to merge were prevented. Further, the rituals tend to focus on healing the relationship with their ancestors as they believe that if their ancestors are not healed, their sick energy will haunt the souls and psyches of those who has the responsibility for helping them.

Question: Do schizophrenics have the ability to see spirits?