Spiritual Power: Emic and Etic Perspectives

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Shamanistic healing is a special practice mainly of the people in Asia. The commentary presented by Yer Moua Xiong is written from a first person perspective to aid in the process of immersing oneself in the culture, and understanding truly what shamanism is all about. One central belief of the Shamans is the ability for the human soul to drift and wander, or even become lost from its host (Xiong 2003: 183). The body can host many souls, of which all can wander or be lost forever from a physical limb or organ detachment from the body (lecture, 1/25). The soul is the essence of life, without which a body will become ill or even die (Xiong 2003: 183). Deceased relatives of a patient will try to contact the patient by making them sick (Xiong 2003: 184). Therefore, the goal of the Shaman is to find the cause of an illness, generally believed to be a missing soul, and heal the person. As stated in the commentary, “The first time that I perform a healing ceremony, I must…search for the cause of illness (Xiong 2003: 184).”

The shaman travels to the land of the spirits to fight for the missing soul. The ritualistic ceremony involves the beating of drums, speaking in a foreign language, touching and dancing (Kister 2008: 76). The shaman will perform these actions, as he feels that he is fighting with the spirits for the patients soul. When the shaman travels to the land of the spirits, he feels like a defense lawyer, and must promote his patient and convince the spirits that they should not eat his tasty soul (lecture, 1/27). When the shaman goes in to trance, he brings an animal for sacrifice. The shaman offers the spirits the animals’ soul, which is generally more tasty and wanted, than the patients’ soul. After a long spiritual battle...

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...res. (Hayes 2009: 60). Women are taught at a very young age that their worth in society lies in attractiveness, ability to be a good housewife, stay faithful, and accept that their husbands cheat on them. They are used as sexual objects, and expected to be faithful, which sends “deeply discordant messages about their sexuality (Hayes 2009: 65).”

Some women have committed themselves to plastic surgery, which continually instigates the sexual stigma, while others claim the presence of a Pomba Gira. Without financial resources, many women cannot afford a psychiatrist and are forced to deal with their sexual problems themselves (Hayes 2009: 67). The idea of a Pomba Gira sounds much like an imaginary friend that you can place as a scapegoat, and because it has been so religiously and culturally inscribed in the Afro-Brazilian lives, people accept it for the real thing.

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