Dangerous Beliefs: Superstitions in Philippine Culture

1362 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ancient Egyptian medicines still used today

Past or Present
Superstitions are part of our daily lives. We deal with these superstitions as we go on with our everyday lives, whether we are fully aware of it, or not. Even with the progress we have with modern science and technology, it is still very hard to shake of these superstitious beliefs. Mainly because it is so deeply rooted in our culture, and has been with us almost since the beginning of time. The adamant belief of the vast majority with these superstitions, also aid into the etching these beliefs in our daily lives.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, or any colony to the country, the Philippines had its share of various medicine men ranging from hilot to manghihilot, manghihila, magtatawas, and the familiar, herbolario. During the time, these practices were considered to be effective mainly because the doctors of the past were dedicated to treating their patients. The skill of alternative healing was passed on from generation to generation, often in the form of apprenticeships. The kind of medical assistance these healers provided were quality service and the results were even greater. The kind of medicine that the early medicine men provided were even considered to be more advanced by the ones in Europe, says Edward Bourne (26). The number of healers that the Philippines had at the time was one of the reasons why traditional medicine helped improved the health of the people.
As time passed, and technology has improved, most of the rural areas in the Philippines have been isolated and thus, are stuck in the past with what is now considered to be outdated forms of medication. In addition to this, bizarre superstitions regarding medicine have arisen, as well. Superstitions are still as popular as it were back the...

... middle of paper ...

...y of the Philippine Islands. The A.
H. Clark company, Cleveland, O, 1907.
Felix, Jr., Alfonso. Mang Pedro de Leon, herbolario. Manila: Historical Conservation Society,
1989. Print.
Guing, M. D., Rodolfo. Philippine Medical Superstitions Told in Parables. Lingayen,
Pangasinan: Gumawid Press, 1960. Print.
Hart, Joanne . "12 dangerous home remedies | Health24." Health24. 24.com, 9 Jan. 2014. Web. 1
Feb. 2014. remedies-20120721>. Reeling, Jennifer, ed. "Superstitions in Medicine." JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical
Association 295.1 (2006): 113-113. Print.
Sekeres, M. D., M. S., Mikkael. "Very Superstitious." Journal of Clinical Oncology 30.24 (2012):
3026-3027. Print.
Vyse, Ph. D., Stuart. Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1997. Print.

Show More
Related

  • The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Anne Fadiman

    1624 Words  | 4 Pages

    This book addresses one of the common characteristics, and challenges, of health care today: the need to achieve a working knowledge of as many cultures as possible in health care. The Hmong population of Merced, California addresses the collision between Western medicine and holistic healing traditions of the Hmong immigrants, which plays out a common dilemma in western medical centers: the need to integrate modern western medicinal remedies with aspects of cultural that are good for the well-being of the patient, and the belief of the patient’s ability to recuperate. What we see is a clash, or lack of integration in the example of the story thereof. Lia, a Hmong child with a rare form of epilepsy, must enter the western hospital instead of the Laotian forest. In the forest she would seek out herbs to remedy the problems that beset her, but in the west she is forced to enter the western medical hospital without access to those remedies, which provided not only physical but spiritual comfort to those members of the Hmong culture. The herbs that are supposed to fix her spirit in the forest are not available in the western hospital. The Merced County hospital system clashes with Hmong animist traditions.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down

    1772 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is important to consider that the Hmong had their own way of spiritual beliefs and religious healing practices. However, after the community decided to exclude Lia from the applications and advantages of modern medicine, the condition of the young girl worsened (Parish, 2004, p. 131). It was not at all wrong to humanize medicine, but apparently, as a multi-cultural community, the Hmong people became too ignorant and indignant over the applications and benefits of modern medicine applications. Staying firm over their religious affiliations and conduct, the maximum effect of healing became misaligned and ineffective. This was the misunderstanding that should be cleared in the story. There would have been probable results if the Hmong community chose to collaborate with the modern society without needing to disregard or compromise their own values and religious affiliations and

    Read More

  • Superstitions And Etiquette In Puerto Rico

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    Puerto Rico is the neighbor to the south of Florida. There is a growing population of Puerto Ricans in the United States. There is also a large United States interest in Puerto Rico. It is important to understand the culture of our neighbor should the United States wish to continue a positive relationship as well as globalization. Understanding the superstitions and the proper business etiquette in Puerto Rico can serve as a glimpse into the culture of the island.

    Read More

  • Cross-Cultural Communication In The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    From a western perspective, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable population and need to be given extra attention and precautions. I shadowed a pharmacist working at a children’s hospital and observed the level of care given to the patients. Fadiman evidently wants the reader to understand how cultural differences can become a barrier in providing medical care. Bruce Thowpaou Bliatout, a Hmong medical administrator, provides some measures to improve Hmong healthcare, including minimizing blood drawing, allowing shamanic ceremonies in the hospital, involving family and encouraging traditional arts.

    Read More

  • David Brooks’ op-ed “The Undying Tragedy”

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    pp. 41-84. Pine Forge Press, Thousand Oaks, Calif. Pigg, Stacy Leigh. (1997) "Found in Most Traditional Societies: Traditional Medical Practitioners between Culture and Development.”

    Read More

  • Satire In Huck Finn

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    An example of this would be the fortune telling hairball and the rattlesnake skin. Jim also states during the first few chapters that his body hair is a sign of his future wealth. The signs have no correlation to their meanings and seem ludicrous and silly to those reading about them. Another moment where superstitions became important would be after Jim and Huck Finn 's separation in the fog. When Huck Finn lies to Jim about their separation being a dream Jim begins to tell Huck his interpretation of the dream as a warning. It shows that to the superstitious, signs and meanings can be applied to everything and anything. Later on in the book, while helping Jim to escape, Tom and Huck Finn lie to Nat about odd occurrences caused by their plans. Because Nat is superstitious he is quick to blame witches and believes Tom and Huck Finn 's lies. This allows Tom 's overly complicated plans to take off without a

    Read More

  • The Black Plague And Its Influence On European Culture

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today doctors can treat this disease with minimal efforts, however, during the 14th century very few weren’t sure on how this disease actually spread and therefore didn’t know how to treat it. Physicians used to practice crude and unorthodox techniqu...

    Read More

  • The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Summary

    1639 Words  | 4 Pages

    Instead they show that modern medicine could learn a lot from them as these are practices that were put to use for hundreds of years by our ancestors and that although not all of their medicinal ways might have worked or been the best, they did have a sense of identifying when something was wrong and trying to treat it. Much of the Hmongs treatments can be seen in resemblance to the Latin cultures as well with the use of herbal medications and cleanses as well as their stories about one’s journey throughout

    Read More

  • aboriginal medicine

    1955 Words  | 4 Pages

    Illness was treated in many ways but the main goal was to achieve a sense of balance and harmony.(p82). Applications of herbs and roots, spiritual intervention, and community wide ritual and ceremonies were all therapeutic practices.(p71). “It was the healer who held the keys to the supernatural and natural worlds and who interpreted signs, diagnosed disease and provided medicines from the grassland, woodland, and parkland pharmacopoeia.”(p18). The healers knowledge of herbs and roots and ways to administer and diagnose had been passed down from generation to generation.(p85). Healers stood as an advantage for the Aboriginal people. “Trust and a personal relationships would naturally build between the patient and the healer.”(p77). This must have ...

    Read More

  • Europeans and Native Americans In The New World

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although medicine has come along way especially in recent years, there were medicine men and wom...

    Read More

  • Superstitions In Julius Caesar

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first aspect of superstition impacting our lives we’ll explore is the idea of superstitions causing us to spend money. According to the financial firm Forbes, “Superstition is a billion dollar industry. Every year, Americans spend a substantial amount of their disposable income on superstitious items such as 4 leaf

    Read More

  • Lack of Food Safety in America

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Food Safety Facts and Figures - Home Food Safety." Home Food Safety. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Web. 23 Feb 2014.

    Read More

  • Native American Medicine and Spiritual Healing

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Medicine men utilize the use of herbs, ceremony, song, stories and prayer to treat each person individually. Medicine men’s healing beliefs advocates a personalized treatment plan for each individual’s unique health problems. Consequently The medicine man is unswervingly devoted to his calling for his entire life, both publicly and privately. Frequently he fasted and his thoughts would reflect upon the supernatural. Publicly his duties were numerous and onerous; dedicated children to the Great Spirit, carried out the setting up of the chief, conferred military honors on the warrior, held leadership positions for war, enforced orders, appointed officers for the buffalo hunts, and when planting the maize he decided on the time to plant.

    Read More

  • Medicine in the Middle Ages

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people didn’t believe in medicine at all. The most commonly used treatment was prayer. Ordinary people relied on methods their parents and grandparents used, such as lucky charms, magic spells and herbal cures. Some of the herbal cures were quite useful.

    Read More

  • Alternative Medicine Essay

    2885 Words  | 6 Pages

    Unorthodox systems of medicine were first developed in Europe and the United states in the late 1700s but were not completely adopted by doctors until the 1800s. Traditional, or orthodox medicine was established in the West through a process of “regulation, association, institution building and systematized medical education” (Coulter & Willis 2004) and any form of deviance threatened that. During the Revolutionary ...

    Read More

More about Dangerous Beliefs: Superstitions in Philippine Culture

Open Document