Faith Diagnosis, Medical Healing

My friend coprinus is a doctor working down in Guatemala. If I understand his goals correctly, he is trying to understand the traditional network and practice of medicine at the local level (concentrating mostly on what we might call mid-wives among indigenous peoples of the area) in order to see how various resources might be brought to further empower and strengthen these medical workers.

An interesting story posted on his blog/field journal caught my attention. In it, he describes a traditional healer (an aq’omanel) who has what can only be called a professional medical knowledge of the plant life in the area. Not only does he know which plant can be used to treat which ailment, but he knows exact preparation techniques and dosages as well. As corpinus puts it:

When he is talking to me about individual plants and their uses, he sounds a lot like an allopath or a pharmacist. For example, I ask for a natural treatment for caries and he gives me a prescription down to the ounce, duration, method of application. He does this for at lest a dozen conditions: gastritis, diabetes, ulcers, lice, dandruff, menstrual irregularities, and so on. When however, he starts talking about diagnosis things change.

It seems that while the aq'omanel relies on medical knowledge for healing, he relies chiefly upon spiritual practice for diagnosis

He tells me how it is very important for the aq’omanel to meditate and pray every day. Without this spiritual discipline he will be unable to diagnose properly. He talks about how once when he was working in the fields he came across some sacred stones, which he says were a gift from someone. I do not catch who exactly: God, or his ancestors, or the spirit of the mountain? He states his grandfather also had sacred stones, and his mother also used a piece of sacred jade in her work. The method that Diego uses to diagnose is to manipulate these stones over the body of the patient, then he can sense in his soul what is the proper diagnosis. Divination is an essential element of the work of many traditional healers. The use of stones, which come as sacred gifts, is very common.

He also talks about the role of belief in the healing process. How important it is for the patient to have faith in the power of the remedies and of the aq’omanel. At the same time, he talks about the importance of rigorous compliance with the prescriptions

The story struck me for a couple of reasons. One is the fact that this aq'omanel sees no conflict in embracing both spiritual and medicinal means to ridding the body of physical ailments. It reminded me of the recent recognition in many of America's medical schools that good doctors should be sensitive to the religious beliefs and faith needs of their patients. The second thing that struck me is the contrast with the Christian practice of faith healing. In that practice, typically someone comes with ailment that has already been medically diagnosed by a doctor, but which medicine was unable to cure. Then God is invoked to bring healing to the person. But here with the aq'omanel, things are reversed. Spiritual assistance is sought at the first step, diagnosis, rather than the last.