Page 16 - NAMAH-Oct-2019

Namah Vol. 27, Issue 3, 15th October 2019

existence. Eastern assumptions concerned pathologised. I do discuss non-Western
rebirth and repeated incarnations, where the perspectives around mental well being in
body was porous and could be influenced by much more detail in my Cultural Perspectives
external forces. Importantly they believed book (16).
mental illness was an episode, and religion
and spirituality were important to health. It seemed that both actual and remembered
I too believed symptoms of distress were trauma could equally be triggers of distress.
an episode and found certain bio-medical This suggested to me that people who present
assumptions around ‘illness for life’ shocking. to our medical and health care services with
mental distress might be invited to explore
Wondering about spiritist perspectives narratives of their deep history in open dialogue
or within counselling. However how do we
I wondered to what extent my interpretation start to educate staff in different ways of
of experiences was transferable to others. Was thinking about the self and support ways of
it possible that in the West our mental health training, asking people about their narratives?
had become more severe, both as a result of I doubt we need to know intellectually about
unacknowledged present trauma, but also as each and every previous experience in order
a result of unacknowledged past-life traumatic to release it. Perhaps we just need to hold
events which resulted in sudden death? Or the intention to release all traumas across all
might people have experienced unsolicited time and space? Is this spiritual or emotional
profound empathy with an ancient person’s bypassing as certain psychologists might
experience? One perspective of those who suggest (17), or can we use healing strategies
held spiritist beliefs was that when people that are simply available to us now?
were killed suddenly, they may not know
they were dead. They may not be aware Who cares about our beliefs on mental
their body had died, and an aspect of health?
their consciousness may wander around,
overshadowing living people who expressed In the West there are several groups of
emotions they recognised (13, 14). In Tibet people who express dissatisfaction with
there is a long tradition of reciting prayers current models for mental health diagnosis
for days, to ensure no aspect of a deceased and treatment. These include: culturally
person remains clinging to earth (15). new migrants, refugees and asylum seekers;
patients and their families with experience of
Such perspectives and cultural understandings the mental health system; psychiatrists who
are not accepted universally: beliefs considered know their training does not fit the spirit of
normal in some parts of the world may be our times and psychologists aware of the
considered delusional in the West. This conflict importance of personal history. In addition there
of interpretation matters because it influences are original indigenous inhabitants of Australia,
how people are treated when they have Africa, Canada and USA who do not want their
disturbing inner experiences or remote narratives about religious experiences and
perception. Particularly in the West, people altered states of consciousness pathologised
who are new migrants or refugees may be by a colonial host population: they prefer

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