Page 18 - NAMAH-Oct-2019

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

paradigm shift within psychiatry, similar to globally in plural ways of thinking.
examples in Brazil, where mainstream doctors
have worked together with traditional healers Are we willing to collaborate?
for the last 50 years. Change is occurring:
in UK a new group British Spiritist Medical Those of us in the academic disciplines of
Association was recently set up by Brazilian Religious Studies, Psychiatry, Transpersonal
scholars. Let us also acknowledge the Psychology, Paranormal Psychology and
work of Stephen Harrod Buhner (25) and Medical Anthropology — I am writing to
support those who have what he calls ‘open ask if we could create a bridge amongst
gating’ with deep sensitivity to sound and ourselves? It would be marvellous to
environment. see more profound dialogue between the
various disciplines: scholars sitting together
Conclusion: addressing current dilemmas around a table, exploring the phenomenology
of anomalous experiences for the benefit of
I propose war and trauma not only damages those who experience mental distress. Again
soldiers, ‘victims’ and their descendants, I invite academic scholars to compare the
but also the general population, who may phenomenology of experiences which result in
unconsciously, energetically and spontaneously mental distress. Could we use our research data
access trauma of both the living and the dead. to compare and contrast the lived phenomena
This may cause horrific visionary memories, of human experience? As more people learn
unattributable depression, or result in further about other states of consciousness, this would
acts of terror, that may or may not be a positively enhance our global dialogue around
result of over or wrong medication. For the mental health. Let us acknowledge the multiple
above insights to be sustainable, we need layers of understanding for addressing health
to ensure our education system in medical and wellbeing.
and healthcare establishments, religious
experience, psychology and parapsychology References
departments, is up-to-date with our new
understandings on culture and altered states 1. Tobert N. Thinking the Unthinkable: Ancestral
of consciousness. The long-term aim of this Memories and Consciousness. Paradigm Explorer
work is to promote social wellbeing according 3, Scientific and Medical Network 2018: 12.
to the spirit of our times. We need to work
together. 2. Thomson H. Study of Holocaust survivors
finds trauma passed on to children’s genes,
There is a problem, not just with front line The Guardian, 21 August 2015. [Online] https://
medical and healthcare staff, but with the www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/21/
education system as a whole and with politics. study-of-holocaust-survivors-finds-trauma-
New students may be trained in old ways passed-on-to-childrens-genes (Accessed August
of thinking about anomalous phenomena. 2019)
This is unfortunate for those who suffer from
mental breakdown, extreme experiences, or 3. Yehuda R. How Trauma and Resilience cross
spiritual emergency. We must train staff Generations, WNYC Radio broadcasts, New

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