ABSTRACT
The study of alternative methods of healing has a long tradition in the psychological, psychiatric, medical, and anthropological literature. Researchers all over the world have studied different peoples and cultures to determine the origins, definitions, and treatments of illness, whether psychological, medical, or culture bound (Jilek, 1994; Koss-Chioino, 1995; Lefley, Sandoval, & Charles, 1998; Ness & Wintrob, 1981; Tseng & Streltzer, 2001; Westermeyer, 1985; Wing, 1998). For example, researchers have attempted to identify world views, indigenous belief systems, culture-or religionbased attributions about illness, and systems of classification of illness that are unique to specific cultural groups. In many cases, they have attempted to determine whether such healing practices parallel Western methods of understanding and treating illness, the salient curative factors that contribute to resilience and mental health, and the “power” and “magic” of belief systems in protecting persons from illness. Researchers have also attempted to explain why such beliefs are maintained in light of medical and psychiatric advances and how such beliefs affect the utilization of medical and psychiatric services.
