ABSTRACT
The relationship between art and healing can be traced back to the earliest form of medicine – which is shamanism. Shamans incorporated drumming, music, imagery, drama, and ritual to evoke spirit and to promote healing. Anthropologists tell us that shamanism is found in every culture in the world. Shamans taught that in order to heal, you must treat the spirit first, and they employed the arts to do so. When a person fell ill, the shaman asked three questions: When did you stop telling your story? When did you stop going into the silence? And, when did you stop singing?
