ABSTRACT
In dealing with Kaqchikel hearts, souls, bodies, and beliefs, the authors shows that the complex and overlapping nature of the concepts and issues. Ultimately, as with all religions, beliefs and symbolic meanings vary significantly from individual to individual, as each interprets the precepts of received doctrine through the lens of personal experience. Kaqchikel conceptions of the self influence how people look at the world in subtle and profound ways. But these conceptions are open to active interpretation, and individuals deploy them in varying contexts and toward varying ends. Key words such as k'u'x and anima that refer to the core being of a Kaqchikel person are complex and play an important role in the cultural meanings that are played out daily in highland social life. People claim to recover from physical ailments after Maya healing ceremonies. Very often the diagnosis involves uncovering interpersonal conflict and the prescribed cure usually involves resolving these conflicts, practically and spiritually.
