Religion & Culture | The missing part of a spiritual healing

There is something heady, almost intoxicating about being called a spiritual healer. There are online courses on self-healing and healing others. In the pentecostal and charismatic movements, the faithful secretly and openly desire the many biblical gifts promised, including ‘laying of the hands.’ Surely, of all the gifts, healing stands tallest, for obvious reasons. Therein is the power to rid oneself and others of pain, to even give a new lease of life to the sick and suffering; at least that is what one believes. Yes, the role of healer is a vaunted one.

But there is a problem with this religious narrative. Not every malaise is caused by negative forces. And not every problem is the work of enemies bent on destroying us through spiritual means. This has led to the gross misunderstanding and abuse of West Indian spiritualism, and in particular the gospel. Among Christians is belief that Satan, the sworn enemy of humankind, lurks, ever mischievous and ever willing to break our will through diseases and suffering. It follows that we are supposedly attacked by spirits that command diseases: cancer and sloth and gluttony, psychosis, alcoholism, and so on. At one time Satan and his lieutenants were supposedly behind Tourette’s Syndrome, dissociative identity disorders (multiple personality disorder) and even autism. The list of spirits and their maleficent purviews is exhaustive.

We respond to these attacks with orations and evocations using the sacred name of Jesus to bind and dispel this evil. In a non-Christian setting other methods are employed. But are these approaches based on reason?

Recently, I was asked to look into a case of a child that was ostensibly stricken by evil. The parents were convinced that their child was possessed. There was no possible explanation for the five-year-old boy’s incorrigibility, his swearing and screaming, almost bestially. Understandably searching for a quick solution they went to a number of Christian ministers holding firm that they would never seek obeah for relief. Their every effort proved futile. The boy’s alarming intransigence continued.

In another case, I was asked to ‘treat’ a woman in her 20s suffering with acute depression supposedly caused by the malicious spiritual practices of her estranged boyfriend.

And in my most recent case, a middle-age woman was convinced that her deceased son was haunting her apartment. She opted to stay at her friend’s house every night and returned to her residence in the morning.

The knee-jerk reaction of the victims (and the loved ones in the case of the child) was based on their religious and cultural upbringing.

Non-genuine healers

Most times a rush to judgement opens the door to manipulation by so-called healers. The gullible have forked up thousands of dollars for a quick fix, looking down blind alleys where charlatans lurk. In some instances the healer is genuine but is ill equipped to meaningfully address the problem.

Regarding the cases mentioned, I advised that the child be examined by a social worker or psychiatrist. Initially, it was rejected by the parents for they resisted the thought of their child having a mental problem. I based my suggestion on a series of questions to the parents regarding their relationship, home and school environment, and adaptive skills of their son. Children can react in abnormal ways to an unhealthy home environment.

As for the young woman who thought she was under a spiritual attack, she conceded that she was once diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffered psychologically as a child when her father left home to never return. She also said that she was prone to making poor decisions in choosing boyfriends. I encouraged her to see a licensed psychotherapist.

In the final case of the mother that lost her only child, I concluded that she was traumatised by her son’s sudden demise. She was grieving, projecting her strong emotions into ‘real’ phenomena. She needed an experienced bereavement counsellor. A spiritual worker would have only heightened her neurotic state.

The authentic healer must be knowledgeable in the field of psychology. The right questions must be asked in the initial interview. The dynamics of the mind explains a host of pathological behaviours we instinctively attribute to spirits. True spiritual maladies are rare. The healer is cautioned against precipitance and must be judicious when proceeding. If a malady or behaviour cannot be explained after exhausting every medical and psychological diagnosis, spiritual forces are possibly the culprits. Such is highly likely if the victim has dabbled in the occult. If bedeviled by spirits, the victim will display an aversion to sacred objects, speak in a foreign tongue (another language) that is indistinguishable from a native speaker, will demonstrate precognitive abilities or display superhuman strength. Short of these characteristics, the healer is not dealing with a spiritual malady and should immediately refer the person to a medical professional.

In the case of genuine spiritual attacks it is impossible to codify a generic treatment for every case demands a different response. But one thing is certain: the most efficacious of treatments are usually outside the customary rites and formulae of conventional religion.

- Dr Glenville Ashby is an award-winning author. His upcoming book ‘Conflict of Identity: From the Slave Trade to Present Day – One’s Man’s Healing in Benin’ will be released in October 2019.Email feedback to editorial@gleanerjm.com and glenvilleashby@gmail.com, or tweet @glenvilleashby