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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | African Breathing and Spiritual Healing |
Authors: | Edwards, Steve Nzima, Dumisani Thwala, Jabu Makunga, Nomahlubi |
Year: | 2006 |
Periodical: | Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems |
Volume: | 5 |
Issue: | 2 |
Pages: | 135-144 |
Language: | English |
Geographic terms: | Africa South Africa |
Subjects: | healing rites healers African religions Zulu Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Religion and Witchcraft Miscellaneous (i.e. Demography, Refugees, Sports) |
Abstract: | Discerning visitors to Africa typically have an 'ancestral-roots' experience on encountering an essential humanity and communal spirituality which may seem lacking in their home communities. This is scarcely surprising when it is considered that converging lines of evidence from various scientific disciplines all point consistently to Africa as the cradle of civilization for all humanity. In its original, essential and literal meaning, psychology is concerned with the breath, energy, consciousness, soul or spirit of life that leaves a person at death and continues in some other form. Such an essential and spiritual form of psychology, still practised internationally, has its roots in African communal spirituality and spiritual community. Today, such reality remains concretely apparent in South Africa in the experience of the Zulu diviner of being 'breathed' by the ancestors during the divine healing process (ukububula kwedlozi) and in the mobilizing of spiritual healing power (umoya) by African Indigenous Church faith healers. This paper makes clear some of the implications of this ancient theme of African breathing and spiritual healing for the promotion of health for contemporary humanity. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract] |