Three perspectives on ukuthwasa: the view from traditional beliefs, western psychiatry and transpersonal psychology

Booi, Beauty Ntombizanele

Title: Three perspectives on ukuthwasa: the view from traditional beliefs, western psychiatry and transpersonal psychology
Creator: Booi, Beauty Ntombizanele
Subject: Healers -- South Africa
Subject: Divination -- South Africa
Subject: Schizophrenia -- Social aspects
Subject: Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
Subject: Xhosa (African people) -- Social life and customs
Date Issued: 2005
Date: 2005
Type: Thesis
Type: Masters
Type: MA
Identifier: vital:2936
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002445
Identifier: Healers -- South Africa
Identifier: Divination -- South Africa
Identifier: Schizophrenia -- Social aspects
Identifier: Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
Identifier: Xhosa (African people) -- Social life and customs
Description: Among the Xhosas, the healing sickness called intwaso is interptreted as a call by the ancestors to become a healer. Transpersonalists also see these initiatory illnesses as spiritual crises, while according to the widely accepted Western psychiatric view, illness is purely perceived in physical and psychological terms. A case study was conducted where a single participant who has undergone the process of ukuthwasa and is functioning as a traditional healer was interviewed. A series of interviews were done where information was gathered about significant experiences related to ukuthwasa process. Tapes were transcribed and a case narrative was written and interpreted using the traditional Xhosa beliefs, the western psychiatric and the transpersonal psychology perspectives. Strengths and weaknesses of each perspective were then examined.
Format: 94 pages
Format: pdf
Publisher: Rhodes University
Publisher: Faculty of Humanities, Psychology
Language: English
Rights: Booi, Beauty Ntombizanele

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