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Chapter 5
Postmodern Impact:
Health Care
Discussion Guide for Health Care
- There are many different types of alternative medicines. Which ones
have you experienced, or are familiar with? What the underlying assumptions
and beliefs of these practices?
- Dr. O'Mathúna notes that modern medicine has tended to give the impression
that health is the result of physical processes only. What are the problems
with viewing health as purely physical? How have promoters of alternative
medicine used postmodern ideas to capitalize on this weakness in modern
medicine?
- Jean Watson, President of the National League for Nursing for 1995-7,
wrote: "Nursing, like all other disciplines, must now yield to
a postmodern approach, . . . realizing that in this postmodern time,
science, knowledge, and even images of nursing, health, environment,
person become one among many truth games" (Nursing Science Quarterly
8 (1995): 60-4). What does she mean by this? What are the implications
of her view?
- According to the TV news program, "Day One" (8/22/95), thousands
of people contracted a disease called EMS from contaminants in the health-food
product L-tryptophan--an herbal product. There is as yet no cure for
this painful disease which to date has led to 36 deaths. Dr. O'Mathúna
predicts we will hear more stories like this if postmodern ideas are
used to promote medical products and procedures. Why might he think
this?
- Dr. O'Mathúna argues against using anecdotal evidence and personal
experience as a way to validate medical treatments. What is the difference
between what he is critiquing and simply getting advice from others
based on their experiences (which he would recommend doing, especially
in medical matters)?
- Some people who practice therapeutic touch claim that God is their
source of healing, not prana. Thus, they see no problems with
Christians practicing therapeutic touch. Would you agree with this position?
What biblical passages or principles would you use to support your conclusion?
- Dr. O'Mathúna pointed out that practitioners of alternative medicine
often encourage people to just try their methods and see if they help.
"What harm could there be in that?" they rhetorically ask!
Well, what harm could there be in just checking out some of these
practices? Are there any practices you think Christians should be especially
careful to avoid? Why?
- The ideas behind some types of alternative medicines are based on
insight and revelation received during meditation and altered states
of consciousness. Many others place great emphasis on intuition. For
example, Engebretson and Wardell state, "The patient should be
encouraged to trust her or his own intuition and judgment" about
alternative healing methods and practitioners (Nurse Practitioner
18 (1993): 51-5). Use, for example, Jeremiah 23:26-17, 25-32 and Ezekiel
13:2-3 to develop a biblical response to this notion.
- In her book on New Age experiences (Testing the Spirits, InterVarsity
Press, 1995), Elizabeth L. Hillstrom notes that the early stages of
Eastern-style meditation often includes a variety of physiological experiences.
"They may include rapturous feelings, electrifying thrills and
chills that move through the body, sensations of tingling, prickling,
intense heat or cold, or of bugs crawling on the skin" (p. 120).
Do you see any connection between these and the experiences reported
by practitioners of therapeutic touch?
- The Spiritual Emergence Network is a New Age organization with 1100
trained counselors operating out of 40 centers around the U.S. Its primary
purpose is to support and counsel people through what are called "spiritual
emergencies." These are seen as emotional and spiritual crises
which have the potential to lead either to severe depression and further
emotional problems, or to greater spiritual enlightenment. This organization
wants to help people have the latter outcome. People experience these
crises after starting meditation or any practice which brings them "into
more direct and conscious relationship to their own life force, or prana
in Sanskrit" (Emma Bragdon, The Call of Spiritual Emergency,
Harper & Row, 1990, p. 5). What does the existence of this group
tell you about the nature of meditation? What implications would this
have for practitioners and receivers of prana-based practices
like Ayurvedic Medicine and therapeutic touch?
Read on to the next section of the Study Guide
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