Himalayan oracles suck disease from sick patients

[Flaherty]

Same garbage, different country.

In a small stone house in Ladakh, a Himalayan region in India's state of Jammu and the disputed territory of Kashmir, a hair-raising healing ritual is taking place. A Buddhist man ailing from liver problems, a Muslim woman suffering from depression, and a Judeo-Christian New Zealand trekker needing spiritual guidance have all come to the region seeking the healing powers of a lha-mo, or female oracle.

In front of them, Ayu Lha-mo—also called the Oracle of Sabu, after her village—is dressed in a multicolored robe and a golden hat with sharp edges. Shrouded in a veil of juniper incense she is praying and chanting loudly, rocking back and forth on her knees, beckoning a spirit to enter her body so it can heal patients through her...

..."Once possessed, oracles perform therapy by sucking out disease-causing substances from their patients," Kressing said. "The oracles later show these substances—usually black mucus or little tar-like pieces—to the patient and audience, and then spit them into a bowl or on the ground."

Reactions to the oracles' healing rituals vary. Some patients claim to be healed immediately. Others say there is little improvement in their condition. Some visitors come only to be near a lha-mo or lha-pa—which translate to "divine male person" and "divine female person," respectively.

"I think the healing works for most people," said Tsewang Dorjey, a monastery guide for tourists whose base is in the city of Leh. "I've gone twice for stomach problems and it made me feel better."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/05/0521_040521_tvoracles.html

 

[Goshawk]

Wow, you talk about everything but the kitchen sink...I think we've pretty much covered all the typical bases here.

"Ayu Lha-mo is probably the most famous oracle in Ladakh. She's known for taking a knife from a fire and burning her tongue with its tip to show patients her powers and invulnerability," said Frank Kressing, a cultural anthropologist at University of Augsburg in Germany.

"Look! I'll show you that I can do *this* thing. And if I can do *this* thing, it proves that I can do *this other thing*..."

"Oracles sometimes fly into a rage and chastise patients while in a trance. It's not uncommon for oracles to blame patients for their diseases and shout at them for not following the tenets of Buddhism properly," said Elan Golomb, a psychologist with a private practice in New York City.

So, if they don't get better, it's their own fault, because they weren't "good" enough.

Reactions to the oracles' healing rituals vary. Some patients claim to be healed immediately. Others say there is little improvement in their condition.

Do tell.

With just a couple of patients each day, Ayu Lha-mo is no wealthier than the average Ladakh farmer—earning the equivalent of a few U.S. dollars a day for battling spirits and healing the sick.

"I'm often [feeling] beat up after a days worth of work," said Ayu Lha-mo, who appeared physically shaken even one hour after she said the possessing spirit left her body. "But it's my path to do this work and it's satisfying to heal people."

"I'm not in it for the money--I'm only doing this because I want to help people..."

Uh huh.

All they left out was, "The medical establishment is trying to suppress me..."