Here is one more excerpt from the book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The book often discusses the intersection between Westernized medicine and more traditional healing arts. Since mental/spiritual well-being often affects physical well-being, it should be no surprise that more traditional ritual ceremonies should offer some health improvement. This is one of the more “interesting” cases where traditional healing arts improved both spiritual and physical outcomes.
- Complaint/Symptomatology: The client’s penis had been swollen for about a month. He reported that he’d been treated by licensed physicians, but that the treatment had only given intermittent relief from pain and swelling.
- Assessment: The Neng determined that the client had offended the stream spirits.
- Treatment Plan: The Neng called upon the Neng spirits to effect a cure and release the pain. The Neng used a bowl of water to spray from the mouth over the infected area. The offended spirits were offered payment of five sticks of incense to release the pain and relieve the swelling.
- Result: The client got better after the ceremony.