The spirits are disturbed

Perils of resorting to mystical cures and faith healing:

By Maneshka Borham and Kishani Samaraweera

On March 12, when the 36-year-old mother of one, Dhanushika Kumari, had an epileptic fit, she and her husband visited a shaman/witch doctor in Katukeliyawa, Anuradhapura, looking for a mystical cure for the ailment. Instead, she suffocated to death with a lime stuck in her throat

According to the Police, the shaman or spiritualist who had conducted the traditional healing ritual, popularly known as 'Shanthi karmaya', from March 12 to the early hours of March 14, had tried to make her swallow a whole lime stating she had to follow through the procedure if she was to be cured of her ailment.

Dhanushika ended up chocking on the lime, and police claim the shaman had tried to prevent the husband from taking her to hospital in order to seek medical help. When he eventually managed to get her to, it was too late. She was declared dead on arrival.

While this incident is being talked as a somewhat bizarre death, it brings to light peculiar and outlandish local faith healing rituals that have been part of the traditional healing for centuries, not just in Sri Lanka but in many part of the world, cutting across religions and races.

In Sri Lanka, where ancient people believed spirits or demons to be the cause of illness, rituals such as exorcisms and oblations to drive away or please the illness causing entities were commonplace. Even today, despite improved access to medical care, both western and traditional, it is common to see people seeking the help of shamans and exorcists in order to protect and heal themselves of various illnesses, be it something simple as a fever or something more serious such as cancer.

Based on beliefs

According to Mahinda Kumara Dalupotha, a scholar on Folkloristics, our ancestors had dealt with the environment for thousands of years and gathered much knowledge by coexisting and living in harmony with the nature. As Dalupotha says while some traditions are based on knowledge gathered some are based solely on beliefs.

"Rituals such as 'thovil', black magic, charms, exorcisms and oblations are mainly based on beliefs only," he says, explaining that while black magic and white magic both exist there are rituals done to both to invoke blessing and curses. "People having such beliefs has nothing to with whether a country is developed or not," he says, adding that these types of things are present in any society irrespective of whether it's developed or not.

Kumari Wipulasena was diagnosed with a brain tumour several months ago. While she sought western medical help, it did not stop her from visiting a well known shaman in Karandeniya for some spiritual help on the side.

"I visited him to get help for my situation," she says explaining that through his powers he identified she was suffering from a growth in her brain. The shaman had advised her not to be afraid, and not to agree to any type of surgery to remove the mass. "He told me if I follow his instructions he will heal me without any surgery," she says claiming that she is feeling much better now after following all rituals as directed. Among the rituals recommended was an all night exorcism ritual that cost Rs. 25,000.

"He visited our house and said there were spirits troubling us," says Kumari, who was ordered to light lamps remembering the dead to stop making her ill. The shaman had identified the lingering spirits of the departed souls as being the cause of her sickness.

Kumari's family did not believe in the shaman and insisted she have the surgery, even going as far as scheduling in with her doctors. Kumari however held firm and says she will not go through with it as it's not needed now. "My children laugh at me but honestly I feel better and I really believe it is thanks to this shaman," she says determined to not go ahead with the surgery.

Too late for medical help

Dr. Sudath Damsinghe, Director of the University College of Health Studies, Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital, says it is common to see many patients arriving too late for medical help, as they first seek assistance from shamans and exorcists.

Relating a sad incident, Dr. Damsinghe says a father had once brought his child suffering from an aggressive tumour in his shoulder. The child by then had been beyond any help. "They had tried to do other traditional healing before coming to hospital. But then it was too late," he says, explain that e removing the arm in the initial stages could have saved the child's life. The parents had not wanted to go through with the painful procedure and had instead sought spiritual help to rid the child of the tumour, which had eventually resulted in the death of the child.

Dr. Damsinghe however, does not dismiss traditional healings outright and says some forms of traditional healing can be successful. He says whatever the treatment is if it is evidence based with proof that it works, he will, despite being a doctor of western medicine, be glad to see patients being cured. "In western medicine we do not run trials on people hoping it will work," he says, explaining chances of curing should be over 50 per cent to believe any cure even traditional rituals works.

Dr. Damsinghe believes people do not like to hear the truth and therefore in a bid to live they try to seek other forms of healing, which action he deems "purely psychological"

Mahinda Dalupotha however also blames the media for being one of the main reasons for people to believe in what he calls "illogical rituals". "It is because the media make them believe that getting help from such rituals or traditions are true and people have benefited from those," he points out, urging that one should have the understanding as to what the sickness is, what the treatment should be and also who can help you to get cured. "Our ancestors knew and had a thorough understanding regarding how to deal with such instances but today people do not have such understanding and therefore they fall into trouble easily and sometimes have to pay it with their life as happened in the recent incident," he points out.

According to Dalupotha, not all spiritual healing methods are false or phony. "Some rituals indeed do help people lead a good life but not issues related to a person's health, which should not be risked at any point," he says, emphasising that people should not depend on traditional rituals alone for all ailments but be mindful of what they are being asked to do, especially if it is something irrational or questionable. "Blind faith is not good and people should always think and inquire as to what they follow, as it becomes very important when it comes to issues related to a person's health."