Curanderismo: Mexican American Folk Healing

4. Curanderos' Theories of Healing

CURANDEROS' THEORIES OF HEALING CURANDEROS IN SOUTH TEXAS explain their abilities to heal and describe their healing techniques by referring to three levels of treatment. The levels are the material (nivel material ), the spiritual (nivel espiritual) and the mental (nivel mental). They are not mutually exclusive, in that a curandero can have the gift (don) for working on one, two, or all three levels. The levels are also similar in treating problems of a physical nature and of social and psychological disorders . However, each level necessitates a different gift (don), the training techniques are somewhat different, and each level is thought to tap a different aspect of supernatural power. The curanderos recognize two types of illnesses, the natural (primarily physical but also psychosocial) and the supernatural, and they claim to have the resources necessary to treat both. Natural illnesses are described by the curanderos asillnesses caused by natural agents rather than supernatural agents. Many curanderos recognize a variety of illnesses that are identical to those categories of illness recognized by physicians. Examples of these are hypertension, diabetes , tuberculosis, senile psychosis, and mental retardation. When faced by natural illnesses, curanderos often recommend the services of physicians to their patients, and they 61 Four 62 Curanderismo seek the physician's services for themselves. Other natural illnesses recognized by curanderos are those which have a humoral etiology. One such illness is bilis, a folk illness brought about by excessive and prolonged anger and fear. When someone is in this condition, the curanderos say that excessive bitter bile flows into the person's system, causing him to become tense and irritable, to lose his appetite, and in some cases to suffer migraine headaches. Another example of a humoral illness is colic, which is sometimes believed to be caused by an excessive coldness in the victim's stomach. In this case a warm herb ("warm" in the humoral classification) such as manzanilla is given to restore the natural balance of the humors in the patient's body, thereby bringing relief. Other illnesses which curanderos recognize and treat are those which have been brought about by supernatural means—by sorcerers or malevolent spirits, for example. The existence of these supernatural forces is explained by the curanderos in various ways. Some curanderos believe in the existence of two universal "minds" or "powers" or even supernatural beings, such as God and the Devil—one positive and good, one negative and evil—which are capable of influencing the destiny of human beings. These curanderos see themselves as being able to tap the power of both of these universal forces to harm or heal another individual. This they do through the manipulation of the knowledge they have of the material, spiritual, or psychic levels of healing. The simplest and most common gift of healing among curanderos is the ability to work on the material level. An individual working on the material level (trabajando en lo material] is said to be working while awake as opposed to being in trance. Healers working on this level use numerous objects and rituals to effect cures. The objects include herbs, patent medicines, common household items (eggs, lemons, garlic, and ribbon, for example), and religious or mystical symbols (water, oils, incense, perfumes, and so forth). The Curanderos' Theories of Healing 63 ceremonies include prayers, ritual sweepings or cleansings (barridas or limpias], and other complex rituals using all or some of the special objects. For physical ailments the herbs alone are often considered sufficient to bring about a cure. For psychological, spiritual, or magical problems, the curandews frequently combine the herbs, objects, and rituals into a special cure (curacion) designed to eliminate a specific problem. On the material level, the objects (tools) and rituals are used in prescribed, preset formulas designed to bring about the desired results. This is possible (according to one prevailing theory of curanderismo] because all persons, animals , and certain objects can either emit or absorbvibrating energy (vibraciones). This vibrating energy can either be positive or negative in both form and effect. It can cause happiness or sadness, good or evil, good luck or bad luck. The curandero, recognizing the supernatural powers and properties of certain material objects, can use these same objects in conjunction with various incantations to alter or correct the vibrating energy surrounding a person. According to this theoretical premise, illness can be considered as a concentration of negative forces within a person's body. These negative forces...