Madronna Holden, an instructor in Oregon State University’s philosophy and women’s studies departments, will present “Speaking with the Earth: Earth-Centered Worldviews Among Women Healers” Thursday.
The event is hosted by the Healing Arts research interest group and the Center for the Study of Women in Society.
“We’re really excited to have her,” said Shirley Marc, office and events coordinator for CSWS. “She sounds like a great speaker and it should be a great event.”
In her lecture, Holden will contrast the roles of women healers in Siberian, Native American and Eastern European cultures. In all three of these cultures, women played prominent roles as shamans and spiritual guides. Holden will also explore the similarities and differences between the techniques those healers used with techniques used by contemporary doctors.
Today, healers are playing a new role in medicine, particularly in what the Centers for Disease Control calls Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Modern-day practitioners of alternative medicine say their techniques are inspired by ancient healing rituals.
Kelly Bradley, who works at the alternative therapy center A Healing Space in Eugene, says many modern healing methods have roots in ancient practices.
“Almost all of the methods are from older practices and beliefs,” Bradley said. “They’re ancient. They have new names for them, but they’re all rooted in ancient practices, for sure. A lot of what we do here is based off of Celtic, ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic methods.”
Alternative medicine is a broad field, ranging from yoga and deep-breathing exercises to herbal supplements and accupuncture. Some of the more unusual alternative medicinal techniques include flower essence therapy, where patients are exposed to flower extracts, and frequency specific microcurrent therapy, which involves running electricity through the cells.
Alternative medicine advocates say the practices grant them many benefits such as stress management, increased energy and boosted immune systems.
The CDC shows that more adults have turned to alternative medicine in recent years. In a 2007 survey, 38 percent of adults reported using alternative techniques in the previous year for a variety of ailments such as back pain and anxiety. Forty-three percent of women chose alternative treatments, compared to 34 percent of men.
Despite the growing number of alternative medicine advocates, many doctors and government agencies such as the FDA underestimate the effects of alternative medicine. For instance, the FDA recognizes herbal supplements exclusively as food, not medicine, so they aren’t subject to drug trials. Because of this, companies that produce herbal remedies aren’t permitted to say they treat specific medical conditions on the label.
Some alternative medicine practitioners simply use it to accompany surgery or other medical procedures and quicken the healing process.
“People can come in here and decide not to get surgery but use these therapies. A lot of people use alternative medicine in addition to professional, Westernized medicine or after surgeries,” Bradley said. “It’s very individualized and all depends on the person.”
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