تمرین مکالمه

A Prescription For Soul Medicine

Va Meng Lee is a shaman who works with spirits to heal people and protect their souls.

Who is a shaman? Va Meng Lee is a shaman. What does he work with? He works with spirits. Why does he work with spirits? He works with spirits to heal people and protect their souls.

This sort of work usually gets short shrift by western medicine, but Lee works at a hospital, right alongside doctors.

What usually gets short shrift by western medicine? This sort of work usually gets short shrift by western medicine. Where does Lee work? Lee works at a hospital. Who does he work alongside? He works alongside doctors.

Lee is a shaman and he works at Mercy Medical Center in Merced, California.

Does Lee work at Mercy Medical Center in Laos? No, Lee does not work at Mercy Medical Center in Laos. Lee works at Mercy Medical Center in Merced, California.

This hospital was one of the first in the U.S. to formally recognize the role of traditional healers.

Was this hospital one of the last in the U.S. to formally recognize the role of traditional healers? No, this hospital was not one of the last in the U.S. to formally recognize the role of traditional healers. This hospital was one of the first in the U.S. to formally recognize the role of traditional healers.

Lee says that doctors are good at treating disease, but shamans are responsible for the soul.

What does Lee say doctors are good at? Lee says doctors are good at treating disease. What are shamans responsible for? Shamans are responsible for the soul.

Like many other cultures, the Hmong believe that parts of the soul can be lost or stolen.

What do the Hmong believe? The Hmong believe that parts of the soul can be lost or stolen. Do many other cultures believe this? Yes, many other cultures believe this.

Lee’s role with patients is to protect their souls.

What is Lee’s role with patients? Lee’s role with patients is to protect their souls.

He does this through ceremonies and rituals.

How does he do this? He does this through ceremonies and rituals.

Many types of medical intervention are taboo for the local Hmong.

Are many types of medical intervention taboo for the local Hmong? Yes, many types of medical intervention are taboo for the local Hmong.

Shamans were brought into the hospital for one simple reason, to build trust in western medicine within the Hmong community.

Were shamans brought into the hospital for one simple reason? Yes, shamans were brought into the hospital for one simple reason. What was the reason? The reason was to build trust in western medicine within the Hmong community.

According to Dr. John Paik-Tesch, the program actually “built trust both ways.” According to Dr. John Paik-Tesch, what did the program actually do?

According to Dr. John Paik-Tesch, the program actually “built trust both ways.”

There was originally a lot of skepticism, but that began to change after a Hmong clan leader was diagnosed with a gangrenous bowel.

What was there a lot of originally? There was a lot of skepticism originally.

When did that begin to change? That began to change after a Hmong clan leader was diagnosed with a gangrenous bowel.

The doctors hesitantly allowed a shaman to perform rituals.

What did a shaman perform? A shaman performed rituals.

The man miraculously recovered, causing quite a stir at the hospital.

Did the man miraculously recover? Yes, the man miraculously recovered.

What did this cause? This caused quite a stir at the hospital.

The power of shamanic healing is not agreed upon by all.

Is the power of shamanic healing agreed upon by all? No, the power of shamanic healing is not agreed upon by all.

While some swear by it, many dismiss it as the placebo effect.

Do some swear by it? Yes, some swear by it. What do many dismiss it as?

Many dismiss it as the placebo effect.

In other words, they don’t think the shaman’s ceremonies can actually heal a person.

Do they think the shaman’s ceremonies can actually heal a person? No, they don’t think the shaman’s ceremonies can actually heal a person.

They believe that the patient gets healed simply because the patient believes they will be healed.

Do they believe the patient gets hurt? No, they don’t believe the patient gets hurt. They believe the patient gets healed. Why do they believe the patient gets healed? They believe the patient gets healed because the patient believes they will be healed.

In conventional science, the placebo effect is something to be avoided.

In conventional science, is the placebo effect something to be embraced?

No, in conventional science, the placebo effect is not something to be embraced. The placebo effect is something to be avoided.

But this way of thinking might not hold water anymore.

What might not hold water anymore? This way of thinking might not hold water anymore.

According to recent research, placebos are not just psychological.

Are placebos just psychological? No, according to recent research, placebos are not just psychological.

Placebo researchers Ted Kaptchuk and Kathryn Hall have found evidence of how placebos work on a molecular level.

Who has found evidence? Placebo researchers Ted Kaptchuk and Kathryn Hall have found evidence. What did they find evidence of? They found evidence of how placebos work on a molecular level.

They have found that the success rate of placebos for some conditions is connected to the presence of an enzyme.

What is the success rate of placebos for some conditions connected to? The success rate of placebos for some conditions is connected to the presence of an enzyme.

Depending on one’s genetics, this enzyme is more or less present.

What depends on one’s genetics? Depending on one’s genetics, this enzyme is more or less present.

This means that some people may be more genetically predisposed to being healed by placebos.

What may some people be more genetically predisposed to? Some people may be more genetically predisposed to being healed by placebos.

These findings imply that it’s not all in the mind.

What do these findings imply? These findings imply that it’s not all in the mind.

According to Kaptchuk, rituals can have a big impact on us through the placebo response.

According to Kaptchuk, what can have a big impact on us through the placebo response? According to Kaptchuk, rituals can have a big impact on us through the placebo response.

He believes that rituals are able to persuade the mind, and the mind can affect the body.

Does he believe that rituals can persuade the mind? Yes, he believes that rituals can persuade the mind. And what can the mind affect? The mind can affect the body.

Perhaps shamans like Lee are leveraging the placebo effect through their rituals.

What could shamans like Lee be leveraging through their rituals? Shamans like Lee could be leveraging the placebo effect through their rituals.

Or perhaps they really do invoke spiritual healing.

Could shamans really invoke spiritual healing? Yes, perhaps they really do invoke spiritual healing.

Either way, Mercy Medical’s resident shaman may be doing a lot more than building trust.

Either way, who may be doing a lot more than building trust? Mercy Medical’s resident shaman may be doing a lot more than building trust.