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shermantanktopyesterday at 4:44 PM1 replyview on HN

I'm skeptical that doing mental visualization exercises can cure cancer, or that crystals give off healing energy.

I'm generally skeptical of too-good-to-be-true factoids. My skepticism is not publication-worthy, it's pretty common, and taken too far it becomes cynicism. Every once in while my skepticism is misplaced.

I am curious though - do you have individual examples, or personal experience, of how some other culture handles schizophrenia in an understanding way? I saw the journal reference...i'm more interested in specific examples.


Replies

ceejayozyesterday at 4:52 PM

> I'm skeptical that doing mental visualization exercises can cure cancer, or that crystals give off healing energy.

But if a respected peer-reviewed journal published a study demonstrating evidence of it, you'd want to at least take a peek.

> I am curious though - do you have individual examples, or personal experience, of how some other culture handles schizophrenia in an understanding way? I saw the journal reference...i'm more interested in specific examples.

These are in the article and the study itself.

"Among the Indians in Chennai, more than half (11) heard voices of kin or family members commanding them to do tasks. “They talk as if elder people advising younger people,” one subject said. That contrasts to the Americans, only two of whom heard family members. Also, the Indians heard fewer threatening voices than the Americans – several heard the voices as playful, as manifesting spirits or magic, and even as entertaining. Finally, not as many of them described the voices in terms of a medical or psychiatric problem, as all of the Americans did."