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Dr. Currie argues that framing the effectiveness of shamanic medicine in terms of placebo effects alone does not do justice to the sophistication of shamanic practice. The latter, she maintains, is based on a complex, multi-tiered metaphysics whereby cause and effect relations beyond the visible material world are deliberately exploited by the shaman.
  • Solumbran@lemmy.worldEnglish
    148·
    13 days ago

    “shamanic practice. The latter, she maintains, is based on a complex, multi-tiered metaphysics whereby cause and effect relations beyond the visible material world are deliberately exploited by the shaman.”

    Yeah ok

    I didn’t bother reading this in details, but from what I’ve seen it seems like a same argument as “an homeopath makes people feel better because they talk to people nicely and makes them feel heard so it’s not just placebo”.

    There’s not really any point in trying to support religious magic healing at this point. People already believe in a gigantic amount of scam and have no critical thinking, and you start debating about the exact definition of what is a placebo effect even though it’s one of the only few bits of “critical thinking” knowledge that people have?

    Nah, that’s absurd bullshit.

    • Anuttara@leminal.spaceOPEnglish
      65·
      13 days ago

      There’s not really any point in trying to support religious magic healing at this point. People already believe in a gigantic amount of scam and have no critical thinking, and you start debating about the exact definition of what is a placebo effect even though it’s one of the only few bits of “critical thinking” knowledge that people have?

      have you or has someone u know experienced something like this?

          • Solumbran@lemmy.worldEnglish
            24·
            13 days ago

            Ah, is this the " as long as you didn’t enter the sect you cannot comment on it"?

            • Anuttara@leminal.spaceOPEnglish
              42·
              13 days ago

              kinda yeah. i know plenty of people who got help from this type of stuff. they do ayuascha retreat and sort through their shit and go on to do their thing. but nobody wants to hear about that, they wanna hear about the guy who got a dramatic psychosis.

              • Solumbran@lemmy.worldEnglish
                21·
                13 days ago

                A lot of scams “work”, and a lot of fake medicine too.

                Being into it just means that you’re going to be biased , and for those things often too biased to have a proper opinion on the matter

                • Anuttara@leminal.spaceOPEnglish
                  2·
                  12 days ago

                  how’s ur opinion not biased if u don’t know anything about it? aren’t u biased in favor of objectivity?

  • wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    129·
    13 days ago

    Saved you a click: Author believes calling it a placebo is wrong because shamans are actual magic. Erm, I mean metaphysics. And a whole lot of waffling about what exactly the definition of placebo is.

    The way that headline was written I was expecting some discussion about the pageantry, actual folk medicine in use, and perhaps some stuff about the role of shamans in their community.