The Phenomenon of Psychological Healing in the Russian Practice 308 of the First Quarter of the XXI Century

The article examines the phenomenon of psychological healing (the term proposed by the author; not to be confused with psychic healing) using several examples. It is quite widespread, but here it is analyzed on the example of Russian realities and several specific individuals who at different times have walked their own peculiar path to such practices. Psychological healing in Russia is studied as a phenomenon at the junction of folk healing and psychology/psychotherapy. Folk healing was formed in the late 1980s - early 1990s by representatives of medicine and scientists of other scientific fields, primarily technical, who were interested in the study of unusual phenomena related to the field of psychotronics (parapsychology), as well as medical manifestations of the effects of "energies" of various genesis. Folk healing, according to the plans of its creators, was supposed to unite specialists of Russian folk medicine (healers, herbalists, sorcerers, witches, magicians, shamans, etc.) and modern owners of "unusual abilities"; they were also planned to be taught the basics of medicine. Thus, the paradigm of transition from folk medicine to traditional medicine and, possibly, the formation of a traditional medical system (TMS) was set in the country. The author analyzes what happened to a certain part of the specialists who got into the professional environment of folk healing, how and why they found their way into psychology, more precisely the sphere of psychological healing, and what their psychological healing is. At the same time, the reverse process is being investigated: how and why professional psychologists became interested in spiritual and magical-mystical practices and moved into the sphere of neo-Shamanism, folk healing, forming, for their part, the phenomenon of psychological healing. The author declares no conflict of interests.

Keywords

Authors

References