Ethnography of Richard Gerber and Healing with Chakras My ethnography will be discussing a short part of the book A Practical Guide to Vibrational Medicine by Richard Gerber. In this eight paragraph snippet, from page 88 to page 91, Gerber describes his way of overcoming anxiety, stress, and fear through the use of chakras, in particular the heart chakra. In the following essay I will talk about the interaction between religion and healing and how spirituality is involved in both. I will be using Kleinman’s description of clinical reality to examine the “beliefs, expectations, norms, behaviors, and communicative transactions associated with (Patients and Healers in the Context of Culture by Arthur Kleinman, 42)” the seemingly unusual type …show more content…
He was being sued for an accident that he didn’t cause, by a woman who was involved in the accident. He calms himself down and allows himself to feel more in control of the situation by meditating on his heart chakra and focusing his spirit on helping him deal with this stressful situation. The main sphere of health care that Gerber uses is folk. He uses the idea, or theory, that we as humans have chakras, and that by focusing on these specific points or places in our bodies, we can heal ourselves. He also talks about using our auras, or the theorized energy field that surrounds every person, to create a strong positive thoughtform, or positive emotional thought. This thoughtform, if it is strong enough, can help someone get better through the power of positive, loving thoughts and emotions. The use of chakras and auras is not something we, at least in America, focus on or even think about as a treatment for illness or diseases. It is definitely not seen as “real” or is scientifically backed, so most medical professionals do not believe in it. Not really using much of the popular sector nor professional sector, this type of healing falls mostly into the folk sector. In this sector of the health care system illnesses and diseases are treated using traditional remedies usually steaming from a religious roots. Chakra’s roots being mainly in …show more content…
In order to treat this illness or stressor in his life, Gerber uses the traditional, folk treatment of meditation. He focuses on his heart chakra, where he perceives his emotions are coming from, and calls to his spirit to help him calm down and become more positive. This meditation takes a couple of times for it to completely work, but once it does, he is left in a more positive state of mind and body. It is clear that, at least in Gerber’s case, that religion, spirituality, and healing are all tied together and that a change in one can affect the others in a big way. They are all necessary in the process of getting Gerber back to a state of good health and well