Indigenous North American Philosophy and Approach to Extraordinary States (including Psychosis) with Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD
This presentation was a session at the ISPS-US 2022 National Conference in Sacramento, CA. Thank you to our sponsors The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University: www.alliant.edu/schools/cspp
The International Society for Psychological & Social Approaches (ISPS-US) promotes psychological and social approaches to states of mind often called "psychosis" in treatment, education, and advocacy through collaborations between service providers, experts by experience, and family members. Join ISPS-US as a member by visiting www.isps-us.org
Session Description:
The presenter has been working within and around indigenous North American communities throughout his career. He has interviewed elders about their views on mind, mental health, and extraordinary experiences, including those labelled psychosis by mainstream psychiatry. He has observed and sometimes participated in healing processes with those individuals who are unwell. He has published books and articles in these areas.
Some key differences emerge between indigenous and mainstream views: (1) noun versus verb distinction (mental health or unwellness is seen as a process and not a thing that someone has; psychosis is a process people undergo; rejection of DSM); (2) all experiences are granted ontological reality (no experience is imaginary or hallucinatory; all experiences happen in some reality); (3) unwell people are serving unwell communities so everyone has responsibility for their healing (canaries in the psychological coal mine); (4) unwellness arises from imbalances and disharmony; healing involves restoring balance and harmony (a common metaphor is the medicine circle, teaching balance among emotions, body, community, and spirit); (5) all healing is spiritual healing (spirits are involved in the work at all levels).
Within a case series accumulated by the presenter from observation and participation, several factors emerge for resolution of unwellness that is associated with extraordinary experiences: (1) participants are embedded and surrounded by community and are protected and nurtured; (2) participant’s experiences are accepted as real; (3) ceremony and ritual are intimately involved in the healing process; (4) intrinsically narrative approaches are used in which the disturbance is understood within the context of the person’s life story and the person’s behavior is seen as resulting from all the stories circulating around them, and that healing sometimes requires providing people with new stories.
We conclude by discussing what mainstream mental health providers can learn from indigenous knowledge about mental unwellness.
About the Presenter: Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD
I am a bridge person, having both indigenous North American and European heritages. I am board-certified in family medicine, geriatric medicine, and psychiatric and also am a PhD neuropsychologist.