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Searching for a ‘new magical world’: the contradictions of CAM and new age therapies in the West

  • Identification data

    Identifier: imarina:6389777
    Authors:
    Deusdad, Blanca
    Abstract:
    © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and New Age therapies (NAt) are increasingly widespread in the West. Although the variety of therapies they recommend is very extensive, as is the variety of beliefs and practices, there are common ideas shared across both such as the concept of holism and the notion of energy. The case studies examined in this paper, Vittorio and Sol, both suffered from severe personal problems that caused a state of general malaise. They managed to address them through the holistic world. Through their experiences, it is possible to highlight the contradictions of CAM-NAt in the West. While, on one hand, these represent a form of resistance to capitalist culture, on the other there is a risk that CAM-NAt could end up reinforcing capitalistic logic through the establishment of an ‘individualistic holism’. The only solution to this situation seems to be a focus on the exercise of personal critical faculties, and an openness to different ways of conceiving the body, the health and diseases, but without, however, being drawn into the moralistic and individualist view that sometimes accompanies these.
  • Others:

    Author, as appears in the article.: Deusdad, Blanca
    Department: Antropologia, Filosofia i Treball Social
    URV's Author/s: Riccò, Isabella
    Keywords: Spain Reiki New age Male Humans Hegemony Health knowledge, attitudes, practice Folk medicine Female Crisis of presence Complementary therapies Capitalism Cam Anthropology, medical Adult reiki new age folk medicine crisis of presence cam
    Abstract: © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and New Age therapies (NAt) are increasingly widespread in the West. Although the variety of therapies they recommend is very extensive, as is the variety of beliefs and practices, there are common ideas shared across both such as the concept of holism and the notion of energy. The case studies examined in this paper, Vittorio and Sol, both suffered from severe personal problems that caused a state of general malaise. They managed to address them through the holistic world. Through their experiences, it is possible to highlight the contradictions of CAM-NAt in the West. While, on one hand, these represent a form of resistance to capitalist culture, on the other there is a risk that CAM-NAt could end up reinforcing capitalistic logic through the establishment of an ‘individualistic holism’. The only solution to this situation seems to be a focus on the exercise of personal critical faculties, and an openness to different ways of conceiving the body, the health and diseases, but without, however, being drawn into the moralistic and individualist view that sometimes accompanies these.
    Thematic Areas: Sociologia i política Social sciences, biomedical Public, environmental & occupational health Public health, environmental and occupational health Medicine (miscellaneous) Arts and humanities (miscellaneous) Antropología Anthropology
    ISSN: 14692910
    Author's mail: isabella.ricco@urv.cat
    Author identifier: 0000-0002-3612-430X
    Record's date: 2025-02-19
    Paper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
    Licence document URL: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
    Paper original source: Anthropology & Medicine. 27 (1): 96-109
    APA: Deusdad, Blanca (2020). Searching for a ‘new magical world’: the contradictions of CAM and new age therapies in the West. Anthropology & Medicine, 27(1), 96-109. DOI: 10.1080/13648470.2018.1544605
    Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
    Journal publication year: 2020
    Publication Type: Journal Publications
  • Keywords:

    Anthropology,Arts and Humanities (Miscellaneous),Medicine (Miscellaneous),Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Public, Environmental & Occupational Health,Social Sciences, Biomedical
    Spain
    Reiki
    New age
    Male
    Humans
    Hegemony
    Health knowledge, attitudes, practice
    Folk medicine
    Female
    Crisis of presence
    Complementary therapies
    Capitalism
    Cam
    Anthropology, medical
    Adult
    reiki
    new age
    folk medicine
    crisis of presence
    cam
    Sociologia i política
    Social sciences, biomedical
    Public, environmental & occupational health
    Public health, environmental and occupational health
    Medicine (miscellaneous)
    Arts and humanities (miscellaneous)
    Antropología
    Anthropology
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