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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Dreams, visions and intuition: traditional therapy among Xhosa amagqirha in Southern Africa.
| Panel |
66. Traditional religion and healing in Africa and the role of the inner senses
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| Paper ID | 617 |
| Author(s) |
Mlisa, Nomfundo
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | The use of dreams, visions and intuition among Xhosa healers/diviners (amagqirha) has a long history amongst Nguni tribes. The inner senses are used as a means of assessing, diagnosing and treating the sick and troubled. The divination process is called ukunyanga meaning ‘to heal’. The process includes: ukuxilonga – assessing at an individual basis; ukuvumisa- assessing the family as a whole; unontongwana – looking for the lost property and ukubethelela – cleansing umzi- homestead. In all these activities the amagqirha use intuition as a central tool for therapy.
Amagqirha undergo a long training through ukuthwasa initiation which culminates in a graduation as to become a fully fledge healer/diviner. Amagqirha treat all illnesses encompassing emotional, spiritual, behavioural and social aspects of the humankind. This includes conditions associated with work conditions as well as cleansing the environment: the home and at times workplace when necessary. Physical ailments are foremost treated with medicinal plants.
Tradition relates that even when Xhosa are Nguni healers, they differ from their Nguni colleagues since they do not use any mechanistic ways of divining other than umbilini - the core topic of this paper. For example, other Nguni healers such as Sangomas throw their bones to assess and diagnose. To the amagqirha intuition involves senses that connect with the mind, spirit and universe to reveal truths about peoples’ hidden realities. It is seeing beyond what a normal eye can see. The information is often broad covering all the aspects of a person’s life. In other words, intuition is timeless and unlimited with regard to boundaries and spaces.
The use of umbilini suggests that amagqirha use their bodies as an antenna since feelings /sensations /instincts/perceptions allow them to see and to know things. Their bodies become magnetic objects to sense the positive and negative inner worlds of their clients. As such, they are able to see beyond their clients’ bodies. At the same time they get involved in the clients’ outside dimensions: families; work; lost property and the whole wider natural and supernatural worlds. In fact, umbilini can function like an ‘x-ray’ or television under the inspiration of ancestral guides.
For amagqirha to maintain sustainability in their profession, they have to keep awakening and nurturing their umbilini. In this paper, I present an intriguing finding that has emerged from the research I conducted from 2003 to date. My discussion focuses on how amagqirha define umbilini; how it is developed, nurtured and sustained and how they in turn attain client satisfaction in their practices. I conclude by identifying various possibilities that can be used to integrate the use of umbilini by psychotherapists and others in this field.
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