Narratives of Exceptional Survivors Who Work with Aboriginal Healers

Abstract

Background:

The commonalities are described of 47 people who sought traditional aboriginal healers for help with their cancer. All had 10% or less chance of survival at 5 years given the site and stage of their cancer from actuarial table calculations.

Subjects and design:

The subjects were compared to a similar group of people who were also working with aboriginal healers and who did not survive past 5 years. Narratives were obtained from the people before and after their work with the healer. These stories were enriched through interviews with family members, friends, health care providers, and the healers themselves, whenever possible. Panels of naïve medical students, graduate students, patients, and health care providers were used to evaluate the stories and to pick themes that consistently emerged (dimension analysis). Once stable dimensions emerged, scenarios were developed to rate patients along these dimensions from “1” to “5.” New panels did the ratings, with at least 3 panels of 3 people per narrative. Comparisons were made between these 2 groups of people, and differences emerged on the dimensions of Present-centeredness; Forgiveness of others; Release of blame, bitterness, and chronic anger; Orientation to process versus outcome; Sense of Humor; Refusal to accept death as immediate prognosis; Plausible (to the patient, his or her family, and the healers) explanation for why he or she got well, including a story reflecting a belief about how he or she can stay well; Supportive community who believes in the person's cure and protects the person from outsiders who think the person will die; People experience a quantum change, in which major improvements in self-esteem and quality of relationships occurs; and Spiritual transformation.

Conclusions:

The 2 groups of people reported equal increases on the dimensions of Sense of Meaning and Purpose and Faith and Hope, which may be intrinsic to the style of healing of aboriginal elders.