This paper describes an analogy between the primitive shaman's emotional illness, and its control, and the schizophrenic episodes of Harry Stack Sullivan, the founder of the interpersonal school of psychiatry. Like the primitive shaman, Sullivan partially overcame his illnesses, drawing from his psychoses the insights through which he healed others.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArietiS.Creativity: the magic synthesis. New York: Basic Books, 1976.
2.
ChapmanA. H.Harry Stack Sullivan: his life and his work. New York: Putnam's, 1976.
3.
HavensL.Approaches to the mind: movement of the psychiatric schools from sects toward science. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univer. Press, 1987.
4.
LommelA.Shamanism: the beginnings of art. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967.
5.
PerryH. S.Psychiatrist of America: the life of Harry Stack Sullivan. Cambridge, MA: Belknap, 1982.
6.
SpencerS.Mysticism in world religion. New York: A. J. Baines, 1963.
7.
SullivanH. S.Conceptions of modern psychiatry. New York: Norton, 1953.
