<p> The ancient Egyptians believed that the material world as well as the imaginal inner world was infused with spirit and spirits. They believed in a wholly integrated reality, which included the physical forms of nature as well as the unseen images, gods, goddesses, powers, symbols, and meanings that go beyond a rational intelligent comprehension but rather present a harmonized inner and outer perception of reality. </p><p> This study utilizes an alchemical hermeneutic research methodology, which advocates research with soul in mind using meditative transference dialogues to inform the scholarly research and interpretation of resources used to investigate the spiritual substance of these important concepts such as the psyche to matter problem, and the possible loss of soul in a modern materialist paradigm. This inquiry explores how ancient Egyptian sacred science relates to the variety of ways in which humankind has defined soul and spirit, how this ancient Egyptian way of being could be integrated in modern modalities of science, and how this integration would impact today's understanding of reality. </p><p> The study proposes how a modern shift into this ancient cosmology might benefit today's sciences, medicine, and most significantly the practice of psychotherapy, which, from a conventional perspective, is presently considered from a largely materialistic perspective, with little or no regard for the unseen and the immeasurable presence of soul. Conclusions are drawn regarding the personal impact of the study on the researcher, efforts toward a methodology of psychotherapy practice integrating the concepts of ancient Egyptian sacred science, and the limitations of adopting a modern cosmology rooted in an ancient way of being.</p>

The study explores lay conceptualizations of mental illness among the Akans of Ghana as influenced by their cultural worldview. Akan, the largest ethnic group in Ghana, is noted for the use of supernatural attributions for various health-related issues. The supernatural attributions are based on Akan ontological belief that the universe is unitary such that there is no clear distinction between physical and spiritual occurrences. This worldview guides Akans in how they deal with a wide range of issues including their mental health. Clinicians and other mental health professionals who rely solely on biomedical approaches to mental health fail to meet the demands of Akan mental health help-seekers because such approaches do not recognize the cultural factors that inform lay understandings on mental illness. Limited studies have been conducted on how Akan supernatural attributions influence conceptualizations of mental illness. Using a grounded theory method of research, 14 individual interviews and 7 focus group interviews were conducted to explore beliefs and knowledge about mental illness in two indigenous Akan communities in Ghana. Participants were of diverse age, sex, education, and occupational background. Analysis revealed that cultural factors influence lay conceptions, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness. Local labels for mental illness as well as beliefs about etiology, development, and cure of mental illness were identified. It was found that the Akan unitary worldview aids in the endorsement of heterogeneous multi-tier causal attributions of mental illness that embrace supernatural and non-supernatural causal explanations. Although supernatural causality theories of mental illness existed, participants related a complex causal explanation that involved other non-supernatural causal attributions. Results further revealed that Akan cultural beliefs influence community response to mental illness, encouraging pluralistic help-seeking behaviors that satisfy the Akan cultural value for holistic treatment and care. The implications of the findings for clinical training, culturally-sensitive mental health practice, and mental health education and advocacy have been discussed.

Considerando a existência de poucos estudos sobre os iorubás e o fato de constituirmos uma sociedade de marcante presença africana, esta investigação debate, entre outros temas, pertença grupal, relações étnico-raciais e liberdade de crença no Brasil. Tendo por objeto de estudo a metamorfose identitária de sacerdotisas e sacerdotes não-africanos do coletivo Egbé Oduduwa, inspirada no convívio com lideranças religiosas iorubás, nascidas e residentes em Abeokutá (Ogun State, Nigeria), a pesquisa foi realizada em espaços de prática da Religião Tradicional Iorubá em Mongaguá (São Paulo, Brasil), Pium (Tocantins, Brasil), Abeokutá, Liubliana (Liubliana, Eslovênia) e La Coruña (Galícia, Espanha). O percurso teórico desta investigação permitiu traçar um panorama de estudos sobre as religiões de matrizes africanas no Brasil e reunir dados sobre: raça-etnia como bases ideológicas do colonialismo e do pós-colonialismo; caminhos de enfrentamento do racismo e marcos do pensamento psicológico brasileiro. As definições de Psicologia da Religião adotadas, próprias das Ciências Psi no continente africano, particularmente na Nigéria e África do Sul, privilegiaram a ótica negro-africana. O percurso das investigações em campo permitiu aprofundar conhecimentos sobre a concepção iorubá de universo, tempo e pessoa e a Religião Tradicional Iorubá como princípios socializadores. O procedimento de coleta de dados incluiu observação participante, entrevistas com as lideranças religiosas que compuseram a amostra de pesquisa e diálogos com informantes orais; para sua análise os dados foram organizados em torno de eixos temáticos emergentes das falas das lideranças entrevistadas; a interpretação dos dados foi realizada com base na sabedoria iorubá veiculada por tradicionalistas da palavra oral e em relevantes expoentes do pensamento científico africano e europeu. Além de estimular e subsidiar debates sobre a construção de uma psicologia inspirada em saberes tradicionais, entre os quais os negro-africanos, se pode concluir, com base no corpo teórico de referência e no conteúdo dos diálogos entabulados, que sociedades tradicionais têm muito a oferecer ao processo contínuo de (re)construção teórico-metodológica dos Saberes Psi, e que o conhecimento desses Saberes Ancestrais pode instrumentalizar agentes sociais em seus esforços por combater a discriminação étnico-racial , em favor da Justiça e da Paz / Considering the existence of few studies on the Yorubás and the fact that we constitute a society with a strong African presence, this research debates, among other subjects, group membership, ethnic-racial relations and freedom of belief in Brazil. The object of study was the identity metamorphosis of the collective Egbé Oduduwanon-African priests, inspired by the relationship with Yoruba religious leaders born and resident in Abeokuta (Ogun State, Nigeria). The research was carried out in spaces of practice of Yoruba Traditional Religion in Mongagua (São Paulo, Brazil), Pium (Tocantins, Brazil), Abeokuta, Ljubljana (Ljubljana, Slovenia) and La Coruña (Galicia, Spain). The theoretical course of this investigation allowed to draw a panorama of studies on African matrices of Brazilian religions and to gather data on: race-ethnicity as ideological bases of colonialism and post-colonialism; fight against racism and historic landmarks of Brazilian psychological thinking. The definitions of Psychology of Religion adopted, proper to the Psi Sciences on the African continent, particularly in Nigeria and South Africa, favored the Black African optics. The course of the investigations in the field allowed to deepen knowledge on the Yoruba conception of universe, time and person and the Traditional Religion Yoruba as socializers principles. The data collection included participant observation, interviews with the religious leaders who composed the research sample and dialogues with oral informants; for their analysis the data were organized around thematic axes emerging from the speeches of the leaderships interviewed; the data´s interpretation were carried out on the basis of Yoruba wisdom conveyed by traditionalists of the oral word and in relevant exponents of African and European scientific thought. Besides stimulating and subsidizing debates on the construction of a Psychology inspired by traditional knowledge, among them Black Africans, based on the theoretical body of reference and the content of the dialogues one can conclude that traditional societies have much to offer to the continuous process of theoretical and methodological (re)construction of the Psi knowledge, and that the knowledge of these Ancestral Knowledge can instrumentalize social agents in their efforts to combat ethnic-racial discrimination in favor of Justice and Peace

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:38:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1992.pdf: 997906 bytes, checksum: faf5ec95f3899458a0013dcd4d85e08c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-10-24 / The research question is: How and under what circumstances, Capoeira Angola´s teachings and learnings contribute to the construction of ethnic-racial belonging in Black professionals with university education? It seeks to identify positive contributions of Capoeira Angola for the construction of the ethnic-racial identity and the overcoming of difficulties in being a professional in an environment mostly white, adverse and hostile to Blacks, such as the university. Theoretical references of the research were based in literature in the field of Education and Psychology, such as: Black Psychology and African Psychology. In order to collect the data two Black angoleiros that made university were visited and detailed conversations was done. Well as, it was made a Circle of Conversations that count on with two mestres and three professores-mestrandos of Capoeira Angola, which contributed to a more collective understanding of how the ethnic-racial belonging can be built inside a group that cultivates African traditions. The study was conducted with inspiration in Phenomenology and data were analyzed based on meanings expressed by the participants. The research shows that Be Black in Brazil is very difficult, but the practice of Capoeira Angola promotes both the psychological health and the strengthening of ethnic-racial belonging both in Blacks and in Non-Black. This happens because the Capoeira Angola educational processes are an anti-racist pedagogy, which encourage both the learning to live in diversity and the learning to fight to transform the society in a place more just, equalitarian and democratic. Thus, it is clear those Capoeira Angola knowledges and their own ways to transmit it, can strengthen the implementation of policies of Affirmative Action in Brazil. / A questão orientadora da pesquisa é: Como, e em que circunstâncias, os ensinamentos e os aprendizados da Capoeira Angola contribuem para a construção do pertencimento étnico-racial em profissionais negros com formação universitária? Busca assim, identificar contribuições da Capoeira Angola para a construção do pertencimento étnico-racial e para a superação de dificuldades em ambiente profissional majoritariamente branco, hostil e adverso aos negros(as), como o da universidade. As referências teóricas da pesquisa constituíram-se em base de literatura do campo da Educação e da Psicologia, neste caso: Black Psychology e African Psychology. A fim de coletar os dados foram realizadas visitas e conversas aprofundadas com dois angoleiros negros que cursaram universidade, bem como, foi realizada uma Roda de Conversa com a participação de dois mestres e três professores-mestrando de Capoeira Angola, que contribuíram para uma compreensão mais coletiva de como o pertencimento étnico-racial pode ser construído em meio a um grupo que cultiva tradições de raiz africana. A pesquisa foi realizada com postura inspirada na Fenomenologia e os dados foram analisados com base em significados expressos pelos participantes. A pesquisa mostra que ser negro no Brasil é muito difícil, mas a prática da Capoeira Angola promove tanto a saúde psicológica quanto o fortalecimento do pertencimento étnico-racial em negros e não-negros. Isto ocorre porque seus processos educativos se constituem em pedagogias anti-racistas, que favorecem tanto o aprendizado de conviver na diversidade quanto o aprendizado de lutar para transformar a sociedade num ambiente mais justo, igualitário e democrático. Deste modo, fica evidente que conhecimentos e formas de transmissão próprios da Capoeira Angola podem fortalecer, a implementação de políticas de Ações Afirmativas.