Stephen D. Edwards

A Psychology of Indigenous Healing in Southern Africa

Converging lines of evidence from various scientific disciplines consistently point to humanitys African roots. In this context, the term “indigenous healing” is used to refer to universal forms of healing that began in Africa and were developed further both locally and internationally. This article examines the notion of a psychology of indigenous healing and suggests that investigations continually reveal essential structures and practices of a perennial psychology underlying modern scientific, academic and professional forms of this discipline. Examination of such structures and practices illuminates an original psychological theme in Southern African indigenous healing involving recognition of Spirit as Source of Self that extends into transpersonal realms. Related themes include ancestral consciousness, familial and communal spirituality, healers and specializations, illness prevention, health promotion and various forms of empathy. The need for future in depth research into such psychological themes and issues is identified and explicated.

The Description and Evaluation of an African Breath Psychotherapeutic Workshop

An African breath psychotherapeutic workshop is described and evaluated with a small group of participants (students =9, males = 3, females =6, age range =24 to 59 years, mean age 40.3 years) all of whom were professionally registered psychologists. There were 3 Xhosa, 2 Zulu, 1 Tswana, 2 English and 1 Afrikaans home language speakers. The workshop, which was based on accessing original Spirit through ancestral and personal breath-based spirituality, was called Shiso, an acronym for Spirit, Heart, Image, Soul and Oneness. Findings indicated significant improvement in self-perceived ratings of spirituality on a standardized scale by all participants. Individual student descriptions and focus group discussion indicated some awareness of original Spirit as revealed through subtle breathing experiences invoking the universal and personal ancestral presence of the participants. The experience was meaningfully described in such terms as relaxation, connection, openness, harmony, integration, awareness, amazement, healing and transcendence.

Standardization of a Spirituality Scale with a South African Sample

The study reports on the psychometric properties of a Spirituality Scale developed in the USA in a South African setting. Respondents were 218 women and 84 men with a mean age of 25.54 years and an age range from 17 to 85 years. The majority (70%) were isiZulu speakers. Factor analyses suggested a multidimensional structure, consisting of three factors, labelled perennial spirituality, respect and purpose. The scores from the scale were moderately reliable in their internal consistency. A shortened 12-item Spirituality Scale (SS-12) has potential for research use in South Africa.

Ancestral Consciousness in the Zulu Culture: A Wilberian View

The aim of this research was to complement and advance Wilbers integral approach through an investigation into ancestral consciousness by the Zulu. Five isiZulu home language speakers (age range 33 to 56 years) and a sixth English speaking person were participant-researchers. Experiences of ancestral consciousness from individual, collective, subjective, objective, cultural and social perspectives were explored. Findings suggested that ancestral consciousness increased perceived spirituality as assessed on a standardized spirituality scale. It was also associated with immediate apprehensions of senior kinsmen, living and dead, of God and/or more generally of Spirit. Wilbers integral approach appears to hold explanatory value in non-Western culture.

Self-Perceived Multicultural Counseling Competencies in South African Psychologists: A Basis for Practice Guidelines

The study sought to explore multicultural counseling competences that are relevant for the South African context, in order to advance appropriate multicultural competent theory and practice. A total of 271 psychologists on the national register participated 109 Clinical, 79 Counselling, 60 Educational, 12 Industrial and 11 Research Psychologists, of whom 191 were women and 80 men, with 206 English, 50 African and 15 Afrikaans home language speakers. Data were collected using questionnaire and also discourse analysis methods. Themes that emerged from the analysis included competencies with regard to the relationship, understanding, respect, innovation of training programmes, use of culture fair tests, contextually grounded research and intervention, tolerance, trust, empowerment, community internships and celebration of diversity. These themes are relevant to the development of guidelines for multicultural counselling competencies for South African psychologists.

HeartMath: a positive psychology paradigm for promoting psychophysiological and global coherence

This article proposes HeartMath as a positive psychology paradigm for promoting psychophysiological and global coherence . It provides evidence for the value of psychophysiological and global coherence, with special reference to human functioning through synchronisation between positive emotions, cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, immune and other physiological systems . Various HeartMath tools and techniques are described and evidence for their effectiveness provided, drawing from several related South African studies . Psychophysiological and global coherence bear promise as fertile fields for future research and intervention of great potential to develop humanity and promote global health and wellbeing.

A Rogerian Perspective on Empathic Patterns in Southern African Healing

The aim of this article is to describe and provide evidence for the effectiveness of patterns of empathy in Southern African forms of healing. This is done through an evaluative literature review of the Rogerian perspective on empathy in relation to documented research evidence from Southern African sources. Quotations, experiential and behavioural descriptions and explications provide evidence of original patterns of interpersonal, social and transpersonal empathy that illuminate, extend, harmonise, broaden and deepen Rogerian formulations.

Promoting Mental Health: A Call for a Multicultural Human Movement Perspective

In recent years, a culture of evidence-based, natural scientific, bio-medical and bio-mechanically orientated health-promoting physical activity packages has become popular, to promote health and prevent various illnesses associated with the violence and stress of contemporary planet earth, including the sedentary, technocratic lifestyles typical of economically developed countries. However, humanity has always promoted mental health through involvement in human movement in the form of an infinite variety of behaviours such as playing, running and dancing. Although the new evidence-based approach has scientific validity and undoubted value, considerations of health, holism and harmony also suggest the need for additional forms of discourse that represent more essential, original, meaningful experiences, and multicultural forms of human movement that promote mental health and welfare, perhaps more cost-effectively. The aim of this article is an explication of this conception and its public health implications, with special reference to guidelines for multicultural movement counsellors. Supportive evidence, related to the experience of movement, as well as mental health-promoting activities involving rhythmic, breath-co-ordinated, sociocultural exercises such as chi-gung and dance, is presented.

Evaluation of heart rhythm coherence feedback training on physiological and psychological variables

HeartMath refers to a psychophysiological approach dedicated to helping people establish heart-based living and global coherence through heart rate variability training, especially through heart rhythm coherence feedback. This study investigated the influence of emWave2 heart rhythm coherence feedback learning on standardized measures of physiological coherence, sense of coherence, health, mindfulness, and spirituality perceptions, as experienced and evaluated by a small convenience sample of 10 participants. Six women and four men with a mean age of 44.8 years and an age range from 23 to 78 years completed at least five emWave2 biofeedback sessions, with a mean of 10 sessions and a range from 5 to 15 sessions. Quantitative findings indicated significant improvements on all standardized measures. Qualitative findings indicated meaningful experiences and positive evaluations of the workshop. Integrative findings are discussed in relation to previous and future research.

Holistic Psychology: A Brief Primer

This article explicates the foundations, essential themes and healing principles of holistic psychology; an approach which provides a corrective for such trends in modern scientific psychology as disciplinary perspectives, the overemphasis on the economics and politics of professionalism. Holistic psychology emphasizes spiritual healing, multi-cultural counseling, community and ecological interventions. Its core pillars of practice and care stem from the spiritual and wisdom traditions widely applicable to combating illness, injustice, violence, materialism, and technocratic influences so prevalent in contemporary society. As a breath and/or spirit based healing practice, holistic psychology provides a foundational exercise for personal, social and cosmic transformation.