The transmission of Maya healing: Following the cycles of time. A study on cross-cultural & intergenerational transmission of Maya healing practices around Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Despite the historical repression and destruction of Maya culture and traditions (Adams & Hawkins, 2007), Hart (2008) emphasizes a cultural continuation of Maya traditions. A movement of revalorization and revitalization of Maya traditions and spiritual practices is described (Molesky-Poz 2006:25). To guard and revitalize ancestral Maya healing, a better understanding of the knowledge transmission of this tradition is paramount. In this study, I look at the ways Maya healers nowadays transmit knowledge of Maya healing. This study is specifically directed towards the underexposed field of intergenerational and cross-cultural knowledge transmission in the context of cultural continuation of Maya healing traditions. The study is performed around Lake Atitlán, an area which is subject to increased globalisation and internationalization due to the attraction of (spiritual) tourism (Giralt, 2012). This makes this locality suitable for investigating the engagement of ‘cultural others’ in the transmission of Maya healing. The study also discusses cultural appropriation and the initiation of Maya healers coming from abroad. The effects of globalization on the transmission of Maya healing is the central theme in this study.
I have applied a mixed method approach, which includes participatory observation of knowledge transmission during healing ceremonies and the taking of semi-structured oral life histories of western and local Maya healers. This is complemented with an embodied participative experience of knowledge transmission with a Maya abdominal massage course. My mission was to balance participation in and observation of the transmission of Maya healing. For this I have used a dialogical anthropology approach. It is my conviction that a close engagement with my research informants contributed to a deeper understanding of Maya ways of knowing.
Maya ways of knowing differ from western scientific knowledge (Goulet, 1998). The Maya healers stated that they all learn via divine connections with Mayan ancestors. Dreams, visions and spiritual connectedness with nature provided them with information and instructions on how to conduct Maya healing. This is in contrast with the transmission of western scientific knowledge which is usually “passed on as a package, though books, videos and other supportive props” (Hatcher, 2012). This study shows how westernization and modern developments around Lake Atitlán have influenced the transmission of Maya knowledge between generations. The study shows that traditional ways of learning are complemented by modern educational forms. Modern technologies contribute to the transmission and revaluation of Maya healing traditions. Inspired by the interest of ‘cultural others’ local Maya healers revalue Maya healing traditions. Westerns initiated by Maya healers play an important role in bridging Maya knowledge across cultures. In this way, they increase the accessibility of this knowledge for Westerners. They also contribute to local Maya elders’ aspirations to spread their knowledge globally.
The transmission of Maya healing: Following the cycles of time. A study on cross-cultural & intergenerational transmission of Maya healing practices around Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Despite the historical repression and destruction of Maya culture and traditions (Adams & Hawkins, 2007), Hart (2008) emphasizes a cultural continuation of Maya traditions. A movement of revalorization and revitalization of Maya traditions and spiritual practices is described (Molesky-Poz 2006:25). To guard and revitalize ancestral Maya healing, a better understanding of the knowledge transmission of this tradition is paramount. In this study, I look at the ways Maya healers nowadays transmit knowledge of Maya healing. This study is specifically directed towards the underexposed field of intergenerational and cross-cultural knowledge transmission in the context of cultural continuation of Maya healing traditions. The study is performed around Lake Atitlán, an area which is subject to increased globalisation and internationalization due to the attraction of (spiritual) tourism (Giralt, 2012). This makes this locality suitable for investigating the engagement of ‘cultural others’ in the transmission of Maya healing. The study also discusses cultural appropriation and the initiation of Maya healers coming from abroad. The effects of globalization on the transmission of Maya healing is the central theme in this study.
I have applied a mixed method approach, which includes participatory observation of knowledge transmission during healing ceremonies and the taking of semi-structured oral life histories of western and local Maya healers. This is complemented with an embodied participative experience of knowledge transmission with a Maya abdominal massage course. My mission was to balance participation in and observation of the transmission of Maya healing. For this I have used a dialogical anthropology approach. It is my conviction that a close engagement with my research informants contributed to a deeper understanding of Maya ways of knowing.
Maya ways of knowing differ from western scientific knowledge (Goulet, 1998). The Maya healers stated that they all learn via divine connections with Mayan ancestors. Dreams, visions and spiritual connectedness with nature provided them with information and instructions on how to conduct Maya healing. This is in contrast with the transmission of western scientific knowledge which is usually “passed on as a package, though books, videos and other supportive props” (Hatcher, 2012). This study shows how westernization and modern developments around Lake Atitlán have influenced the transmission of Maya knowledge between generations. The study shows that traditional ways of learning are complemented by modern educational forms. Modern technologies contribute to the transmission and revaluation of Maya healing traditions. Inspired by the interest of ‘cultural others’ local Maya healers revalue Maya healing traditions. Westerns initiated by Maya healers play an important role in bridging Maya knowledge across cultures. In this way, they increase the accessibility of this knowledge for Westerners. They also contribute to local Maya elders’ aspirations to spread their knowledge globally.
