Ancient knowledge gets a modern makeover

Ancient knowledge gets a modern makeover

A new government policy on paranormal and alternative healing
therapies is expected to be unveiled in the near future. In a
similar way to other countries which have recognized certain
nonscience-based health care therapies like acupuncture, the
Ministry of Health is now taking a close look at its own
indigenous alternative medicine, including paranormal therapies.

"The Ministry of Health recognizes that it has some
limitations in providing health treatment to the community.
That's why we are making partnerships now with alternative
medicine associations," said Dr. Agnes Maureen Loupatty, head of
the traditional health standardization section under the
ministry's Directorate General of Community Health.

"Our policy has three approaches: We will introduce stricter
regulations, develop partnerships with alternative medicine
associations and start to categorize and analyze the different
methods used."

According to Dr. Agnes, the ministry will work with the
associations to develop criteria for assessing therapies, such as
whether there is a body of printed research on the therapy, proof
that it is safe and a credible reason to believe that it is
effective in about 50 percent of cases.

The ministry is looking at four categories of traditional
healing: physical methods such as massage and reflexology;
traditional medicines such as herbs and jamu (herbal medicine);
supernatural and paranormal techniques; and techniques based on
religious beliefs.

While it may never be possible to prove without a shadow of a
doubt that an alternative therapy works, metaphysical
practitioners say that the same argument applies to modern
medicine.

"You have to recognize that modern medicine cannot cure every
disease and that some paranormals are successful, so it's not all
about superstition," said Sita Sudjono, one of the founders of
the Indonesian Communication Forum for Paranormal and Alternative
Healers, which has already begun working with the Ministry of
Health on classifying and codifying therapies.

Sita, a teacher of "Orhiba", the Indonesian abbreviation for
"New Life Exercise", a discipline which is said to charge the
body with cosmic energy with a few minutes of daily practice,
helps to organize monthly metaphysical discussions in Jakarta
which bring together a range of paranormal practitioners.

"We try to explain metaphysical things in a scientific way,
although we known we cannot explain everything," she said, adding
that it's important to see metaphysical practice as communicating
with God, rather than what she sees as the current obsession in
the tabloid press with the occult and superstitious beliefs.

The forum attracts more than 200 participants each month to
its metaphysical study group and boasts over 1,000 members. Its
chairman Sabdono Surohadikusomo has been a lifelong advocate of
what he calls "rational approach" to the paranormal and has
lobbied government to help impose some order in the field of
paranormal and alternative healing.

"Our forum encompasses a wide variety of methods such as
reiki, prana, acupuncture and also faith healing," said Sabdono.

He is determined to change the image of healers as being
mystical or magical and to protect the welfare of consumers.
According to his colleague Sita Sudjono, his efforts in the past
were often marred by the egos of traditional healers.

"He tried before to raise the level of practice of dukuns
(traditional healers or shamans). But it was very difficult to
get them to follow any rules as each of them felt that they were
better than the others!"

This time around, Sabdono is upbeat about the chances of
success.

"We are preparing a decree with the ministry which will say
that all paranormal healers should get a permit and a reference
from an accredited association. There's no law at the moment, so
it's difficult to protect consumers -- that's why we are working
on this."

-- David Kennedy