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Susto is the separation of a persons soul from his body. The Western Medical Model refers to susto as a folk illness, specifically a "fright sickness" with strong psychological overtones. Those most likely to suffer from susto are culturally stressed adults--women more than men, though occasionally children suffer susto as well. Etiology generally includes a sudden frightening experience such as an accident, a fall, witnessing a relative's sudden death, or any other potentially dangerous event; research will likely show that knowledge of the existence of susto is a major contributing factor in susceptibility to the 'disease'.
Symptoms of susto are thought to include nervousness, anorexia, insomnia, listlessness, despondency, involuntary muscle tics, and diarrhea. Treatments include the consumption of orange blossom, brazil wood or marijuana teas. An oral solution of figs boiled in vinegar is also somewhat therapeutic. However the most effective cure for susto is a ceremony known as a barrida or "Sweeping", which may not be entirely successful the first few times it is attempted. The barrida is best administered immediately after the traumatic event occurs, and is ideally conducted by a curandero in his/her home. During the barrida, the preclear recounts the details of the frightening event, then lies down on the floor on the axis of a crucifix (the curandero may or may not have the crucifix outlined with aluminum foil or other shiny material). The victim's body is then brushed with a bouquet of fresh herbs such as basil, purple sage, rosemary, or rue, while the curandero and other participants recite prayers. Depending on local custom, the curandero may also jump over the victims's body. This is thought to exhort the frightened soul back into the body.
Though it is tempting for those with a strict scientific worldview to adopt a patronizing attitude about culturally emergent phenomena such as susto, care should be taken to remember that objective research into such subjects is theoretically relevant to the study of related syndromes within the Western medical model.
See also
References
External Links
- Susto and Soul Loss in Mexicans and Mexican Americans (http://ccr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/38/3/270) By Mark Glazer, Roberta D. Baer, Susan C. Weller , and Javier Eduardo Garcia de Alba, published in Cross-Cultural Research, The Journal of Comparative Social Science. Full article in PDF is here (http://ccr.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/38/3/270)
- Susto: A Folk Illness (http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/1851.html) by Arthur J. Rubel, Carl W. O'Nell, and Rolando Collado-Ardon, University of California Press 1984
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