As human migration brings an ever more diverse range of people, cultures and beliefs into contact, Western medical systems must adapt to cater for the different approaches it encounters towards illness, the body, gender, mental health and death.Based upon training courses taught by the author to staff at hospitals, mental health professionals, and on degree courses, this complete resource provides an essential foundation for understanding the complex and manifold approaches to medi...

Focusing on individual Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities such as Irish, Caribbean, South Asian, Chinese and Jewish, this accessible guide brings together key information on the impact of living with dementia in BAME communities into a single comprehensive resource for front-line staff as well as an information source for families and carers.The book sets out personal case studies and examines how to provide bespoke support and information to raise awareness and lo...

It is well-known that US culture is a dominant force and a world-wide phenomenon. But it is possible that its most troubling export has yet to be accounted for?America has been the world leader in generating new mental health treatments and modern theories: it exports psychopharmaceuticals and categorises disorders, thereby defining mental illness and health. The outcome of these efforts is just now coming to light: it turns out that the US has not only been changi...

Do religious experiences come from God, or are they merely the random firing of neurons in the brain? Drawing on his own research with Carmelite nuns, neuroscientist Mario Beauregard shows that genuine, life-changing spiritual events can be documented. He offers compelling evidence that religious experiences have a nonmaterial origin, making a convincing case for what many in scientific fields are loath to consider—that it is God who creates our spiritual experiences, not the brain.

Throughout history, humans have attempted to influence and control the thoughts of others. Since the word 'brainwashing' was coined in the aftermath of the Korean War, it has become part of the popular culture and been exploited to create sensational headlines. It has also been the subject of learned discussion from many disciplines: including history, sociology, psychology, and psychotherapy. But until now, a crucial part of the debate has been missing: that of any serious reference to th...

A bold call for the “insane” to reclaim their rightful role as prophets of spiritual and cultural transformation• Explains how many of those diagnosed as schizophrenic, bipolar, and other forms of “madness” are not ill but experiencing a spiritual awakening• Explores the rise of Mad Pride and the mental patients’ liberation movement• Reveals how those seen as “mad” must embrace their spiritual gifts to help the coming global spiritual transitionMany of the g...

Culture and Health offers an overview of different areas of culture and health, building on foundations of medical anthropology and health behavior theory. It shows how to address the challenges of cross-cultural medicine through interdisciplinary cultural-ecological models and personal and institutional developmental approaches to cross-cultural adaptation and competency. The book addresses the perspectives of clinically applied anthropology, trans-cultural psychiatry and the medical ecol...

Explores scientific and medical research on the emerging uses of psychedelics to enrich mind, morals, spirituality, and creativity• Outlines a future that embraces psychedelics as tools for cognitive development, personal growth, business, and an experience-based religious reformation• Presents research on the use of psychedelics to enhance problem-solving, increase motivation, boost the immune system, and deepen ethical values• Includes chapters by Roger N. Walsh, ...

Embark on an exploration of what lies behind our eyelids when we surrender to the secret life of sleep.What makes us cross the line from waking to slumber? According to Harvard scientists it’s our 'sleep switch' – a cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus. For the ancient Greeks it was the god Hypnos, caressing you with his wings. For the Blackfeet Indians, a butterfly.From the meaning of dreams to the dangers of sleeping pills, Kat Duff brings insights from...

Antipsychotic medications are sometimes imposed on psychiatric patients deemed dangerous to themselves and others. This is based on the assumption that treatment is safe and effective, and that recovery depends on biological adjustment. Under new laws, patients can be required to remain on these medications after leaving hospitals. However, survivors attest that forced treatment used as a restraint can feel like torture, while the consequences of withdrawal can also be severe.A bra...

A study of the effect of depression and psychiatry on Japanese society—"A triumph, perhaps even a classic" ( Times Higher Education, UK)."Fully engaged with the scholarly literature, and steeped in detail and description, this exemplary book is clearly the product of great care and careful listening and observation. With its high quality, simplicity, and eloquence, it is bound to become the book on depression in J...

Please do everything to save his life. It is always heard at any place where care is given, although it is not said in each and every situation. Nowadays, the doctor's decision about his or her patients has become a dilemma. Is it the doctors duty to relieve pain and suffering even by taking the patient's life? Or should she or he respect human life and stand back, waiting for the nature to take its course? Some people argue that in certain circumstances killing someone to relieve his or h...