Yoga: um diálogo com a Saúde Coletiva / Yoga: un diálogo con la Salud Colectiva / Yoga: dialoguing with Collective Health

A tradição indiana milenar do yoga oportuniza o autoconhecimento dos indivíduos em suas possibilidades e limitações, tornando-os mais autônomos na busca de bem-estar, mais saudáveis e conscientes. O ensaio teórico, fundamentado na revisão da literatura, analisa a repercussão do yoga em algumas de suas implicações como prática de saúde na racionalidade ocidental. A apropriação do yoga pela cultura ocídua implica a compreensão do sistema capitalista sobre o modo de produzir saúde nas sociedades contemporâneas e no aprofundamento das discussões acerca de seus benefícios filosóficos e práticos na Saúde Coletiva. Esse aprendizado fundamenta o Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e vem consolidando o conceito ampliado de saúde por meio da criação de pontes culturais baseadas na tolerância e no respeito a sua tradição. (AU)

La tradición hindú milenaria del yoga da oportunidad al autoconocimiento de los individuos en sus posibilidades y limitaciones, haciéndolos más autónomos en la búsqueda de bienestar, más saludables y conscientes. El ensayo teórico, fundamentado en la revisión de la literatura, analiza la repercusión del yoga en algunas de sus implicaciones como práctica de salud en la racionalidad occidental. La apropiación del yoga por la cultura occidua implica la comprensión del sistema capitalista sobre el modo de producir salud en las sociedades contemporáneas y la profundización de las discusiones sobre sus beneficios filosóficos y prácticos en la salud colectiva. Ese aprendizaje fundamenta el Sistema Brasileño de Salud (SUS) y consolida el concepto ampliado de salud, a partir de la creación de puentes culturales basados en la tolerancia y respeto a su tradición. (AU)

The ancient tradition of yoga coming from India provides individuals with self-knowledge regarding their possibilities and limitations, making them more autonomous in the search for well-being, healthier and more conscious. This theoretical essay, based on the literature review, analyzes the repercussion of yoga through some of its implications as a health practice within Western rationality. The appropriation of yoga by the Western culture implies an understanding of the capitalist system regarding the way of producing health in contemporary societies, and in the deepening of discussions about its philosophical and practical benefits in public health. This construction underlies the Brazilian National Health Sytem (SUS), and helped in the consolidation of an expanded concept of health, creating cultural bridges based on tolerance and respect for its tradition. (AU)

Yagé: Crisis de occidente y trabajo espiritual / Yagé: Western crisis and spiritual work

Resumen Introducción: Ante la crisis epistemológica y sistémica que se encuentra en la civilización occidental, el yagé emerge como alternativa que invita a una reponderación axiológica profunda. Asimismo, el ritual del yagé evidencia los límites del conocimiento médico moderno, dando pauta al abordaje transdisciplinario. Por otro lado, se presentan consecuencias de inserción en el libre mercado, implicando problemas de lucro a costa de tradiciones originarias. En este contexto, se explora el concepto «trabajo espiritual¼ como práctica que busca descolocarse del colonialismo mercantil al tiempo que se aleja del modelo médico moderno. Objetivo: Reflexionar la incorporación del ritual de yagé en Occidente y sus posibilidades como alternativa epistemológica y médica. Materiales y métodos: Revisión de artículos de la base de datos especializados Web of Science, con la palabra clave: "ayahuasca". Resultados: Se estructuró la información teniendo en cuenta los aspectos relacionados con: (a) el contexto de incorporación del yagé al occidente, (b) los límites del conocimiento médico moderno y (c) los problemas de inserción al libre mercado. Conclusiones: Se apoya el diagnóstico de la ruptura epistemológica con occidente, pero reconociendo el estado inicial de las investigaciones y la falta de evidencias documentadas para entrar en una etapa más fructífera para el debate.

Abstract Introduction: In the face of epistemological and systemic crisis in Western civilization, yagé emerges as an alternative that invites a deep axiological reponderation. The yagé ritual demonstrates the limits of modern medical knowledge, giving guidance to a transdisciplinary approach. On the other hand, there are consequences of insertion into the free market, involving profit problems at the expense of original traditions. Thus, the concept of "spiritual work" is explored as a practice that seeks to dislodge itself from commercial colonialism while moving away from the modern medical model. Objective: To reflect on the incorporation of the yage ritual in the West and its possibilities as an epistemological and medical alternative. Materials and methods: Review of articles from the specialized Web of Science database, with the keyword: "ayahuasca". Results: The information was structured considering aspects related to: (a) the context of incorporation of yagé into the West, (b) the limits of modern medical knowledge and (c) the problems of insertion into the free market. Conclusions: The diagnosis of the epistemological rupture with the West is supported while recognizing the initial state of the investigations and the lack of documented evidence in order to enter into a more fruitful debate.

Ideário da morte no Ocidente: a bioética em uma perspectiva antropológica crítica / Conceptions of death in the Western world: bioethics from a critical anthropological perspective / Ideario de la muerte en Occidente: la bioética en una perspectiva antropológica crítica

Resumo A morte é simbólica, histórica e socialmente construída. Mais do que um processo biológico, é uma elaboração cultural, e discuti-la significa, portanto, entender suas representações e práticas. Embora seja atualmente entendida de forma negativa, nem sempre foi tida como tabu. Este artigo busca desvelar de que modo foi estabelecida a oposição entre a vida e a morte em proveito da vida como positividade e as consequências do banimento da ideia de finitude em prol de um mito de imortalidade. A partir de uma revisão da literatura sobre as concepções da morte no Ocidente, especificamente no Brasil, esta discussão propõe repensar a bioética como campo disciplinar que deve abarcar, para além de modelos dogmáticos e autoritários, valores morais plurais. Esta reflexão permite encarar a morte como constituinte da vida e, assim, arrostar a impossibilidade do nada, fim inexorável, como possibilidade infinda, em suas diversas acepções e seus diferentes sentidos.

Abstract Death is symbolically, historically and socially constructed. More than a biological process, death is a cultural elaboration, and discussing it means, therefore, to understand its representations and practices. Although it is currently understood negatively, it was not always considered a taboo. This article aims to unveil how the opposition between life and death favoring life as a positivity was established and what are the consequences of banishing the idea of finitude in favor of a myth of immortality. Through a literature review of the conceptions of death in the Western world, specifically in Brazil, this discussion proposes to rethink bioethics as a discipline that should include, besides dogmatic and authoritarian models, plural moral values. This reflection allows us to face death as a part of life and, thus, to confront the impossibility of nothingness, an inexorable end, as an endless possibility, in its various and different meanings.

Resumen La muerte es simbólica, histórica y socialmente construida. Más que un proceso biológico, es una elaboración cultural, y discutirla significa, por lo tanto, entender sus representaciones y prácticas. Aunque ella sea actualmente entendida de forma negativa, no siempre fue considerada como tabú. Este artículo busca desvelar de qué modo se estableció la oposición entre la vida y la muerte en provecho de la vida como positividad y las consecuencias de la exclusión de la idea de finitud en favor de un mito de inmortalidad. A partir de una revisión de la literatura sobre las concepciones de la muerte en Occidente, específicamente en Brasil, esta discusión propone repensar la bioética como campo disciplinar que debe abarcar, además de modelos dogmáticos y autoritarios, valores morales plurales. Esta reflexión permite encarar la muerte como constituyente de la vida y, así, confrontar la imposibilidad de la nada, fin inexorable, como posibilidad sin fin, en sus diversas acepciones y sus diferentes sentidos.

To analyze the acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine in the western countries from the perspective of orientalism / 国际中医中药杂志

Since the modern times, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been more widely spread in the western world. However, it becomes more difficult to be accepted or even be demonized. The perspective of oreintalism can help to accurately analyze the origin of TCM acceptance in the western countries. This acceptance follows the cognitive model of orientalism. The change of orentalism discourse system directly affects the TCM communication to the West in the modern times. To conclude this period of history will provide some useful inspiration to the further TCM communication to the West.

Relations between Eastern Four Pillars Theory and Western Measures of Personality Traits

PURPOSE: The present study investigated the validity of personality classification using four pillars theory, a tradition in China and northeastern Asia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four pillars analyses were performed for 148 adults on the basis of their birth year, month, day, and hour. Participants completed two personality tests, the Korean version of Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised-Short Version (TCI) and the Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems; scores were correlated with four pillars classification elements. Mean difference tests (e.g., t-test, ANOVA) were compared with groups classified by four pillars index. RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between personality scale scores and total yin/yang number (i.e., the 8 heavenly or earthly stems), and no significant between-groups results for classifications by yin/yang day stem and the five elements. There were significant but weak (r=0.18-0.29) correlations between the five elements and personality scale scores. For the six gods and personality scales, there were significant but weak (r=0.18-0.25) correlations. Features predicted by four pillars theory were most consistent when participants were grouped according to the yin/yang of the day stem and dominance of yin/yang numbers in the eight heavenly or earthly stems. CONCLUSION: Although the major criteria of four pillars theory were not independently correlated with personality scale scores, correlations emerged when participants were grouped according to the composite yin/yang variable. Our results suggest the utility of four pillars theory (beyond fortune telling or astrology) for classifying personality traits and making behavioral predictions.

Medicalisation of Suicide

Medicalisation is the misclassification of non-medical problems as medical problems. A common form of medicalisation is the misclassification of normal distress as a mental disorder (usually a mood disorder). Suicide is medicalised when it is considered a medical diagnosis per se, when it is considered to be secondary to a mental disorder when no mental disorder is present, and when no mental disorder is present but the management of suicidal behaviour associated with distress is believed to be the sole responsibility of mental health professionals. In the West, psychological autopsies have led to the belief that all or almost all suicide is the result of mental disorder. However, there are reservations about the scientific status of such studies. The actions of psychological autopsy researchers, coroners/magistrates, police, policy writers, and grieving relatives all contribute. Medicalisation of suicide has the potential to distort research findings, and caution is recommended.