divination and psycho-spiritual intervention

Divination is a topic of marginal interest in religion and academia because it involves certain methods, like magic that are practiced in achieving spiritual knowledge.  The misrepresentation of divinity began with colonialism and the continuous misrepresentation in religious studies.  “A key similarity between psychological assessment and divination is the complex process of interpreting the signs that convey meaning about relevant factors” (Larson, 2019).  When broadly understood, many believe in the stereotypical discourse that insinuates that divination endorses a form of credulous deception.  Even in with credible processes “to both patient and healer” (Larson, 2019), belief in the spiritual was embraced in religion, while ancestral sprits and magic was rejected by the conflict in logical conclusion.  I was introduced to this authenticated form of spiritual knowledge as a worldview, a theoretical and practical way of life.  To effectively provide psycho-spiritual assessment techniques, “Bio-psycho-social metatheoretical position should be extended to include the dimension of religion or spirituality” (Larson, 2019).  Having competency in gnosis and religious practices is critical for treating clients in the context of intervention, guidance and personal growth.  There are many commonalities in psycho-social approaches to healing, “several ancient social roles of healing, so understanding begins in the cultural domain” (Larson, 2019).  Divination is an embodiment of Worldviews, a way of life governance and ideas that are recognized and shared across many cultures.  Controverted by diverse interpretations of Christan doctrine, the earliest recognition of divination was believed to be cunning witchcraft.  However, there is “evidence for many cross-cultural parallels between psychotherapy and a variety of other forms of social persuasion” (Larson, 2019).   The scope of suffering and distress that urges clients to seek professional relationships should regard a full range of transpersonal resources.  I chose to integrate spirituality and divination into the therapeutic process to “formulate a narrative about the nature of the distress, and a plan to remedy it” (Larson, 2019).   

Citations

Larson, P. (2019). Psychological assessment and divination: Some parallels of process. The Humanistic Psychologist, 47(1), 76–91. https://doi-org.libproxy.calbaptist.edu/10.1037/hum0000109