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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Traumatic and Initiatory journey of traditional healers in Reunion Island

subject

description

The aim of this study is to investigate the phenomena at work in the building of traditional healers’ identities in Reunion Island. They are called by many names of which « devineur, prêtre malbar, diseur la prière, magnétiseur, tisaneur » are just a few. These healers stand between the visible and the invisible, able to communicate with the spirits, therefore the inhabitants call on these traditional practices when facing disorders including physical and psychological illnesses, bad luck, curses and misfortune. These masters’ healers originate from the crossing of many cultures and folks coming from Europe, Africa, Madagascar, India, and China, and continue to thrive till nowadays in this French island that is well equipped with the medical health infrastructures of the XXI century.We focused on a qualitative study by exploring how they perceive their own identity through their biographical stories. The data were collected from semi-structured interviews recounting their journey. Twenty-one healers’ accounts have been analysed by a content analysis method and also by phenomenological and narrative approaches. Study findings identified common factors such as their ability of crossing distinct worlds, visible and invisible as well as different cultures. Additionally, they inherited a sacred gift and went through an initiatory journey made of life events, challenges, illnesses and traumas acting as a lever for the transformation in this identity metamorphosis. Furthermore, the meaning of idiosyncratic experiences is based on the social recognition of being a healer. These narratives reveal their resilience and unfold the healer’s own myth.Key words: identity-building processes; traditional healer; identity metamorphosis; life journey; invisible; gift; narrative.