"Perceptions of health and illness and help-seeking behavior very often include not only formal health care systems found in the United States, but also may include informal, “complementary” or “parallel” health care systems derived of traditional Mexican Indian folk practices and spiritual belief systems" (Lopez pg. 23)
(Photo: https://images.app.goo.gl/6DTovNtMvnqCEMiX9)
To recount and discuss further some of the concepts from other areas of the website, folk illnesses occur in many different parts of the world and are steeped in tradition, social ties, religion, superstition, belief in a plurality of souls, healing, and mystery. The history of Mal de Ojo goes back for generations, possibly even before written history. It's practice is passed down from healer to healer and evolves within the societies and cultural contexts in which it is present. Often times, the afflicted will seek out a traditional healer rather than medical intervention as the healers share the same belief systems and will not judge or dismiss culture bound syndromes.
Folk illnesses can teach us a lot about different kinds of folklore, and the complexity of this belief system has fascinated me ever since I first learned about it. The rich culture, traditions, and vernacular that surround folk illnesses are what drove me to research this topic and I gained a lot of new insight and perspective that I didn't have before. I am in my second year of Spanish and enjoy being able to use sources that allow for the incorporation of the language into my work. It is my hope that I will be able to travel to Mexico someday, communicate effectively in the Spanish language, and maybe even receive a traditional limpia.
"The discussion so far has focused
on the desirability of studying el ojeo in the
context of a particular society, or on
the possibility of generating a cross-cultural
approach, but always targeting traditional
groups and popular knowledge (what is called lore in English)" (Brandi pg. 9-10)