The Flexibility Hypothesis of Healing

Theories of healing have attempted to identify general mechanisms that may work across different modalities. These include altering expectations, remoralization, and instilling hope. In this paper, we argue that many forms of healing and psychotherapy may work by inducing positive psychological stat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Culture, medicine and psychiatry medicine and psychiatry, 2017-03, Vol.41 (1), p.3-34
Main Authors: Hinton, Devon E., Kirmayer, Laurence J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aesthetics
Anthropology
Ceremonial Behavior
Clinical Psychology
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive functioning
Cultural identity
Emotions
Ethnopsychology
Expectations
Flexibility
Humans
Hypotheses
Imagery
Mass media images
Mental health
Metaphor
Music
Neurosciences
Original Paper
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychiatry
Psychotherapy
Public Health
Resilience
Rituals
Social Sciences
Sociology
Spiritual Therapies
Well being
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Summary:Theories of healing have attempted to identify general mechanisms that may work across different modalities. These include altering expectations, remoralization, and instilling hope. In this paper, we argue that many forms of healing and psychotherapy may work by inducing positive psychological states marked by flexibility or an enhanced ability to shift cognitive sets. Healing practices may induce these states of cognitive and emotional flexibility through specific symbolic interventions we term “flexibility primers” that can include images, metaphors, music, and other media. The flexibility hypothesis suggests that cognitive and emotional flexibility is represented, elicited, and enacted through multiple modalities in healing rituals. Identifying psychological processes and cultural forms that evoke and support cognitive and emotional flexibility provides a way to understand the cultural specificity and potential efficacy of particular healing practices and can guide the design of interventions that promote resilience and well-being.
ISSN:0165-005X
1573-076X
DOI:10.1007/s11013-016-9493-8