AFRICAN TRADITIONAL BELIEFS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISEASES CAUSATION: STUDY OF IGBO PEOPLE OF NIGERIA

Emmanuel C. Anizoba, Geoffrey Chiazo Nganwuchu

Abstract


This work investigates some fearful (dreaded) diseases in Igbo Traditional Beliefs. Despite the widespread of modern medical practices, the Igbo people in modern times still believe tenaciously that fear is one of the major causes of sickness and diseases. The study adopts a qualitative phenomenological research design and descriptive method for data analysis.  Personal interview forms a primary source of data collection while the secondary source includes library resources. The research observes that  fear  in Igbo cosmology, like  the fear of death, sickness, war/crises,  hunger, manipulative power, etc are responsible for untimely deaths, affliction of diseases to persons and other related ailments which are believed to be traditional in nature. The study also notes that germs as micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi are considered as the causative agents of diseases. Finally, the resort to belief in fear inflicted Diseases even in the midst of Western germ theory shows the fact that germ theory as long as the Igbo traditional conception of diseases are concerned, cannot really satisfy the People’s belief in what causes diseases defiled modern medicine. The study recommends that hospitals in Nigeria and beyond should recognize both for proper and adequate medication.


Keywords


African Traditional Beliefs, Fear, Germ, theory, Disease.

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