Healing from a programmer's perspective.

In a recent article going around facebook lately, (Here) the article goes on about how a shaman looks at mental illness as one that is energetic/spiritual in nature.

As a programmer I find this view to be limiting.  Let me explain:


Take any electronic computing device, whether that be a phone, a tablet, a laptop or just an outright computer.  The hardware in an of itself doesn't do a whole lot, without programming.  That is the operating systems upon which the hardware does its work.

When we look at ourselves, we only tend to see one aspect or another depending on a viewpoint.  But we should try to see ourselves like how I see a computer.

First, let us look at how a computer parallels humans.  Imagine the hardware as the core of one's self.  Whether it is that we see ourselves as energy or as flesh and bone, we are a combination of chemical and electrical interactions.  Alone, these interactions are meaningless.

How we utilize the interactions and control is what is the essence of programming.  We start programming from the moment we are born, we learn to eat, walk and communicate. We learn social mores.  We also experience things both good and bad.

So what happens when something is wrong?  On a computer, you get a warning, or an error or some indication that something isn't working right.  Sometimes you don't get anything at all.  Maybe as a programmer you didn't do some kind of error check or there's an error that isn't readily visible until you look at the result.  Sometimes it isn't even a software/programming issue at all, but rather a physical one with the computer.

That's not too unlike what it is for humans.  When something is obviously wrong, it is totally obvious.  Whether it is a rash or some kind of fever, most of the problems can be measured and traced down to a cause.

But what about things we just don't understand or can't find a cause.  Where is the source for the problem?  Is it a learned process, is it how we process things?  Or is there something of a more energetic nature that is the source of the problem.

While some people see that all things are energy (from a metaphysical standpoint) it is important to know that we operate also in a non-energetic existence (it is hard to ignore).  Where we fail is that we see the problem either from one perspective or another and never really combine the two for a complete solution to a problem.  Instead we only treat the symptoms.

While we expect our children to constantly ask this question over and over, I think we programmed ourselves to not ask the question as often.  Maybe we should.

We just need to ask: Why?

So is mental illness a chemical or energetic/spiritual one?  The problem is not that simple.  Maybe we see a spiritual reason for the illness, or maybe we see the matter as one of chemical imbalances.  There's not just one answer that we can point to.  At least not one of consensus.


A good comparison with computers is a memory leak.  A memory leak usually causes subtle problems where the program may act irrational or not make sense.  It may also cause physical problems to occur with the computer, creating other issues that are seemingly unrelated to the underlying issue.  Does it happen a lot?  No, but then again most people will never run into the issue.  The source is identified and resolved.

The difference between humans and computers are that computers are simplistic devices by design.  We are complex.  But the comparisons give a perspective that the issues we face in dealing with wellness, is that without an objective mind frame and a determination to look past symptoms and focus on the source of issues, we will always think that the solution that we have given is the best.

As for the shaman, he probably is picking up a lot more about the source of the problem in regards to mental illness, but how do we know that it truly is the source of the issue?  Where is the collaboration with another shaman to give an equal assessment?  Why do we accept one perspective as the truth and reject the other?

Fairly recently, I started working on seeing through metaphysical eyes.  It's caused some rather interesting results, but one of the things I have noticed, is that I tend to look at influences around people.  To look into someone takes effort and usually results in picking up others pain and emotions.  When it came to a mental illness situation, I looked rather intently at the influences around the person and time and time again, I was coming up with "there's nothing there".

The issue is not one where it is always external.  It is not always one of internal either.  Which led me to try to understand one of the more recent terms to splay across the metaphysical field and that is miasm.  Now miasm is neither a physical or spiritual issue, because it doesn't exist in the current world.  This requires a more esoteric approach which involves alternate realities and timelines as well as connections to those things. 

So what do I see as a miasm?  There's nothing there!  Nothing external, nothing within.

That's when the computer analogy falls apart.  The computer should run perfectly.

Maybe there is something to shamanism that can eventually help all of mankind, but I am not seeing it very well.  Maybe because I don't see it as a means to an end, but rather a road marker on the path of life.  Maybe you choose to do that sort of thing, and that's your thing.  Mine isn't that at all.  To me, life is about taking all the different perspectives and seeing them from every angle and every way possible.  To not take that approach would mean to focus on something specific.

That is WHY I think we never get to the source of problems.  That, and you'll eventually run into ego problems. ...and if you think you don't, then you have one as well.  I know a couple of "shamans" with ego problems, their problem is they don't think they have an ego problem.

I think "shaman" nowadays, is thrown around like the term "athiest".  Now athiests who really are intelligent and know what they believe and are very well rounded about it, will really not call themselves that.  Instead "agnostic" is a better term.  Perhaps "journeying healer" is a better term for "shaman"?

You figure it out for yourself.  As for me, I'm neither.