[Symposium 72] Anthropology Philosophy, Spirituality, and Psychiatry

[SY-72] Anthropology Philosophy, Spirituality, and Psychiatry

Tsuyoshi Akiyama¹, Nami Lee², Junko Kitanaka³, Marcos de Noronha⁴, Goffredo Bartocci⁵ (1.Rokubancho Mental Clinic(Japan), 2.Seoul National University(Korea), 3.Keio University (Japan), 4.Brazilian Association of Cultural Psychiatry(Brazil), 5.University of Torino (Italy))

Keywords:

Anthoropology,Philosophy,Spilituality

This symposium aims to show syncretism among anthropological, philosophical, historical, psychological, and biological approaches. Nami Lee presents spirituality as a psychological engagement in a search for purposes and meanings beyond the individual dimension. A holistic medical approach, including psycho-socio-spiritual realms, can facilitate individual well-being regardless of religious background. Based on the literature review, practical guidelines to improve spirituality in medical education and training will be suggested. Junko Kitanaka discusses dementia in Japan from the basis of neurodiversity, presenting a medical anthropological perspective. She questions how we can discuss the brain in psychiatry in a way that fosters understanding and empathy. While the dementia population exceeds five million in Japan, she asks in what ways the “brain talks” can lead not to alienation and social fragmentation but rather to a broader scope for empathy and social empowerment. Marcos de Noronha clarifies that anthropology and psychiatry provide complementary insight. By expanding its studies across diverse cultures, anthropology reveals that behaviors in modern societies are not universally normative but deeply influenced by cultural factors. Suicide is undoubtedly associated with sociocultural dynamics. With the Nahua in Mexico, death is not inherently harmful; rather, recurring suicide among Indigenous groups suggests a linkage between social disintegration and the loss of cultural cohesion. Bartocci delves into the cultural construction of the Western approach to understanding the coexistence, clash, and interaction between “Science and Faith.” Following the principles of Cultural Psychiatry, the focus will be on the role of mythologies in shaping different manifestations of the Self. Identity construction is deeply rooted in specific psychological and social contexts. The emphasis will be on the recurring and influential narratives that often define the ethnic identity of populations. These narratives, embedded in parental structures and broader social groups, exert a profound influence usually attributed in traditional psychiatry to interpersonal relationships.