Spiritual Healing for War Memories that Can’t be Forgotten

We have called it by many names over the centuries – shell shock and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) are the latest ones. When men and women have to witness sudden death and maiming of friends up close it leaves wounds that can’t be seen on the skin. Here is an interesting approach common to Native Americans and Native Canadians which is now spreading its effectiveness to non-natives – sweat lodge ceremonies. This article by Taki Telonidis written in NPR.org (National Public Radio) describes spiritual healing for war memories that can’t be forgotten. While holding sweat lodges especially for veterans is increasing, this one was held in Salt Lake City.

Spiritual Healing for War Memories that Can’t be Forgotten

Bench started coming to these sweats in 2005 to cope with anxieties related to his combat experience. He found relief in the sweat, as well as a spiritual connection that has kept him coming back.
I just never had any place to turn. I came here and I was given a blessing.
- Cal Bench, Vietnam veteran
This VA is one of just a handful in the country that offers them. A sweat is a ceremony conducted by a Native American spiritual leader in a dome-shaped structure, or lodge. Sweats are common in Indian country.
"It's healing right down to the core of that veteran," says Arnold Thomas, a medicine man from the Shoshone Paiute tribe. He has training in social work and chaplaincy, and he has conducted the veteran sweats at the VA since 2004.
"When they've been overseas in combat, there's a part of them that is left there," Thomas says. "So when we have the ceremonies, there are certain prayer songs that I offer and make that effort to bring their spirit back home."
To read more of this passage, click here.

Having taken part in a number of Native American sweat lodge ceremonies myself, I can tell you it is an intense experience that affects people differently. However, it’s somehow a safe place to “let it all hang out”. Of course with most ceremonies it is often the leader who makes the experiences so meaningful with his or her songs, chanting and prayers. Best of all, no drugs or alcohol are involved. It’s a natural high. If you would like to know more about sweat lodge ceremonies, I recommend this DVD: Native American Indian Sacred Purification Sweat Lodge Ceremony by Bill Elwell and directed by Bob Klein. It’s a good addition to traditional counseling and medication that the VA now provides spiritual healing for war memories that can’t be forgotten in the form of sweat lodges.