The Symbolic and Cultural Dimensions of the Therapeutic Narratives of Users of Alternative Medicine

Abstract

The use of alternative medicine entails a new approach to health and healthcare whose underlying views and values connect with a post-materialist philosophy and overall worldview. Some authors (Shilling 2003) see current healthcare trends as indicative of a new way of understanding the body as individualised, the expression of individual identity. Others (Crawford 1980) establish a connection between holistic healthcare and ecological lifestyles. Finally, Martin Dinges (2002) states that choosing alternative therapies evidences people’s search for personal self-realisation. The present article offers an analysis of therapeutic narratives by focusing on five main dimensions: body, energy, illness, spirituality and self-realisation. In order to carry out this research, in-depth interviews have been conducted with users of alternative medicine.