Anticipation in Traditional Healing Ceremonies: The Call from Our Past

The Influence of Indigenous Culture on Sport Psychology Practice: Challenges and Prospects

“…Some researchers in sport psychology have acknowledged cultural impact on dimensions as diverse as regulation of emotions [10], participation motives [11], athlete identity [12], attributions of success and failure [13], coping style [14], goal orientations [15], preferred coaching behaviors [16], social physique anxiety [17], and responses to athletic retirement [18]. Similarly, shamanism (i.e., concept behind traditional healing ceremonies) offers diverse practices to access different modes of consciousness to incorporate deeper brain activation for perception and cognitive processing within a healing process, a pathway that can be tapped for athletes' injury rehabilitation, motor control and action anticipation [19]. Furthermore, new technologies such as eye-tracking, neuro feedback, memory measurements may as well offer researchers and applied practitioners with better understanding towards cognitive functioning and the effects of indigenous practices from a scientific viewpoint [20].…”

“…By integrating, and adhering to similar traditional practices over time, athletes could optimize their pre-start state and potentially enhance future sports performance [22]. These indigenous practices may thus provide potential avenues for reconnecting nature with other conventional psychological techniques like imagery, relaxation, and self-talk [19]. By developing sport psychological practice through this cultural lens with advanced technologies could enrich sport psychologist-coach-athlete interactions toward athletes' well-being and performance enhancement [1,2,20,22].…”