African traditional medicine employs spirits in the process of diagnosing and prescribing medication for the different physiological, psychiatric, and spiritual conditions. African traditional medicine is able to draw a distinction between idiopathic (complex) conditions that may appear to be similar such as a psychiatric condition and spiritual possession. Furthermore, African traditional medicine is able to distinguish between the different types of spiritual possessions. For example, possession by a malevolent (unclean) spirit, which is the result of sorcery, and possession by a familial spirit, which is usually healed when a person exorcises or adorcises the spirit.

The aforementioned claims are due, in large part, to the difference between healing a disease and curing a disease. African traditional medicine heals a disease while Western medicine cures a disease. Healing is a holistic approach to treating a disease. It involves removing evidence of a disease in the physical body while restoring balance to the mind and spirit. This holistic approach is made possible by the ritualistic modes of treatments that engage the mind, emotions, body, and spirit.

For example

In Western medicine, steam therapy is the inhalation of water vapor to treat colds, flu, coughs, sinus, bronchitis, and nasal allergies. To do this type of therapy you boil water and add it in a large bowl, lower your head towards the hot water, cover your head with a towel, close your eyes and inhale and exhale through the nose for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, raise your head, dry your face, and you are done.

In African traditional medicine, if we were to do the same steam therapy. It would be a ritual instead of a routine. Meaning everything is done with intention. For example, after you boil the water and add it in a large bowl you speak to the water and tell the water what you want it to do. If you are steaming to treat bronchitis, you speak that into the water. After setting your intention, you lower your head towards the water and cover your head with a towel. While covered you chant, or you speak the results that you want to see for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you raise your head, dry your face, and you throw out the water and while throwing out the water, you speak. For example, you can say “I dispel this bronchitis” or “bronchitis! depart from me or go away”.

This example showcases how you would treat a simple condition. For treating complex conditions, you may need to quote scriptures or do something that elicits your faith.

From the example, the steam therapy routine removes the evidence of a disease (physical symptoms) or ailment from the physical body. While the setting of the intention and the speaking (of things that are not yet as though they are already) engages your emotions and spirit and changes your perception about the disease. When you combine the routine with the intention and speaking you get a ritual.

God spoke the world into existence. As children of God we are also to speak those things that are not, as though the are. Romans 4:17.