Spiritual effects on skin, skin disorders, and healing of skin disorders occur through mechanisms that medical science is just beginning to understand. There is much still to be learned from the time-tested shamanic approach to the spiritual through ASC. The shamans often employed trance-like states known as altered states of consciousness (ASC) to access the spiritual. The shamans who helped our ancestors to survive and who even today in many areas of the world help to treat skin disorders in part through spiritual means believed that negative spiritual effects could help produce illness and that positive spiritual effects could help alleviate illness.

Skin and skin disorders have had spiritual and religious aspects since ancient times. Spiritual and religious aspects of skin and skin disorders Religious aspects of skin and skin diseases are evaluated for several major religions, with a special focus on Judaism, both conventional and kabbalistic. Spiritual and religious interactions with various skin disorders such as psoriasis, leprosy, and vitiligo are discussed. Shamans and other spiritual and religious healers have brought about healing of skin disorders through spiritual means. Persons with visible skin disorders have often been stigmatized or even treated as outcasts. Spiritual and religious significances of skin are revealed through how much of the skin has been and continues to be covered with what types of coverings, scalp and beard hair cutting, shaving and styling, skin, nail, and hair coloring and decorating, tattooing, and intentional scarring of skin. Skin also expresses emotions detectable by others through pallor, coldness, “goose bumps”, redness, warmth, or sweating.

Skin, hair, and nails are visible to self and others, and touchable by self and others. Skin and skin disorders have had spiritual aspects since ancient times.

Ancient warfare 2 skins