Supernatural Healing: Narratives of individuals who report on the healing of a sensorineural hearing loss. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. In the fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Dhanashree Pillay 2017 Supernatural Healing: Narratives of individuals who report on the healing of a sensorineural hearing loss. Abstract Background: Science and Religion have been debated for centuries. Healthcare assessments and management have traditionally focused on the medical model of detecting and curing a disease, facilitating a narrow focus on the physical needs. There is little consideration for the psychological, social and spiritual factors that affect a human life. Healthcare however should operate in both the temporal and the spiritual spheres. More inclusive models of healthcare are becoming favourable as diversity of patients and health practitioners becomes more evident, hence this applies to the practice of Audiology services too. Hearing loss the ‘hidden disability’ is regarded as the number one disability in the world thus a significant proportion of the world’s population is affection directly or indirectly by this communication hindering disability. Prior to rehabilitation, finding a cure was the ultimate goal when considering any medical pathology. Presently there is still no surgical method available to replace the damaged hair cells of the cochlea that cause a sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The culturally diverse South African population comprises of individuals who belong to various ethnic and religious groups, thus the melting pot of rehabilitation techniques for any illness may vary from the predominantly used medical model. Supernatural healing may occur in various forms and from various sources within the South African population, including traditional healers, spiritual healers or religious leaders. Hence this study explored the narratives of individuals who claim that they have been healed supernaturally of a sensorineural hearing loss. Methodology: This study aimed to fulfil three main objectives: to identify the recurring themes within the narratives of participants who reported a healing, with the purpose of deconstructing the aspect of healing amongst participants; to describe the cultural, religious, spiritual and social influences that impact the individual with a hearing loss; and to design a proposed working Audiological Model: An Integrated Model of service delivery in Audiology. There were three sub-objectives: to document the diagnosis of the sensorineural hearing loss; to identify the ‘turning point’ event or events that caused the reported healing; and to explore the influences of the healing on the participant’s life. This study was an exploratory case-study design within a qualitative paradigm. Snowball sampling was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants, six of which were female and one male. Two of the participants’ mothers were interviewed as the reported healing occurred when the participants were children. All ethical parameters were maintained. The data analysis included a narrative inquiry into the context of the main event which was the supernatural healing. Thereafter the 2 University of the Witwatersrand PhD by Dhanashree Pillay 2017 Supernatural Healing: Narratives of individuals who report on the healing of a sensorineural hearing loss. content associated with the participant’s life before and after the event was analysed and discussed. Thematic content analysis was employed to identify the common categories and themes within the narratives of this study. Results and Discussion: This study identified four main categories and 13 themes within the narratives obtained. Categories included: Identification, assessment and management of a hearing loss; cause of a hearing loss; the healing event and the areas of a participant’s life that changed by the healing event. Major themes included: Hearing loss and its relation to sin and curses; physical and non-physical healing; the life of prayer and reactions to the healing. The narratives illustrated that individuals with a hearing loss are seeking alternative healing practices in conjunction with Audiological care. There is a barrier between the audiologist and the individual with a hearing loss as there appears to be a lack of freedom to discuss pertinent aspects such as alternative care. There is a need for change within the service delivery model in Audiology, a shift from the medical model of practice to a more holistic and integrated model of service delivery that encompasses all areas of life into the assessment and management process. Conclusion: A cohesive, integrated referral system and collaboration between professionals and caregivers are often the dictators of the assessment and early diagnosis of the hearing loss. A service delivery model that incorporates all aspects of life is therefore recommended within the profession of Audiology. The argument for a change in the current service delivery model in Audiology is supported by the evidence in the narratives obtained in this study. Individual’s with a hearing loss are seeking for alternative means of healing and it is negligent and divisive to disregard the interconnectedness of the medical, psychological, social and spiritual facets that affect the individual being seen by an audiologist. The diversity in South Africa must be embraced and incorporated into the healthcare service delivery model to ensure that the individual with a hearing loss is receiving contextually based services that are appropriate and necessary. Training of future audiologists must include multicultural and multidisciplinary areas as audiologists need to be equipped for success when they are faced with areas that are not familiar to the current medical model of practice. Healing is multidimensional and clinical practice in the field of Audiology must consider and include the aspects of healing that are relevant to the individual seen. A proposed case history section was developed from the evidence obtained in this study. The section allows the audiologist to explore religious and spiritual beliefs of the individual with a healing loss and his/her family. This study is one of the first studies that explore the relationship between medicine, religion and spirituality however these areas have been intertwined 3 University of the Witwatersrand PhD by Dhanashree Pillay 2017 Supernatural Healing: Narratives of individuals who report on the healing of a sensorineural hearing loss. for centuries. The findings and recommendations in this study will assist audiologists in managing individuals in an integrated holistic manner. Keywords: Healing, Supernatural, Hearing loss, Audiology practice, Alternative Practices, Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Practice. 4 University of the Witwatersrand PhD by Dhanashree Pillay 2017 Supernatural Healing: Narratives of individuals who report on the healing of a sensorineural hearing loss. Declaration I declare that this thesis has been written by myself and is my own work. The work has never been submitted to any other university for degree or examination purposes. The references and sources used within the write up of this thesis have been acknowledged in the study. Dhanashree Pillay July 2017 Signature: __________________________ 5 University of the Witwatersrand PhD by Dhanashree Pillay 2017 Supernatural Healing: Narratives of individuals who report on the healing of a sensorineural hearing loss. Dedication Page This PhD is dedicated to my parents and grandparents: The Pillay and Reddy families. They were unable to pursuit further studies yet they played a vital and practical role of schooling me in LIFE. A legacy of hard work and perseverance can only come from a strong support structure. Things that didn’t break us, only made us stronger!! Dedicated to Perindhren Ronnie & Premilla Pillay and Vatharajiloo (Teddy) & Salachie (Sally) Reddy Dedicated in the memory of Alfred Benny & Soranathammal (Runga) Pillay 6 University of the Witwatersrand PhD by Dhanashree Pillay 2017 Supernatural Healing: Narratives of individuals who report on the healing of a sensorineural hearing loss. Acknowledgments Be Still and Know that I AM God as I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me as Nothing is Impossible with God. ~ Psalm 46:10, Philippians 4:13 & Matthew 19:26 • The above-mentioned verses have breathed LIFE in every millisecond of this PhD. I thank God for the wisdom, determination and perseverance to conduct this study. His Grace was more than sufficient to carry me through this process. • A thank you to me parents, who always tried their best to give our family everything we desired. You instilled a sense of wholeness within me, a persistent and competitive character was built because of your example of commitment to each other and our family no matter what was thrown at you. Your continuous prayer and nerve ceasing support has been the strong foundation that gives me the courage to conquer anything. I love you both with all my heart and I honour the people that you are. Your love for people and your steadfast value system has paved the way for us. • A huge thank you to my siblings and brother-in-laws (Magashnee & Jarred Viljoen; Melishini & Dillion Kuppuswami and Devasham Pillay) for always encouraging and supporting my choices. Your lives are inspirational and I learn from every experience that we face as a strong family unit.