Tibetan medicine: From exile to ownership
Tibetan medicine is one of the oldest healing traditions in the world, having been in practice for thousands of years. Although it has made its way to the western world and increased in use and as an area of study, a gap of knowledge still remains. How and why did Tibetan medicine spread globally in recent years? That is the question the EU-funded project 'The history of Tibetan medicine in exile' (TIBETAN MEDICINE) sought to answer. Its aim was to produce the first thorough exploration of Tibetan medicine in exile from 1960 to the present, using a critical history complete with ethnographic research. Cultural preservation was the impetus of the Tibetan diaspora following the experience of trauma, occupation and loss. As such, ways to preserve national and cultural identity were vital. Tibetan medicine played a crucial role and needed to be authentic. Therefore, its reinvention was necessary in order to ensure it was free of adulteration. This preservation process of Tibetan medicine in exile went through three 20-year phases starting in 1960.These phases were the focus of the study's analysis. It traces how traditional medicine, modern science and the global market meet and remain a common thread through each phase. It is quite likely that the upcoming movement will be toward ownership and intellectual property rights. The results have been published in four articles in international academic journals that are free and accessible to the public as well as in six presentations/lectures. The project has also gained media coverage and has a website that has been successfully visited from people across the globe.
Keywords
Tibetan medicine, exile, healing tradition, ethnographic research, diaspora, cultural identity, traditional medicine, modern science
