When we see a person yawning, more often than not, we also yawn. Is this some kind of a psychological behavior? Just like when the person in front of us would make a move in removing his eye goop, we would also do the same.
In most cases, we yawn because we might be sleepy, tired, or disinterested. It is a signal coming from our body that we should adhere to. But what intrigued me of yawning is my encounter with a form of rural "quack" things that cannot be justified by scientific considerations.
In rural communities, especially in the far flung areas in the country, people tend to go to a quack doctor when they feel something bad. At times, people believe more in the quack doctors rather than the real doctors. Since quack doctors are part of the community even before the real doctors, people would go to them first believing that the quack doctors have the cure in their illness.
One popular form of finding out what's wrong with someone is through "tawas." I am not referring to tawas crystals. Tawas is a means to finding out what's wrong with the patient. Through tawas, the quack doctor can interpret the results as a vivid means of what is happening to a person.
In our province, tawas is less popular. Another medium is used, the ginger. Actually, we don't call the one using a ginger as a ginger bread man (hehe) nor a quack doctor. It is actually a hand-me-down skill. The idea is to find out the factors or the sources why a person suddenly experiences some symptoms of unexplained state like collapsing, sudden fever, perspiring heavily and yet feeling cold, vomiting, sudden stomach pain among others. The most common findings lead to being greeted by someone who has the ability to absorb one's energy, a soul of someone close to the family happens to tell him something, someone with ill-feelings might be cursing him or has resorted to some evil magic spells, etc. Once the factors have been determined, the patient is now advised to take some remedies or actions in order to "cure" his current state. And, yes, even some medical practitioners in our place adhere to this practice when they cannot deliver the cure.
Ever since I was a child, I was exposed to this kind of practice. The one who has the ginger would recite inaudible prayers, continuously blowing the ginger and place it either in the forehead, stomach, or simply the palm of the hand of the patient. This is being repeated until the source of the illness or problem is discovered. In the process, if the source has been determined, the one doing the ritual would yawn uncontrollably. In order to fully determine the veracity of the source or sources, the list of possible sources will be repeated for several occasions. Time and again, the same uncontrollable yawn will be experienced by the person handling the ginger if the rightful source is being named. I know that it is not a fake one because I also yawn uncontrollably together with the one doing the ritual. And you just can't imagine how hard it is to yawn especially if your lips are all stretched out because you just can't control it.
One time, I was asked by an elder who performs this rite if I wanted to give it a try. She said that I have the ability because not all people can follow her yawning like I did. I was scared that time and since I don't know what kind of rituals I would be doing, I just shook my head. Looking back then, it would be a step closer in earning a (quack) doctor's degree without passing a board exam if I entertained the idea. I could have been a real ginger (bread) man now. Hehe
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