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Psychosomatic medicine will advance WHEN we have the courage to discuss all aspects of it.

Which ancients practiced anything remotely similar to TMS theory? In many societies that lack a rigorous healthcare system, most people attribute their pains and psychosomatic symptoms to 'curses' 'bad spirits' or some other mystical or magical cause. In some more backwards Hindu and Buddhist countries like Nepal and Laos PDR, the people have a sense of the mind body connection but nobody from a Buddhist or Hindu country has, to my knowledge, formulated a system for treating the mind body syndrome.

Here is a funny article about the superstitions in the small Buddhist country of Cambodia.
http://www.khmer440.com/k/2014/02/wash-bad-luck-right-outta-my-hair-kru-khmer-exorcism-in-the-provinces/ (Wash Bad Luck Right Outta My Hair (Kru Khmer Exorcism in the Provinces) | Khmer440.com)

What is interesting is that a lot of these bizarre therapies actually work. It is my opinion that these treatments work because many Khmer people believe they work.

The most interesting practice is when Khmers and Vietnamese treat depression and anger with cupping therapy. This would seem to suggest that they might understand the relation between oxygen deprivation and 'psychological' ailments. In Cambodia, many practicioners use cupping therapy to relieve back pain and other pain syndromes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupping_therapy (Cupping therapy - Wikipedia)
 
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