Why Ancient Egyptians Had Surprisingly Progressive Views on Mental Illness
An argument against magic
Many people assume the Ancient Egyptians understood the world around them through supernatural forces, and mental illness resulted from demonic possession.
Yet, I would argue this assumption doesn’t tell the whole story. I believe this ancient civilization had progressive views on mental illness based on the rational understanding of disease and treatment and a culture open to discussing mental health issues.
This perspective is important because there are vital lessons to learn from understanding beliefs and practices surrounding mental illness throughout the world.
Magic & Disease
On the one hand, you have a civilization roughly 4000 years old reported to be overly reliant on magic. The beautiful tombs, incantations and amulets found in excavation sites support the view that everyone in ancient Egypt, from king to peasant, believed in an impersonal force controlling the universe, and powerful magicians could harness this power.
As a result, researchers believe magic was an essential component in Egyptian medicine. Diseases were supernatural in origin, and doctors and priest doctors would invoke spells and incantations as treatment. A…
