The PlowBoy Interview Rolling Thunder

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ROLLING THUNDER: I believe that physical troubles all start on the spiritual level. In fact, any infection of the body has its roots in a spiritual impurity. Every case of sickness or pain is a form of payment of a debt, either for some mistake in the person's past or for a future wrong . . . but that doesn't mean we're not supposed to do anything to remedy the situation. The medicine man's task is to find out what that debt is, and to learn how it can be repaid in another—usually less painfulway. On the other hand, sometimes a certain sickness or pain should be endured, because it's the best possible way to pay the debt involved. If such a pain is made to go away, the price may become greater in the long run. Anyone who is sick, obviously, thinks he or she wants to get well . . . but the person's spirit knows when it's right—or at least necessary—to be ill.

At any rate, what's happening to the body isn't the main problem, so true healing requires looking at more than the flesh. When a modern M.D. examines a sick patient, he or she may see only the illness and not the person behind that ailment. If the doctor doesn't understand what the problem really is, yet prescribes chemical drugs so the person won't feel anything or finds some troubled part of the body and cuts it out and throws it in the trash, those actions are probably unnecessary . . . and they certainly couldn't be called healing. As I've said, medicine men have to consider deeper factors in the course of treatment, so we always take many days to look into a case . . . and then we may decide not to accept it at all if we feel it isn't the correct time for the person to get well.

PLOWBOY: Can you outline the procedure and techniques you use when you do decide to take on a patient?

ROLLING THUNDER: Well, most medicine men have their own peculiar methods and equipment . . . and it's considered a matter of pride that each one works out an individual routine and doesn't copy anyone else. Of course, a new healer can watch another's procedure and get some idea of what to do, but the novice gradually develops the substance of a personal ritual, including the songs, prayers, and chants that are used.

However, a few general guidelines apply to the methods of almost all native healers. In the first place, it's best to conduct healing rituals in a natural setting, in the open air. If too many people started coming to my home to get doctored, for example, it could be bad—for my household. I've had trouble here before, when I've treated people with mental or emotional disturbances, with problems staying on in the house after the patients were relieved of them. My home is where I live and rest . . . and I don't want negative forces hanging around.

Second, I never charge anything for healing. It's said, among our people, that if a medicine man sells his services or commercializes his ability in any way, he'll lose his power. I don't make any guarantees for my cures, either, simply because nothing is absolutely sure in this life! However, if a person comes to me with an open mind and an open heart, chances are good we can find the answer to his or her problem.

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