Normative religious traditions

In the first instance, individuals seeking treatment for a disease or other health problem often have an opportunity to choose between drugs prescribed by a medical doctor and natural products, perhaps based on the advice of other healers, that they believe will cure the problem. A person generally bases this decision simply on the way he or she views the world and the causes of health and disease. In some cultures, for example, people believe, on tbe basis of their own cultural norms, that religious charms, shaman rites, natural products, or other nonscientific approaches are legitimate ways to treat disease. They trust centuries of tradition to provide them with the guidance they need to achieve good health. 

---