Embodied Healing: Exploring Cultural Identity and Spiritual Meaning in Herbal Remedy Practices of Indonesian Cancer Patients

Abstract

This study investigates the multifaceted meanings associated with herbal remedy use among Indonesian cancer patients, focusing on how traditional practices are experienced as acts of cultural affirmation, spiritual resilience, and personal empowerment. While herbal medicine is frequently evaluated through biomedical or clinical frameworks, this research adopts an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the deeply subjective and symbolic dimensions of healing. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit twelve adult cancer patients from both urban and rural areas of Central Java, Indonesia, all of whom regularly incorporated herbal therapies into their treatment journeys. Data were collected through in-depth, face-to-face interviews conducted in private hospital consultation rooms or participants’ homes between March and June 2024. Thematic analysis revealed that herbal use transcends symptom management, becoming a process of reconnecting with ancestral wisdom, sustaining emotional balance, and asserting agency amidst medical uncertainty. Participants reported that these practices provided not only physical comfort but also spiritual clarity and cultural rootedness, especially when navigating the limitations of institutional healthcare. Herbal remedies were framed as sacred rituals, family legacies, and existential coping tools that fostered holistic well-being. This study challenges reductive views of complementary therapies and highlights the role of meaning-making in health behaviors. The insights emphasize the need for culturally competent and patient-centered integrative care that recognizes the narrative, spiritual, and emotional frameworks patients employ in their healing. These findings contribute to broader discussions on the role of traditional medicine in contemporary health systems, particularly within culturally diverse populations.