The BriBri culture, rooted deep in the Talamanca jungle, uniquely combines herbal medicine and spiritual healing. For the BriBri, illnesses can come from evil spirits that come from the ocean to the west, from immoral behavior of the person or from witchcraft practiced by envious neighbors. To heal, Awapa, or shamans, must learn unique songs.
During the healing process, the shaman sings songs in honor of the spiritual trinity, which includes the spirit of the plant used, the disease, and the sick person. He makes a connection, starts a conversation, and eventually convinces the disease to leave the patient with the help of the plant spirit. Thus, the shaman acts as a negotiator, preventing the spirits from causing harm to the inhabitants of Talamanca. These healing practices are known as "Seképeyok" in the BriBri language.
Each shaman imprints his subjectivity on healing practices, which causes them to vary from one community to another. The first step to healing is the use of "siä", which involves fasting and medicine. Regulations and diets are established according to the disease the person suffers from. The BriBri believe that, during the healing process, the spirits consume the body and blood of the sick person. This natural healing method based on shamanism has caught the attention of the Western world, and more and more people are visiting it in search of healing or advice.