Sām-Ūpmā Mundhum: An Indigenous Philosophy of Soul, Healing, and Decolonizing Thought

The Sām-Ūpmā Mundhum Philosophy for us is a timely and much-needed voice that seeks to reclaim and revitalize our indigenous wisdom rooted in the holy soil of the Kirat Limbu culture of the land of Nepal. This is an intellectual and spiritual invocation by Dr. Nawa Raj Subba, a researcher, poet, and cultural philosopher. Its premise is that misery springs from detaching someone's sām (soul or living essence). The practice of Ūpmā (soul retrieval) in the Limbu cosmogony is a philosophical endeavor beyond a ritual. Informed by oral tradition, metaphysical investigation, and lived experience, this book presents a new model for understanding one’s self, one’s community, and the universe. This work unfolds in ten chapters and discusses the ontology, epistemology, ethics, and healing logic of the Sām-Ūpmā system. Dr. Subba grounds this theory in both local and global settings, deftly combining indigenous viewpoints, other philosophies, research, and Mundhum oral stories into modern debates on psychology, spirituality, and decolonization. Sām-Ūpmā Mundhum philosophy is not only a theory; it's a necessity to remember ancestral knowledge, holy harmony, and healing by re-establishing our connection with the environment, society, and our inner selves. This book is for academics and seekers as well as cultural intellectuals wishing to wander the boundaries between ancient memory and modern interpretation.