Curing fear in folk medicine

According to folk medicine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, fear is classified as a difficult disease which can result in an extremely bad epilogue i.e. it can cause the frightened man's entire organism to die.
Fear, i.e. stress, is especially negative for the human heart and stomach which, according to folk belief, because of shock can move or even change its place and in such a manner cause a series of diseases. We are all familiar with the feeling when out of fear or shock we feel that our lungs are suddenly left without air and that our heart suddenly jumped i.e. started beating with a higher intensity. Similarly the stomach reacts to shock and is moved out of its place. Then it starts to negatively affect the entire organism. Namely, as folk healers (called stravari and želudičari) in Bosnia claim, the stomach should be in the height of the belly button, and when it is moved due to some event then it goes in the direction of the ribs, spine, neck or back.
Though the stomach often moves due to shock or fear there are other reasons; due to lifting heavy burden, in case of a diet, sleeping with hands above the head, improper diet or falling. Sometimes, the cause can be a cold where due to strong coughs the stomach springs out of place.
Fear causes a series of unpleasant states from insomnia, depression, anxiety attacks, hysteria, sudden obesity or anorexia, heart issues, etc. It's effect is deadly for the entire organism and psyche, this is why traditionally in Bosnia it is recommended to a person which after going for a surgery or heaving a traffic accident, receiving shocking news, to visit a stravarka in the next 40 days so she can perform the ritual with lead melting so that the accumulated fear wouldn't "spring to life" i.e. started to negatively affect the psyche and physical health.
The ritual itself is pretty simple and that's why its effect impresses. Combination of prayer and lead has nothing to do with autosuggestion and the best proof of this is curing small children which cry incessantly, jerk in their sleep and the like. Suggestion has no effect on them since they cannot be aware of the things that happen around them. A similar situation is in the opportunities  when the water used during the lead melting ritual is secretly poured to the husband or wife i.e. that person which would never accept to practicing the ritual, and after a very short time one can notice a positive change in them.

Procedure with lead

A piece of lead is placed on the forehead and it is circled around the head, clockwise, there times. The same procedure is done around the hands, which the diseased holds folded on his chest, and lastly around the legs.
From the first pouring of molten lead above the head one usually discovers the reason for fear. In one or numerous smaller or larger pieces the lead forms a figure of a man, woman or some animal. According to statements of numerous stravarke it often happens that the diseased is afraid of his/her marital partner without even being aware of it. After the analysis or "reading" of the lead figures is done, all pieces are gathered, placed back into the spoon and dissolved on fire again. In the second pouring of molten lead in the vessel with water which is held above the diseased' chest one detects how strong the negative effect is. Finally, the fear is removed during the third and final ritual when the molten lead is poured into a vessel with water next to the diseased' legs.
While the lead is being poured into the water, if a piece of the lead is poured onto the floor it is considered to be a happy sign and is commented with the following statement: "It spreads well!", because of the belief that small pieces prophesy good health i.e. that the diseased will be cured and will be free of fear. But, if there are many forms that resemble needles, which Bosnian stravarke call "heavenly arrows", then the fear is dominant with the diseased and the procedure will have to be repeated.

When the stomach moves

As we said fear negatively affects the stomach which reacts unfavourably to shock and slowly creates complications in the human body. The first health issue is the one that is largely connected to the stomach; obstipation, sudden obesity or anorexia, diarrhoea, stomach bloating, etc.
Therefore if you have stomach cramps, suffer from the feeling of flabbiness, your face is yellowish, lips dry, you have sore eyes, suffer from fever or lack of appetite, feel queasy, then you undoubtedly have issues with stomach dislocation. Another frequent symptom of a dislocated stomach is long term diarrhoea. Since fear and stomach are connected it often happens that a child gets diarrhoea out of fear, and this can happen to an adult as well. Therefore it is very useful to know and recognise symptoms which fear causes, shock or stress, especially on small children, in order to intervene on time. In that case children cry, but without tears, mumble, become sad and seldom puke.  
Bosnian folk medicine is familiar with certain techniques, including massages, with which the stomach is "returned" back to its place, i.e. the functioning of the entire body is normalised. Each technique is harmless and cannot lead to unintended consequences.