Centuries-Old Cimande Healing Endures by Uniting Sundanese Culture, Islamic Spirituality, and Social Networks

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FORMOSA NEWS

The historic Indonesian bone-setting tradition of Cimande healing has successfully endured across the 20th and 21st centuries by integrating manual therapy with Sundanese cultural values, Islamic spirituality, and strong community networks. This cultural resilience was documented in an interdisciplinary study by researchers Asep Awaludin, Juri Ardiantoro, and Fariz Alnizar from Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia. Published in August 2026 in the International Journal of Integrative Sciences, the study highlights how indigenous healthcare traditions maintain public trust alongside modern medical care by functioning as comprehensive social and spiritual systems.

The Role of Indigenous Medicine in Modern Healthcare Systems

Traditional medicine constitutes a central pillar of Indonesia's intangible cultural heritage. Originating from Cimande Village in Bogor Regency, West Java, Cimande healing is widely recognized across the Indonesian archipelago for treating fractures, dislocations, sprains, and muscle injuries through specialized manual manipulation.

Across the globe, many indigenous healing systems experience declining authority as modern biomedical infrastructure expands. However, Cimande healing maintains significant public confidence despite the widespread accessibility of modern medical facilities. While previous scholarly research frequently evaluated Cimande primarily as a martial art or an alternative therapy for cultural tourism, this study addresses a critical gap by analyzing Cimande healing as a living, adaptive knowledge system that bridges historical identity and modern public health needs.

Interdisciplinary Methodology: Combining History and Ethnography

To reconstruct the evolution and contemporary practice of Cimande healing, the researchers from Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia implemented a qualitative research design combining historical methodology with ethnographic fieldwork.

• Research Site: Fieldwork was conducted in Cimande Village, Caringin District, Bogor Regency, West Java, historically established as the origin center of Cimande healing.
• Participant Selection: Using purposive and snowball sampling, the researchers engaged traditional healers (penyehat), disciples, patients, customary elders, community leaders, and Islamic scholars.
• Data Collection Techniques: Information was gathered through direct participant observation of healing rituals, semi-structured interviews, and historical document analysis.
• Analytical Framework: Data were processed through interactive qualitative analysis, applying Anthony Giddens' Structuration Theory, James Spradley's ethnographic approach, and the concept of Islam Nusantara to evaluate knowledge transmission and social sustainability.

Key Findings: Why Cimande Healing Remains Resilient

The findings from Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia reveal that the endurance of Cimande healing relies on interconnected social, cultural, and spiritual mechanisms rather than mechanical skill alone:

• Historical Evolution: Originating alongside the martial arts system created by Abah Khoir to treat training injuries, Cimande healing expanded into a broad, community-based medical practice.
• Lineage-Based Knowledge Transmission: Knowledge is transmitted through a structured teacher-disciple relationship (sanad). Technical skill alone does not grant legitimacy; recognition requires moral discipline, spiritual maturity, and community acceptance.
• Integration of Islam Nusantara: Therapeutic practices integrate physical massage with Islamic prayers, fasting, tirakat, tawasul, and cultural ceremonies such as Talek and the annual Ngabungbang ritual. Healing is treated as a holistic process addressing physical recovery, spiritual purity, and social harmony.
• Complementary Medical Approach: Cimande healers do not position indigenous knowledge in opposition to scientific medicine. Practitioners actively support modern medical interventions when biomedical treatment offers greater clinical benefits for the patient.
• Digital and Social Adaptations: The tradition maintains its legitimacy through organic word-of-mouth networks, patient recommendations, digital communication, and cultural tourism while preserving its core philosophical identity.

Policy Implications and Real-World Impact

The study provides actionable insights for public health officials, cultural institutions, and heritage organizations seeking to preserve indigenous medical knowledge. Rather than viewing traditional medicine as an outdated alternative, health policymakers can establish constructive collaborations between indigenous healers and biomedical institutions.

Furthermore, the researchers emphasize the necessity of systematic documentation, community-based apprenticeship support, and digital archiving. Protecting traditions like Cimande healing ensures that local healthcare systems remain inclusive, culturally grounded, and resilient against rapid social changes.

"Cimande healing represents more than a traditional therapeutic practice, functioning as an indigenous knowledge system that integrates historical development, Sundanese cultural values, Islamic spirituality, and community-based social institutions," state researchers Asep Awaludin, Juri Ardiantoro, and Fariz Alnizar from Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia. "The sustainability of Cimande healing is maintained through oral transmission, teacher-disciple relationships, moral legitimacy, and collective participation rather than formal educational institutions."

Author Profiles

• Asep Awaludin, S.E., M.Si. – Lead author and researcher at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia (UNUSIA), specializing in economic history, indigenous knowledge systems, and social anthropology.
• Dr. Juri Ardiantoro, M.Si. – Researcher and academic at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia (UNUSIA), focusing on sociology, political science, and community governance.
• Dr. Fariz Alnizar, M.Hum. – Researcher and scholar at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia (UNUSIA), specializing in Islam Nusantara, cultural history, and linguistic ethnography.

Research Source Information

Article Title: Cimande: The History of Traditional Healing and Spiritual Networks in West Java Society (A Study of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries)
Journal Name: International Journal of Integrative Sciences (IJIS)
Publication Year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v5i8.60
URL : https://journalijis.my.id/index.php/ijis/index