Lakhomi Journal Scientific Journal of Culture

Spatial Frames of Reference and Non Digital Way-finding: A Longitudinal Study of Cultural Persistence in Namibian and Inuit Communities

Muhammad Ridwan — 2026-06-12

This longitudinal study (2005–2025) examined cultural persistence in spatial frames of reference (FoRs) and non‑digital wayfinding among the ≠Akhoe Haiǁom of Namibia (n = 84) and Inuit of Igloolik, Nunavut (n = 72). Across three waves, absolute (geocentric) FoRs remained predominant in both communities, with no significant population‑level decline Haiǁom: 78 % to 74 %; Inuit: 72 % to 69 % (both p > 0.05). However, significant generational differences emerged: younger participants (≤ 30 years) showed lower absolute FoR preference than older adults (≥ 50 years) in both groups (Haiǁom: 69 % vs. 82 %; Inuit: 62 % vs. 77 %; β = 0.42 and 0.39, respectively, p < 0.01). Importantly, the generational gap did not widen over time (no wave × cohort interaction). Self‑reported GPS use rose dramatically (Haiǁom: 4 % to 41 %; Inuit: 12 % to 67 %), yet increased GPS use was not associated with diminished wayfinding accuracy when controlling for age (β = 0.07, 95 % CI [–0.03, 0.17], p = 0.16). Qualitative data revealed that participants actively domesticated GPS as a supplemental tool, preserving geocentric strategies for primary orientation. These findings support a model of adaptive persistence, wherein core orienting schemas resist rapid transformation while peripheral strategies undergo selective innovation. We conclude that culturally embedded FoRs constitute a resilient cognitive resource, with implications for theories of cultural cognition, indigenous knowledge preservation, and the design of culturally responsive navigation technologies.

Sacred Sounds and Waters: Sonic and Scientific Dimensions of Divine Connection in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Oromo Irreecha, and Global Traditions

Belay Sitotaw Goshu — 2026-06-19

This study explores the synergistic roles of water and sound in facilitating divine connection and cultural expression across Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity’s Tsebel rituals, the Oromo Irreecha festival, and global religious traditions, integrating scientific perspectives to elucidate their efficacy. In Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Tsebel (holy water) is central to sacraments like baptism and healing, with Timkat’s communal immersions and liturgical hymns fostering spiritual communion. Similarly, Irreecha’s September riverside rituals involve songs and grass offerings to Waaqaa, symbolizing gratitude and renewal. Global parallels, including Hindu Ganges mantras, Islamic Zamzam recitations, Shinto misogi chants, and Indigenous water songs, reveal water and sound as universal conduits for divine communication. Scientific insights enhance understanding: water’s acoustic properties (transmitting sound four times faster than air) create immersive ritual environments, while chanting reduces stress hormones and triggers dopamine, promoting transcendence. Physiologically, water’s 60% composition in the human body mirrors its symbolic clarity, with placebo effects supporting perceived healing. These findings highlight how water and sound unite communities, reinforce cultural identity, and foster environmental stewardship, as seen in Irreecha’s nature-centric offerings. Future research could explore lesser-known rituals or neuroscientific impacts of sound in aquatic settings. This interdisciplinary analysis contributes to religious studies, anthropology, and science, emphasizing the universal human quest for divine connection through elemental forces. By documenting these practices, the study supports cultural preservation amid modernization, offering insights into humanity’s spiritual resilience.

The Humoral Cosmos: Astrological Medicine and the Birth of Evidence-Based Timing in Pre-Modern Clinical Practice

Belay Sitotaw Goshu — 2026-06-19

Astrological medicine (iatromathematics) dominated pre‑modern clinical practice from the 11th to 17th centuries, yet it is routinely dismissed as superstitious pseudoscience. This verdict obscures its methodological contribution to clinical reasoning. This article reevaluates astrological medicine as a proto‑evidence‑based system, arguing that it created the first systematic practice of using temporally indexed observational data to guide clinical decisions concept we term “evidence‑based timing.” Methods: A historical analysis of primary sources (Galen’s De diebus decretoriis, Avicenna’s Canon, Bernardo de Gordon’s Lilium medicinae), material instruments (ephemerides, astrolabes, Zij tables, Zodiac Man diagrams), and case records (Simon Forman, Richard Napier, Girolamo Fracastoro) was conducted, tracing the logic of astrological prognosis and its secularization through Sanctorius and Sydenham. Astrological medicine forced practitioners to record celestial configurations, predict critical days, and verify outcomes, producing longitudinal, and time‑stamped clinical data. While lacking randomization, blinding, and statistical inference, it institutionalized the habit of temporal optimization. The doctrine of decumbiture charts and lunar‑phase bloodletting schedules represented the first standardized risk‑assessment tools. By the 17th century, iatromathematicians stripped away planetary causation but preserved the chronometric framework, leading directly to quantitative physiology and secular crisis‑day prognosis. Pre‑modern physicians were rational empiricists who asked the right question—“When?” even with the wrong causal model. Astrological medicine was not evidence‑based by RCT standards but was authentically evidence‑based timing. Historians should replace dismissive labels of “superstition” with contextual analyses that recognise the empirical discipline of astrological clinical practice, while modern chronobiologists should acknowledge this lineage.

Culturally Responsive Physics Education: A Bibliometric Mapping of Ethnoscience and Local Wisdom Integration (2010–2025)

Belay Sitotaw Goshu — 2026-06-23

The integration of local culture and indigenous knowledge into physics education has gained substantial scholarly attention over the past decade, reflecting a broader global movement toward culturally responsive pedagogy. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on ethnoscience and local wisdom integration in physics education, drawing on Scopus-indexed publications from 2010 to 2025. Using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny-Bibliometrix software for network visualization and scientific mapping, the analysis examines publication trends, geographic and institutional contributions, key authors, thematic clusters, and emerging research directions. The findings reveal a gradual but accelerating annual growth in publications, with Indonesia emerging as the dominant contributor, reflecting the country's rich cultural diversity and active physics education research community. The Journal of Physics: Conference Series and AIP Conference Proceedings are identified as the primary publication outlets. Four major thematic clusters emerge: culture-physics integration, influencing factors in culturally based learning, methodological approaches, and supporting elements including digital innovation. Central themes connecting these clusters include ethnoscience, Islamic physics, digital learning tools, and contextual pedagogy. The analysis also identifies significant research gaps, including limited geographic diversity beyond Indonesia, narrow focus on motion and heat topics, and insufficient development of validated instructional materials. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on culturally responsive science education by providing a systematic mapping of the research landscape and offering evidence-based recommendations for future inquiry.