What I Learned from Being Around Very Old Dibias
Spending time around very old Dibias changes you quietly. Not through speeches or instruction, but through observation.
They rarely announce wisdom. They live it. And if you pay attention long enough, you begin to notice patterns; subtle, consistent ways of being that separate depth from performance.
What struck me most was not what they said, but how differently they lived.
Here are some of the most important lessons I learned from being around very old Dibias.
They Are Not Money-Driven — They Are Transformation-Driven
Old Dibias do not rush clients or inflate urgency for profit. Their concern is whether real change has occurred.
They measure success by:
Clarity restored
Balance returned
A life redirected
Money is necessary, but it is never the motive. Once money becomes the driver, discernment weakens. Our elders understood this long before modern conversations about spiritual integrity.
Nature Is Not an Escape — It Is Part of the Work
Old Dibias spend a remarkable amount of time with nature. Not occasionally. Daily.
They walk.
They sit under trees.
They observe animals, weather, and silence.
Nature is not scenery to them, it is a tuning instrument. It regulates perception, restores balance, and sharpens intuition.
Many insights that appear “mystical” are simply the result of spending enough time in environments that reduce noise.
They Eat Light When the Work Is Heavy
Before intense spiritual or diagnostic work, they are careful with food.
They avoid heaviness.
They minimize excess.
They eat simply.
This behavior is not superstition, it is practicality. A heavy body dulls perception. Lightness supports clarity. They understood the connection between digestion and discernment in ways modern science is only beginning to articulate.
They Take Rest Seriously
One of the most surprising lessons: they rest without guilt.
They sleep deeply.
They pause intentionally.
They do not confuse exhaustion with discipline.
Old Dibias know that tiredness distorts judgment. Rest is maintenance. Many spiritual errors don’t come from ignorance, but from fatigue or overexertion.
They Stay Mobile and Active
Despite their age, they move, a lot.
They walk long distances.
They change locations.
They avoid stagnation.
Movement keeps energy circulating. Stagnation dulls awareness. Their mobility was not focused on “exercise” but on keeping life flowing.
They Do Not Entertain Flattery
Flattery does nothing for them. They neither absorb it nor respond to it.
Old Dibias are immune to praise because praise typically tries to extract something i.e attention, favor, access. They prefer sincerity over admiration and substance over performance.
This makes them difficult to manipulate, and deeply trustworthy.
They Are Eager to Work, Patient With Results
They approach their work with readiness but never with anxiety.
They act when it is time.
They wait when waiting is required.
There is no rush to prove effectiveness. They trust process. Urgency without clarity is noise; patience with effort is power.
They Are Content
Perhaps the most outstanding lesson for me is that they are content.
Not detached.
Not passive.
Just settled.
They are not chasing validation, legacy, or recognition. Their contentment creates clarity. And clarity allows them to serve without distortion.
Final Thoughts
Being around very old Dibias taught me that wisdom is not dramatic, it is consistent.
It shows up in:
How you eat
How you rest
How you move
How you work
How you relate to money, praise, and time
There are many more lessons, so many that it would take a book to capture them all. But if I had to summarize the core teaching, it would in the points I’ve highlighted above.
The old Dibias lived these things, they embodied it. And if you watch closely enough, they still teach it, without ever saying a word.
Recommended Resources:
Introduction to Igbo Medicine: Igbo Healers and Agwu Deity in a Therapeutic Society | Patrick Iroegbu (Article)
A Dibia with His Tools, 1921 | Igbo Archives (Article)
The Origins of Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ and the Cult of Agwụ Tutelary Entities on Ọdịnala | Odinani: The Sacred Arts & Sciences of the Igbo People (Article)
Dibịa is not Native Doctor: The Roles of Dibịa in Igbo Land — A Historical and Descriptive Approach | Igbotic Net (Article)
