Buddhism and Western Psychology
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology 2026 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-70581-6_249-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation Buddhism |
| Keywords | Buddhist tenets Buddhist history Buddhism and psychotherapy Buddhism and neuropsychology |
| Key findings | Buddhism and scientific psychology have exerted mutual influences on each other since psychology's inception. |
Abstract
Western Buddhist scholarship and scientific psychology both emerged during the late Victorian era. Buddhism and scientific psychology have exerted mutual influences on each other since psychology’s inception. The Background and Context section of this entry explores how and why psychologists became interested in Buddhism, Buddhism’s history and core tenets, and Buddhism’s influence on psychological theory, research, and practice. The Controversies section explores the problems inherent in incorporating aspects of Buddhism into a naturalistic empirical framework and unresolved research issues. The Promises section outlines future trajectories for continued inquiry.