PSYCHOLOGY OF BUDDHISM AND HEALING METHOD OF JAPANESE SELF-REFLECTION; pp. 335–351
W. G. Indunil Philip Shantha
Trames October 30, 2025 DOI: 10.3176/tr.2019.3.05 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Naikan therapy |
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | Argues that there has been a lack of research in religious studies comparing Naikan therapy with its original Buddhist background, despite their deep historical connections. |
Abstract
Buddhist psychology and Japanese Naikan therapy have deep historical connections. However, there has been a lack of research in religions studies comparing Naikan with its original Buddhist background. Therefore, this paper explores the relationship between Buddhist psychology and Naikan therapy. Naikan is a kind of contemplative therapeutic practice that was developed by a Japanese Buddhist practitioner named Ishin Yoshimoto. He applied it to clinical psychology as a mental treatment method, and it can be practiced by anyone without any religious beliefs or background. The word Naikan is originally derived from the term vipassanÄ (looking inside) meditation, which comes from Buddhism, which was taught by Buddha. In Japanese psychology, Naikan therapy focuses on prompting deep thinking about oneâs past experiences through interpersonal relationships. Introspection has been developed as a treatment method by clinical psychologists for various mental illnesses in the field of Japanese psychotherapy.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- Secularizing Religious Practices: A Study of Subjectivity and Existential Transformation in Naikan Therapy Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion March 1, 2010
- Mindfulness of the kindness of others: The contemplative practice of Naikan in cultural context. Transcultural Psychiatry August 1, 2015