Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology.

Mental health is not merely the absence of disease but the cultivation of positive well-being, an idea that clinical psychology has only recently begun to explore. The Buddhist tradition, with over 2,500 years of experiential and theoretical inquiry, offers insights into exceptional mental well-being and the treatment of psychological problems. Drawing on both Buddhist thought and Western experimental research, the authors present an innovative model for attaining mental well-being through the cultivation of four types of mental balance: conative, attentional, cognitive, and affective. This framework integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to expand the understanding of positive mental health.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Clinical psychology has focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disease, and only recently has scientific attention turned to understanding and cultivating positive mental health. The Buddhist tradition, on the other hand, has focused for over 2,500 years on cultivating exceptional states of mental well-being as well as identifying and treating psychological problems. This article attempts to draw on centuries of Buddhist experiential and theoretical inquiry as well as current Western experimental research to highlight specific themes that are particularly relevant to exploring the nature of mental health. Specifically, the authors discuss the nature of mental well-being and then present an innovative model of how to attain such well-being through the cultivation of four types of mental balance: conative, attentional, cognitive, and affective.