Perspective Chapter: Consciousness as Cause or Effect? Buddhist Abhidhamma Insights into Mind–Brain Dynamics and Wellbeing

A classical Buddhist doctrine, the Abhidhamma, offers a cognitive model in which consciousness, mental factors, and materiality co-arise through causally interdependent processes, articulated by the principle of Dependent Origination. The chapter argues that this model's cognitive sequences (vīthi-citta) converge with modern neuroscientific accounts of sensory processing and motor responses. It proposes an integrative framework that bridges contemplative insight and empirical science, reinforcing a holistic mind-body paradigm. The authors contend that the Abhidhamma's emphasis on mental training, such as Vipassana meditation, aligns with findings on neuroplasticity, suggesting that intentional mental states can reshape neural architecture and offering potential clinical applications for psychosomatic disorders and altered states of consciousness.

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Abstract

The Abhidhamma, a classical Buddhist doctrine, offers a profound understanding of cognitive processing and sensory perception, concepts formulated over 2700 years ago and recently reflected in modern neuroscience. It presents a sophisticated cognitive model in which consciousness (citta), mental factors (cetasika), and materiality (rūpa) co-arise and function in a causally interdependent manner. Central to this is the principle of Paṭicca Samuppāda (Dependent Origination), which articulates the reciprocal conditioning of mind and body across experiential and physiological dimensions. This chapter explores the convergence between Abhidhamma’s cognitive sequences (vīthi-citta) and modern neuroscientific models of sensory processing and motor responses. By aligning neural mechanisms with traditional cognitive stages, it proposes an integrative framework bridging contemplative insight and empirical science. This synthesis reinforces a holistic mind-body paradigm and offers promising clinical applications, particularly for psychosomatic disorders and altered states of consciousness. Additionally, the Abhidhamma’s emphasis on mental training—such as Vipassana meditation—aligns with findings in neuroplasticity, showing how intentional mental states reshape neural architecture. This integrated perspective contributes to evolving discussions on consciousness, mental health, and well-being, advocating for ethically grounded therapeutic approaches and inviting a rethinking of cognitive health through a contemplative-scientific lens.