Perspective Chapter: Consciousness as Cause or Effect? Buddhist Abhidhamma Insights into Mind–Brain Dynamics and Wellbeing
IntechOpen eBooks June 10, 2025 DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.1011037 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Keywords | Perspective graphical Cognitive science Intersection aeronautics Cognitive neuroscience Cognition Cartography Artificial intelligence |
| Key points | Proposes that the Abhidhamma's cognitive model converges with modern neuroscientific models of sensory processing and motor responses, supporting a holistic mind-body paradigm and suggesting clinical applications for psychosomatic disorders. |
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.
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 |