Benefits of an integrated path
Helen Carter
Routledge eBooks July 11, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003383710-10 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that a Buddhism-informed therapy requires therapists to reflect on the nature of self, spirit, and soul and to examine their own views on mind and consciousness. Proposes that bringing karma into the therapy room involves shuttling between insight and experiencing, and cautions, via the case of 'Jim', that this is not straightforward even with a Buddhist client, with 'spiritual bypassing' a risk when spiritual paths are pursued without sufficient developmental maturity. |
Abstract
This chapter sets out how the practice of a Buddhism-informed therapy and the themes presented in the book have necessitated the author to reflect upon the nature of self, its composite parts, and the experiences of them. She invites the reader to ponder “how does ‘self’ incorporate the aspects of spirit and soul?” and other dichotomies such as self and Self, Self and non-self. Theories and views from various humanistic and transpersonal writers are explored and synthesised. To aid this inquiry, the author offers an outline of the Buddhist model of mind and consciousness, expanding upon the previous presentation of karma and furthermore, inviting therapists to enquire into their own stance on ‘hard problems’ such as mind and consciousness. The discussion moves these ideas of karma into the therapy room, and specifically how the process of shuttling between insight and experiencing unfolds. The case study of “Jim” that rounds out this chapter cautions this is not a straightforward task even with a Buddhist client. The work revisits the arc of human being, this time considering when spiritual paths are pursued without sufficient developmental maturity: the risk of spiritual bypassing.