The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global mental health crisis, leading to widespread psychological distress and long-term impacts, as highlighted by the WHO on World Mental Health Day 2022. Beyond the pandemic, increasing life pressures and traumatic experiences further elevate the risk of mental disorders, particularly psychosomatic conditions where psychological factors affect physical...
Pranayama, the yogic art of breath regulation, occupies a central position in classical Yoga literature, bridging physiological practice and spiritual realization. This study presents a comparative analysis of pranayama as conceptualized in the Yoga Raj Upanishad and the Yoga Chudamani Upanishad, highlighting their distinct methodological approaches, philosophical orientations, and intended...
The aim of this article is to put Śaṅkara's (c.750 CE) deconstructions of individual identity in dialogue with his ethical support of Vedic identity categories. Śaṅkara is regarded as one of the most significant propounders of the ancient Veda-rooted (āstika) tradition (darśana) of Advaita Vedānta. This tradition argues that the innermost self (ātman) of all individuals (jīva) is non-dual...
Empirical evidence has demonstrated the beneficial effects of mindfulness in the enhancement of positive psychology factors and cognitive performances, as well as in the remission of psychological distress. Researchers have proposed mechanisms for mindfulness' comprehensive effects, such as through mental flexibility, and examined indices of neurophysiological changes. This study provided a new...
The strategy of this paper is to explore how traditional Buddhist teachings respond to contemporary challenges. The effects of these contemporary crises have brought immense tribulation globally. We humans can create and destroy the natural relationships of the environment. Since the twentieth century, Buddhism has been revived with its new way of response, as Buddha's teachings mainly focus on...
This article aims to provide a comparative analysis between Husserl’s phenomenology and the Pāli Abhidhamma. To conduct this analysis, I will mainly draw on some books of the Abhidhamma and three works by Husserl. What emerges from this study are interesting convergences between the two systems of thought, which allow us to consider, in some respects, a true Buddhist phenomenology codified in...
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...
Abstract There is substantial evidence that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have beneficial effects for a range of disorders, though their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Prominent developers of MBIs have proposed the Buddhist concept of no-self as a core mechanism driving their efficacy. The idea of no-self has been interpreted as the process of reducing, attenuating or...
This research explores Zen retreats through the psychological transformation perspective, focusing on the general population's broader mental vulnerabilities. Using a multimethod qualitative approach, including online traveler reflections and communications, onsite observations, and interviews, it reveals a multifactorial interaction framework in which tourists seek personal betterment,...
Buddhism is a philosophy which is centered on awakening from suffering and achieving mindfulness through ethical conduct, meditation and insight into the nature of reality. Moreover, Buddhism teaches love, kindness, compassion and freedom, and a man can search for his inner dimension of life. It helps man to live in positivity, freedom and self- exploration. It helps every individual to...
This paper examines the limitations of analytical and computational methods in understanding reality, highlighting the secondary role of language and mathematics, which often leads to paradoxes. Gödel’s incompleteness theorems underscore the inherent incompleteness and undecidability in logical and computational systems, such as the Turing machine. We propose that consciousness, operating as a...
The technological advances and material control that have resulted from reductive and deterministic practices of science are quite real. The digitally mediated expansion of experiential freedoms-of-choice and the transformative problem-solving potential of artificial intelligence are undeniable. But for all its successes, reductive physicalism has failed to solve the so-called hard problem of...
Objective. Unwanted meditation-related experiences commonly occur and alternate with positive experiences over time. So far, effects have been studied as discrete events, creating difficulties to predict challenging experiences. We explored meditation experiences through a developmental lens, investigating whether a modern interpretation of the Stages of Insight (SoI), a Buddhist model of...
This is a review article which examines the nature of Buddhist influence on four ‘mindfulness-based interventions’ (MBI): the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme, the Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and the Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). It also examines the operational constructs utilised in psychological research with an...
Although tukdam-a meditative state entered through various practices resting in extremely subtle consciousness while dying-is seen to only be achieved by adept practitioners, the philosophy and psychology that underpin tukdam inform Tibetan communities beyond just accomplished adepts and frame the very way death and dying is conceived. Based on an 18-month ethnographic study, this article...
Abstract This article offers a new interpretation of Brahma-vihāra meditation (BVM) in early Buddhism, positioning it between ethical cultivation and development of samādhi ; BVM can thereby perfect ethical practice by creating a comprehensive meditative state that is thoroughly ethical. The fact that the radically ethical states of mind of BVM are sometimes included in the path to liberation,...
BMC PsychologyMay 20, 2025Bahr Weiss, Van Vu, Hoang-Minh Dang et al.2 citations
Depression presents a substantial world-wide public health burden. Although evidence-based treatments exist, the majority of individuals with depression do not receive evidence-based treatments, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries, due to (a) scarcity of mental health professionals, and (b) mental health-related stigma. One approach addressing these issues is task-shifting, transfer...
This article explores the challenges associated with practicing Buddhist non-attachment as a layperson and whether its application in everyday life represents a puzzle. In Buddhism, practicing non-attachment implies becoming free of desires, as prescribed by Mahāyāna Buddhist philosophy in pursuit of liberation. This raises a critical challenge to form and maintain friendships in this...
This study offers a comparative analysis of preparatory practices in Buddhist meditation, focusing on the Tiantai tradition of medieval China and the Nyingma tradition of tenth-century Tibet. Challenging the view of meditation as solely a mental experience, it highlights the critical role of the body in shaping contemplative training. Drawing on recent Buddhist studies and cultural embodiment...
Buddhist meditation and mindfulness practices have garnered global recognition for their significant contributions to mental health and overall well-being. This study examines the potential of these ancient techniques as effective tools for lifelong learning. Grounded in the rich traditions of Buddhism, meditation and mindfulness extend beyond mere stress reduction, fostering heightened...