This interdisciplinary study bridges psychology, neuroscience, and mystical theology to elucidate mysticism and spirituality's therapeutic role in mental health, particularly in cultivating resilience, emotional stability, and existential recovery. Through descriptive-qualitative analysis of empirical studies, classical theories, and sacred texts across traditions, it probes neurobiological...
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked profound philosophical and scientific debate regarding whether machines can possess genuine consciousness. While AI excels in simulating intelligent behaviors, the emergence of subjective experience—often considered as the hallmark of consciousness—remains elusive, attracting sustained interdisciplinary attention. This study...
This study examines the systematic development and philosophical “finalization” of śamatha (止 tranquility) and vipaśyanā (觀 insight) within the foundational texts of the Yogācāra tradition. Central to the transmission of Buddhism to East Asia was the categorization of practice (修行 caryā) through the lenses of concentration (三摩地 samādhi) and wisdom (般若 prajñā). This paper focuses on two pivotal...
Modern teachings on Buddhist meditation often draw on Śāntideva’s eighth-century Bodhicaryāvatāra (Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life). While Śāntideva’s thought is presented as fit for broad global audiences, the fact that it developed in tandem with restricted tantric practices has received little attention. Visualization techniques in the early chapters parallel transgressive...
This paper examines the Yiey Mao belief among the Khmer in Southern Vietnam as a vivid example of how an indigenous religion adapts and endures amid modernization and globalization. Drawing on the anthropology of religion (Geertz, Turner, Tambiah, Eliade), the study interprets Yiey Mao as a dynamic symbolic system that negotiates between tradition and modernity, the sacred and the secular,...
Daoist meditation has been less widely adopted than Buddhist meditation as a daily method for psychological regulation, partly due to the complexity of its underlying philosophical system. This study aims to explore how key Daoist meditation practices can be psychologized and adapted into a usable method for modern psychological training. A comparative analysis was conducted on classical Daoist...
This chapter introduces the convergence of Sufi mysticism and Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology, rooted in the author’s personal journey of spiritual and psychological exploration. While researching the Sufi Master Hazrat Inayat Khan and his teachings, the author encountered interpersonal conflicts within the Sufi community, which prompted an investigation into Jung’s concept of the...
This paper explores the transformative potential of contemplative environmental education in addressing the growing disconnection between humans and the natural world, particularly within K-12 education systems shaped by anthropocentric and capitalist paradigms. Modern schooling often frames nature as an object of study, rather than a sacred, living presence, contributing to ecological...
This article explores the intercultural philosophy of the Japanese monk Eihei Dōgen (1200–1253), who founded the Zen school during the Kamakura period (1192–1333). While developing Chan/Zen Buddhism in China, he wrote in colloquial Japanese, fully utilizing the resources of both Chinese and Japanese. As a philosopher, he distinguished himself with contributions to culture, religion, philosophy,...
Western psychology and psychiatry through the dissemination of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and subsequently informed a range of therapeutic models, including dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Alongside this “first” mindfulness movement, growing societal concerns about conflict, competition, and violence stimulated scientific and clinical...