Psychologists And Monks For A Better Understanding Of Cognition, Emotions, And Even Consciousness

Western psychology and Buddhism have some commonalities that can create scope for new directions in psychological research for helping people. They both work for people in managing their emotions and lead a happier and more fulfilling life. But it has some differences as well. As in Western psychology, problems or suffering in life are inevitable, and they take it more personally, which affects their physical and mental health. That’s why people suffering from mental illnesses like depression interpret failure as having failed in some way in their lives.

Whereas in Tibetan Buddhism, the acceptance of mental suffering is considered an unavoidable condition of life but not a reflection of personal failures. It might be because of this that monks are able to create better equanimity with sadness. They learn from their suffering and experience. Western psychology also places much emphasis on the self. In Western psychology, self-esteem is considered a healthy concept, whereas in Tibetan Buddhism, the self is considered an obstacle to attaining fulfilment. In Buddhism’s view, too much focus on oneself can promote compound negative emotions.

Also in Western psychology, a psychologist works on managing the suffering or problems once they appear, whereas in Tibetan Buddhism, monks practice mental awareness and emotional control through mindfulness meditation, mental images including Buddhist deities and Mandala (symbolic geometric designs), and learn to detect the spark in words before the flame appears. Monks have a better understanding of emotional control, which can be used by Western psychology practitioners to help patients.

As monks practice mental imagery, it can help the experts understand what the upper limit of the visualization mechanism looks like. An increased understanding of mental imaginary mechanisms will help the monks perfectly practice meditative techniques and understand how the visual system works. Richard Davidson, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that we can learn a lot from these traditions and that this is the right time to collaborate.