Buddhism Contributes To Psychotherapy

There has recently been a flurry of news and articles in major media outlets highlighting the growing mental health crisis. Almost all authors of these stories acknowledge the overriding importance of psychotherapy in mitigating or curing this health condition. However, little light has been shed, if at all, on how Western psychotherapy heavily draws on the insights of Buddhist practices. Mankind has made remarkable progress in alleviating physical suffering to a great extent. But the same cannot be said about the mental suffering; in fact, there are credible reports that mental health is on a downward spiral globally. Though Western medicines work wonderfully in the treatment of the former, there’s a growing consensus among psychologists and psychiatrists that Buddha’s teachings are a valuable dose of medicine when it comes to treating the mentally ill. 

Destructive emotions 

Buddhism is much more than a religion; it’s also a philosophy and a science. This explains why it has caught the attention of Western psychologists. Throughout its history of over 2500 years, it has urged its followers to direct their energy within to identify and get rid of the source of destructive emotions, like anxiety, jealousy, rage and others, for lasting peace and fulfilment. Complying with that for years creates a space to cultivate noble emotional states like compassion, which eventually leads to the improvement in personal and societal well-being.

Buddhism has greatly enriched Western approaches to psychology. Modern psychology and Buddhism intersect at many points. Both seek to understand the nature of consciousness in order to benefit humanity. Modern research in psychology confirms the usefulness of meditation, one of the pillars of Buddhism. Meditation has been proven to help prolong attention span, reduce stress, anxiety and chronic pain, improve sleep, help reduce chronic pain, and markedly improve emotional health as a whole. Meditation also helps us live more mindfully. 

When we live with mindful awareness, we remain vigilant against succumbing to the fragilities of the mind, such as overreaction, being overwhelmed with emotional setbacks, among others. Such an awareness also builds a capacity within us to think clearly and rationally, and connect with the present moment with an open mindset. It lays the groundwork to help a practitioner see the nature of the mind that leads to suffering. Once the deeply ingrained craving nature of the mind, which leads to addiction, a mental health condition, is seen in its totality, we can put the brakes on it. 

The mind craves so many things. As long as these cravings remain out of reach, we suffer. We also suffer even after the longings are fulfilled. Why? Soon after that, we crave more. And there’s no end to this vicious cycle of self-gratification. Insight into this mode of mind and the subsequent remedial step can free us from the compulsive nature of the mind. 

Once we start observing the predilections of the mind, we also get familiar with its self-centered tendency driven by the ego. As long as we use our relationships to satisfy ourselves, they malfunction and even lead to traumatic breakups. That’s because when too much emphasis is placed on oneself rather than mutual understanding and support, such a relationship fails to yield desirable results. Buddhist teachings assert that the “self” is an illusion, a fact supported by research.

 When neuroscientists researching the brain some years back in the US sought the seat of this ego in the brain region, it was nowhere to be found. All the regions that give rise to our impulses and emotions, such as fear, anxiety, love, lust, among others, had previously been identified and mapped.   

Physical existence 

What this shows is that there’s no such thing as “self” in physical existence, meaning that as long as our ego runs our life, we live in ignorance. Until the cycle perpetuated by the ego is broken by the light of awareness, we live in the darkness of suffering. Freeing oneself from the shackles of this mode of mind opens up a new world where abiding peace reigns. We no longer feel the need to act on our emotions; rather, we see them as sensations – and not real events – rising and falling on their own as a natural process. Once this profound and unshakable awareness is set up, emotions lose their power over us, a fact solidly established by modern science. As self-awareness takes shape, our ability to live a meaningful and harmonious life is enhanced.

Every day, millions of people practice mindfulness meditation. They sit down, focus on their breath, and calm their minds. But the point of mindfulness meditation isn’t just to calm down, but also to help us see the world as it is, not what one likes it to be, so that we don’t fall for the transitory things. Modern psychology investigates mental processes, behaviours, and emotional health through empirical research. Therapies, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy  (MBCT), which are heavily borrowed from Buddhist principles, are proven to work wonderfully when it comes to improving mental health. 

(Basyal is a journalist at The Rising Nepal.)