A contemporary psychiatrist uses ancient Buddhist wisdom to make sense of desire in our
everyday lives.
“What we really want is for the object to be more satisfying than it ever can be.”
Maupin, Edward W. Zen Buddhism: A psychological review. J Cons Psychol, 1962, 26(4):362-
378.
McCall, Timothy. Padmasana on Prozac? Taking an antidepressant doesn’t mean you are any
less of a yogi. Yoga Journal, Dec 2003, p. 26.
Meadows, Graham. Buddhism and psychiatry: Confluence and conflict. Australasian
Psychiatry, Mar 2003, 11(1):16-20.
Abstract: Objective: To describe the relationship between Buddhism and psychiatry, from a
personal perspective. Conclusions: The present paper introduces Buddhist thought for those
unfamiliar with it, then describes some of the sites of confluence and conflict between this
tradition and those of Western mental health care. It does so from the perspective of a Westerner
who has made some exploration of Buddhism, mainly within one of the Tibetan traditions.
Measurement of hostility in practitioners and non-practitioners of Yoga. Yoga Awareness:
Quarterly Journal of YOCOCEN, Jul 1977, 1(1), Yococen Supplement, Report of The Fifth
International Conference of International Yoga Teachers Association, Panchgani, India,
December 1976, p. 32.
Media Mill News Release. Vietnam vets research to test yoga’s effect on depression. Severnlea,
Queensland, Australia: Media Mill, 2002.
On a pilot study conducted over six weeks by psychiatrist Janis Carter and professor Gerard
Byrne, Department of Psychiatry, University of Queensland, to study the effects of sequencing of
Iyengar Yoga poses on Vietnam veterans with PTSD suffering from depression. All participants
showed significant progress based on measurement of their depression via the Hamilton rating
scale, used less medication, and adapted to life better.
Meditation and visualization techniques for people suffering from depression. The Journal
for Tibetan Buddhist Psychology and Medicine, Summer 1989, p. 12.
Meditation becoming part of some psychotherapy practices. Harvard Mental Health Letter,
Apr 2005.
From an 18 Apr 2005 Newswise release: “Meditation is now being incorporated into
psychotherapeutic practice and combined in surprising ways with other healing traditions, the
April issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter reports.
“The focused attention of meditation may change attitudes and behavior by decreasing
preoccupation with one’s own suffering and fostering self-understanding. ‘Professionals of both
traditions are beginning to realize that the resemblance to the aims of psychotherapy is no
accident,’ says Harvard Mental Health Letter editor Dr. Michael Miller.