Buddhism, Psychology, and Addiction Theory in Psychotherapy

Abstract

There has been an explosion of interest in Buddhist philosophy, psychology and practices among psychologists within the past few years. Interest in Eastern religions is not new, however, Buddhist practices have been particularly well received within the more popular psychology or "self help" community. For example, movements such as EST and its' permutations, which are designed to help devotees improve psychological well being by becoming more self aware and here and now focused have deep roots in Buddhist thought. The interest has continued to expand and the commonalities are being studied from an ever-widening perspective.It appears that a major source of the commonality stems from a shared focus and goal. The common vision is the study of the individual with the ultimate purpose of the alleviation of suffering. Both disciplines seek to delve into the depths of human functioning to explicate our realities. The psychological study of human behavior has developed a host of explanations for human suffering or "psychopathology", including theories of unconscious unmet needs or dysfunctional learning and/or environments. The practice of Buddhism also has sought to achieve absolute happiness or enlightenment to the individual and to society by a focusing on self and self-development. Buddhist tradition has contemplated and propounded various psychological theories as part of its' overall philosophical explanation of the ultimate nature of existence. Buddhist philosophies have attempted to address the issue of human suffering and it's relief. Shakyamuni, the person who first expounded Buddhism was moved to abdicate his princely life and engage in his Bodhisattva practices by his despair over the suffering of his Chapter 4 105