Intercultural Philosophizing: Theory and Practice
Working Group of the Vienna Society for Intercultural Philosophy
Winter semester 2022/2023
Encountering Madness. Intercultural and Decolonial Approaches to the
Phenomenon of
Mental Illness
A cooperation between WIGIP, IWK and the Department of Philosophy at the
University of Vienna
INVITATION
►30.11., 18.30 (6:30 pm CET), Institut für Wissenschaft und Kunst
(Berggasse 17, 1090 Vienna)
· Lecture in English
· please register under: office(a)wigip.org
(the registration is not mandatory, but helpful for the organization)
Dr. Susannah Deane (University of Bristol, UK): Mind, Body, Spirits:
Tibetan Notions of the ‘Subtle Body’ and its Implications for the
Causation and Treatment of Mental Illness
Integral to Tibetan understandings of mind and body, and humans’
relation to the wider world, are two key concepts. Firstly, the notion
of loong – ‘wind’ energy which circulates through the body as a key
component of the ‘subtle body’ system – is fundamental to Tibetan
understandings on mind-body structure and functioning, particularly in
relation to the mind and consciousness. Secondly, the relationship
between humans and the wide variety of spirits and deities seen to
populate the landscape is important in understanding Tibetan notions of
health and good fortune. Both are predicated on an understanding of a
rather ‘porous’ boundary between the self and the outer world, and
within this, Buddhism provides not only a way to manage these local
spirits and deities, but also designs practices which utilise this
subtle body system to manipulate the mind and body towards enlightenment.
All of these factors become key when we explore Tibetan notions of
mental health and illness. Where spirits and deities may be implicated
in the causation of madness and other illnesses and misfortunes, they
can also be controlled by skilled Buddhist practitioners, who may even
utilise them in their Tantric practices in their pursuit of
enlightenment. Equally, while the manipulation of bodily wind currents
forms an integral part of Tantric practitioners’ Buddhist practices,
unintended disruptions in their flow – including as a result of
conducting such practices incorrectly – is seen to have implications for
an individual’s mental health. This paper explores the diverse
understandings of causation and treatment of ‘madness’ and other mental
health difficulties which result from these Tibetan notions of mind,
body, and spirits.
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