Buddhist Psychology and the West: An Encounter between Therapeutic Systems

Abstract

During ancient times, when people were confronted with what we refer to as ‘behaviour disorders’ today, they sought assistance through witchcraft, demonology and diverse means of exorcising evil spirits and demons. Some of the developing religious systems absorbed a part of the rites and ceremonies connected with these healing rituals. There were others who rejected the theory of demonic possession and put forward the counter-theory that mental illness was due to the malfunction of the brain. But there was no clear scientific analysis of behaviour disorders until the beginning of the twentieth century.