More and more people are beginning to realise how much psychological wisdom there is in Eastern thinking, especially in Hinduism and Buddhism. Ever since Siddhartha sought insight through silent meditation under the Bodhi tree, Buddhists have focused on achieving peaceful mental states to reduce unnecessary suffering and increase positive qualities such as awareness, insight, wisdom, balance and peace of mind.

Modern psychology has made many of these techniques more accessible regardless of religion and cultural background. There are many varieties of Eastern forms of meditation, but their common feature is the ability to slow down the speed of hurried minds. It is therefore not surprising that they relieve stress and physical and emotional fatigue.

We live in a digital age that imposes growing demands on our abilities to focus attention, concentrate and self-regulate. In this course, you will receive a thorough introduction to techniques and insight that stem from Eastern psychology, and you will learn how they help us develop these very abilities. In addition to the theoretical foundation and the historical and philosophical background, you will have the opportunity to learn and train your skills with the presented techniques and practices.

A central goal in this course is to provide you with hands-on experience with meditational practices, and breathing and relaxation exercises, derived from buddhism, yoga and modern mindfulness. You will learn how to integrate these practices in your everyday life, and you will learn their potential for positive changes. A further goal in this course is for you to reflect on and discuss the similarities and differences between modern Western psychology and traditional Eastern psychology. You should also be able to assess both the strengths and limitations of Eastern psychology, alongside modern Western society.

There are no theoretical or practical pre-requisites to the learning outcomes of this course.

Subject description 7402

Eastern Psychology, Meditation and Mindfulness

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