A COMPARISON OF BUDDHIST HEALING PRACTICES IN PHILADELPHIA WITH RELEVANT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Open Access
Author:
Xhuli, Paola
Area of Honors:
Letters, Arts, and Sciences (Abington)
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
PIERCE SALGUERO, Thesis Supervisor Dr. David E Ruth, Thesis Honors Advisor Michael Jason Bernstein, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Buddhist medicine Buddhist healing practices Meditation Yoga Qigong Prayer Chanting Buddhism in Philadelphia Health and Well-being Mindfulness Vows Holistic healing
Abstract:
The role of Buddhism in the U.S. and the activities that are practiced in some specific Buddhist centers and temples around the country have been studied by many Western scholars, but few researchers have studied Buddhist healing techniques. This paper will present the ethnographic study that I conducted with the ACURA (Abington College Undergraduate Research Activities) research team in the Greater Philadelphia area to explore and examine a variety of healing methods offered in Buddhist temples and Buddhist meditation centers. It will describe the healing techniques carried out by monks, leaders, and temple-goers, as well as demonstrate the perceived effects of these methods on one’s well-being, as described by Buddhists and non-Buddhist participants. Lastly, it will present the scientific research on these and similar techniques, exploring whether Buddhist beliefs are supported by science, and identifying Buddhist healing techniques that have not yet been scientifically studied.
