The Impact of Complementary and Alternative Medicine on Modern Psychology

This paper will trace the development of the bifurcation of psychology into the Cartesian mind/body dualism. One side of this dualism is represented by the perspective that emphasizes observables (Hume's solution) while the other side emphasizes the mind (Kant's solution). The East-West philosophical perspectives regarding mind/body concerns have highlighted the dialectic tension between these points of view. In particular, the issue of shame versus guilt cultures, and their impact on the mind/body issue will be explored.

During this past decade, there appears to be an increased synthesis between and among the schools of thought within the field. The introduction of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), or Eastern philosophy, has accelerated this synthesis. Four case studies will be discussed that highlight these integrations.