Enacting the self: Buddhist and Enactivist approaches to the emergence of the self

In this paper, I take up the problem of the self through bringing together the insights, while correcting some of the shortcomings, of Indo–Tibetan Buddhist and enactivist accounts of the self. I begin with an examination of the Buddhist theory of non-self (anātman) and the rigorously reductionist interpretation of this doctrine developed by the Abhidharma school of Buddhism. After discussing some of the fundamental problems for Buddhist reductionism, I turn to the enactive approach to philosophy of mind and cognitive science. I argue that human beings, as dynamic systems, are characterized by a high degree of self-organizing autonomy. Therefore, human beings are not reducible to the more basic mental and physical events that constitute them. I critically examine Francisco Varela’s enactivist account of the self as virtual and his use of Buddhist ideas in support of this view. I argue, in contrast, that while the self is emergent and constructed, it is not merely virtual. Finally I sketch a Buddhist-enactivist account of the self. I argue for a non-reductionist view of the self as an active, embodied, embedded, self-organizing process—what the Buddhists call ‘I’-making (ahaṃkāra). This emergent process of self-making is grounded in the fundamentally recursive processes that characterize lived experience: autopoiesis at the biological level, temporalization and self-reference at the level of conscious experience, and conceptual and narrative construction at the level of intersubjectivity. In Buddhist terms, I will develop an account of the self as dependently originated and empty, but nevertheless real.     

The Ninian Smart Archive and Bibliography

The late Professor Smart wrote extensively, at many different levels, on a wide variety of topics, with papers and articles appearing in a bewildering variety of publications worldwide. Previous bibliographies of his work have proved to be incomplete and inaccurate. An accurate, comprehensive bibliography is attempted here, along with a summary of the contents of the Ninian Smart Archive.     

Interdependence as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Competitiveness and Objective Sales Performance

In this study, we investigated the moderating role of interdependence (a personality trait that measures the extent to which individuals desire working in a group‐based, cooperative setting) on the relationship between competitiveness and one‐year objective sales performance. On the basis of data from 133 sales representatives, results indicated that: (a) competitiveness was related to objective sales performance; and (b) interdependence moderated the relationship between competitiveness and objective sales performance such that competitiveness predicted objective sales performance more strongly for those who scored low in interdependence versus those who scored high in interdependence. Implications for sales selection and reward systems and directions for future research are considered.     

Can a Connection to Culture Reduce Mental Illness Symptoms and Risk for Future Violence?

Recent policy initiatives and service provider strategic frameworks from the state of Victoria have highlighted intentions to invest in culturally safe practices for justice-involved Indigenous individuals. However, the culturally themed frameworks and protocols presented by health and justice organisations appear to be largely underpinned by theoretical and/or anecdotal evidence. This commentary summarises findings from the first Australian program of research to investigate the influence of cultural identity and cultural engagement on mental health symptoms and violence for Indigenous people in custody. Implications for correctional policy and forensic clinical practice are discussed in this article.     

Self-Awareness without a Self: Buddhism and the Reflexivity of Awareness

In this paper, I show that a robust, reflexivist account of self-awareness (such as was defended by Dignāga and Dharmakīrti, most phenomenologists, and others) is compatible with reductionist view of persons, and hence with a rejection of the existence of a substantial, separate self. My main focus is on the tension between Buddhist reflexivism and the central Buddhist doctrine of no-self. In the first section of the paper, I give a brief sketch of reflexivist accounts of self-awareness, using the Buddhist philosopher Dharmakīrti as my example. In the next section, I examine reductionism as it relates to accounts of the self. I then, in the third section, argue that a reductionist account of persons can account for the unique features of first-person contents and our deep and multi-layered sense of self.     

Introduction to the Special Issue on Mental Health Self-Help

Since the 1950s, people with mental illness and their families have been organizing a wide range of self-directed, mutual support oriented initiatives, including self-help groups, nonprofit organizations, and businesses. These initiatives have become increasingly widespread over the years and today mental health self-help initiatives outnumber traditional mental health organizations in the United States (Goldstrom et al., Admin Policy Mental Health Mental Health Serv Res 33:92-103, 2006). Mental health self-help embodies much of what community psychologists promote, including the self-directed organization of people to create social change and facilitate personal transformation. This special issue provides new insight into several prominent areas of inquiry surrounding these low-cost interventions including: (1) their evidence base; (2) the processes by which people benefit; (3) how they interface with the mental health system; and (4) the value dilemmas they face.     

Moral Concerns and Consumer Choice of Fresh and Processed Organic Foods1

This study used the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine the impact of moral concerns on intention to buy organic apples and organic pizza. Initially, beliefs were elicited from a group of 30 people using a combination of the traditional TPB elicitation technique supplemented by direct questioning about emotions associated with the behavior. The questionnaire—which included measures of behavioral beliefs, attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and measures of moral norms (worded both positively and negatively)—was completed by 281 people. Multiple regressions showed that for both foods, the positive moral component added significantly to the prediction of intention, while negative ones did not. Also, affective attitude was a strong predictor of intention for both foods.     

Activating Culture Through Persuasion Appeals: An Examination of the Bicultural Consumer

In this research, I examined how biculturals, or individuals who have been equally influenced by an East Asian and Western cultural orientation, respond to various types of persuasion appeals that promote values unique to a particular culture. In the first experiment, I found that biculturals, relative to monoculturals, tend to react favorably toward both individually and interpersonally focused appeals due to their having 2 equally developed and accessible cultural dispositions. In the second experiment, I identified boundary conditions under which having relatively equal access to both cultural dispositions leads to favorable responses. Results indicate that biculturals who tend to compartmentalize each culture react less favorably toward appeals that are both individually and interpersonally focused than biculturals who tend to integrate the 2 cultures. In other words, the former type of bicultural prefers appeals that activate one cultural disposition, whereas the latter type of bicultural favors appeals that activate both cultural dispositions. These findings are discussed in light of the growing trend toward multiculturalism and the increasing need for researchers to understand the impact of this trend on various consumer behavior issues.     

Consultant or Comrade: Comments About Analysts' Working Relationships in Schools

The articles in this issue of the Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies pose a dilemma for educators. On the one hand, each article describes an important psychosocial intervention implemented in schools. On the other hand, these interventions, at least as described in the articles, are either imposed on the work of teachers and students or isolated from that work. Either circumstance ultimately limits the impact of the intervention. I claim that analysts and teachers are natural allies despite lack of evidence for alliance in these articles. To extend that alliance beyond conversations about individual children, analysts must understand that teachers' views of learning and development are different from those that influence the organization and management of schools.