Susannah Deane on "Tibetan Notions of Wind in Mental Health and Illness"

This presentation explores how Tibetan Buddhist and medical notions of the relationship between heart, wind and mind come together to explain the (dys)functioning of the mind, and how this is understood to lead to various forms of ‘mental illness’ through incorrect Tantric practice and other factors including an individual’s behaviors and/or emotional states. Dr Deane uses examples from interview material with lay Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhist and Sowa Rigpa medical specialists, alongside some material from Tibetan medical texts, to explore the causes, symptoms, and treatments of various forms of ‘wind illness’ in Tibetan perspective.

This presentation is part of the Buddhism and Breath Summit, which took place online in 2021, with a group of researchers exploring Buddhist practices of working with the breath or the “winds” of the body. The event was co-hosted by Frances Garrett and Pierce Salguero, and co-sponsored by the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto and Jivaka.net. You can watch the video of this talk and find other resources from the Buddhism and Breath Summit at Jivaka.net