| Unit name | Buddhist Psychology and Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS30067 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Gethin |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
NONE |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
NONE |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In recent decades Buddhist 'mindfulness’ techniques have been adapted as interventions in the treatment of mental illness and as coping mechanisms. The unit focuses on the Buddhist background, examining the Buddhist map of the mind and body as articulated in ancient Indian Buddhist systematic thought (Abhidharma), one of the most sustained attempts to map the workings of the mind in pre-modern thought. The unit considers the distinctive Buddhist analysis of the body, mental states, the processes of perception, dream, sleep, death and rebirth, and how these relate to the workings of karma, theories of the unconscious, and the ethics of violence and sex. The unit concludes by considering Buddhist views in relation to modern understandings of ‘mental health’, materialism (the equivalence of mind and brain), and the secularizing of Buddhist ideas and practices by appeal to the authority of medicine and neuroscience.Students will submit two 500-word blogs, one related to something they have presented, the other related to others’ presentations.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class discussion, investigative activities, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback.
1 x 2000 words portfolio (formative) [ILOs 1-6]
1 x 3000-word summative essay (100%) [ILOs 1-5]
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THRS30067).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
