Zen Psychiatry

Zen Psychiatry

As I have suggested before, psychiatry concerns itself with the unreal, or the psychotic. Many psychiatrists will diagnose a person who hears either “inner” or “outer” voices with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder. Medication is then used in an attempt to stop the voices from taking place. Interestingly, Zen Meditation has traditionally concerned itself with blocking out thoughts or even internal voices. I would like to argue that psychiatry use Zen Meditation as a replacement for medication or as a supplemental therapy to eliminate voices.
In Zen Meditation the student is taught to block out all internal mental phenomenon and find a place of inner stillness or silence. The student developes the mind or imagination is such a way that he or she is able to “jam” the reception of voices or thoughts in the mind. Sometimes internal imagination or imagery techniques can be effectively used. I predict that such Zen Psychiatry will be commplace in the future.