Eastern Philosophy and cognitive sciences: an introduction

Abstract

The aim of this essay is to reflect on the introduction and influence of Eastern philosophy in Western thought, and in particular its relationship to cognitive science. Discussion begins with a historical review of the introduction of Eastern philosophy in Western thought. Then reviews the gradual increase of interest that occurred over the twentieth century, encouraged by the interest shown by philosophers, linguists, psychologists and Western physicists, among others. After briefly reviewing the main research on the different practices of meditation, we conclude by reviewing two major sources ofinterest in Eastern philosophy that have appeared in the second half of the twentieth century: trasnpersonal psychology and cognitive science. From this historical review, we conclude that Eastern philosophy may be a source of inspiration for psychology and cognitive science, and can serve as a model for creative new ways to understand the relationship between human beings, the mind and nature.