With the growing interest in the relationship between Buddhism and psychoanalysis, it is surprising that no book has replaced the 1960 classic Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis, with essays by D. T. Suzuki, Erich Fromm, and Richard De Martino. Now, in this new alchemical collection, psychoanalyst Anthony Molino offers a bold new alloy of these two major disciplines. Both ambitious and timely, The Couch and the Tree is a two-part anthology that spans and documents a unique cross-fertilization of Eastern and Western thought. While Part One provides a historical overview of the classic writings in this far-reaching, adventurous dialogue (including the works of Fromm, Suzuki, Jung, Hisamatsu, Watts, and Horney, to name only a few), Part Two features a series of brilliant contemporary works, many appearing here for the first time. Included are essays by such innovative thinkers as Adam Phillips, Mark Epstein, Masao Abe, Polly Young-Eisendrath, Nina Coltart, and Michael Eigen. Most notable perhaps is a conversation--on the question "Is There an Unconscious in Buddhist Teaching?"--between the psychoanalyst Joyce McDougall and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A truly essential collection, unique in both conception and scope, The Couch and the Tree marks a watershed in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exploration.
Book Description
A provocative and trailblazing cross-disciplinary anthology.
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Molino, a psychoanalyst, anthropologist, and translator, has put together a timely collection of essays addressing the relevance of psychoanalysis and Buddhism to one another. The first section, with essays by Jung, Suzuki, Fromm, and Horney, among others, provides an overview of some of the better-known seminal works in this area, thus serving as an excellent foundation for the more contemporary examinations in the second section. It is hard to imagine a more thorough collection. Individual essays betray certain prejudices and dispositions toward particular schools of thought, but the final feeling of the collection is balanced. It becomes clear that psychoanalysis and Buddhism have much to offer one another, as they work essentially the same territory?examination of the elusive nature of the human mind. Highly recommended, especially for academic collections.?Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll.,
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Anthony Molino, a psychoanalyst, anthropologist, and award-winning translator of Italian literary works, has edited two collections of interviews with prominent psychoanalysts. He lives with his wife in Italy.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Wide range of authors with historical progression,
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This review is from: The Couch and the Tree: Dialogues In Psychoanalysis and Buddhism, 1st Edition (Hardcover)
This anthology traces the developing relationship of psychoanalysis (PA) & Zen (Z) over time, including both old & new classics. Unfortunately, I had read (& reviewed on Amazon) quite a few. IMHO some are only of historical interest; some didn't say much, but some were quite enlightening. Having read the earlier translation of the Jung-Hiramatsu conversation in Meckel & Moore's book, I found the Muramoto one (from German original) more comprehensible & believable. I thoroughly enjoyed Elder's delightful PA of Buddha's life, both Eigen's & Cooper's fine case studies, & Suzuki's fantastic "The Zen Doctrine of No-Mind." It can be compared with Engler's fine "Buddhist Psychology: Contributions to Western Psychological Theory." Several authors argue convincingly for the integration of Z & PA addressing the nature of ego/self: Bobrow & Abe-with the latter comparing Z & Jung. Per Michael Eigen's valuable essay, p. 219: "We need more than one breast, more than one eye...Experience teaches us that it is dangerous to think that any one system of belief will supply everything. There is always something missing, something wrong. Healthy skepticism protects against blind faith. Healthy faith protects against nihilistic skepticism. We are made of multiple systems capable of providing some checks & balances. It is important not to expect too little or too much from a great teaching." Phillips & Young-Eisendrath address the value of suffering: per Phillips, pp. 197-8: "Psychoanalysis, one could say, is the art of turning pain into meaning." But, my favorite essay is Odajnyk's "Zen Meditation as a Way of Individuation & Healing" in which he differentiates between Z, mindfulness, & Vipassana, & between Z & PA. He provides an amazing, yet well-argued case for Zen's effectiveness in treating neuroses while also addressing the dangers of meditation to those with certain psychic wounds. Thus, he states, p. 134: "Generally, I agree that a combination of psychotherapy & meditation is the best way to approach psychological & spiritual growth & development", p. 135: "Several studies indicate that, particularly in Westerners, meditation can make things worse," pp. 136-7: "By consciously focusing the mind on the object of meditation & thereby altering the natural, habitual flow of psychic energy, we gradually `starve' & `shrink' the drives & complexes. In other words, Zen meditation, under certain conditions, achieves the same goals as psychoanalysis & psychotherapy," & p. 139: "The danger with spiritually inclined people is that they pursue Self-realization at the expense of personal development." IMHO, it's worth reading this book just to read his article. But different people will, no doubt get different things from this wealth of material. As Phillips says, p. 199: "Perhaps, each of us should take whatever appeals to us out of psychoanalysis & Buddhism, & from whatever else, to make something of our own."
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