Date of Award
5-13-2017
Major
Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor
Yeomans, Dr. Melinda
Abstract
As a future medical doctor, I will always see the process of healing through the hybrid consciousness of my Eastern-Hindu upbringing and Western academic and scientific training. The Eastern philosophy of healing has been linked to consciousness and how the powers of human consciousness can affect the body’s healing. The Western perspective of medicine, which has developed as a result of the industrial and scientific revolutions, generally treats the human body as an object. However, this is not to say that Western medicine is flawed. In fact, Western medicine is incredibly effective in certain specialties, but is limited by the mind-body split. Therefore, it neglects to recognize the valuable effects of consciousness in medical practice. A cross-cultural model that brings together these two medical perspectives is what I would like to apply to my future medical practice, health advocacy work, as well as scholarship. In this University Honors Thesis, I provide analysis to these questions and an integrated cross-cultural model of the Western and Eastern perspectives that will lead to better medical treatment for all.