What's the Matter---Your Energy or Your Matter? An Exploratory Study Examining Body-Mind-Spirit Correlates of Tibetans and Caucasian-Americans for Multicultural Holistic Health Practice Intake
This dissertation addresses the subject of body-mind-spirit correlation models and whether a model currently exists that is valid and comprehensive enough to assist psychologists and physicians in multicultural clinical environments with assessment and treatment in healing the body through the mind and healing the mind through the body. Particular attention is paid to exploring which mental, emotional or spiritual dysfunction is associated with, and perhaps may predict, certain physical dysfunction. The literature review focuses on the correlates of Caroline Myss, Barbara Brennan, Tibetan Buddhism, and psychophysiological disorder studies. Understanding energy as the common underlying component of body, mind and spirit provides the framework for the energy medicine (chakra-based) correlation models of Myss, Brennan and Tibetan medicine. When comparing like information, psychophysiological disorder studies and Caroline Myss' energy anatomy model agreed or partly agreed on psychological correlates for 8 out of 10 physical ailments. Further, research indicates that cultural beliefs stemming from spiritual traditions, native linguistic expressions, and accepted forms of medicine may affect body-mind-spirit correlates--either objectively or subjectively. The study highlights cultural similarities and differences in body-mind-spirit meaning and correlation among Tibetans and Caucasian-Americans. Because patient beliefs greatly impact the effectiveness of healing methods, intake tools must access patient worldview for culturally appropriate assessment and treatment. This researcher found no standard holistic health intake questionnaire that facilitates identification of body-mind-spirit correlates in a culturally-sensitive and concise way. The Energy Anatomy Questionnaire (EAQ) developed by this researcher was used to evaluate Myss' correlation model unilaterally and cross-culturally. The EAQ was administered to thirty Tibetans (ages 63-84) and thirty Caucasian-Americans (ages 39-90). Preliminary results could not definitively confirm the unilateral or cross-cultural validity of Myss' model--due to limitations of the EAQ, the possible lack of participant awareness as to difficulties, translation problems, and possible incongruent worldviews. The comparison of Myss-indicated chakras to participant-indicated chakras did provide some tentative evidence to support the unilateral validity of Myss' model. Further studies are needed.
