Doctor Melds Western Practices, Eastern Spirituality

The recorded sounds of chanting Tibetan monks many worlds away might seem out of place in a Manhattan psychiatrist’s waiting room, but this is also the headquarters of the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science

Its director and founder, psychiatrist Joseph Loizzo, also holds a doctorate in religion and Buddhist studies. His new book, “Sustainable Happiness,” details his decades of research and clinical practice combining traditional psychoanalysis, cutting edge neuroscience and Buddhism into a seamless whole.

“The main problem in our human condition has to do with the fact that our natures were adapted for life in the wild, and that because of civilization, we are living in very unnatural conditions,” says Loizzo, who believes this is the primary source of stress for most people. "The stress instincts are what prepare us to fight or fly or freeze sometimes in dangerous situations. But since civilization began to sort of take over our whole lives, these stress reactions are a less and less useful part of our makeup.” (MORE)


Source: Voice of America