Bodymind

Bodymind is an approach to understanding the relationship between the human body and mind in which they are seen as a single integrated unit. It attempts to address the mind–body problem and resists the Western traditions of mind–body dualism.

In philosophy

In the field of philosophy, dualism is the view that human minds and bodies are different entities that can be understood separately. This paradigm solidified in the Western world during the Enlightenment, and is associated with the work of René Descartes, among others. Despite the influence of the dualist model, empirical support for the relationship between mental illness and physical changes in the brain has been documented since the 17th century.

Holism is the position that the body and mind are one integrated system. As a term for that system, bodymind emphasizes the inextricability of consciousness, cognition, and the body's physical processes.

In neuroscience

The emergence of neural imaging techniques has reframed the mind-body debate to incorporate theories from both philosophy and neuroscience. Researchers such as Candace Pert have posited a neurophysiological basis for emotions and their foundation in human meaning-making and mental function.

Relevance to alternative medicine

In the field of alternative medicine, bodymind implies that

The body, mind, emotions, and spirit are dynamically interrelated.
Experience, including physical stress, emotional injury, and pleasures are stored in the body's cells which in turn affects one's reactions to stimuli.

The term can be a number of disciplines, including:

Psychoneuroimmunology, the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body.
Body psychotherapy, a branch of psychotherapy which applies basic principles of somatic psychology. It originated in the work of Pierre Janet and particularly Wilhelm Reich.
Neurobiology, the study of the nervous system
Psychosomatic medicine, an interdisciplinary medical field exploring the relationships among social, psychological, and behavioral factors on bodily processes and quality of life in humans and animals. Clinical situations where mental processes act as a major factor affecting medical outcomes are areas where psychosomatic medicine excels.
Postural Integration, a process-oriented body psychotherapy originally developed in the late 1960s by Jack Painter (1933–2010) in California, US, after exploration in the fields of humanistic psychology and the human potential movement. The method aims to support personal change and self development, through a particular form of manipulative holistic bodywork.

References

↑ Robinson, Howard (2017), "Dualism", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2020-04-10
1 2 Berrios, German E. (2018-03-31). "Historical epistemology of the body-mind interaction in psychiatry". Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 20 (1): 5–13. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2018.20.1/gberrios. ISSN 1958-5969. PMC 6016044.
↑ Singer, Wolf (May 2025). "The Mind–Matter Dichotomy: A Persistent Challenge for Neuroscientific and Philosophical Theories". European Journal of Neuroscience. 61 (10). doi:10.1111/ejn.70143. ISSN 0953-816X. PMC 12086611. PMID 40384323.
↑ Pert, Candace (2012). Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel. Simon & Schuster UK. ISBN 978-0671033972.
↑ Damasio, Antonio (2000). The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0156010757.
↑ Keleman, Stanley: Your Body speaks its Mind, Center Press (US) (1989) ISBN 978-0934320016
↑ Michael Irwin, Kavita Vedhara (2005). Human Psychoneuroimmunology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-856884-1.
↑ Totton, N. (2003) Body Psychotherapy: An Introduction Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-21038-4 (pb); 0-335-21039-2.
↑ Staunton, T. (Ed.) (2002) Body Psychotherapy Brunner Routledge. ISBN 1-58391-115-4 PB0; 1-58391-116-2 (pb)
↑ Macnaughton, I. (2004) Body, Breath and Consciousness: A Somatics Anthology, ed. Macnaughton, North Atlantic Books. ISBN 1-55643-496-0 ISBN 978-1-55643-496-9
↑ Courtenay Young (2010) article The Science of Body Psychotherapy Today
↑ Sharf, R. S. (2011) Theories of Psychotherapy and Counselling p. 600
↑ Hill, Daniel (2015) Affect Regulation Theory. A Clinical Model W. W. Norton.& Co ISBN 978-0-393-70726-7
↑ Levenson, James L. (2006). Essentials of Psychosomatic Medicine. American Psychiatric Press Inc. ISBN 978-1-58562-246-7.
↑ Ziehl, Silke. "Jack Painter - Obituary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
↑ Erken, Rita and Schlage, Bernhard: Editors: Transformation of the Self with Bodymind Integration. Postural Integration – Energetic Integration – Psychotherapeutic Postural Integration; Articles by 14 international authors; Hubert W. Holzinger Verlag, Berlin (2012) ISBN 978-3-926396-67-9
↑ "Painter, Jack: Postural Integration, Transformation of the Whole Self (1985)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
↑ Painter, Jack: Technical Manual of Deep Wholistic Bodywork, Postural Integration; published by The International Centre for Release and Integration, Mill Valley, Calif. USA (1984) (2nd edit. 1990)

Benson MD, Herbert; ( 2000) (1975), The Relaxation Response, Harper ISBN 0-380-81595-8
Bracken, Patrick & Philip Thomas; (2002), "Time to move beyond the mind-body split", editorial, British Medical Journal 2002;325:1433–1434 (21 December)
Dychtwald, Ken; (1986), Bodymind Penguin Putman Inc. NY, ISBN 0-87477-375-X
Gallagher, Shaun; (2005) ‚ How the Body Shapes the Mind Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-920416-0
Hill, Daniel (2015) Affect Regulation Theory. A Clinical Model W. W. Norton.& Co ISBN 978-0-393-70726-7.
Keinänen, Matti; (2005), Psychosemiosis as a Key to Body-Mind Continuum: The Reinforcement of Symbolization-Reflectiveness in Psychotherapy. Nova Science Publishers. ISBN 1-59454-381-X.
Mayer, Emeran A. 2003. The Neurobiology Basis of Mind Body Medicine: Convergent Traditional and Scientific Approaches to Health, Disease, and Healing. Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20070403123225/http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/MindBody.html (accessed: Sunday January 14, 2007).
Money, John; (1988) Gay, Straight, and In-Between: The Sexology of Erotic Orientation. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-505407-5
Rothschild, Babette; ( 2000) The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment. W W Norton & Co Inc.
Scheper-Hughes, Nancy, and Margaret M. Lock; (1987) The Mindful Body: A Prolegomenon to Future Work in Medical Anthropology^{[link removed]} with Margaret Lock. Medical Anthropology Quarterly. (1): 6–41.
Seem, Mark & Kaplan, Joan; (1987) Bodymind Energetics, Towards a Dynamic Model of Health Healing Arts Press, Rochester VT, ISBN 0-89281-246-X
Clare, Eli. "Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure"
Schalk, Sami. "Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women's Speculative Fiction"
Patsavas, Alyson. "Recovering a Cripistemology of Pain: Leaky Bodies, Connective Tissue, and Feeling Discourse"
Price, Margaret. "The Bodymind Problem and the Possibilities of Pain"
Kafer, Alison. "Feminist, Queer, Crip"
Hall, Kim. "Gender" chapter from "Keywords for Disability Studies".
McRuer, Robert, and Johnson, Merri Lisa. "Proliferating Cripistemologies: A Virtual Roundtable".
Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. "Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature".
Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. "Becoming Disabled".

↑ Hall, Kim (2015). Keywords for Disability Studies. NYU Press. pp. 89–91. ISBN 9781479839520.
↑ McRuer, Robert; Johnson, Merri (2014). "Proliferating Cripistemologies: A Virtual Roundtable". Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies. 8 (2): 149–170. doi:10.3828/jlcds.2014.13. ISSN 1757-6458. S2CID 144682086.
↑ Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie (1996). Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231105170.
↑ Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie (2016-08-19). "Opinion | Becoming Disabled". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-25.

[1] Robinson, Howard (2017), "Dualism", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2020-04-10

[:0-2] 1 2 Berrios, German E. (2018-03-31). "Historical epistemology of the body-mind interaction in psychiatry". Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 20 (1): 5–13. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2018.20.1/gberrios. ISSN 1958-5969. PMC 6016044.

[3] Singer, Wolf (May 2025). "The Mind–Matter Dichotomy: A Persistent Challenge for Neuroscientific and Philosophical Theories". European Journal of Neuroscience. 61 (10). doi:10.1111/ejn.70143. ISSN 0953-816X. PMC 12086611. PMID 40384323.

[4] Pert, Candace (2012). Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel. Simon & Schuster UK. ISBN 978-0671033972.

[5] Damasio, Antonio (2000). The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0156010757.

[6] Keleman, Stanley: Your Body speaks its Mind, Center Press (US) (1989) ISBN 978-0934320016

[7] Michael Irwin, Kavita Vedhara (2005). Human Psychoneuroimmunology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-856884-1.

[8] Totton, N. (2003) Body Psychotherapy: An Introduction Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-21038-4 (pb); 0-335-21039-2.

[9] Staunton, T. (Ed.) (2002) Body Psychotherapy Brunner Routledge. ISBN 1-58391-115-4 PB0; 1-58391-116-2 (pb)

[10] Macnaughton, I. (2004) Body, Breath and Consciousness: A Somatics Anthology, ed. Macnaughton, North Atlantic Books. ISBN 1-55643-496-0 ISBN 978-1-55643-496-9

[11] Courtenay Young (2010) article The Science of Body Psychotherapy Today

[12] Sharf, R. S. (2011) Theories of Psychotherapy and Counselling p. 600

[13] Hill, Daniel (2015) Affect Regulation Theory. A Clinical Model W. W. Norton.& Co ISBN 978-0-393-70726-7

[14] Levenson, James L. (2006). Essentials of Psychosomatic Medicine. American Psychiatric Press Inc. ISBN 978-1-58562-246-7.

[15] Ziehl, Silke. "Jack Painter - Obituary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-08-15.

[16] Erken, Rita and Schlage, Bernhard: Editors: Transformation of the Self with Bodymind Integration. Postural Integration – Energetic Integration – Psychotherapeutic Postural Integration; Articles by 14 international authors; Hubert W. Holzinger Verlag, Berlin (2012) ISBN 978-3-926396-67-9

[17] "Painter, Jack: Postural Integration, Transformation of the Whole Self (1985)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-02.

[18] Painter, Jack: Technical Manual of Deep Wholistic Bodywork, Postural Integration; published by The International Centre for Release and Integration, Mill Valley, Calif. USA (1984) (2nd edit. 1990)

[19] Hall, Kim (2015). Keywords for Disability Studies. NYU Press. pp. 89–91. ISBN 9781479839520.

[20] McRuer, Robert; Johnson, Merri (2014). "Proliferating Cripistemologies: A Virtual Roundtable". Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies. 8 (2): 149–170. doi:10.3828/jlcds.2014.13. ISSN 1757-6458. S2CID 144682086.

[21] Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie (1996). Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231105170.

[22] Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie (2016-08-19). "Opinion | Becoming Disabled". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-25.

Bodymind

In philosophy

In neuroscience

Relevance to alternative medicine

See also

References

Further reading