The body and mind are not separate but continuously interact, with the body manifesting mental states and the mind shaping bodily experience. Mindfulness can alter perception of both inner and outer reality. The body also functions as a necessary delusion that anchors us in the physical world, yet openness to telepathy and communication beyond death suggests a possible transcendence of physicality. A psychoanalytic approach, similar to Buddhist meditation, reveals a constant flux of embodiment and disembodiment in each moment of being alive.
The author distinguishes the Soto Zen practice of shikantaza (just sitting, only sitting), as taught by Eihei Dōgen, from instrumental, facilitative, and quietist contemplative practices. Different contemplative practices reflect the underlying assumptions and goals of their traditions. How clinicians understand a practice influences its effect on the clinical encounter. Instrumental and quietist assumptions can consciously and unconsciously shape practitioners. The discussion reviews, from a psychoanalytic perspective, the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches, focusing on shikantaza in the psychoanalytic encounter.