Taoist Perspective

• In Event: Developing a Spiritual Research Paradigm: A Groundbreaking Effort Incorporating Spirituality in Research in Social Sciences and Science

Abstract

Tom Culham will discuss the embodied approach that Daoists provide to spiritual experience. This approach differs significantly from the Protestant Christian tradition in which Culham grew up. For instance, the latter tradition emphasizes the “word” as given by God, and in reading the bible one knows God. In contrast, the Daoist tradition emphasizes the ineffable and the subtle, and insists that, through experiencing virtue through the body, one comes to know the universe (Dao) and our connection to it that is always present in the body (Kirkland, 2004, Lai 2004, Major et al, 2010, Roth, 1991, 1996, 1999). To illuminate a spiritual research paradigm informed by a Daoist perspective, Culham will consider the importance of turning inwards and paying attention to the body and personal experience as a means of gaining spiritual insight. To provide a perspective on this view Culham will consider recent neuroscience research on the unconscious and the brain (Mlodinow, 2012, and Nelson 2012).

Author

• Dr. Tom E. Culham, The University of British Columbia