Empirical research regarding the therapeutic value of creative artistic expression in dealing with symptoms from traumatic events is lacking. James Pennebaker has studied the efficacy of written expression regarding traumatic events in promoting mental well-being. Individuals who have difficulties with cognitive processing (e.g., learning disorders) often lack the faculties necessary to form a cohesive written narrative. There are also individuals who lack a strong enough command of written language to engage in a written disclosure task, such as children and those who are illiterate or undereducated. These populations are unlikely to benefit from written disclosure simply because they lack the capacity to write at such a sophisticated level. Disclosure of trauma by such individuals might be better accomplished symbolically through a creative artistic task rather than through written or verbal channels. Furthermore, because the task is symbolic in nature, it may be a safer and more comfortable means of disclosing trauma for individuals who are reluctant to divulge such information out of fear or shame surrounding the event. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the healing aspects of creativity; specifically the usefulness of creating a mandala. It was theorized that mandala drawing may provide the cognitive integration and organization to complex emotional experiences that yield a sense of personal meaning as well as serving as a mechanism of therapeutic exposure, as does the written disclosure task. By reviewing research in this field and attempting to duplicate previous research, this study used undergraduate college students as participants who met the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The benefits were measured in terms of changes in PTSD symptom severity, depression, anxiety, spiritual meaning, affect, and the frequency of occurrence of physical symptoms and illness. Contrary to expectation, the current study failed to replicate previous results revealing statistically significant outcome differences for the mandala group. In fact, the finding was reversed in that the control group (drawing three objects or a kind of art therapy) showed a significant drop in PTSD symptoms at one-month follow up. Explanations for these differences are explored and future avenues of research outlined.

Empirical research regarding the therapeutic value of creative artistic expression in dealing with symptoms from traumatic events is lacking. James Pennebaker has studied the efficacy of written expression regarding traumatic events in promoting mental well-being. Individuals who have difficulties with cognitive processing (e.g., learning disorders) often lack the faculties necessary to form a cohesive written narrative. There are also individuals who lack a strong enough command of written language to engage in a written disclosure task, such as children and those who are illiterate or undereducated. These populations are unlikely to benefit from written disclosure simply because they lack the capacity to write at such a sophisticated level. Disclosure of trauma by such individuals might be better accomplished symbolically through a creative artistic task rather than through written or verbal channels. Furthermore, because the task is symbolic in nature, it may be a safer and more comfortable means of disclosing trauma for individuals who are reluctant to divulge such information out of fear or shame surrounding the event. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the healing aspects of creativity; specifically the usefulness of creating a mandala. It was theorized that mandala drawing may provide the cognitive integration and organization to complex emotional experiences that yield a sense of personal meaning as well as serving as a mechanism of therapeutic exposure, as does the written disclosure task. By reviewing research in this field and attempting to duplicate previous research, this study used undergraduate college students as participants who met the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The benefits were measured in terms of changes in PTSD symptom severity, depression, anxiety, spiritual meaning, affect, and the frequency of occurrence of physical symptoms and illness. Contrary to expectation, the current study failed to replicate previous results revealing statistically significant outcome differences for the mandala group. In fact, the finding was reversed in that the control group (drawing three objects or a kind of art therapy) showed a significant drop in PTSD symptoms at one-month follow up. Explanations for these differences are explored and future avenues of research outlined.

LUCENA, Tiago Cartaxo de. Agroecologia no município de Mauriti-Ceará: experiências dos agricultores familiares na implantação do sistema mandala. 2016. 118f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Geografia)-Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2017. / Submitted by Erandi Araujo (erandiaraujo@gmail.com) on 2017-10-04T12:00:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_tclucena.pdf: 3988105 bytes, checksum: 6e3bfcaf5c1a873d091e1b1b396d6ac3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jairo Viana (jairo@ufc.br) on 2017-10-09T22:11:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_tclucena.pdf: 3988105 bytes, checksum: 6e3bfcaf5c1a873d091e1b1b396d6ac3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-09T22:11:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_tclucena.pdf: 3988105 bytes, checksum: 6e3bfcaf5c1a873d091e1b1b396d6ac3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / Amid the expansion of capitalism processes in the field, the high concentration of land and production activities related to agribusiness, came the curiosity to pursue the study of spatial area that focuses on the city of Mauriti-Ce, from a discussion focused on the experiences developed in this municipality, by farmers who work with agroecological agriculture in the mandala system seeking to understand their social, economic and cultural development. Who has the ability to use the potential of the local agro-ecological production, valuing the traditional habits of the region, enabling social inclusion of family farmers, providing higher quality in agro-ecological products consumed in food, as well as preserving the diversity, respect the local culture and also permit the implementation of new markets for family farmers. In this context, said work has as main objective to analyze agroecological experiences in the city of Mauriti / EC, especially the organic system of the Mandalas. From the analysis of the epistemological foundations of organic agriculture, identify the experiences of farmers on organic farming, understanding the management of mandalas, realize technical assistance processes, diagnose experiences practices of organic agriculture and agroecology in the city, to understand agroecological experiences that occurred in the municipality of Mauriti-Ce, between the period 2008 to July 2016. The methodology is based on the work of Demo in 2002, is of great importance the basis of theoretical frameworks related to agroecology, the mandalas and to organic production systems. Conceptions also subjective conceptions and practices carried out by social actors surveyed, enable the understanding of the local reality from the method of participatory research with farmers working in the system in the municipality of Mauriti-Ce, with the use of questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews and informal conversations. After tabulating the data collected in the questionnaires, there was the aggregation through the analysis of primary and secondary elements in the incorporation of the information provided by farmers. With the deployment of the system, it was possible to observe social and economic benefits, such as the supply of safe food, quality and value in Mauriti municipality in the state of Ceará. It was also identified that the period analyzed the system did not succeed to all producers or communities due to factors such as the lack of technical assistance, demotivation of some producers, lack of participation in associations, although much be relevance of public policies for society and the economy, while not yet efficient to meet homogeneously throughout the public focus. It was identified that the mandala system Mauriti-Ce is a sustainable model of production that provides positive benefits to the economy. Thus, in the municipalities, especially small as is the case of the municipality studied, agriculture is of great importance not only for the economy, society and sustainable local development, but also for culture. / Em meio aos processos de expansão do capitalismo no campo, à elevada concentração de terra e a atividades de produção ligadas ao agronegócio, surgiu a curiosidade de realizar o estudo com recorte espacial que tem como foco o município de Mauriti-CE, a partir de uma discussão voltada para as experiências desenvolvidas nesse município, por agricultores familiares que trabalham com a agricultura agroecológica no sistema mandala em busca de compreender seu desenvolvimento social, econômico e cultural. O qual que tem a capacidade de utilizar as potencialidades da produção agroecológica local, valorizando os hábitos tradicionais da região, possibilitando a inclusão social dos agricultores familiares, fornecendo maior qualidade nos produtos agroecológicos consumidos na alimentação, além de preservar a diversidade, respeitar a cultura regional e também possibilitar a concretização de novos mercados para a agricultura familiar. Nesse contexto, o referido trabalho tem como objetivo principal analisar as experiências agroecológicas no município de Mauriti/CE, com destaque para o sistema orgânico de produção das mandalas. A partir da analise das bases epistemológicas da agricultura orgânica, identificar as experiências dos agricultores sobre a agricultura orgânica, entender o manejo das mandalas, perceber os processos de assistência técnica, diagnosticar as experiências práticas de agricultura orgânica e de agroecologia no município, para compreender as experiências agroecológicas que ocorreram no município de Mauriti-Ce, entre o período de 2008 a julho de 2016. A metodologia adotada é baseada no trabalho desenvolvido por Demo em 2002, sendo de grande importância o embasamento de referenciais teóricos relacionados à agroecologia, às mandalas e aos sistemas orgânicos de produção. Concepções também concepções subjetivas e práticas realizadas pelos atores sociais pesquisados, possibilitam o entendimento da realidade local a partir do método da pesquisa participante com os agricultores que trabalham nesse sistema no município de Mauriti-CE, com o uso de questionários, além de entrevistas semiestruturadas e conversas informais. Após a tabulação dos dados coletados na aplicação dos questionários, houve a agregação através da análise dos elementos primários e secundários na incorporação das informações prestadas pelos agricultores. Com a implantação do sistema, foi possível observar benefícios sociais e econômicos, como por exemplo, a oferta de alimentos seguros, com qualidade e valor agregado no Município de Mauriti no Estado do Ceará. Também foi identificado que no período analisado o sistema não teve êxito para todos os produtores ou comunidades, devido a alguns fatores como, por exemplo, a ausência de assistência técnica, desmotivação de alguns produtores, ausência de participação em associações, apesar de grande ser a relevância das políticas públicas para a sociedade e a economia, mesmo não sendo ainda eficientes para atender de forma homogênea a todo o público em foco. Identificou-se que o sistema mandala em Mauriti-CE é um modelo sustentável de produção que possibilita benefícios positivos para a economia. Assim sendo, nos municípios, principalmente de pequeno porte como é o caso do município estudado, a agricultura é de grande importância não só para a economia, sociedade e desenvolvimento local sustentável, mas também para a cultura.

This dissertation examines the historical and artistic circumstances behind the emergence in late medieval Japan of a short-lived genre of painting referred to as sankei mandara (pilgrimage mandalas). The paintings are large-scale topographical depictions of sacred sites and served as promotional material for temples and shrines in need of financial support to encourage pilgrimage, offering travelers worldly and spiritual benefits while inspiring them to donate liberally. Itinerant monks and nuns used the mandara in recitation performances (etoki) to lead audiences on virtual pilgrimages, decoding the pictorial clues and touting the benefits of the site shown. Addressing themselves to the newly risen commoner class following the collapse of the aristocratic order, sankei mandara depict commoners in the role of patron and pilgrim, the first instance of them being portrayed this way, alongside warriors and aristocrats as they make their way to the sites, enjoying the local delights, and worship on the sacred grounds. Together with the novel subject material, a new artistic language was created—schematic, colorful and bold. We begin by locating sankei mandara’s artistic roots and influences and then proceed to investigate the individual mandara devoted to three sacred sites: Mt. Fuji, Kiyomizudera and Ise Shrine (a sacred mountain, temple and shrine, respectively). For each of the sites, we read the histories (political, religious, economic, social) and diaries (of pilgrims, monks and warlords), noting upheavals, power dynamics, and institutional relationships, and how these circumstances and relationships changed over the course of the 16th and early 17th centuries. We then apply this textual history to a formal analysis of each of the mandara devoted to the site, studying how the history of the site and the layout of the shrines and temples and the route to them are expressed in the pictorial language of the mandara, and we try to imagine how these paintings were employed and enlivened in etoki performances. Furthermore, by closely studying similarities and differences in choice and emphasis we show that the mandara, above their call for pilgrimage and donations, also encode the historical conditions at the time they were painted, capturing for example the tensions between religious groups and classes or the changing fortunes of a particular institution over time. This investigation thus aims to show how reading the artistic language of sankei mandara enlarges our understanding of a particular moment in Japan’s social and religious history, making these images valuable primary sources that enhance and supplement research in a wide range of fields.

No description available.

Research in positive psychology continues to contribute to the understanding of the significance of human virtues as well as the value that experiencing positive emotions has on individual well-being, including building strengths, broadening resources, and increasing mental health. The benefits that the creative arts have on increasing psychological health and creating positive emotions are also an important but understudied area of research. The purpose of the current study was to examine, in a manner similar to the written disclosure paradigm, how the creation of mandalas while reflecting on the positive emotions of love and joy related to increased psychological well-being, and continued positive affect in a college sample. It was also hypothesized that the mere act of expressing personally felt emotions, regardless of positive or negative, while creating mandalas would reveal a significant increase in psychological and physical health relative to the control condition. Benefits to participants were measured in terms of changes in the variables of post-traumatic stress severity symptoms, depressive symptoms, anxiety, spiritual meaning, the frequency of physical symptoms and illness, as well as positive and negative affect. A series of one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) comparing the experimental and control groups were conducted for all outcome measures at Time 2 and at 1-month follow-up. Results revealed no significant differences between the groups on any of the health measures. Next, a series of ANCOVA were also conducted comparing the experimental and control groups for general positive and negative affect and basic positive and negative emotion before and after each drawing session at Time 1, 2 and 3 as well as at the 1-month follow-up. Although sustained positive emotion was not supported between Time 3 and the 1-month follow-up, participants felt higher general positive affect and basic positive emotion after each drawing session focusing on love and joy. Implications of these results and further research will be discussed.

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This study of the universal persistence of the mandala motif covers the mandala concept, external mandalas, architectural mandalas, and current manifestations.

It is my discovery of the mandala that has had the most significant influence on me as an artist. The mandala, Sanskrit word for circle or center, is found in a majority of my pieces, either literally or symbolically. My interest in and subsequent use of the mandala began twenty years ago and continues to this day. The mandala is a primordial image found in the macrocosm of the universe, the microcosm of nature, and in the psyche of man. The circle has been used throughout the world in image and architecture as a sacred symbol since the beginning of time.

This dissertation explores Buddhist architecture in America from the nineteenth century through the present day. It examines significant examples of Buddhist architecture with respect to the spiritual beliefs of the practitioners who created them. Its goal is to understand these structures from the point of view of human experience. Given the large number of Buddhist structures that exist in the U.S., the narrative navigates the major contours of its development. It follows in isometric fashion the parallel history of Buddhism’s emergence in America that started with the California Gold Rush and its influence on the New England Transcendentalists. Proceeding chronologically through the twentieth and early twenty-first-centuries, the historical sweep of Buddhism’s architectural presence in America is articulated by exploring important structures in depth with respect to Buddhist belief, human emotion, socio-political contexts, and religious faith. A number of hermeneutic binaries are employed throughout the history presented here. Space and Place, East and West, Interior and Exterior, and Spirit and Matter are the major motifs implemented to explicate the buildings and environments under investigation. The overwhelming feeling pervading the discourse and design of Buddhist architecture and its co-extensive belief system is that of the heart. The human proclivity to attach personal meaning and deep emotion to a space or a place is at the express core of the Buddhist structures that house Buddhist practices. As a result, the study’s methodology is inspired by Yi-Fu Tuan’s humanistic geography, whose work explores the relationship between environment and human subjective experience. The study finds that ritual, lineage, and heritage work in tandem with heart, home, and the human body in the construction, understanding and experience of Buddhist architecture. It argues that traditional forms and practices derived from each community’s home culture infused a sense of shelter and protection onto these buildings. Buddhist belief and its associated architecture assuaged the new and sometimes hostile setting of the United States. As the first study of its kind, this dissertation opens the field of Buddhist architecture in America as a distinct branch of scholarly inquiry.