This article examines the current state of American Buddhist healing based on ethnographic interviews with 36 practitioners across the US. My central argument is that the landscape of American Buddhist healing is far more diverse than is typically recognized, extending well beyond the medicalization of meditation practices such as mindfulness that receives the most attention in the media and from scholars. By identifying four distinct "positionalities" or overarching approaches taken by contemporary Buddhist healers, the article provides a framework for understanding this diversity and points to promising directions for further research.
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The Spectrum of Buddhist Healers in the U.S.
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This article examines the current state of American Buddhist healing based on ethnographic interviews with 36 practitioners across the US. My central argument is that the landscape of American Buddhist healing is far more diverse than is typically recognized, extending well beyond the medicalization of meditation practices such as mindfulness that receives the most attention in the media and from scholars. By identifying four distinct "positionalities" or overarching approaches taken by contemporary Buddhist healers, the article provides a framework for understanding this diversity and points to promising directions for further research.