Using the body to think: an analysis of the cognitive mechanisms underlying Thinking at the Edge and Tibetan monastic debate

Abstract

This volume centers around the philosophical method of Thinking at the Edge. What the cognitive mechanisms are underlying Thinking at the Edge is less clear. To explore these, this chapter will place Thinking at the Edge alongside two other methods that use the body to think: Tibetan monastic debate and Movement Research. It will first describe these methods each individually, and then describe their similarities and differences in terms of associated cognitive and affective mechanisms including memory, attention and reasoning. It will argue that creating unique spatio-temporal contexts with the body is a critical mechanism in these practices.