ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Volume 1172 Longevity, Regeneration, and Optimal Health Integrating Eastern and Western Perspectives Edited by Wa.uam C. Busnett, Erin L. Outvo, AND Nei. D. THEISE 4 by Blackovell Publishing on bekalf ofthe ) Boston, Massachusetts 2009 Tork Academy of SciencesThe Annals ofthe New Prk Aeedony of cence ISSN: 0077-0925 [print] ISSN; 1749-6632 [online] published 532 times a year on behalf of the New York Acaderay of Sciences by Wiley Subscription Services, In, a Wiley Company, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07080-577 MAILING: The Annas is mailed standard rate, POSTMASTER: Sena all address changes to ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Journal Customer Services, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 350 Main Steet, Malden, MA 02148-502 Disclaimer: The publisher, the New York Academy of Sciences and editors cannot be held responsible for ‘errors or any consequences arising from the use of information contained in tis publication; the views and ‘opinions expressed do not necesarly reflect those ofthe publisher, the New York Academy of Sciences and editors Copyright and Photocopying: © 2009 The New York Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. 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Claims and inquiries on member ipGnyas org or Tel: | 800 843 6927 (toll free orders shouldbe directed to the Academy at email member in the USA} or +1 212 298 8640, Printed in the USA, The Annals is available co subscribers online at Wiley IntexScience and the New York Academy of Sciences Web ste. Visit wwwinterscience wileycom to search the articles and register for table of contents e-mail ser, ISSN: 0077-8923 (pris ISBN-10: 1-57331-67 A catalogue record for this tite available from the British Library. 17496632 (onine 4; ISBN-15:97861-57331-677-4PTIMAL HEALTH The Cross-Cultural Evidence on “Extreme Behaviors” What Can It Tell Us? Jean E, Jackson Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Many kinds of body/mind practices are capable of producing remarkable behaviors and altered body states. A typology of such behaviors and states, defined as observ able and intentional “extreme” alterations to the body, is presented. Epistemology ccal and methodological issues are discussed: limitations of observational data, and role of meaning, intentionality, and consciousness. Rapprochement between Western ‘medicine and Indo-Tibetan medicine requires rethinking biomedicine’s radical ground. medicine, ness; pain behavior Introduction ‘The authors writing in this special issue ad- dress the possibility of a revolution occurring in Western medical science, in particular in the areas that study longevity, regeneration, and maintenance of optimal health. The Septem- ber 2006 conference's goal was tofind ways that Indo-Tibetan medicine and Western medicine could talk to each other, and promising areas of convergence were discovered. Most of the scientists participating in the conference pro- vided hypothesis-generating data from labo- ratory research suggesting that Indo-Tibetan medicine's meditative and exercise practices y enhance the innate potential within all hu- ‘mans to achieve longevity and optimal health As a medical anthropologist specializing in chronic pain, my evidence is indirect, and takes the form of cross-cultural data on what I'm Adie be epi anE.Jucan Macht nt Key words: mind/body disciplines; cross-cultural body. Loogevity, Regeneration, and Optimel Health: Ann. NL. Acad, Sc soi: 10.11117, 1749-6682 2009.04536 x © 2009 New York Academy of Scences 270 ing in physicality and reliance on “evidence-based medicine,” and guarding against an ‘ethnocentric Western intellectual hegemony motivating medical science and cl practice to colonize and subvert non-Western traditions like Indo- ical yetan Buddhist wring practices; conscious calling “extreme behaviors,” defined as obsery- able and intentional “extreme” alterations to the bods. Many kinds of body/mind disciplines are ca- pable of producing remarkable “extreme be- haviors": examples include religious rituals re quiring mortification of the body that cause less injury than would be expected, martial arts, and even athletic training that leads to new world records. The cross-cultural record reveals abundant evidence of widespread prac- tices that challenge what we consider to be the limits to “normal” human anatomy, physiol- gy; and behavioral potential. What follows is a typology of “extreme behaviors” accompa- nied by examples chosen for theit ability to illustrate certain epistemological and method- ological issues that complicate interpretation of this kind of data. Delving into these issues helps us understand some of the barriers sepa- rating biomedicine (here used interchangeably with “Western medicine”) and vastly differ cent medical traditions like Indo-Tibetan Bud dhist medicine. Meaning and intentionality 1172: 270-277 (2009),