Mind in eastern philosophy
The study of the mind in Eastern philosophy has parallels to the Western study of the Philosophy of mind as a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind. Dualism and monism are the two central schools of thought on the mind–body problem in the Western tradition, although nuanced views have arisen that do not fit one or the other category neatly. Dualism is found in both Eastern and Western traditions (in the Sankhya and Yoga schools of Hindu philosophy as well as Plato) but its entry into Western philosophy was thanks to René Descartes in the 17th century. This article on mind in eastern philosophy deals with this subject from the standpoint of eastern philosophy which is historically strongly separated from the Western tradition and its approach to the Western philosophy of mind.
Trialism
Cottingham introduced trialism after citing that Descartes' account of sensation and imagination has opened his official dualism under considerable pressure. He cited that an evaluation of the Cartesian writings on human psychology there is a grouping of not two but three notions - mind, body, sensation, hence the term trialism. According to cottingham, Descartes added the third category or notion " alongside thought and extension without proceeding to reify it as a separate substance." Thinkers such as Daniel Garber and Tad Schmaltz supported this by citing a letter in the correspondence between Descartes and Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia, which indicated that that he changed his mind from a dualistic view.