This book represents an outstanding contribution to the field of somatic psychology. A broad review of the Darwinian-Jamesian heritage on emotion studies is a unique contribution to the tradition of the somatogenic strands of emotions, and provides a contrasting focus to the ideogenic emotions in Sigmund Freud.

This book provides an interdisciplinary discussion of conflict studies, drawing on perspectives from psychology and Buddhist studies.

Uniting both Buddhist and Western philosophy, the author draws upon the theory of `incongruity humour', espoused by figures such as Kierkegaard, Kant and Hegel and absorbed into the interpretation of humour by the Buddhist monk and former Western philosopher, Nanavira Thero.