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Yoga Dissertations by MSc Students

Part 1: Concept of Atman in Indian Philosophical System.
Part 2:: Add on Yogic Relaxation after CABG – a Follow up Study
By
Karam Rebika Devi

ABSTRACT

Part 1: Concept of Atman in Indian Philosophical System.

Philosophy is the theory of Reality. It is an insight into the nature of Reality, which leads to liberation. But liberation can only be attained when one realizes his own ‘SELF’ or ‘ĀTMAN’. The five sheaths of personality comprise matter. Matter, by itself, is inert and insentient. If man is composed of these material sheaths alone, he would have been insentient. But man is a sentient being conscious of all that is happening around and about him. This postulates the existence of something other than his material components, which gives them sentiency and consciousness. This Sentient and Conscious Principle in man is called the ‘Ātman’.

Ātman, soul or reality behind one’s existence is the sole object of perennial search from time immemorial. The rishis endeavored to reach this reality from all angles. All the scriptures testify such an endeavor. Understanding this principle of ātman from various angles has inspired various schools of thought with perception about life and its purpose. This study aims at understanding the nature of ātman from various schools of thought.

The concept of ātman has always been a subject matter in the Upanishads. By the term ātman what is usually understood in the Upanishads is the individual self of man, stripped of all that is in him which is non-self, which is temporary, which is perishable, which came from without, and which is the subject to the limitations of time and place. Later on the Upanishads, Brahman is used to denote the Ultimate essence of the Universe while the ātman is reserved to denote the innermost essence in man, and the Upanishads are emphatic in their declaration that the two are the one and the same.   
 
The systems of Indian Philosophy are systematic speculations on the nature of the Reality in harmony with the teachings of the Upanishads, which contains various aspects of the truth. They aim at the knowledge of the Reality view to transforming and spiritualizing human life. Philosophical knowledge does not aim at the merely satisfying our theoretical and speculative interest, but also at realization of the highest truth in life.

The core of this study is to study and understand the nature of ātman, to compare the nature of ātman as given by different system of Indian Philosophy and to understand the consequence of perceiving ātman in a particular type.

With the advancement in quantum physics the focus has shifted towards consciousness and its various dimensions. The crisis in the modern society has led to introspect about the propriety of understanding of reality. In this background, there is the necessity of the hour to understand the true nature of ātman. And the proper perception of the nature of ātman would facilitate a proper perception of life and living.  

CONCLUDING REMARKS

            It is true that all the systems of Indian philosophy, excepting the Cärväka, have the unity of a moral and spiritual outlook. Still, they seem to differ widely from one another in their basic concepts and fundamental doctrines. These relate to the nature of reality-God, Self and the world-and the highest good of man’s life. The Cärväka or the materialistic views on these points are pronouncedly different from and opposed to those of the other schools.

            In the Cärväka system the material world is the only reality, the self is the body with the quality of consciousness, there is no God, no heaven and no hell, no future life and immortality, and enjoyment of the pleasures of life is the highest good for man.

            In the Bauddha philosophy, reality is a consciousness flow of momentary phases of existence, everything is impermanent, the self is an unbroken stream of successive states, governed by the law of karma and rebirth without the guidance of God, and nirvana as the extinction of passions and misery and the attainment of peace and bliss is the highest good.

             For the Jainas, reality is many faced, change and permanence are both real; truth is manifold; there are many souls; the soul is an essentially conscious substance, and is different from the body and mind, it has the potentiality of perfect knowledge, power and joy; but in its worldly life the soul is in bondage to the body due to its karma.

            In the Nyäya-Vaiçeñika philosophy reality is a system of many selves and other entities. The self is a pure substance, which is infinite and eternal, and consciousness is an accidental quality of it; God is the supreme self and the omnipotent and omniscient creator, sustainer and destroyer of the world, and also its moral governor; the self is different from the body and mind. Bondage of the self is due to ignorance about the reality; liberation is attained through knowledge of reality.

            In the Säëkhya -Yoga reality is a dualism of two different, ultimate principles—spirit and matter (Puruña and Prakåti).Spirit or self is pure consciousness devoid of all change and activity; Prakåti is unconscious, ever-changing and always active. Both Puruña and Prakåti are eternal and infinite, but while there are many Puruña or selves, there is only one Prakåti i constituted by three substantive powers called sattvä, rajas and tamas. Puruña and Prakåti are entirely two different principles; it is sheer ignorance to think that the self is the body, senses, mind intellect or ego. Bondage of the self is due to ignorance; liberation from bondage comes through realization of the utter distinction of the self from all material objects including the mind, intellect and ego.

            The Mimāmsa believes in the reality of the world with all its diverse objects. It also believes in many souls, heaven, hell and deities to who sacrificed is to performed, according to the injunction of the Vedas whose authority it values more than that of ordinary empirical knowledge. Souls are eternal and infinite spiritual substances. Consciousness is not the essence of the soul, but an essential quality which arises when some conditions are present. But the soul has always the potentiality of consciousness in it. The disinterested performance of Vedic rites and knowledge of the self help man to exhaust the effects of his past karmas and become free from bondage to the world.

            While the three main schools of the Vedanta hold the idea that Brahman is the ultimate, independent cause of the world. For Śaëkara, Brahman is a distinctionless, qualityless, indeterminate reality (nérguëa and  nirviçeça).He also holds that the world is an illusory creation of Brahman through His magical power of māya, and that the individual soul is absolutely identical with Brahman. But for Rämänuja and Mādhva, Brahman is determinate and qualified (saguëa-nirviçeça), a Personal Being possessed of an infinite number of infinitely good qualities. For both of them, the world is a real creation of Brahman and Maya is real. But while Rämänuja holds that matter and souls form the body of God, Madhava thinks that they are different from God, though dependent on Him. For Rämänuja, Brahman is both the efficient and material cause of the world, but for Madhava He is only the efficient cause of it .Again, Rämänuja thinks that the individual soul is different from as well as identical with Brahman. But Madhava holds that the two are absolutely different and they always remain different; even in the state of liberation the souls remain different from Brahman, although it resembles him in certain respects.

            Even Sri Ramakrishna brings out the idea that Brahman, atman and Bhagavän are the different names of the same Reality. Brahman is for the jïäni or the man of philosophic insight, the Atman for the yogin or the man absorbed in meditation, and Bhagavän or personal God for the bhakta or devotee, the humble man of devotion.

            Thus it can be said that though there are different views regarding the existence of Atman or soul, one cannot deny that there exist something which is beyond the reach of ordinary human-beings and it cannot be realized if ignorance is not permanently removed.

Part 2: Add on Yogic Relaxation after CABG – a Follow up Study

BACKGROUND
Psycho kinesis (PK) power to influence a random event generator called REG from a distance is investigated in this study. Earlier studies had pointed towards a distinct possibility of PK power by an emotional culturing session and Gayatri Mantra chanting sessions. Complementary therapies have been used with beneficial effects in the post operative period after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG).The present study is an attempt to identify the effect of Yogic Relaxation Technique (YRT) on Random Event Generator (REG) on CABG patients.

DESIGN
60 male patients with Coronary Artery Disease in the age range of 35-65 years who were posted for CABG surgery were randomly allocated into two groups i.e. yoga group(n=30) and control group(n=30) after obtaining their signed informed consent. Each session consisted of 10 trials of ‘pre’ followed by 10 trials of ‘during’ and 10 trials of ‘post’.

METHODS
The REG variables were recorded by using REG unit-Mindsong, Inc. Research Micro REG s/n 0128, US Patent5, 830, 064, which is supplied by a Company, Mindsong, Inc. This device is connected to a laptop which was placed at a few convenient distances away from the subject. The device measures the extent to which our state of consciousness can influence the REG. Psychological variables such as stress was assessed by perceived stress scale, anxiety and depression was assessed by hospital anxiety and depression scale, emotions were assessed by positive affect and negative affect questionnaire and quality of life was assessed by WHOQOL BREF questionnaire after they were hospitalized for CABG on the pre operative day.
Yoga group practiced yogic relaxation technique like Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) which provides deeper relaxation at the mental level through its resonance effect and Deep Relaxation Technique (DRT) which provides deeper relaxation at the physical level by relaxing each and every part of the body one by one. MSRT and DRT were practiced through a pre recorded audio cassette four times a day for six days starting from fifth post-operative day in post-operative ward. The control group continued to have normal care.

RESULT
Analysis using SPSS version 10 showed no significant difference between pre values of both the sessions showing baseline matching. The baseline data of all variables were normally distributed (p>0.05 Shapiro Wilks Test). There was a significant difference in the REG values of the YRT compared to RT sessions in the during phase and post phase of 1st day (p<.001, independent sample t-test).Also there was a significant difference in the REG values of the YRT compared to RT sessions in the pre and during phase of 8th day (P=.000 independent sample t-test).

There was a significant reduction in stress, anxiety and depression level after the practice of yogic relaxation techniques like MSRT and DRT for six weeks. Positive affect is improved by 66.47%, and negative affect is reduced by 45.01% at the end of sixth week after the practice of yogic relaxation technique.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Thus it can be concluded that (YRT) Yogic Relaxation Technique such as MSRT and DRT appears to be effective in CABG patients in developing a capacity to influence REG indicative of a possible increased psychokinetic power reducing stress and anxiety levels postoperatively. The null hypothesis that YRT cannot generate a subtle mind featured by calmness, balance and rhythm endowed with greater power of psycho kinesis than a normal randomly thinking mind is disapproved.

KEY WORDS: Random Event Generator (REG), Yogic Relaxation Techniques (YRT).