SVYASA Yoga University, Bangalore

Basic concepts of Indian Psychology

Instructor: Anand C. Paranjpe, Professor Emeritus, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Course outline

By “Indian Psychology” we mean psychological concepts, theories, methods and practices that developed in the Indian spiritual and intellectual traditions over the millennia.  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are widely thought to present the core of theory and practice of psychology in India.  In this course, we will focus on the psychological aspect of the Yoga Sutras and its principal commentators, and not on the physical aspects emphasized in Hatha Yoga.  The other system that will be emphasized is Advaita Vedanta, although students will be encouraged to bring in perspectives in any of the other Indian traditions, such as the six darsanas, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Sufism, the Veera Saiva tradition and so on.  The core topics will be: states and processes of consciousness in the Mandukya Upanisad and in Patanjala Yoga; self and identity: the denial of the self in Buddhism and its affirmation in Yoga and Vedanta; the fundamental concepts of karma and dharma; the concept of jiva, or person, as a knower (jnata), agent (karta), and enjoyer/sufferer (bhokta); emotions and their transformation in art and bhakti as explained in the rasa-sastra and the Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions; personality transformation in jnana yoga and karma yoga with illustrations in the life histories of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Lokamanya Tilak; clinical intervention within the framework of Indian Psychology; a short overview of recent studies of meditation; and some issues in research methodology.  Some parallels in Western psychology will also be discussed in light of few classical contributions such as the idea of self in William James.  There will be one session on various aspects of bhakti as expressed in devotional songs (recorded) by famous singers. 

Subject to confirmation, there will be guest lectures by two established scholars: Dr. Matthijs Cornelissen will talk about “cognition, focusing on how self-observation through a silent mind can help the development of psychological insight and higher forms of knowledge.”  He will give few short practical exercises to illustrate how this is possible.  Prof. Kiran Kumar Salagame will speak about clinical interventions that may be associated with yoga-based psychotherapy.