Some Basic Psychological Concepts from the Intellectual Tradition of India

Abstract

The intellectual tradition of India includes many psychological concepts, theories and techniques that parallel, contrast, contradict or complement Western ideas and theories. Using notions derived from the Upanishads and modern psychology, the paper discusses the nature and states of consciousness, Western metaphors and the Yogic techniques for the systematic control of mental processes to achieve altered states of consciousness. The nature of the self in Eastern and Western thought is presented. In Western conceptualisations, the self is viewed as an ever-changing object and the goal is self-actualisation. In Eastern thought, the self is viewed as an experiencing subject, and the corresponding goal is self-realisation. The nature of human suffering has been variously conceptualised as original sin, as arising from the repression of pleasure seeking tendencies, while the Sankhya system focuses on mental causes that arise from mistaken notions of the self. Maslow's views on self-actualisation are contrasted with the Vedantic emphasis on self-realisation. While Maslow focuses on the process of Becoming, the theme of Being is predomi nant in the Vedanta. Karma and the cycle of action and its consequences are discussed and the correspondence between Patanjali's views and current theories of behaviour genetics are presented. The feasibility of examining traditional theories using research methodology and the possible integration of Indian and Western psychologies is discussed.