FOUNDATIONS OF YOGA PSYCHOLOGY

271 Pages·2017·3.71 MB·English

by  RAO

K. Ramakrishna Rao
Foundations
of Yoga
Psychology
Foundations of Yoga Psychology
K. Ramakrishna Rao
Foundations of Yoga
Psychology
123
K.RamakrishnaRao
GITAM University
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
India
ISBN978-981-10-5408-2 ISBN978-981-10-5409-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-5409-9
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017943835
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To
An All Weather Friend of Thirty Years Standing
Dr. Kodela Siva Prasada Rao
Speaker, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
Foreword
ProfessorKoneruRamakrishnaRao,notedphilosopher,psychologist,educationist,
andadministrator,inhiscareerspreadoverfivedecadeshascontributedimmensely
to Gandhian thought, philosophy of mind and cross-cultural studies. Professor
Ramakrishna Rao published over two hundred research papers and twenty books.
Prof. Rao has travelled widely in USA and Europe, holding academic and
administrative positions at various Universities.
Prof. Rao, as Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Advisor on Higher
Education to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Chairman of the A.P. State
Council of Higher Education, and Vice-Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State
Planning Board is instrumental in reforming higher education and also school
education in Andhra Pradesh.
Prof. Rao, who hails from traditional orthodox family, has vast in-depth
knowledge of traditional ancient Indian philosophy, culture, and values and has
contributed extensively in conveying the important hidden values for the welfare
of the society. Prof. Rao, with profound knowledge of ancient traditional Indian
treasure in various disciplines including philosophy, science, technology, has
contributed for spreading the importance of Yoga in developing good mind and
body,tobeagoodresponsiblepersonforthewelfareofthesociety.Whileworking
in this direction, it is happy to note that, he has authored this valuable book
Foundations of Yoga Psychology. He with his in-depth knowledge meticulously
explains and explores the ancient traditional Yoga system, in detail under nine
chapters.Intheseninechapters,hehasexplainedtheintricaciesofYogafromvery
fundamental to the advance stages, including yoga siddhi and meditation and its
impact on mind. In the last chapter, he has highlighted the importance of case
studies in Indian psychology for bringing about harmony and universal brother-
hood.ThenarrationandcontentsincorporatedinthebookwithrespecttoMahatma
Gandhi’s life and practices and his Yoga of Nonviolence will draw every indi-
vidual,whoiskeentounderstandtheessenceofYogaanditsrelationwithrespect
to the individual mind and social action. I take this opportunity to convey my best
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viii Foreword
wishestotheauthorProf.KoneruRamakrishnaRaoforhiseffortsandtrustthatall
the book lovers will enjoy till the last bite the information so well narrated. I wish
Prof. Rao, all the best in his endeavor.
Dr. H. R. Nagendra
Chancellor-SVYASA & President-VYASA
Preface
Yoga has been a subject of interest from my student days at Andhra University.
This book represents the culmination of that interest. First, the interest was at a
theoretical level recognizing the fundamental role of consciousness in the func-
tioningofhumans.OnceIwasinapositiontopursuemyownresearchinterests,it
tookverysoonanempiricalturn.Oneoftheearlyattemptswasasurveyofpeople
reputedtobeyogins who areabletoprovide evidence oftheclaims made on their
behalf.Thistookmenowhere.Somesimplyclaimednooutstandingabilities.Afew
have given some bizarre accounts of their experience. For example, one of them
claimed that he teleported himself to the moon and began narrating what he saw,
which was no more than some published accounts of moonscape.
Thenextstepwastoinvestigatethepsychophysiologicalstatesofyoginsintheir
deep meditative states. We investigated one such yogin at Andhra University. He
was closeted in an airtight wooden compartment with a glass front, and we mon-
itoredthepsychophysiologicalchangesinhimastheoxygenintheboxhadbecome
increasingly diminished. The yogin was able to sit in the box much longer than
what one would expect, indicating that he was consuming less oxygen than what
one normally requires. Elmer Green from the Menninger Foundation, Topeka,
USA, with all the instrumentation available to him monitored the physiological
changes taking place.
We moved on to test for parapsychological abilities of people practising medi-
tation.Mr.H.DukhanfromTrinidadjoinedourteamatAndhraUniversity.Hewas
able to have the cooperation of an Ashram in Pondicherry (not the Sri Aurobindo
Ashram) and tested meditators before and after meditation. He found significant
differences in pre-and post-meditation ESP scores.
It wasthetime when biofeedback wasmakingitswaves.JoeKamiyaoperating
from the West coast of USA had earned for himself the reputation of being the
fastest guru with his popular biofeedback techniques. This led me to travel to
Berkeley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and visit Kamiya and Barbara Brown.
While these visits were very helpful, I was not able to find the answers I was
seeking.
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Then, under the influence of J.B. Rhine, I got myself involved in experimental
investigation of ESP. This has consumed a major part of my mature professional
career.Myinterestinyogarecededintothebackgroundtoberesurrectedonlyafter
my return to India after nearly quarterof a century of continuous stay in the USA.
The focus of my study of yoga is now centered around yoga in its relation to
consciousnessstudiesandpsychicabilities.Theresultiswhatsomehavedescribed
as my magnum opus Cognitive Anomalies, Consciousness and Yoga published in
2011. Much of the material for the present book is drawn from it.
The focus in this book is on yoga psychology as central to Indian psychology.
Rooted inclassicalIndianthought,Indianpsychology isconsideredasprovidinga
new paradigm for studying and understanding human nature. In the process we
glean what seem to be the basic postulates of Indian psychology and go on to
developtheTridentModelofthepersonasauniquecompositeofbody,mind,and
consciousness.
Further, we provide in this book a psychological rendering of Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras intended for students of psychology in the East as well as in the West. We
follow it up with drawing their implications for study of and research into various
facets of yoga. It is our hope that this volume would provide an instructive intro-
duction to yoga psychology.
In writing this book, I learned much from several of my colleagues engaged in
promotingIndianpsychology.TheforemostamongthemisDr.AnandParanjpeof
SimonFraser UniversityinCanada.Iacknowledgemyindebtednesstohimandto
several others I have not named. Ms. Shinjini Chatterjee of Springer isa source of
constant encouragement and support. Indeed, I am fortunate to associate myself
with a person like her who is always willing and ready to help.
Backathome,IacknowledgethehelpofMrs.Ramalakshmi,Librarian,GITAM
School ofGandhian Studies, andMrs. Prasanna,my secretary who is always there
to help beyond the call of duty.
YogaisnolongerlimitedtoIndia.Ithasinternationalcurrencyandappeal.The
United Nations declared 21st June as International Yoga Day. But, then, yoga is
more than practising certain physical postures. It has a wholesome psychology
behind. If the publication of this book could serve to stimulate interest in scien-
tifically studying yoga as a foundational source of a new paradigm by psycholo-
gists, where ever they may be situated, it would have served its purpose.
Visakhapatnam, India K. Ramakrishna Rao
Contents
1 Yoga as Samādhi.... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
Introduction. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
Yoga-Sūtras of Patañjali ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 2
Background... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 2
On Samādhi .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 7
Theory of Mind.... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 11
Control of the Mind .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 14
Concept of God.... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 20
Hindrances to Control... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 22
Different Kinds of Samādhis..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 27
The Goal of Yoga.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 30
Summary... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 31
References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 33
2 Yoga as Sādhanā (Practice) .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 35
Kriyā-Yoga. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 36
Kleśas: Sources of Suffering... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 37
Karmāśaya: The Receptacle of Karma ... .... .... .... ..... .... 41
The Existential Anguish ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 43
The Seer and the Seen .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 45
Person as Embodied Consciousness ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 48
Summary... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 61
References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 63
3 Yogic Siddhis... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 65
Five States of the Mind.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 68
Psychic Powers.... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 74
References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 82
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