Teaching Indian Psychology

This page is meant for people who want to teach or study Indian Psychology in an academic setting.

1. Existing courses on Indian Psychology
2. Recommended Resources
3. How to do research in Indian Psychology
4. How to teach Indian Psychology

1. Existing courses on Indian Psychology

1. The Psychology Department of Delhi University offers three courses with an extensive Indian Psychology component at MA level.
2. The Psychology Department of Mysore University offers at MA level a "hard core" Indian Psychology paper in the third semester.
3. Mysore University also offers an elective Indian Psychology paper for students in other disciplines.
4. The Psychology Department of Allahabad University offers an Indian Psychology course at MA level.
5. The Bharathiar University at Coimbatore offers as part of the MSc. Applied Psychology an elective in Integral Psychology.
6. The M.S University of Baroda offers a short course on "Indian Psychology" as part of a core paper in the 3rd year Graduate level.
7. The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, offers a core paper "Indian Psychology" for 2nd year MSc Clinical Psychology.
8. Bangalore University offers in the 4th semester of the MSc Psychology course a core paper "Indian and Transpersonal Psychology".
9. The Psychology Dept of Christ University at Bangalore offers at MSc level a semester course "Asian Healing Practises and Psychotherapy".
10. IPI offers introductory courses in Indian Psychology for academics and professionals working in the field of Psychology since 2007.
    • Summer School Indian Psychology, May 28 - July 7, 2012: A comprehensive introduction.
    • This is the anouncement for IPI's Indian Psychology Courses in 2011.
    • This is the syllabus of IPI's Indian Psychology course.
    • This is an article describing IPI's Indian Psychology course by one of the participants, Sanjay Kumar.
    • And this is a completely different description of the same course by another participant, Meenakshi Krishnan.
11. IPI also offers an undergraduate course on "Integral Psychology" at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education since 2001.

2. Recommended Reading

A. Readers

During the last ten years, several books have come out containing collections of essays on Indian Psychology.
Each one of these books has at least some chapters that could be considered essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the subject.

1. Cornelissen, R. M. M., Misra, G., Varma, S. (2011). Foundations of Indian Psychology (Vol. 1): Concepts and Theories. New Delhi: Pearson.
2. Cornelissen, R. M. M., Misra, G., Varma, S. (2011). Foundations of Indian Psychology (Vol. 2): Practical applications. New Delhi: Pearson.
3. Rao, K. R., Paranjpe, A. C., Dalal, A. K. (2008). Handbook of Indian Psychology. New Delhi: Foundation Books.
4. Rao, K. R. & Marwaha, S. B. (2005). Towards a spiritual psychology: Essays in Indian Psychology. New Delhi: Samvad India Foundation.
5. Joshi, K. & Cornelissen, M. (2004). Consciousness, Indian Psychology and Yoga. New Delhi: Centre for Studies in Civilizations.
6. Cornelissen, M. (2001). Consciousness and its Transformation. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo International Centre for Education.

This book is out of print, but the entire text is available on the IPI website. Pl. click on the title.

7. Misra, G. & Mohanty, A. K. (2001). Perspectives on Indigenous Psychology. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Co.

B. Monographs and other books for reference

The following list has been compiled from suggestions made by participants to the Collaborative Workshop Teaching Indian Psychology, organised by IPI in March 2011. Suggestions for improvement are welcome.

1. Salagame, K. K. K. (2011). 'Indian Indigenous Concepts and Perspectives: Developments and Future Possibilities'. In G. Misra (Ed.) Psychology in India, Vol. 4. : Theoretical and Methodological Developments (ICSSR Survey of Advances in Resear ch) (p. 93-172). New Delhi: Pearson.
2. Dalal, A. S. (2007). Sri Aurobindo and the Future Psychology (Supplement to A Greater Psychology). Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
3. Salmon, D & Maslow, J. (2007). Yoga Psychology and the Transformation of Consciousness: Seeing through the eyes of infinity. St. Paul, MN., USA: Paragon House.
4. Kiran Kumar, S. K. (2002). Psychology of Meditation: A contextual approach. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Co.
5. Mehta, M. L. (2002). Jaina Psychology: Introduction. Varanasi: Parshvanath Vidyapeeth.
6. Veereshwar, P. (2002). Indian Systems of Psychotherapy. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications.
7. Dalal, A. S. (2001). A Greater Psychology: An introduction to the psychological thought of Sri Aurobindo. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Dept.
8. Srivastava, S. P. (2001). Systematic Survey of Indian Psychology. Bahadurgarah: Adhyatma Vijanana Prakashan.
9. Grof, S. (2000). Psychology of the Future. New York: SUNY Press.
10. Coster, G. (1998). Yoga and Western Psychology. Delhi: Motilal Banarsi Dass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
11. Paranjape, A. C (1998). Self and Identity in Modern Psychology and Indian thought. New York: Plenum Press.
12. Sen, I. (1998). Integral Psychology: The Psychological System of Sri Aurobindo. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo International Centre for Education.
13. Vrinte, J. (1996). The Quest for the Inner Man: Transpersonal Psychotherapy and Integral Sadhana. Pondicherry, India: Sri Mira Trust.
14. Kalupahana, D. J. (1992). The Principles of Buddhist Psychology. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications.
15. Paranjape, A. C (1984). Theoretical Psychology. New York: Plenum Press.
16. Swami Ram, Swami Ajaya, & Ballentine, R. (1976). Yoga and Psychotherapy: The Evolution of Consciousness. Pennsylvania: The Himalayan Institute Press.
17. Safaya, R. (1975). Indian Psychology: A critical and historical analysis of the psychological speculations in Indian philosophical literature. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
18. Taimni, I. K. (1973). Glimpses into the Psychology of Yoga. Adyar, Madras: The Theosophical Publishing House.
19. Rao, S. K. R. (1962). Development of Psychological Thought in India. Mysore: Kavyalaya Publishers.
20. Kalghatgi, T. G. (1961). Some Problems in Jaina Psychology. Dharwad: Karnatak University.
21. Seal, B. (1958). The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus. Delhi: Motilal Banarsi Dass.
22. Rhys Davids, C. A. F (1914). Buddhist Psychology. London: G. Bell and Sons Ltd.

C. Articles

The website of the Indian Psychology Institute contains numerous Indian Psychology related articles:

• They are available sorted on subject.
• They are also available sorted on the names of the authors.

The website of the Sri Aurobindo Centre of Consciousness Studies contains texts by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother that are directly related to Indian Psychology:

• It has two "student friendly" compilations of texts by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
• It also has a detailed, thematic index to over a thousand psychology related passages by the Mother.

3. How to do research in Indian Psychology

There is as yet no simple, comprehensive guideline on how to do research in Indian Psychology. There are, however a number of articles that deal with the basic principles, and that can help to find one's way.

1. For a clear exposition of how the existing and well-established methods of mainstream psychology can be applied to Indian Psychology one may consult: Sedlmeier, Peter (2007), 'Indian Psychology and the Scientific Method'.

This article has been included with only a few minor changes in Matthijs Cornelissen, Girishwar Mishra and Suneet Varma (eds.) (2011), Foundations of Indian Psychology (Vol. 1), New-Delhi: Pearson.

2. For an excellent survey of the methods used in Transpersonal Psychology, one may consult:
   Braud, William (2007), 'Integrating yoga epistemology and ontology into an expanded integral approach to research'.

A slightly revised version of this article has been included in Matthijs Cornelissen, Girishwar Mishra and Suneet Varma (eds.) (2011), Foundations of Indian Psychology (Vol. 1), New-Delhi: Pearson.

3. For an introduction to first-person, yoga-based research in Indian psychology, one could have a look at the following three articles:
   • Cornelissen, R. M. Matthijs (2006), 'What is knowledge? A reflection based on the work of Sri Aurobindo'.

   - This article looks from an experiential angle at the different types of knowledge that are involved in yoga-based research.
   - A slightly shorter version has been included in Matthijs Cornelissen, Girishwar Mishra and Suneet Varma (eds.) (2011), Foundations of Indian Psychology (Vol. 1), New-Delhi: Pearson.

   • Cornelissen, R. M. Matthijs (2007), 'In Defence of Rigorous Subjectivity', in Transpersonal Psychology Review (BPS), Vol. 14 (1), 2007.

   This gives the basic argument why rigorous, yoga-based, research of first person experience is necessary to take Psychology further.

   • Cornelissen, R. M . Matthijs (2011), Research about yoga and research in yoga.

   This article tries to explain how first-person, yoga-based research can be made rigorous and reliable.

If you have time for only one article, read the second one, by William Braud.

If you have even less time, have a look at a blog by Matthijs Cornelissen on the same subject.

4. How to teach Indian Psychology

1. In March 2011, IPI organised a workshop on Teaching Indian Psychology.

This is the anouncement for this workshop.
Jyoti Anand has written a short report on the workshop as a blog on the IP-blogs page.

2. Huppes, Neeltje (2011), Teaching Indian Psychology — Challenges and Prospects.

A practical, experience-oriented paper, presented on the occasion of the opening of the Indian Psychology Centre at Jain University, Bangaluru.

3. Huppes, Neeltje (2004) -- Psychic Education: A workbook based on the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother**

This book was initially meant as a practical guide for teachers and trainees at Mirambika, the Free Progress unit of the Sri Aurobindo Education Society at New Delhi. Though not directly concerned with teaching Indian Psychology, it contains many practical exercises that those who teach Indian Psychology can use in their classes. Over time it has proven invaluable for many who are serious about the spiritual growth of their students and themselves.
The PDF file of the book can be downloaded free from the IPI website. The printed edition is available from the SABDA website for Rs.100 plus shipping.