What is Indian Psychology?

Indian psychology is an approach to psychology based on the Indian ethos, the characteristic spirit of the Indian civilization. One could also say that it is a psychology rooted in the consciousness-based Indian worldview, yoga and a life-affirming spirituality.

As such, it is thus not a psychology specifically or exclusively suitable for people living in the Indian sub-continent or of Indian origin: We feel that the Indian tradition can make valuable contributions to the psychological understanding of all human beings, irrespective of their descent or cultural background.

It may help to clarify that with "yoga", we do not mean the darshana (the philosophical school) of the same name. We also do not limit its meaning to any of the many specialised schools of yoga, like hatha yoga or raja yoga. We take the word "yoga" in its widest sense, in which it indicates all systematic efforts to become consciously one with the Divine, not only in its passive, transcendent aspect, but also in its manifest, dynamic presence. Similarly with a life-affirming spirituality we mean a spirituality that accepts the world and human nature as a field for the Divine to manifest, as a "work in progress", as a reality that needs to be transcended in order to be transformed.

In other words, we feel that Indian, consciousness-based approaches to psychology can make a crucial, and urgently needed contribution to our global civilization. To support this development, the Indian Psychology Institute has been set up with the specific objective of assisting with the introduction of concepts, theories and practices from Indian Psychology into academics and the professional practice of psychology.