Integral psychology: More than a tool for health and happiness

R.L. Bijlani

One human need that encompasses and surpasses all his needs is the need for happiness. Yet it is not sufficiently realized that a person cannot be happy unless he knows who he is. Knowledge of the entity called man should include at least the knowledge of all his parts, and preferably also his relationship to the rest of the universe. Such comprehensive or integral knowledge is essential because man cannot be happy unless all his components, and all those with whom he is interconnected, are happy. Psychology based on integral knowledge of man is integral psychology. The integral knowledge is embodied in spiritual philosophies such as Vedãnta, and adaptation of the knowledge in terms of applied psychology is available in ancient wisdom traditions such as yoga. As Sri Aurobindo said, yoga is nothing but practical psychology. In terms of Vedãnta, man consists of the physical body, the life force, the mind and the intellect. Behind all these is the soul, or the individualized divine Consciousness, of which the various other constituents of man are an outward manifestation. Further, since the individual souls actually represent the undivided Supreme Consciousness, all souls are interconnected. Human beings ignore these basic facts at the cost of their own happiness. Efforts to achieve happiness through physical comforts alone are doomed for failure, as are those that seek happiness in emotional and intellectual entertainment. True happiness comes when the outer constituents of man are in harmony with his soul, which in turn happens when the individual reckons with the interrelatedness of individuals. These larger truths are exemplified to some extent by the rediscovery of the mind-body connection by modern medicine. Not only is a person made unhappy by physical pain, many physical problems are also the manifestation of emotional problems. Conversely, love and intimacy have profound physiological and therapeutic effects on the body. These observations have led to the emergence of the era of mind-body medicine. Mind-body medicine needs a tool for influencing the mind of the patient positively. Integral psychology is pre-eminently suited to meet the requirements of such a tool. However, the implications of integral psychology go beyond health and happiness. An inner discipline based on integral psychology forms the core of yoga. In yoga, happiness is a fringe benefit reaped on the way. The consequences of the practice of yoga include, initially, happiness which is independent of external events and circumstances; and finally, a state of self-existent delight in which happiness itself becomes meaningless. In short, yoga is a liberating experience — initially, liberation from dependence on external objects or events for happiness; and finally, liberation from all dualities, including that of happiness and sorrow. While final liberation (moksha) may remain a distant dream for most of us, the journey towards it is itself enjoyable and offers the universally desired but elusive emotion of happiness. Hence even a partially successful application of integral psychology in daily life helps in realizing the basic needs of health and happiness.

Happiness is unarguably the universal dominant human need. It may be sought in physical pleasures and possessions, or in intellectual excursions and voluntary dispossession, and the quality of happiness sought may necessitate the use of sublime expressions such as joy, delight and bliss. But the fact remains that all human effort, or the lack of it, is motivated, directly or indirectly, by some brand of happiness. However, the ordinary human tendency is to seek happiness in physical comforts or sensory gratification. This approach neglects the fact that man is more than the physical body or sense organs. It is inappropriate to expect the whole to be happy when the needs of only a part have been met. Hence integral happiness depends on integral knowledge of man. Psychology based on integral knowledge of man is integral psychology. The integral knowledge is embodied in spiritual philosophies such as Vedãnta, and adaptation of the knowledge in terms of applied psychology is available in ancient wisdom traditions such as yoga. As Sri Aurobindo said, yoga is nothing but practical psychology (Aurobindo, 1970, p. 39).