A clear and easy to understand guide to the fundamentals of meditation.

This book discusses the profound philosophy and practical psychology behind yoga, beyond its popular body-culture aspect. It pays particular attention to the psychological principles involved and their implications for the consummate understanding of human nature. It explores the psychological aspects of yoga theory and practice and discusses the aphorisms in Patanjali’s treatise on Yoga with necessary commentary in current psychological terminology to make them intelligible to students of psychology and other interested readers. Importantly, the author draws out the implications of these aphorisms for future psychological study and research. The book discusses the author’s concept of yoga of nonviolence which brings in Gandhian ideas into the framework of yoga. The author’s own vast experience in creating interfaces of yoga research with practice also informs the discussions in this book. This authoritative and topical book by an eminent academic like Professor Ramakrishna Rao is of interest to scholars and students of diverse disciplines, including but not limited to psychology, philosophy and wellbeing research.

Explores the influence of yoga in the seminal Indian philosophy of Bhartrhari and in the Western psychology of Freud, Jung, and the transpersonalists, providing unique insights into the differences between Eastern and Western concepts of human nature.

Psychology in India, Volume I: Basic Psychological Processes and Human Development comprises six original essays and analyses research conducted on psychological processes. It integrates biological and ecological approaches to the study of behaviour; recent research in developmental psychology; studies on language acquisition and language processes, reading, and bilingualism and multilingualism; contributions from neuroscience, cognitive science, and cultural psychology towards the knowledge of cognitive processes; research on affective and motivational processes; and studying personality. Concepts, methods and theories have been covered.

All you need to know about the psychology of meditation: Written by an expert in the field Provides unique theories of meditation approaches Explores traditional and Western approaches Recommends how to improve future research Explores new topics, e.g., negative effects More about the book What is meditation? What do people hope to get from practicing it and what do they really get? How can the effects of meditation be explained? And what are the best approaches to researching the psychology of meditation so we can understand more? This unique book by a leading expert provides state-of-the-art answers to these questions. Contrary to commonly accepted wisdom, meditation comes in a range of varieties and the reasons why people begin to meditate (and stay with it) are also numerous and varied. Even mindfulness, which is often (wrongly) used as a synonym for meditation, comes in many forms. The book succinctly summarizes the beneficial effects found in the avalanche of studies available, especially in clinical contexts, and also explores recently emerging topics such as negative effects and the impact of ethics and spirituality. The author expertly provides theories of the four traditional meditation approaches, which has never been done before in this form, and gives a critical overview of Western approaches to explain the effects of meditation. In conclusion, he makes recommendations on how to improve future meditation research. This book is of interest to mental health practitioners, researchers, students interested in meditation and mindfulness approaches.

Meditation is the essence of spiritual life. It is our mental attitude which brings in thoughts and shows us a positive outlook of life. Lots of patience is required to perform meditation. So everyone of us should do mediation to maintain positive attitude towards life. Performing mediation during stressful times in our life will make a big difference. There are many methods of meditation to keep the mind strong and for spiritual discipline. There has been a dramatic increase in the past 20 years on the impact of meditation upon one's health. There are various potential positive effects such as brain activity during meditation, brain waves during meditation, meditation and perception, sleep and elevation of positive emotions and outcomes, and positive behavior have been noted in the previous studies. In this book authors have reported a number of research based on various styles of meditation techniques: Insight meditation, Kundalini yoga meditation, Integrative body-mind training, Mantra Meditation, Non-referential compassion meditation, Mental Silence, Transcendental Meditation, Muraqabah and Tasbih meditation. Relaxation and different meditation techniques including bio-feedback, shavasana, vipasana, sudarshan kriyas, devotional songs etc. are of immense use in maintaining positive mental health. This book focuses on the relevance of psychology of meditation as a practical solution to improve the health-related quality life. We think meditative techniques suggested in this book are genuine in the sense that believers usually experience it. Readers may see what the general path is and the content this book reflects. It generates meaningful solutions of the physical, social , emotional, mental, and spiritual problems. This book will be useful for the students of psychology, social work and health caregivers.

This updated edition of The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality codifies the leading empirical evidence in the support and application of postmaterial psychological science. Lisa J. Miller has gathered together a group of ground-breaking scholars to showcase their work of many decades that has come further to fruition in the past ten years with the collective momentum of a Spiritual Renaissance in Psychological Science. With new and updated chapters from leading scholars in psychology, medicine, physics, and biology, the Handbook is an interdisciplinary reference for a rapidly emerging approach to contemporary science. Highlighting fresh ideas and supporting science, this overarching work provides both a foundation and a roadmap for what is truly a new ideological age.

You are not who you think you are! Here you can begin to re-educate yourself out of spiritual blindness and recognize your True Self-nature. Yoga psychology offers a discipline for freeing yourself from life's miseries. You are invited to enter a path of meditative concentration and self-inquiry leading to deep self knowledge. This path is founded on the proposition that you can truly be yourself, but that to be yourself you must first find and know yourself. When you have learned to let go of the delusions foisted on you by social conditioning you will recognize your inherent freedom from misery. Do not, however, think that this path is easy. Spiritual freedom requires that you face and come to terms with the roots of your spiritual ignorance. You must face and master your inner "demons".

This book explores the meaning and import of neurophenomenology and the philosophy of enactive or embodied cognition for psychology. It introduces the psychologist to an experiential, non-reductive, holistic, theoretical, and practical framework that integrates the approaches of natural and human science to consciousness. In integrating phenomenology with cognitive science, neurophenomenology provides a bridge between the natural and human sciences that opens an interdisciplinary dialogue on the nature of awareness, the ontological primacy of experience, the perception of the observer, and the mind-brain relationship, which will shape the future of psychological theory, research, and practice.​​

Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom, 2nd edition, brings together experts who explore the use of ancient healing techniques from Buddhism, Christianity, Goddess, Shamanism, Taoism, and Yogic traditions as well as the mystical practices of Judaism and Islam and their application to modern counseling and therapy professions. Each chapter lays out time-tested techniques used by teachers, guides, and practitioners to facilitate psychological healing, embraces a wide variety of cultural perspectives, and offers a large, varied, and meaningful view of the world. This new edition includes added material on Islam, indigenous, and shamanic healing perspectives and practices, as well as new findings in the fields of neuropsychology and epigenetics. With its vast offerings of new treatment methods from a variety of perspectives—from therapeutic metaphors and breathing exercises to meditation and yoga techniques—this book will be of use to mental health professionals, social workers, and pastoral caregivers.