"Psychoanalysis itself and the lines of thought to which it gives rise," said C. G. Jung, "are only a beginner’s attempt compared to what is an immemorial art in the East"—by which he was referring to the millennia-old study of the mind found in Yoga. That tradition was hardly known in the West when the discipline of psychology arose in the nineteenth century, but with the passing of time the common ground between Yoga and psychology has become ever more apparent. Georg Feuerstein here uses a modern psychological perspective to explore the ways Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina yogas have traditionally regarded the mind and how it works—and shows how that understanding can enhance modern psychology in both theory and practice.

"Kundalini yoga presented Jung with a model of something that was almost completely lacking in Western psychology--an account of the development phases of higher consciousness.... Jung's insistence on the psychogenic and symbolic significance of such states is even more timely now than then. As R. D. Laing stated... 'It was Jung who broke the ground here, but few followed him.'"--From the introduction by Sonu Shamdasani Jung's seminar on Kundalini yoga, presented to the Psychological Club in Zurich in 1932, has been widely regarded as a milestone in the psychological understanding of Eastern thought and of the symbolic transformations of inner experience. Kundalini yoga presented Jung with a model for the developmental phases of higher consciousness, and he interpreted its symbols in terms of the process of individuation. With sensitivity toward a new generation's interest in alternative religions and psychological exploration, Sonu Shamdasani has brought together the lectures and discussions from this seminar. In this volume, he re-creates for today's reader the fascination with which many intellectuals of prewar Europe regarded Eastern spirituality as they discovered more and more of its resources, from yoga to tantric texts. Reconstructing this seminar through new documentation, Shamdasani explains, in his introduction, why Jung thought that the comprehension of Eastern thought was essential if Western psychology was to develop. He goes on to orient today's audience toward an appreciation of some of the questions that stirred the minds of Jung and his seminar group: What is the relation between Eastern schools of liberation and Western psychotherapy? What connection is there between esoteric religious traditions and spontaneous individual experience? What light do the symbols of Kundalini yoga shed on conditions diagnosed as psychotic? Not only were these questions important to analysts in the 1930s but, as Shamdasani stresses, they continue to have psychological relevance for readers on the threshold of the twenty-first century. This volume also offers newly translated material from Jung's German language seminars, a seminar by the indologist Wilhelm Hauer presented in conjunction with that of Jung, illustrations of the cakras, and Sir John Woodroffe's classic translation of the tantric text, the Sat-cakra Nirupana. ?

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.

In the first part of this book, we will look at the foundational concepts of several yoga philosophies, especially pertaining to the nature of the mind. We will begin with the philosophy of Samkhya which explains the creation of the universe, enfoldment of cosmic consciousness, development of the individual soul, and to the rise of the operative faculties of the mind in perception, feeling, ego, memory and intelligence. In the second part, we will look at the tradition of yoga and its techniques to develop the aspirant to rise above physical and mental agitation and restraint which holds one back from emerging into higher knowledge of the self. In the third, we will look at the basic principles of ayurveda including its perspectives to establish balance and harmony of body and mental states. Through the universal principles of ayurveda, knowledge of ones physical and mental constitution can lead to continuum of health and restoration of disease into a balance state of individuals. Its goal is to achieve equilibrium between body and mind by the use of a number of disciplines diet, medicinal herbs, and detoxification and rejuvenator programs, breathe exercises, asanas, meditation, and lifestyle changes to maintain ones body and mental type. Ayurveda and Yogic traditions offer a profound and intuitive insight into the nature of mind, root cause of mental disease, mental afflictions, deep seated impression and subtle desire (vasana) which lead to mental bondage, unconscious (instinctive, habitual behavior), blockage in adversities, and unawareness in the play of misery and pain. Together, they can expunge mental impurities, transpire negativity, develop conscious awareness, control of thought movement, and sharpen concentration and meditation to bring about transparency into ones true existence. Through the cultivation of yogic disciplines one can attain liberation or peace of mind through the actions of moral and righteous behavior (Yama and Niyama), selfless service (Karma yoga), devotional practices (Bhakti yoga), will and meditation disciplines (Raja Yoga) and intuitive knowledge (Jnana yoga). These are not interdependent of one another but collectively move one towards the goal of all yoga in the attainment of self realization.

Within most pre-modern, Indian traditions of yoga, the role of the guru is absolutely central. Indeed, it was often understood that yoga would simply not work without the grace of the guru. The modern period saw the dawn of new, democratic, scientific modes of yoga practice and teaching. While teachings and gurus have always adapted to the times and circumstances, the sheer pace of cultural change ushered in by modernity has led to some unprecedented innovations in the way gurus present themselves and their teachings, and the way they are received by their students. Gurus of Modern Yoga explores the contributions of individual gurus to the formation of the practices and discourses of yoga today. The focus is not limited to India, but also extends to the teachings of yoga gurus in the modern, transnational world, and within the Hindu diaspora. Each section deals with a different aspect of the guru within modern yoga. Included are extensive considerations of the transnational tantric guru; the teachings of modern yoga's best-known guru, T. Krishnamacharya, and those of his principal disciples; the place of technology, business and politics in the work of global yoga gurus; and the role of science and medicine. As a whole, the book represents an extensive and diverse picture of the place of the guru, both past and present, in contemporary yoga practice.

Psychology in the Light of the East presents fresh insights into integral psychology, incorporating the reason of Western psychology together with the holistic outlook of Eastern wisdom. Borden examines the philosophy, mysticism, and psychology of both East and West to convey how they reflect the evolution of consciousness. Grounded in a theoretical framework, this text includes valuable techniques for application and invites readers on a journey of self-knowledge and self-mastery, providing practitioners as well as general readers with the tools for great personal and professional development.

This authoritative volume, written by two well-known psychologist-philosophers, presents a model of the person and its implications for psychological theory and practice. Professors Ramakrishna Rao and Anand Paranjpe draw the contours of Indian psychology, describe the methods of study, explain crucial concepts, and discuss the central ideas and their application, illustrating them with insightful case studies and judicious reviews of available research data and existing scholarly literature. The main theme is organized around the thesis that psychology is the study of the person and that the person is a unique composite of body, mind and consciousness. The goal of the person is self-realization. Self-realization consists in the realization of one’s true self as distinct from the manifest ego and it is facilitated by cultivating consciousness. Cultivating consciousness leads to a kind of psycho-spiritual symbiosis resulting in personal transformation, altruistic value orientation and flowering of the hidden human potential.

Jung’s landmark seminar on the symbolism of yoga and its applications to dream analysis In the summer of 1933, C. G. Jung conducted a seminar in Berlin attended by a large audience of some 150 people, including several Jewish Jungians who would soon leave Germany. Hitler had begun consolidating his position as dictator and these students were distressed at Jung’s recent decision to accept the presidency of a German professional psychotherapy society that was rapidly becoming Nazified and purged of Jews. On Dreams and the East makes these seminar sessions widely available for the first time, offering tantalizing insights into Jung’s evolving understanding of yoga and the realization of the self. The seminar commences with a presentation on the psychology of yoga by noted Indologist and linguist Heinrich Zimmer, whose collaboration in these talks reflects Jung’s growing engagement with the Hindu tradition, particularly Tantric yoga. Jung analyzes a series of dreams of a middle-aged male patient, focusing on mandalas and the centering process. He reflects on related motifs in alchemical symbolism, Navaho healing drawings, Mithraism, baptism symbolism, the foundation of Rome, ecclesiastic dances, and labyrinths, drawing connections with the symbolism of yoga and Tantra. Featuring a richly documented introduction by Giovanni Sorge, On Dreams and the East opens a window on Jung’s deepening exploration of Eastern thought and the comparative study of the individuation process at a critical juncture in his life and work.

This is the first of two volumes collecting the key proceedings of the 30th International Congress of Psychology, the first to be held in Africa in the 123 years of its history. The theme of the conference was "Psychology Serving Humanity", a recognition of psychology's unfulfilled mission in the majority world and a reflection of what that world requires from psychology. Mainstream Psychology finds its largest number of exponents and leading personalities in the high income countries of the global West. The Other Psychologies, referred to by different names, are scattered across the rest of the world. Some of the names of these other forms of Psychology include indigenous Psychology. The main driver of indigenous and other forms of non-mainstream Psychology is the endeavour to embed the discipline in the dynamics of local societies. Psychology has entered an interesting era, however. While the dominant philosophy underpinning the discipline remains Western, Psychology in the majority world in 2000s may have reached a tipping point. It took over a hundred years but the 2004 and 2012 International Congresses of Psychology held in China and South Africa heralded a newfound possibility for the discipline. There is an opening of the field to potentially new thought and forms of the practice of Psychology. These proceedings are published in the hope that all psychologists, especially those located in well-resourced institutions in the West, confront the divided reality that characterizes Psychology so as to creatively consider the opportunity opened up by the growing field at the peripheries. Care was taken when assembling both conference and proceedings to ensure that the entire international psychological community was represented. Volume One contains contributions to Majority World Psychology. Volume Two contains contributions to Western Psychology.