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Mangalore: 'Not Easy to Separate Spirituality from Psychology'
- Tue, Jan 08 2008 12:25:27 PM
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NR)
Mangalore, Jan 8: The valedictory function of the two-day university level workshop for Sanskrit teachers was organized here recently jointly by the Mangalore University Sanskrit Teachers' Association (MUSTA) and the Mangalore Chapter of Swadeshi Vijnan Andolan (MCSVA) at the Canara College auditorium.
Speaking on the occasion noted psychologist Shivaram Karikkal observed that psychology and spirituality are not just influenced by each other but are inter-linked as far as the study of human consciousness is concerned. He averred that it is not easy to separate spirituality from psychology.
Particularly with regard to development of psychology in the East and West, he opined that in both parts of the universe psychology developed based on the spiritual growth that the two civilizations achieved.
In this context he explained "It is the reason why Western psychology did not cross the level of the mind, unlike the Indian system that explains two more stages beyond the mind -'vignana' and 'ananda'. Psychic science limiting itself to a stage of mind may be reason why certain psychic and social problems in Western civilizations could not find lasting solutions," he said.
According to him, for every stage that is explained in Indian spirituality, there is a direct connectivity to the human consciousness. He amazingly opined that the ancient treatises like the Upanishads speaks just as today's' psychology does. Therefore he advised that both spiritual seekers and students of psychology to try and glean a lot from these ancient texts.
Further he elucidated that spiritual growth is attained by the status of the mind, and to achieve that particular state of mind it is very essential to practise spirituality. Total consciousness or 'poornaprajna' - this kind of mental status as explained in the ancient spiritual texts, he revealed has deep psychological connotations.
Linking psychology with spirituality, he said psychology too was a subject that should be studied beyond academics and added "its entirety cannot be achieved, if it is considered a subject of academic studies."