Advaita and Modern Psychology

Advaita Vedanta is closely associated with Jana Yoga or the path of knowledge. Advaita is one of India's oldest philosophical systems. Its current form is derived from the philosopher Sri Sankaracharya's writings, who lived between the eighth and ninth centuries. However, Badarayana (sixth century BCE) made an early formulation of Advaita in the Brahma Sutras, a cryptic summation of the teachings of the major Upanisads. Advaita is best understood through the writings of contemporary sages such as Atmananda Krishna Menon, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Ramana Maharshi.

Self in Advaita

According to Advaita, only the innermost part of me is aware or conscious. Nothing else in me can feel, see, or know anything. This awareness is known as atman in Sanskrit. It is the part of me that is genuinely me, and it corresponds to the soul in Western philosophy. This is where things start to get interesting. According to Advaita, the atman (mine and everyone else's) is the same as the absolute underlying reality of the entire universe, known as Brahman. Brahman is the substance from which all things are made; it is the universe's true nature.

If I close my eyes for a moment and stay focused on my inner self. I immediately notice feelings, hopes, thoughts, desires, fears, and a general sense of myself. This is the inner me, right? Well, no.

If I am aware of something, then it is not really me. The part of me that is aware is the real me (the atman). It is not something I am aware of. If I keep doing it, I will discover that everything I think of myself right now (including my ego and mind) is not aware. My awareness is not the same as those things. The person who appears in my head, the person I believe myself to be, is nothing more than a psychological and social illusion.

Self in Modern Psychology

When we examine the mind today, we do so through the lenses of modern psychology. We place emphasis on our subconscious mind. Our past experiences are indicators of our mental state and the foundation upon which our thought and emotion are built. Examining the mind typically involves attempting to comprehend our personal history. This could include uncovering hidden or repressed traumatic experiences that may interfere with our ability to function in life. According to psychology, our true self or identity can be found somewhere in our personal mind.

On this basis, contemporary science and psychology associate consciousness with the mind and the mind with the brain. As a result of this finding, researchers attempt to improve our mental and emotional functioning by altering brain chemistry with pharmaceutical preparations. Though some new physics trends are beginning to suggest it, mainstream science rarely recognises consciousness as a spiritual or cosmic principle separate from the mind. Modern medicine has a physical view of the mind.

Advaita and Modern Psychology

However, the yogic perspective on the mind is quite different. Rather than outer experimentation, it is based on meditation and inner experience. Rather than analysing external mental patterns, it attempts to comprehend the mind through introspection or turning our awareness within. It encourages us to observe our thoughts rather than react to them. Rather than simply examining our memories, it teaches us to understand the process of perception and how it affects us.

Psychology is a study of the mind, and the mind, like the body, can suffer from psychological diseases and imbalances. A person's psychology reflects the state of their mind, tendencies, and qualities. The mind always has psychology because it is a product of time and external experiences that leave their distinct imprints. On the other hand, our true self appears to lack psychology because it is unconditioned consciousness, the witness, and awareness beyond time and mind.

While the mind engages in mental activity, the inner being, like a mirror, consists solely of unconditioned awareness. This means that if I can deepen my awareness of my inner being, I can transcend all psychological suffering. Raising my awareness to the inner consciousness beyond the mind and its dualities is the ultimate solution to psychological problems. Though many external factors such as diet, behaviour, breathing, and the senses can help, it ultimately requires a shift in our awareness from a mind-based to pure consciousness.

Advaita thus reveals the reality of the self, of "I AM." This Self-knowledge is the resolution of all our problems, conflicts, stress, anxiety, and agitation. There are no more issues to resolve once one has returned to one's true nature.