MSc Psychology, Semester I
Indian Psychology, explained from the beginning
These guides follow the course syllabus unit by unit. They assume you know nothing about psychology and nothing about India. Every Sanskrit word is explained the first time it appears, and you can hover over it, or tap it, wherever it appears again.
Where an Indian idea has a cousin in Western psychology, the guide sets them side by side and says where the match holds and where it breaks.
The five units
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Unit 1
The origin and evolution of Indian psychology
Where did Indian ideas about the mind come from, how did they become a field of modern psychology, and what makes them different?
Syllabus Ancient form and absence of nomenclature; development of Indian Psychology as a discipline; philosophy and psychology; biological, socio-cultural and indigenous perspectives; scientific-paradigm debate; worldview and perspectives on reality.
14 pages, about 385 minutes of reading
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Unit 2
Methods in Indian psychology
How did Indian traditions claim to know anything about the mind, and how do their methods compare with experiments and surveys?
Syllabus Methods of knowing in Indian tradition with reference to Sankhya, Vedanta, Yoga and Buddhism.
Coming later in the course
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Unit 3
The notion of self
What is the self in Indian thought, and how is it tied to family, society and the natural world?
Syllabus Self as a holistic entity in spiritual, family and social contexts; problems of self-understanding; mind, consciousness, spirituality and personality; human-environment relationship; values, morality and justice; Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam; individual, family and social norms and obligations (Janani, Janmabhumi, Guru).
Coming later in the course
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Unit 4
Varnashramas
How did Indian tradition map the stages of a human life, and what can a lifespan psychologist learn from it?
Syllabus Personal and social need-based developmental milestones; social structure and ecological balance; optimization of human wellbeing; spiritual evolution and preparation for death.
Coming later in the course
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Unit 5
Indigenous interventions for health and wellbeing
Which Indian practices for health and wellbeing have been studied, what do they ask of a person, and what does the evidence say?
Syllabus Sat Chit Ananda; Yoga, meditation and self-regulation practices (pranayama, mudra, bandha, pratyahara, dharana and dhyana); compassionate action and prayaschita; therapeutic values of social, religious and spiritual practices across life events; relevance to contemporary stress; values, morality, justice and human-environment relations; individuality and relatedness; leadership, motivation and lifespan development; Anasakti and happiness.
Coming later in the course
How to use these guides
Read the start page first
Each unit opens with a page that gives you the background: what psychology is, what the Indian texts are, and how to read the Sanskrit words. Then each syllabus topic has its own page.
Use the word cards
Words with a dotted underline open a small card with the meaning, the Devanagari spelling, a guide to saying the word, and the nearest Western idea. The glossary holds all 175 Sanskrit and Pali words in one place.
Look for the Western bridges
A bridge box puts an Indian idea next to the closest Western idea. Read both halves: where they agree, and where they differ. Exam answers that compare carefully score better than answers that equate.
Practise, then revise
Each page ends with a question built on a situation. Try it before you open the answer. Each unit ends with practice questions, a revision sheet and the sources checked.