Editing Mind in Indian Tradition (section)

=== INTRODUCTION ===
Addressing ‘Society for Psychical Research’ (1913), Bergon once proposed a hypothetical but intriguing prospect – “what would have happened in modern science, if it had started the reverse way: with the considerations of mind (espirit) instead of matter; if Kepler, Galileo, Newton for instance, had been psychologists.” It is common knowledge that Western psychology has its roots in physiological sciences. The alternative evolution, one that Bergson had in mind, took place in India. Rhys David, in her pioneering work on Indian psychology, noted that in India, ‘Analysis of mind apparently preceded that of life in matter.’ The embryonic physiological literature of ‘cataloguing and discussing bodily parts and functions’ in Brahmans and Buddhist works emerged in a culture ‘which was already much preoccupied with analytical treatment of mind.’ 

The distinct inclination of Indian philosophy towards the ‘inner world’ has been noted by almost every authority on the subject. Musings on body, mind and consciousness that preoccupied particularly the Upanishadic seers have, however, been studied under the wider rubric of discipline of philosophy, despite the fact that they contain very pregnant psychological insights. It was only recently, especially after the publication of Pondicherry Manifesto, that rigorous psychological perspectives on Indian texts begun to emerge, contributing significantly to a pre-existing diverse pool of interpretations. This paper aims at explaining how the mind was understood in Upanishads and the ‘orthodox’ philosophical schools that developed subsequently. The structural integrity of Indian philosophy has been highlighted by underlining the common roots of different interpretations in wider Upanishadic framework. Both primary as well as secondary sources have been consulted and supplemented with subjective interpretations of the author.