Patanjali's Yogasutra: A Psychological Study Book

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Yoga towards a tranquil state of mind (Samadhi). 3. Yoga practice (Sadhana). 4. Yogic and supernormal powers (Siddhis). 5.  Freedom, peace and perfection through yoga (Kaivalya). 6.  Metapsychology of yoga. Bibliography. Index

Patanjali’s Yogasutra: A Psychological Study is an attempt at an English translation of Patanjali’s Yogasutra with commentary rendered in current psychological idiom. It features an extensive Introduction to the context and attempts to draw out conclusions on the implications of yoga theory and practices to current psychological knowledge. 

Yoga paradigm goes well beyond what is currently in vogue and provides a more fruitful model for studying and understanding human nature, both hidden and manifest. This volume thus provides the psychological context and the relevance of studies of yoga for advancing the existing psychological knowledge. Yoga psychology provides the foundation for Indian psychology, an emerging discipline, rooted in classical Indian tradition.

According to Indian psychology, the person is a unique composite of body, mind and consciousness, making a qualitative distinction between mind and consciousness. Self-actualization, the ultimate aim of a person, is realized by cultivating consciousness as-such, resulting in a kind of psycho-spiritual symbiosis, enabling a person to experience an all-around transformation.