Introduction to Indian Psychology

By Prof. Anuradha Choudry | IIT Kharagpur

Learners enrolled: 2606 | Exam registration: 785

ABOUT THE COURSE:

In a fast-paced world, ever-demanding standards of performance and changing value systems, one of the growing challenges facing humankind today is ‘stress-management’ and its consequent psychological problems. Main stream psychology is addressing these issues its through its own worldview and understanding of human nature but psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, doctors and other health and mind-science related consultants across the world are developing interventions based on alternative approaches to consciousness studies to deal effectively with various kinds of mental and emotional issues that are afflicting people in all age groups today. In this context, yoga traditions are gaining popularity because they offer a different perspective to their practitioners to understand themselves, their goals in life, their relationship with the world around them and live life in more fulfilling ways – a lack of clarity on these fronts is often the cause of stress and its consequences. This course is a gateway for students to get a basic familiarity with selected schools of western psychology and then learn about the fundamental frameworks of the Indian/Yogic worldview in theory and in practice and to work on Self-development based on civilisationally rooted values and ethics inculcated through ‘techniques of consciousness’ that will help them know themselves better and lead more meaningful lives.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Anyone interested in Psychology, Mental Health, Applied Philosophy, Yoga, Self-Development, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS)

INDUSTRY SUPPORT: All Industries are required to cater to the mental health and well-being of their employees. This course equips people to have greater poise, clarity and control over the decisions they make

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points :	3
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date :	19 Jan 2026
End Date :	10 Apr 2026
Enrollment Ends :	02 Feb 2026
Exam Registration Ends :	20 Feb 2026
Exam Date :	26 Apr 2026 IST
NCrF Level	4.5 — 8.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1:
1.Psychology: Definitions and Scope
a.The Evolution of Psychology: Etymology, History, Approaches, and Questions
b.Definitions of Psychology
c.Research methods: Scope and Challenges

Week 2:
2.Schools of Western Psychology
a.Main schools: Structuralism, Functionalism, Psychoanalysis, Behaviourism, Humanism
b.The Psycho-physiological Anatomy (PPAn), models of the being and their implications
c.Brain, Mind and Consciousness: Their relationship

Week 3:
3.Paradigms of Indian/Yoga Psychology
a.Selected schools: vedānta, sāṃkhya, āryurveda
b.Psycho-physiological Anatomy (PPAn), models of the being and their implications
c.Fundamental questions of Indian Psychology

Week 4:
4.Foundational Concepts of Indian Psychology - 1
a.Self and identity
b.Spectrum and map of Consciousness
c.States of Consciousness and Types of Knowledge
d.Vedic Triad: satyam, ṛtam, bṛhat and dharma
e.prakṛti, svabhāva and svadharma

Week 5:
5.Foundation Concepts of Indian Psychology - 2
a.puruṣārthas and caturāśrama
b.Values: daivīsampat and āsurīsampat
c.The theory of karma and the importance of vivekabuddhi
d.Vedic Psychology: ṛṇa and yajña

Week 6:
6.Concepts of Mind and Mind++ in Indian Psychology
a.Vedic Conception of the Mind
b.Conception of Mind in the six Philosophical Schools
c.Conception of Mind in Buddhism and Jainism

Week 7:
7.Mind-Senses-Body Complex: Yogasūtra and Bhagavadgītā
a.Mind and its processes
b.Senses and their role
c.The three guṇās of the Gītā
d.aṣṭāṅgayoga of Patañjali

Week 8:
8.Definitions and Streams of Yoga
a.Definitions of Yoga
b.Cognition, emotion and volition in Indian Psychology
c.Streams of Yoga and their practical implications: jñānayoga, bhaktiyoga, karmayoga, rājayoga, tanta
d.cakras and their influence

Week 9: 9.Techniques of Consciousness
a.indriyajaya: Training of senses and Extra Sensory Perceptions (ESP)
b.vāksaṃyama: Understanding speech and its powers
c.prāṇāyāma: prāṇa, its potentials and its mastery
d.dhāraṇā and dhyāna: visualisation, concentration, and the power of manifestation

Week 10:
10.Integral Well-Being
a.Cultivating sukha and self-architecture
b.Achieving svāsthya
c.Attaining sthitaprajña
d.Becoming a yogī / yoginī
e.svarāṭ to samrāṭ

Week 11:
11.Self-realisation: Illustrative Case studies
a.Sadāśiva Brahmendra Sarasvatī
b.Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa a Paramahaṃsa and Svāmī
c.Sri Aurobindo and The Mother
d.Ramaṇa Maharṣi
e.Mātā Amṛtānandamayī
f.Neem Karoli Bābā
g.Some modern spiritual masters

Week 12:
12.Applied Indian Psychology
a.Research methods: Scope and Challenges
b.Human Development
c.Pedagogy
d.Therapy
e.Exploring extraordinary human experiences
f.Conclusion

Books and references

Banavathy, V. K., & Choudry, A. (2014). Understanding happiness: A vedantic perspective. Psychological Studies, 59, 141-152.
Banavathy, V. K., & Choudry, A. (2015). Indian psychology: Understanding the basics. International Journal of Yoga-Philosophy, Psychology and Parapsychology, 3(1), 9-13.
Choudry, A. 2022. Introduction to Integral Yoga Psychology and Therapy. Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology. 164-172.
Choudry, A., & Vinayachandra, B. K.(Eds.) (2013). Perspectives on Indian Psychology. Bangalore: Jain University Press.
Choudry, A., & Vinayachandra, B. K. (2015). Understanding happiness: The concept of sukha as ‘excellent space’. Psychological Studies, 60(3), 356-367.
Cornelissen, R. M. M. (Expected: 2017). Infinity in a drop: An introduction to integral Indian psychology. Retrieved on August 14, 2016 from http://www.ipi.org.in/infinity/infinityoutline.php
Cornelissen, R. M. M., Misra, G., & Varma, S. (Eds.) (2014). Foundations and applications of Indian psychology. New Delhi: Pearson.
Aurobindo, Sri. (2010). The synthesis of yoga. Pondicherry, India: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust. Retrieved on August 14, 2016 from http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org/ashram/sriauro/writings.php
Salagame, K. K. (2008). Indian thought and tradition: A psychohistorical perspective. Retrieved on August 14, 2016 from www.ipi.org.in/texts/kirankumar/kk-ip-history.php
Coster, G. (1998). Yoga and Western Psychology. Delhi: Motilal Banarsi Dass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Dalal, A. S. (Ed.) (2001). Our many selves. Pondicherry, India: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust.
Joshi, K., & Cornelissen, R. M. M. (Eds.) (2004). Consciousness, Indian psychology and yoga. New Delhi, India: Centre for Studies in Civilizations.
Misra, G., & Mohanty, A. K. (Eds.) (2002). Perspectives on indigenous psychology. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing Company.
Paranjpe, A. C. (1998). Self and identity in modern psychology and Indian thought. New York: Plenum Press.
Rao, K. R., & Marwaha, S. B. (Eds.) (2005). Towards a spiritual psychology: Essays in Indian psychology. New Delhi, India: Samvad India Foundation.
Rao, K. R., Paranjpe, A. C., & Dalal, A. K. (Eds.) (2008). Handbook of Indian psychology. New Delhi, India: Cambridge University Press.
Safaya, R. (1975). Indian Psychology: A critical and historical analysis of the psychological speculations in Indian philosophical literature. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Saraswati, S. S. (2006). Four Chapters on Freedom: Commentaries on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Munger: Bihar School of Yoga.
Srivastava, S. P. (2001). Systematic Survey of Indian Psychology. Bahadurgarah: Adhyatma Vijanana Prakashan.
Yogananda, P. (1998). Autobiography of a Yogi. Ranchi: Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.

Instructor bio

Prof. Anuradha Choudry

IIT Kharagpur

Dr. Anuradha Choudry is presently a Faculty at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and a Coordinator for the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Division of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi. A multilingual Sanskritist, her research interests include Indian/Yoga Psychology, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and allied fields and Environmental Humanities. She is also a resource person for national and international organisations. An online instructor for NPTEL for teaching Spoken Sanskrit as well she is a recipient of the Excellent Young Teacher's Award at IIT Kharagpur in 2019. Her publications span a wide range of topics and she has co-edited and co-authored Perspectives on Indian Psychology and Happiness: Indic Perspectives with Dr. Vinayachandra B. K, Director, Indica Yoga.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.

The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).

Date and Time of Exams: April 26, 2026 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.

Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.

The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.

Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Kharagpur .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team

SWAYAM Helpline / Support