Ancient India & Psychology
“This depression & all is all from America beta, it’s all lazy people.”
No uncle, India’s Sanatan Dharma is progressive about mental health & psychology so here’s the tea.
Our vedas & the Srimad Bhagavad Gita mention the mind as the seat of all actions, thoughts & desires - they talk about controlling it & explain that when we don’t, we become sad, fearful or angry.
We have detailed explanations of our psyche, splitting it into manas (sensing mind), ahamkara (ego), citta (conciousness) & buddhi (intellect).
Ancient Ayurvedic texts like the Charaka Samhita as well as notes from India’s OG doctor Sushruta explain that when the 3 gunas, sattva, rajas, and tamas, in our body go for a toss, we get manas roga i.e. psychological disorders, divided into:
1. Sheela Vibhrama is moral disorders like sociopathy or psychopathy.
2. Cheshta Vibhrama is behavioural disorders.
3. Mano Vibhrama is Mental Confusion/Disord er
4. Achara Vibhrama is Habitual/Customary Disorder
5. Buddhi Vibhrama is intellectual disorders.
We have these concepts, too:
Chittodvega is anxiety.
Atatva Abhinivesha is OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) & also other personality disorders.
Vishada or Avashada is depression.
Apasmara is epilepsy.
Unmada is schizophrenia, psychosis or insanity.
Tandra is lethargy.
Madha is intoxication.
Moha is delusion.
Shoka is grief.
Krodha is excessive anger.
We also understood genetical/biological mental disorders with concepts like Jadata i.e. mental dullness & Jataharini (congenial disorders).
Our dharma recognizes emotions to be a normal, natural cause of being alive & preaches us to be kind to people suffering from mental problems.