Consciousness-Based Psychology

This book is written by two practising psychiatrists: one Indian and one American. Both honour the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo: they claim he is an important Eastern thinker, whose worldview integrates essential truths around consciousness. Their text combines Eastern and Western thinking as they explore the relevance of Sri Aurobindo's psychology to contemporary well-being. Dr Soumitra Basu practices in Kolkata and Pondicherry, while Dr Michael Miovic completed medical school in California, and practices in Boston USA.

The authors offer us an original contribution to psychology by presenting their fusion of traditional Indian knowledge about consciousness alongside western understandings. They identify key differences between eastern and western scholars, as they cover issues around reincarnation, past lives, and strategies to address hostile forces, topics which may make certain Eurocentric scholars feel uneasy! They cover spiritual crisis and spiritual emergency, concepts on which many people in the west are currently focused. Their texts examine the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, who they claim is ahead of western thought on consciousness and wellbeing.

Members of the Scientific and Medical Network may be delighted that these authors acknowledge plural thinking, with chapters setting out the ancient histories of eastern and western worlds. They summarise the research of modern scholars, as they weave together threads around different psychologies. They also present a plurality of global treatment strategies from different paradigms of understanding, including allopathic medication and herbal remedies used for schizophrenia. There are interesting case studies with patients to illustrate multiple perspectives of understanding health, and they acknowledge the important use of intuitive techniques. The book is immaculately referenced.

The authors acknowledge non-physical beings, and discuss mental planes of consciousness, where beings and entities do not exist in physical form. They note that first the religion of Christianity and then western science marginalised the gods and goddesses of the world. In addition, they anticipate a renaissance once readers realise angelic beings, plant and rock devas, subtle entities and forces are real (as indigenous peoples have long stated). They are not afraid to acknowledge occultism (hidden things), mental ill health and spirit possession, as well as offering mundane explanations for hostile forces. The impact on health of the traditional Indian knowledge chakra systems is set out.

The authors present the contentious topic of psychiatric labels (detested by many service users and experients), but suggest how these may relate to different planes of consciousness. They note the label of ‘hallucination’ appears to be similar to revelations reported by religious prophets, and they include an exploration of extreme clairvoyance and the seeing of subtle beings, which if negative or frightening may seem similar to delusions or psychosis. Their texts explore clinical problems from different angles: various causes of psycho-pathology, which they suggest are manifestations of disharmony in consciousness. Pathology, they write, may be caused from a disturbance in different planes of consciousness, or as a mismatch between a person’s inner and outer being.

Sri Aurobindo’s worldview is presented one step at a time, using case study examples from different cultures, in order to offer a whole model of consciousness. The authors present a map of consciousness, to describe various planes of existence, and suggest this can be used by clinicians and therapists. They propose the layers of consciousness indicate a human’s inner being is active while their outer being is asleep, which allows for dreams, and can be the basis for understanding Near Death and Out of Body Experiences.

This book would appeal to many professions: psychiatrists and psychologists; front line medical and healthcare staff; bereavement counsellors; chaplains, GPs; family doctors; and medical anthropologists. In addition, those people who consider they have been abused in the past by old fashioned mental health practitioners, and now feel they are in spiritual crisis or spiritual emergency, this book would support them to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences.

The authors’ clear writing style helps to shift the paradigm around mechanistic interpretations of mental distress, something members of the Scientific and Medical Network aspire to do. They suggest that over recent years psychiatry and psychology are now ready to take on the ancient wisdoms of yoga. Therapists are becoming more aware of different planes of consciousness, and are exploring ways of integrating it into their practice. This is the book we’ve all been waiting for: it offers an integrative approach to whole person psychology, that encompasses different planes of existence.

Who better to shift the old-fashioned reductionist paradigm around mental distress than two practising psychiatrists, whose transformational insights create change from within their profession? Let us hope that educational establishments in medicine and health throughout the world use this book as a teaching tool for their students.