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International Journal of and Allied Sciences (ISSN: 2278 – 5159) Volume: 7, Issue: 1; Jan- June 2018

Manomaya – From the Perspective of Ancient and Modern Science

Sanjib Patra Faculty, Division of Yoga and Life sciences S- Yoga University, Eknath Bhavan, Gavipuram Circle, K.G. Nagar, Bangalore, Email id: [email protected]

Abstract

Manomaya is our psychological or cognitive faculties. Thinking, imagination, memory, perception, judgement etc. constitutes this Kosha. It is also said that Manomaya kosha is the conglomeration of thoughts and emotions. In Yoga is made up the components like Manas, Chitta, and Ahankara. When any thought gets brooded over in the , it makes our agitated and percolates in Pranamaya kosha and its impact is seen in Annamaya kosha. It is also applicable for any negative emotion that we cultivate in our mind.

Introduction mind. In other words these three stages of As per Taitriya Upanishad, when Bhrigu Mind are the division of human mind. finds his father, still not expressive Our Mind is connected with time, space on the question of Brahmn1, Bhrigu gets and causality and also past, present and deeply absorbed in . Now he focuses future. It is said that Mind can take a on the subtler aspects of energy and beyond time and space and therefore an realises that it is the mind which provides aspirant of Yoga can meditate hours the stimuli for this vitality. It is this together and be in the state of for Manomaya kosha, the mental layer, which years together without the distraction of triggers all of knowledge. Bhrigu Mind. The speed of the mind is greater becomes aware that the mind, too, is a than the speed of the light and the manifestation of Brahmn and also realizes objective of Yoga is to cut down this speed that the knowledge he acquired is also and allow it to be in the state of effortless incomplete. dwelling called Dhyana and eventually to The third Kosha is Manomaya kosha be with the object of interest for longer which is composed of the Mind. Mind is duration called Samdhi. The mind is a otherwise called crude consciousness or very subtle force which can go to the present state of mind. It is also defined as subconscious level and it begins to go into the conglomeration of thoughts. Like the unknown past. , Mind is also a field of energy by itself but the only difference is Prana is a Modern Understanding About Mind positive field and Mind is negative field of Mind is a state of our cognitive faculties energy. As it is discussed the present state viz., Perception, thinking, judgement and of our being is Mind and in , it is memory. Perception can be defined as our called as Manas. The literal meaning of recognition and interpretation of sensory ‘Manas’ is to cognize, perceive and information2. Perception is all about how understand. There are ten stages in the we respond to the information. We can evolution of mind from the crude to fine think of perception as a process where we state, stated in Sankhya yoga. Out of the take in sensory information from our ten stages of mind, the only three stages environment and use that information in are known to the modern psychology viz., order to interact with our environment. Conscious, sub conscious and unconscious Perception allows us to take the sensory

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International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences (ISSN: 2278 – 5159) Volume: 7, Issue: 1; Jan- June 2018 information in and make it into something influenced and powered by Sattva (pure), meaningful. Thinking is conscious and Mudha is powered by (lethargy) active. It is the kind of cognitive process and Kshipta by rajast (activity). In addition that can make new connections and create to the above mentioned Vrittis and Chitta meaning. It is also dialogic: it has the bhumis, mind can result into six varieties quality of an internal conversation between of negative outcome viz., (lust)4, different perspectives. It is linguistic: Kradha (anger), Labha (greed), Maha verbal for those who use spoken language, (attachment), Mada (arrogance and visual for those who use sign language to Matsarya (Jealousy). communicate with others and with ourselves. Judgement refers to the process Relation between Body, Prana and by which people make decisions and draw Mind conclusions based on the information The agitated state of Mind or speed in available and material combined with Mind is called stress and speed in mind mental activity (thought) and experience. causes speed in Prana and vice versa as It causes a person to make the best quoted in Hathayoga Pradipika (Chale vate possible choices in a given situation. chale chittam nischale nischalam bhavet Memory is also a faculty of cognition …..)5. This in turn is reflected in our which includes encoding, storing and respiratory function e.g., our respiratory retrieving information. I general, Memory rate or breathing which becomes faster. can be of three types’ viz., Sensory, short Science has understood that more catabolic term and long term memory. reactions lead to more production of super oxides and free radicals and they are Mind as Undertood by Yoga responsible for wearing & tearing leading In Yoga, Mind is understood as agitated to Physiological aging. In other words we state of consciousness. Mind gets operated can say that the animals having higher through its four Upakarana (instrument) respiratory rate e.g., dog and rabbit lives viz., Manas (the present state of Mind), shorter and life span of tortoise and Chitta (memory), Buddhi (intellect) and elephant is longer. Modern scientist has Ahankara (‘I’ component of living being). started understanding that Mind is the According to Maharshi our Mind cause for all our malfunctioning and continues to modify itself, called as Vritti diseases, called psychosomatic diseases. In (mental modification) 3. The five vrittis as line with this, Hans Selye in mind nineteen quoted in Patanjali Yoga are century came up with the statement that (correct knowledge), ‘Stress is the cause of all acute diseases’. (incorrect knowledge), Vikalpa (imagination or fantasy), Nidra (sleep) and How to Control the Agitated State Of (memory). These modifications Mind? may result in afflictions viz., Avidya The most effective technique through (wrong knowledge), Asmita (wrong which have become successful in notion), Abhinivesa (fear of death), Raga controlling the speed of the Mind is (attachment) and Dvesa (disinclination). through Breath awareness and . Also as per Maharshi, our Mind has five Not only Pranayama helps in establishing various states of functioning, called the uniform speed of Prana throughout the Chittabhumi. These five states are Kshipta body but it controls the speed of the Mind (distraction), Vikshipta (occasionally very effectively. And that is the reason steady), Ekagra (one pointed state), why many techniques involve Niruddha (restrained mind) and Mudha the step of Breath awareness and (infatuated mind). Out of these five states, Pranayama as the preparatory techniques Vikshipta, Ekagra and Niruddha are for meditation.

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International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences (ISSN: 2278 – 5159) Volume: 7, Issue: 1; Jan- June 2018

subconscious mind and spreads out its Tools for Making a Healthy Mind branches in the organs and systems in our Various tools are used in Yoga to have a body. But when we culture a negative healthy mind, e. g. Meditation, Mind thought and emotion in our sub conscious imagery techniques etc. Psychology uses mind gets sprouted out and reach to the ‘Hypnosis’ as one of the effective tool. systems resulting impairment and Through these techniques, it is ensured malfunctioning otherwise called diseases. that an individual works on his body through his subconscious mind. In many Acknowledgement imagery techniques, ‘taking resolves’ has I hereby acknowledge Mr. Bhavit Bansal been found to be very effective, working at for his contribution in writing this the body level because the positive resolve theoretical article. that we take gets germinated in our

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