Yoga and Cognitive Science
In Indian society, psychology as an independent and established science has not been around for a long time. Instead, practices like yoga, which integrate psychological and spiritual elements, have played a significant role in understanding the human mind and behavior.
Patanjali, an ancient sage traditionally credited with composing 196 aphorisms (sutras) that outline the philosophy and practice of yoga, dedicated only two of these sutras directly to asanas/physical postures in yoga. The majority of the text details an intricate system for the management of physical and mental life in its totality, based on first-person experimentation.
This first-person experimentation is driven by dedicated and unyielding observation of the mind as it operates from moment to moment. Over the centuries, such experimentation and observation by devoted practitioners has resulted in a rich conceptual framework and fundamental insights into the interconnectedness of the human mind and body. In this light, Yogalife approaches yoga as a science of the human mind and body.
We are committed to putting our claims to the empirical test, not merely by inviting students to test the techniques for themselves and investigate what does and does not work, but also in the more strict sense of searching for objective, scientific validation of the techniques and processes.
COGNITIVE SCIENCE
In the West, cognitive science is the field of research that investigates the human mind and brain in all its facets, focusing on the mechanisms underlying, for example, perception, attention, memory, action planning or motor control.
Cognitive science as a discipline is significantly younger than yoga and it stands firmly in the scientific method, which has been developed in the West as a way to develop objective, empirical knowledge based on third-person observation. Moreover, it uses state-of-the-art technological and methodological developments to probe the mind and brain, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, deep learning, and optogenetics. This meticulous and detached study of the mind and brain has led to important insights into its operating principles and mechanisms.
Interestingly, several of the yogic claims about the nature of the human mind anticipate more recent developments in the cognitive sciences. For example, the notions of predictive coding, embodied cognition, internal attentional biases, etc. are all central to yoga, but have only recently come to the foreground in experimental psychology.
COLLABORATION
Our aim at Yogalife is to facilitate the development of a cognitive science of yoga. First, we want to dispel some of the common misconceptions about yoga that hinder its integration with mainstream cognitive science. Yoga is not an esoteric, purely spiritual approach to life, but it can actually be a source of valid knowledge generation through first-person experimentation with down-to-earth implications.
Second, we aim to emphasize the mutual benefits of such an integration for basic research on mental phenomena as well as applications in psychopathology. Insight from yoga can provide several low-hanging fruits with potentially profound impacts onto people’s lives that are there for the taking for empirical investigating.
Despite the potentially useful insights in many domains, the overall absence of third-person experimentation sometimes leaves the yogic community vulnerable to the acceptance of unfounded beliefs and unhelpful or even noxious practices. Our proposed approach promotes a critical perspective that will allow us to separate the wheat from the chaff, based on empirical, third-person experimentation.
In collaboration with Dr. Sam Verschooren (Humboldt University of Berlin; Max Planck Institute for Human Brain and Cognitive Sciences), we are developing a common framework and language for speaking about the human mind. Together, we are setting up a research program, using insights from yoga as an inspiration for empirical studies. If you’d like to learn more, contact info@yogalife.org.