BHU to
Start a Course on 'Bhoot Vidya'
Dr KK
Aggarwal
President
Heart Care Foundation of India
BHU in India
is starting a course on Bhoot Vidya and the same has caused a debate in the
Western medicine doctors.
In
scientific terms it will be a six months course on mental health.
As per Vedas
physical body is made up of three basic elementary functions called Vata, Pitta
and Kapha. In modern medicine they are equivalent to movement, metabolism and
structure.
The mental
health in Ayurveda is defined in terms of Tamas, Rajas and Sattva equivalent to
various parasympathetic and sympathetic states of mind in modern medicine.
Mental
health problems are a spectrum of diseases ranging from extreme sympathetic
state of mind to extreme parasympathetic state of mind.
In modern
medicine we evaluate mental disorders
1. Disorders of living in unreal world: the
person is not living mentally in the present and are called psychotic
disorders. The classical example is schizophrenia.
2. Disorders of intellect or cognitive
decline called dementia disorders
3. Disorders of hyp or hyper mind: as
Anxiety and depression
4. Disorders of ego or personality disorders
As per
Vedas, every thought in the mind is analysed by the intellect, then
individualized by the ego and finally converted into action. Action leads to
memory and memory leads to desires. If desires get full field one enters the
cycle of action memory desire and subsequent addictions and individual personality.
If the desires are not fulfilled it leads to anger, which can be expressive or
suppressive.
Anger out
leads to aggressive behaviour and anger in overtime leads to depression.
In Ayurveda
the treatment of depression and anxiety is taught in terms of cognitive
behaviour therapy and meditation - a process of shifting one from sympathetic
predominance to para sympathetic predominance state of mind following the
principles of living in the present.
Marijuana
has been and is being used extensively in Ayurveda for mental health and the
same is being now recognised in modern medicine also.
Bhagavad
Gita extensively talks about Tamas, Rajas and Sattva in terms of mental state
of mind, diet and behaviour.
There is a
phrase in Hanuman Chalisa which talks about
bhoot
pisaach nikat nahin aavai
mahaavir
jab naam sunavai
naase rog
harai sab peera
japat
nirantar hanumant beera
Bhoot in
Sanskrit means the past. When your past disturbs you, the condition is called
nightmares or post-traumatic stress disorders in modern medicine. In Vedic Sanskrit
descriptions they were called bhoot pret and pichas. (simple nightmares of someone known or
bhoot; distressing nightmares of someone known pret and distressing night mares
of someone unknown termed as pichas.)
The above Hanuman
Chalisa phrase describes the treatment of PTSD by asking people to recite the
hanuman Chalisa the correct way. Hanuman Chalisa recitation (4 lines in one
breath) reduces respiratory state, shift one to parasympathetic state and is
said to reduce the duration of REM sleep. REM sleep is responsible for the
nightmares. The treatment of PTSD has been SSRI or Pranayama both reduces the
duration of REM sleep.
Bhagavad
Gita was a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna when Arjuna was in acute
panic reaction with depression cum dispassion and was in a state of delusion.
At that time Krishna the only available counsellor taught Arjuna taking 18
classes called 18 chapters of Bhagavad Gita
In the
first-class Krishna only listens to Arjun. In the second class he councils in
so much detail that Arjun got confused. From 3rd to 17th classes he explained
in detail, answering point by point, consoled him and yet warned him of
consequences. Finally, in 18th chapter he revised all what was taught. Today these coincides with the standard
cognitive behaviour therapy principles.
The standard
Narration exposure therapy in PTSD also is well described in Vedica rituals of
teirvi and chautha ( 13th day and 4th day) rituals after
death.
Let's not
laugh at the word bhoot because we use this word quite commonly: in reciting
Hanuman Chalisa or describing the word bhootkaal which means the past.
For years
Ayurvedic doctors have been leading the country in treating sexual disorders
including erectile dysfunction. The whole Kamasutra book is from Vedas
philosophy of treating sexual disorders ans is unexplored my modern medicine.
The Vidur
Niti talks about principles of Mental Health comes from Vedic descriptions. It
was a dialogue between Vidur and Dhraitasthra and talks about the principles of
Insomnia management.
Even
homeopathy medicine describes Tamas, Rajas and sattva cum Vata Pitta and Kapha
by way of Psora, Syphilis and Psychosis state of mind and the body.
In my
personal view the Ayurveda has taken a lead to train their BAMS doctors in
starting a six months course on mental health. In modern medicine we still lack
such a course for MBBS doctors.
{The views
are personal}
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