Indra Sen
Encyclopedia
Indra Sen MA, LL.B., PH.D. was a devotee of Sri Aurobindo
and The Mother
, psychologist
, author, and educator, and the founder of Integral Psychology
as an academic discipline.
Sen was born in the Jhelum District
of Punjab
(now part of Pakistan), but grew up in Delhi
when his family moved there. From a young age he was interested in the spiritual quest. He completed a Master's degree in both Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Delhi
.
On 5 December 1928 he married Lilawati, and they had two children.
To further his studies, he enrolled at the University of Freiburg
, in Germany, and obtained a Ph.D.
in Psychology. He also attended the lectures of Martin Heidegger
and taught Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit at the University of Koenigsburg. at this time, his main interests were Hegel's philosophy, and Jung's psychology. He later returned to the University of Delhi. In December 1933 he met Jung when the latter visited Calcutta for the Indian Science Congress. Sen went on to become President of the psychology section of the Indian Science Congress, and was also a recipient of the Eastern-Western psychology lecture award of the Swami Pranavananda Psychology Trust
In 1934, he first travelled to Pondicherry with a friend, Surendranath Jauhar, and he met Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. After a number of visits, his wife became a devotee of The Mother.
In 1945 Dr Sen resigned from the University and moved to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram
, where his family had already been staying for two years. In following years, through lectures, published writings, and personal contacts, he presented Sri Aurobindo's work to academia and universities, where it became well known for the first time.
In in a series of professional papers published from the mid 1930s through the 40s and 50s, he coined the term Integral psychology
, to describe the psychological observations contained in Sri Aurobindo's Yoga psychology and philosophy. He also was concerned with the formulation of integral education
as presented in the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.
His papers, which were sent to Sri Aurobindo and later The Mother, before being presented at scientific congresses or published in Ashram journals. It was however not until 1986 that these papers were published, by the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education in book form, as Integral Psychology: The Psychological System of Sri Aurobindo. This has since been issued in a second edition. The field of Integral psychology was later taken up and developed by Haridas Chaudhuri
when he founded the Integral Counseling Psychology program at what is now the California Institute of Integral Studies
, in the 1970s.
Another of Dr Sen's tasks was to develop three centers for the ashram under The Mother's supervision. One was at Jwalapur, near Haridwar
, and the other two in the Kumaon Hills - "Mountain Paradise", an orchard, and "Tapogiri", a place for sadhana
(spiritual practice). The last mentioned especially, he was very committed to.
In all Dr Sen's work, themes of integral
and wholeness were very important, and he frequently used terms like "Integral Culture" and "Integral Man". He observed that in Indian psychology "the theoretical and the practical motives of life are combined" and was critical of psychoanalysis for not being interested in the problem of emotional life as a whole.
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
and The Mother
Mirra Alfassa
-Early life:Mirra Alfassa was born in Paris in 1878, of a Turkish Jewish father, Maurice, and an Egyptian Jewish mother, Mathilde. She had an elder brother named Matteo. The family migrated to France the year before she was born. For the first eight years of her life she lived at 62 boulevard...
, psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, author, and educator, and the founder of Integral Psychology
Integral psychology
Integral psychology is psychology that presents an all-encompassing holistic rather than an exclusivist or reductive approach. It includes both lower, ordinary, and spiritual or transcendent states of consciousness. Important writers in the field of integral psychology are Sri Aurobindo, Indra...
as an academic discipline.
Sen was born in the Jhelum District
Jhelum District
Jhelum District is in the Punjab province of Pakistan. According the 1998 census the district had a population of 936,957, of which 31.48% were urban. Jhelum is known for providing a large number of soldiers to the British and later to the Pakistan armed forces due to which it is also known as...
of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
(now part of Pakistan), but grew up in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
when his family moved there. From a young age he was interested in the spiritual quest. He completed a Master's degree in both Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
.
On 5 December 1928 he married Lilawati, and they had two children.
To further his studies, he enrolled at the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
, in Germany, and obtained a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Psychology. He also attended the lectures of Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
and taught Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit at the University of Koenigsburg. at this time, his main interests were Hegel's philosophy, and Jung's psychology. He later returned to the University of Delhi. In December 1933 he met Jung when the latter visited Calcutta for the Indian Science Congress. Sen went on to become President of the psychology section of the Indian Science Congress, and was also a recipient of the Eastern-Western psychology lecture award of the Swami Pranavananda Psychology Trust
In 1934, he first travelled to Pondicherry with a friend, Surendranath Jauhar, and he met Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. After a number of visits, his wife became a devotee of The Mother.
In 1945 Dr Sen resigned from the University and moved to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram was founded by Sri Aurobindo on the 24 November 1926 . At the time there were no more than 24 disciples in the Ashram...
, where his family had already been staying for two years. In following years, through lectures, published writings, and personal contacts, he presented Sri Aurobindo's work to academia and universities, where it became well known for the first time.
In in a series of professional papers published from the mid 1930s through the 40s and 50s, he coined the term Integral psychology
Integral psychology
Integral psychology is psychology that presents an all-encompassing holistic rather than an exclusivist or reductive approach. It includes both lower, ordinary, and spiritual or transcendent states of consciousness. Important writers in the field of integral psychology are Sri Aurobindo, Indra...
, to describe the psychological observations contained in Sri Aurobindo's Yoga psychology and philosophy. He also was concerned with the formulation of integral education
Integral education
Integral education refers to educational theories or institutions which are informed by integral thought.-Development:In the teachings on education of Sri Aurobindo and especially those of his co-worker The Mother, Integral Education is the philosophy and practice of education for the whole child:...
as presented in the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.
His papers, which were sent to Sri Aurobindo and later The Mother, before being presented at scientific congresses or published in Ashram journals. It was however not until 1986 that these papers were published, by the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education in book form, as Integral Psychology: The Psychological System of Sri Aurobindo. This has since been issued in a second edition. The field of Integral psychology was later taken up and developed by Haridas Chaudhuri
Haridas Chaudhuri
Haridas Chaudhuri , Bengali integral philosopher, was a correspondent with Sri Aurobindo and the founder of the California Institute of Integral Studies . He was born in Kolkata. He studied at the Scottish Church College and later at the University of Calcutta from where he earned his doctorate in...
when he founded the Integral Counseling Psychology program at what is now the California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies is a private institution of higher education founded in 1968 and based in San Francisco, California. It currently operates in three locations just south of the Civic Center district...
, in the 1970s.
Another of Dr Sen's tasks was to develop three centers for the ashram under The Mother's supervision. One was at Jwalapur, near Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
, and the other two in the Kumaon Hills - "Mountain Paradise", an orchard, and "Tapogiri", a place for sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
(spiritual practice). The last mentioned especially, he was very committed to.
In all Dr Sen's work, themes of integral
Integral thought
Integral is a term applied to a wide-ranging set of developments in philosophy, psychology, spirituality, and many other areas regarding a comprehensive synthesizing transdisciplinary framework or multidimensional perspective to a given field...
and wholeness were very important, and he frequently used terms like "Integral Culture" and "Integral Man". He observed that in Indian psychology "the theoretical and the practical motives of life are combined" and was critical of psychoanalysis for not being interested in the problem of emotional life as a whole.