Bridging the Self-Other Divide: Rasa, Self-Transformation, and Well-Being in Indian Psychology

This chapter discusses the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral pathways to well-being rooted in the systems of Indian psychological thought. Central to the analysis presented here is the idea of a fluidic and flowing “I,” which is derived from the concept of rasa rather than a fixed, rigid “I,” as is often assumed in contemporary psychology discourse. The Indian theory of rasa and the subsequent phenomenology of well-being are explained in the tradition of Nātya Śāstra and its commentary by Achārya Abhinava Gupta. These theories of rasa and emotional transformation are further refined in the theory of the bhakti rasa. It is argued that bhakti is psychologically understood in terms of bridging the self-other divide, through a fluidic, flowing self rather than a fixed, rigid self. Thus, the theory of the bhakti rasa provides a methodology of well-being and a holistic way of living. The implications of these ideas in the practice of mainstream psychology are highlighted.