Background: Intelligence is one of the most important aspects of one's consciousness. Various practices have been given in yogic texts to develop human consciousness in its entirety. The present study assesses whether Prana vidya practices (PVPs) are effective for the enhancement of intelligence in adolescents. Various studies have established that prana-related practices such as pranayama and pranic healing have played an important role in the prevention and treatment of various aspects of human health. Aim: To study the effect of PVPs on the intelligence quotient (IQ) and performance quotient (PQ) of adolescents. Materials and Methods: The present study was a randomized control trial, conducted to find the effect of 5-week Prana vidya intervention on IQ and PQ of adolescents where five different PVPs were given every day for 35 min. Thirty six adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years were selected for this study and assessed by Bhatia's Battery of Performance Tests of Intelligence before and after the intervention. Data Analysis: The data were analyzed for the variables IQ and PQ under the descriptive statistics, correlation, and the paired t-test. Results: The results show a significant increase (P < 0.01) in the IQ and PQ scores of the experimental group after the given intervention. The mean ± standard error values of IQ and PQ were found as be IQ (pre = 109.44 ± 3.46, post = 123.40 ± 2.43) and PQ (pre = 111.66 ± 3.48, post = 124.27 ± 2.53). The correlation coefficient was found to be significantly positive between pre- and post-tests of both IQ and PQ. Conclusions: The study findings suggest that PVPs increase IQ and PQ in adolescents.

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Background: The famous rasa theory, with its three complete components, has been widely discussed in the doctrines of poetics and dramaturgy but not in the context of pure music. This study tries to find out the application of three rasa components in the context of Nonlyrical Nonpercussive Indian Pure Music (NNIPM). This would help the field of Indian music therapy to explore its application as a rendition according to desirable emotions relevant to needful subjects after customizing it to the individual need. Aim: This pilot study aims to know the pragmatic approach of rasa theory regarding NNIPM, coupled with rasa-centric rendering method to evoke śānta rasa (related to calmness, satisfaction, pleasantness, and other related emotions). Materials and Methods: Five music clips were recorded on Rudra Vīṇā, which are the stimuli to get emotional responses from fifty participants. A questionnaire was developed to elicit psychophysical responses and transitory emotions to get emotional reactions from them. Based on rasa theory, a Rasa-Matrix (RM) was designed. Based on RM, a Rasa Equation formula was further designed to get the rasa values of each response. Results: Fifty people participated from India and Bangladesh (n = 50). There were 210 (84%) rasa responses, and 40 (16%) were null as the rasa outcomes overlapped. According to Cronbach's alpha for reliability and internal consistency, the questionnaire was highly reliable for all five tunes (α was always 0.86-0.89). Accuracy of desirable śāntarasa (0.98, P < 0.001) was satisfactory. Conclusion: This study shows that the application of rasa theory regarding NNIPM is a reliable approach for emotion-centric music therapy. With the help of the rasa-centric rendering method, there is a considerable potential to create tunes that will be more helpful for inclusion as part of Indian music therapy in specific mental health conditions.

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Background: Adolescence is a phase where one attempts to gain clarity on strengths, weakness, and resources. This article aims to test the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive moral development program for high school adolescents in South India. Methods: One hundred and twenty English-speaking adolescents, aged 14–17 years, were provided a 3-week program titled “Infini14,” a moral development program. The adolescents were divided into 3 groups of 40 each matched on age, gender, and education: (1) Infini14, (2) growth magazine and videos, and (3) control group. All adolescents were assessed at baseline; at the end of the 3 weeks; and at the end of the 3 months on variables of self-esteem, food habits, coping, and personality. Results: Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant improvement in self-esteem, food habits, positive coping, negative coping, and personality over the period of 3 months in the intervention group as compared to the other two groups. Bivariate correlation at baseline depicted that the duration of following a spiritual and/or religious path was significantly positively correlated with self-esteem; the age of the adolescents was negatively correlated and parents' education was positively correlated with their food habits. Conclusions: “Infini14” is an effective program for adolescents to develop self-esteem, coping skills, health, and personality.

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The coronavirus pandemic has created a psychological havoc across nations. Researchers and mental health practitioners have put in their efforts to use contemporary forms of psychological interventions and therapies for the management of mental health concerns that have arisen in the current pandemic. However, only rare attention has been paid to the principles of Ayurveda for psychological issues. Hence, the present paper aims to bring forth the forgotten but treasured principles of Ayurveda explicated in Charaka Samhita for psychological well-being and to outline some of the indigenous strategies for COVID-related psychosocial management.

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Background: In contemporary scenario, we can notice a significant drop in self-responsibility and social connectedness among modern intellectuals and youth. As a result, several irresponsible and denigrating comments against cultural tools and practices continue to surface in the media and on the social networking sites. Psychological studies have identified co-occurrence between loss of reliance on cultural practices and emergence of physical and mental health issues. Objectives: Against this backdrop, current study has sought to analyzes integrative and comprehensive perspective of human nature found in Gandhian literature to expand the paradigms of self-nurturance and psychological counseling. Materials and Method: The data were analyzed by using thematic analysis. Results: Gandhian view goes beyond the prevalent notions of individualism and identifies over-indulgence in sensory pleasures, lack of self-investigation, utilitarianism, and lack of faith in God as causal pathways for mental health concerns. Addressing these challenges requires attending to the functioning of body, mind, spirit /soul, and nature (svabhav). Conclusion: Inculcating spirituality, love, non-violence, truth, theism, service, and celibacy in the process of psychological counseling is important. The Gandhian perspective especially acknowledges the relevance of self-expansion, sensory restraint, prayer, and inculcation of peace as techniques for Psychological counseling to restore physical and mental health.

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Background: Career choice in engineering, especially in India, is determined by many factors such as parental influence and other inherent traits of students. Understanding the factors that are associated with self-regulated, choiceful decision-making in a career choice is essential to build better human resources. Early yoga practice may influence certain inherent traits, which can enable autonomous decision-making. Hence, exploration of those psychological factors is attempted in this study. Aim: This study aims to explore the parenting styles and dimensions of emerging adulthood among yoga and nonyoga practitioners. Methods: From an engineering college in South India, 311 first-semester students were recruited for the study. The Free will and Determinism Scale, the General Health Questionnaire, the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood, the 13-item short form of the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and the Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Scale were administered. Results: The students were divided into two categories, yoga practitioners and nonyoga practitioners. We performed Pearson's partial correlation between various variables across these two groups, controlling for social desirability scores. Overall, the magnitude of the correlations was low to moderate. Conclusion: There are a few dimensions of emerging adulthood that have desirable outcome trends, both in yoga and nonyoga practitioners. Distinct features of yoga practitioners are students who exercise inner free will, and with autonomy-supportive parenting style tend to have a positive outlook. Therefore, yoga may promote self-regulated ways of inner growth and learning in emerging adults.

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