Distinctions in types of awareness appear in the ancient thought of India, influ

enced by Hinduism. A central idea of the Upanishads is the distinction between a

person's transient mundane self and their eternal unchanging soul. Divergent Hi
ndu doctrines, and Buddhism, have challenged this hierarchy of selves, but have
all emphasized the importance of reaching higher awareness. Yoga is a range of t
echniques used in pursuit of this goal. Much of the Sanskrit corpus was suppress
ed under the British East India Company followed by the British Raj in the 1800s
. However, Indian doctrines influenced Western thinking via the Theosophical Soc
iety, a New Age group which became popular among Euro-American intellectuals.[20
]