World Journal «Psychotherapy» 2012, №1 (5), pp.

20—24
http://rusworld.ruspsy.net/article.php?post=582

Modern and Yoga concept of personality

Himanshu Giri

Sigmund Freud University, Vienna (Austria)

Causal body projects astral body and then astral body becomes the basis for the physical body. Body is
the gross form which is visible, mind is the subtle form which is not visible, and spirit is beyond both i.e.
it is neither part of the body nor of the mind. It is beyond both; it is the self, the seer and the witness,
which watches body and mind performing their respective functions. Spirit is the source of mind. Spirit
is the light through which the mind shines. Spirit gives energy to the mind for its functioning. Mind
which is less subtle than the spirit is the bundle of the samskaras. It is a bundle of habits. It is the store
house of vasanas and desires. It is the medium or the instrument that the spirit uses for functioning in
this world. The gross form of mind is the body. The mind uses the body to act in this material world.
Body is the tool of the mind, in the same way as mind is the tool of the spirit. There is an inter-relation
between mind and body and one cannot survive without the other. The spirit is the master of both and
is beyond both. The spirit uses mind and mind uses the body to perform actions. Therefore conclusively
we can say that every personality is a dynamic and unique organization of different physical and
psychological traits due to which one’s behavior and thinking is of its own kind or unique in an given
environment. In yoga personality is a composition of physical, psychological and spiritual traits. All the
three aspects of personality – Sthool, Shookshma and Karana Sharira – are inter related and inter
dependent. One affects the other. For better personality development all the three aspects body, mind
and spirit are taken into account in yoga.

Personality has been the central issue among different psychologists right from the beginning till now.
Several attempts were made to understand personality and to define the term. Darley et al (1991)
summarized several viewpoints regarding personality. According to him, the psychoanalytic model of
personality assumes that we are primarily motivated by drives and instincts over which we have little
control: these motivations exist, for the most part in our unconscious. Personality is made up of three
processes or systems- the Id, the Ego and the Super ego.

A person’s behaviour is the product of the interaction, and often conflict, among these three systems.
According to Freud, personality development takes place through four psychosexual stages: oral anal
phallic and genital. Failure to resolve developmental challenges of those stages results in fixation.

The Humanistic existential models of personality focus on the total personality as opposed to separate
behaviours that make up personality.

Biology and the environment are minimized as determinants, and personal choice is emphasized.
Maslow emphasizes the drives for self actualization, which underlies all our needs. This drive is to realize
our own potential by whatever means we can; it gives unity and organization to the personality. Roger’s
person centered personality theory emphasizes the role of the self and conscious awareness in the life
of the individual.

The trait model of personality, the earliest ideas about the personality, attempted to account for
person’s behaviour in terms of innate traits- enduring characteristics such as honesty or shyness. Social-
cognitive models of personality view personality as being the result of a person’s unique cognitive
organization of the world; in other words, a person’s actions flow from his or her perspectives.
The learning and conditioning model of personality accepts that personality is a set of patterns of
behaviour that we learn to make in response to specific stimuli, in accordance with how such responses
were reinforced in the past.

Each of the models has its individual position on several key issues concerning personality and human
nature in general. Some models of personality are more or less similar to others in their position on
there issues.

The different models of personality can be compared on the following three focal points:

The structure of personality

Personality theories vary in the terms they use to describe personality some use terms that imply
personality comprises mental structures that can come into conflict with one another. Psychoanalytic
theory is most notable for proposing that personality is composed of structures (the id, ego and super
ego) that jointly influence the individual through the actions of drives and often struggle against one
another for supremacy. Within the humanistic existential model, Roger’s concepts of self and ideal-self
are mental structures that, though constantly being modified, are entities through which the individual
interacts with and interprets life and that may at times be in conflict.

The social cognitive model also uses structural concepts to describe personality but does not emphasize
intra psychic conflicts. Rather, it stresses that the content of these structures whether they be scripts,
personal constructs, and expectancies, whatever- is what is important in creating personality. Trait
theorists differ somewhat in regard to their use of structural concepts. Instead of seeing traits as mental
structures, they propose that they are basic dimensions of personality that an individual can possess
more or less of, predispositions that dispose an individual to behave in a particular way consistently over
situation and time.

Other theorists use concepts that imply process rather than structure. For instance, within the learning
and conditioning model skinner speaks of responses, which are behavioral processes rather than mental
structures. Virtually every concept within learning theory is an observable, behavioral one. Learning and
conditioning theorists have been especially devoted to generating a theory devoid of concepts that
imply mental structures.

The nature of Development

and the Possibility of change

Some personality theories propose that personality is solidified early in life and that development from
that point on is nothing but an unfolding of predetermined personality structures and processes. The
model that represents this deterministic view in its most extreme form is the psychoanalytic model.
According to psychoanalytic theory, development is complete by about age 5 or 6. By this time passage
through the psychosexual stages has occurred most often leaving the individual with conflicts, fixations,
or regressions that will continue to operate throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood. A
somewhat less extreme but related position is taken by the trait model. Trait theorists assume that
traits (or their predispositions) are present at birth, and that these traits, together with environmental
and maturational factors are powerful contributors to the organization of personality.

Traits are what result in predictable and consistent behaviour in particular personality types. Unlike
psychoanalytic theorists, however, trait theorists acknowledge that the interaction of these three
factors- traits, environment and maturation can lead to personality change. Although personality
structure influences the way in which the individual views the world, the world can also influence
personality. Thus personality growth is possible through modification of traits. The remaining models,
humanistic- existential, social- cognitive, and learning and conditioning, are all less deterministic. They
emphasize that personality is always capable of change and growth, and that change and growth can be
independent of major influences from the past.
The role of unconscious

The majority of personality theorists acknowledge the existence of unconscious motivation, but there is
considerable difference of opinion as to its exact character. According to psychoanalytic theory, material
is kept in an unconscious state by the active process of repression.

According to cognitive theory, subjective representation, like many other things a person does (such as
constructing a grammatically correct sentence) is not immediately accessible to conscious analysis.

The psychoanalytic model places a great deal of importance on the activity of unconscious drives,
thoughts and conflicts. While the neo-Freudians allotted more “space” to the conscious area of the
person ability, they also assumed that only a small fraction of personality is conscious and that the
major portion of mental activity takes place outside the individual’s conscious awareness.

Within the learning and conditioning model Dollard and Miller disagree sharply with skinner about the
influence of the unconscious on behaviour. Dollard and Miller’s notion of conditioned anxiety rests on
the assumption that behaviour can be guided by fear that is disconnected from its original source. The
original pairing of the neutral stimulus with the fear arousing situation is powerful precisely because its
efforts operate outside conscious awareness.

Skinner, on the other hand, sees no need to posit the existence of unconscious drives that produce
behaviour. Instead be insists that behaviour is a result of external reinforcement contingencies that
increase the probability that the behaviour will reoccur. Within the trait model both Allport and Cattel
acknowledge the influence of the unconscious on personality, but give it less importance in producing
behaviour than psychoanalytic theorists do. In addition Allport unlike Cattel, emphasizes that the
healthy individual is primarily motivated by conscious conflicts and wishes, and holds that the
psychoanalytic emphasis on the unconscious has resulted in an excessive concern with
psychopathology.

Both the humanistic- existential and the social-cognitive models make less of the concept of the
unconscious than do psychoanalytic thinkers, but do talk about personality functions that go on outside
awareness.

For at least some of the humanistic psychologists, these are a result of the activity of defense
mechanisms like repression and denial. For social-cognitive theorists, unconscious processes don’t result
from the repression of sexually linked material, but from rapid fire, below awareness processes that
occur in all aspects of a person’s thinking.

Different models of personality discussed a lot on the issue of personality but when it comes to define
personality, several attempts were made right from the beginning. The word personality is derived from
a Latin word ‘persona’ meaning ‘mask’. Earlier this literal meaning led psychologists to believe that
personality is the organization of physical characteristics. But things changed later on, when personality
was understood in terms of psychological characteristics only. But the most comprehensive definition till
now was given by Allport (1937).

He said, “Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems
that determine his unique adjustment to his environment”. On more or less the same line Eysenk (1952)
said, “Personality is more or less state and enduring organization of a person’s character temperament,
in talked and physique that determine his unique adjustments to this environment.”

On the basis of above definitions following characteristics of personality came into light:

Personality is a psycho-physical system

Personality is an organization of both physical and psychological characteristics. The physical structure
as well as the mental make up together gives a full picture of the total personality of the individual.

Personality is a dynamic organization

Personality is dynamic yet static by nature. In different situations the personality makeup changes.
When we are in front of our juniors then we feel confident, where as in front of our teachers we feel
less confident. But on the other hand the inner core of personality never changes. An extrovert person
never becomes introvert through out his life.

Personality determines unique adjustment:

Every personality has a unique combination of psycho-physical traits. No two individuals are same. It is
due to unique organization of traits that two individual adjusts differently in a given situation. In a
simple examination situation each one of us makes different behaviours to adjust. At the same
temperature butter melts but egg becomes solid just because of difference in organization. Similarly
each individual has unique adjustment in his environment due to their unique combination of physical
and psychological characteristics.

PERSONALITY (VYAKTITVA) IN YOGA

Human personality according to yoga is composed of purusha and prakriti i.e. consciousness and matter.
Purusha apart from prakriti is pure being but by the admixture of prakriti it begins to function as
personality. In the yogic system, when the light of consciousness (purusha) falls on matter (prakriti),
personality emerges at the level of human beings.

Personality is the identification of the knower with the instrument of knowing. The knower is purusha
and the instruments of knowing consist of mind and senses.

At the nucleus of the personality lies the pure consciousness, the true self. But this true self is covered
with a covering, which is trigunatita i.e. of the nature of sattva, rajas and tamas.

So we identify ourselves with the false self. Human personality has been conceived with the three
gunas, with predominance of one over the other.

The inter-play and interaction between the three gunas provides individuality and individual differences
in personality although the nucleus of personality consists of the same pure consciousness in all human
beings (Singh, 1977; Tigunait, 1983).

The manifested personality in yogic system has been conceived as an organization of body, mind and
spirit. All these three components of personality interact and influence each other. As a result of unique
organization and interaction of these three aspects of personality, every individual has a different
personality.

Misra (1998) on the basis of his researches in the yogic system concluded that a human personality is
not a composite of skin, muscles, blood and bones but possesses three bodies i.e. Gross physical body or
Sthool Sharira, Astral body or Sookshma Sharira and Causal body or Karana Sharira.

Gross physical body or Sthool Sharira

The physical gross body is made up of the annamaya koshas that gives rise to flesh, bones, blood and
nerves. This body consists of the pancha mahabhootas i.e. prithvi, jala, agni, vayu and akasha, the
physical forms of the five gyanendriyas i.e. eyes, ears, skin, nose and tongue, and the five karmendriyas
i.e. hands, legs, reproductive organs, excretory organs and vocal cord.
Astral body or Sookshma Sharira

The Astral body consists of three sheaths namely vital or pranamaya koshas, mental or manomaya
koshas and intellectual or vigyanamaya koshas. The pranamaya koshas consist of the vital force known
as pranas that flow in astral tubes called the nadis.

Prana is the subtlest form of energy that underlines all physical energies. It also sustains all the mental
processes such as thinking, feeling, willing and reasoning. It is the sustainer of life and forces on this
world.

In a restricted sense, prana is the vital force that sustains life of man by performing various vital
functions and keeps the body alive. Breathing is as effect of the prana. It is linked to the mind and
senses.

Though prana is one, it is known by different names due to its different functions in the body.
Accordingly there are five major pranas and five sub pranas. Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana and Udana
are five main pranas. Naga, Kurma, Krikara, Devadatta and Dhananjaya are five sub pranas. Nadis are
astral tubes through which pranic currents move. They can not be seen by naked eyes.

There are 72,000 nadis. Among them Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are the most important. Ida and
pingala correspond to left and right sympathetic chains. Ida flows through left nostril and is cooling.

Pingala flows through the right nostril and is heating. Tamas predominates in Ida, and rajas in pingala.
Sushumna is the best of all nadis. It arises from the basal plexus and passes through the spinal column
through the subtle channel of the spinal cord up to the crown of the head. Chakras are junctions where
nadis cross over.

All important chakras that are also very important mystic centers are situated in the sushumna. These
are mooladhara, swadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddhi, ajna and sahasrara chakras.

The manomaya koshas consist of manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkar, which together forms the mind
called as antah Karana. The mind receives messages from the gyanendriyas, understands them and
makes decisions for actions which are carried out by the karmendriyas.

The vigyanamaya koshas are responsible for intuitions. Different constituents of the astral body are
made up of tanmatras, the astral counter part of the five mahabhootas. The five tanmatras are – rupa,
rasa, gandha, sparsha etc.

Causal body or Karana Sharira

Causal body is the inner most plane of a person. It is the source of astral and physical body. It is
exclusively experienced in deep sleep and samadhi. During the experience of joy or grief it is the causal
body that operates. Causal body and anandamaya koshas are the same. Swami Niranjanananda (1993)
said that anandamaya koshas mean the body of bliss where the experience of spirit is taking place;
where the individual personality has fused with the higher personality.

Causal body projects astral body and then astral body becomes the basis for the physical body. Body is
the gross form which is visible, mind is the subtle form which is not visible, and spirit is beyond both i.e.
it is neither part of the body nor of the mind. It is beyond both; it is the self, the seer and the witness,
which watches body and mind performing their respective functions.

Spirit is the source of mind. Spirit is the light through which the mind shines. Spirit gives energy to the
mind for its functioning.
Mind which is less subtle than the spirit is the bundle of the samskaras. It is a bundle of habits. It is the
store house of vasanas and desires.

It is the medium or the instrument that the spirit uses for functioning in this world.

The gross form of mind is the body. The mind uses the body to act in this material world. Body is the
tool of the mind, in the same way as mind is the tool of the spirit. There is an inter-relation between
mind and body and one cannot survive without the other. The spirit is the master of both and is beyond
both. The spirit uses mind and mind uses the body to perform actions.

Personality has been explained on the basis of the gunas as well. Prakriti has three gunas – sattva, rajas
and tamas. When purusha is in sattva state it is pure and uncorrupt giving rise to a simple, clear, honest
personality. But when the mixture of rajas and tamas of prakriti is added, the mind begins its function
and gives rise to abnormal human behaviour of personality. When the person is dominated by rajas
guna, the personality that emerges is dynamic, full of cravings, desires and actions. On the other hand,
when tamas guna predominates personality becomes lethargic, ignorant and id dominant (Singh, 1977).

Conclusion

Therefore conclusively we can say that every personality is a dynamic and unique organization of
different physical and psychological traits due to which one’s behavior and thinking is of its own kind or
unique in an given environment. In yoga personality is a composition of physical, psychological and
spiritual traits. All the three aspects of personality – Sthool, Shookshma and Karana Sharira – are inter
related and inter dependent. One affects the other. For better personality development all the three
aspects body, mind and spirit are taken into account in yoga.

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