Importance of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa in prevention and treatment of mental disorders
Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is one among the Trividha Chikitsa i.e. threefold treatments explained by Master Charaka (Ref – Cha.Su.11/54). It is one of the most important treatment inclusions in combating mental disorders.
The other two treatments include Daiva Vyapashraya Chikitsa (divine therapies) & Yukti Vyapashraya Chikitsa.
Often Sattvavajaya is skillfully combined with one of these two treatments or both of them. Many times, Sattvavajaya itself becomes the most important and most effective treatment for mental disorders and can be administered singly. In mild to moderate cases afflicting the mind sattvavajaya chikitsa which includes the modern-day psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and extended sessions of counseling will be just enough to produce comprehensive results.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa can be considered as a mental medicine. Being a non-pharmacological approach, it is a big and mandatory part of comprehensively treating the mental disorders and also to balance the mind doshas.
In this article I shall limit my discussion to ‘the importance of administering Sattvavajaya Chikitsa as a key strategy in the treatment of mental disorders’.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa – Psychotherapy in combating Mental Disorders
Aim of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa in mental disorders
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa aims at regaining and reestablishing normal mental activities and creates a balance in the mind and its attributes. This is achieved by conducting / practicing Yama, Niyama and Pranayama on a regular basis. It is correlated to and termed as ‘Ayurveda Psychotherapy or Trance Therapy’.
Research – A particular research has proved that Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is superior to tablets of Zingiber officinale (Shunti, ginger) in the treatment of Ajeerna caused by Manasika Dosha i.e. atonic dyspepsia.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is a specific line of treatment for effective management of mental disorders and also to balance the doshas related to the mind i.e. rajas and tamas attributes. It is a non-pharmacological approach equivalent to psychotherapy.
Sattvavajaya, word meaning,
Sattvavajaya word division – The word Sattvavajaya comprises of two terms i.e. Sattva = mind, Avajaya = to win, to overcome, victory, conquer. So, Sattvavajaya means ‘controlling one’s mind’ or ‘bringing the mind to a state of balance’.
When the goal is achieved, the patient would have conquered his or her ‘disturbed or diseased mind’.
The aim of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is ‘to control the mind by restraining it from untoward desires, attachments or getting attracted to untoward worldly objects, desires or pleasures, which in true sense are the main causes for imbalance of mind and its attributes and subsequent development of mental disorders’.
It also aims at increasing the sattva guna of the mind.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa
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Increases Sattva Guna of the mind which
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Suppresses and balances aggravated / imbalanced rajas and tamas qualities of the mind
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Mind returns to a state of balance
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Mental disorders get cured
Definition of Sattvavajaya
“Sattvavajayah punah ahitebhyo arthebhyo mano nigrahah”
Any treatment or measure which helps in controlling the mind and keeping it detached from the ahita arthas i.e. unwanted, unwholesome, undesired and incompatible objects of sense organs and or mind is called as Sattvavajaya Chikitsa.
In sattvavajaya Chikitsa, the person is trained to gain control over the senses and mind objects and keep oneself detached from unnecessary, unwholesome objects which could damage the mind and its functioning.
Sattvavajaya in mental disorders caused by ‘Asatmya Indriyartha Sannikarsha’
Asatmya Indriyartha Sannikarsha means improper coordination between the sense organ and its related sense object. It is one of the major causes for the manifestation of diseases. This improper coordination can happen in three ways i.e.
– Hina yoga – deficit contact,
– Ati yoga – excessive contact and
– Mithya yoga – perverted contact
The mind is invariably involved in all these three types of improper coordination. Therefore, asatmya indriyartha sannikarsha related to any sense organ will eventually result in damaging the mind and cause mental disorders in the long run.
Similarly, hina, ati and mithya yoga of mind with its own objects i.e. thinking (chintya), analyzing (vicharya), imagination (uhya), focusing (dhyeya) and determination (sankalpa) also leads to mental disorders.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa therefore includes avoiding these untoward associations i.e. asatmya samyogas related to the sense organs and mind as described above. This will help in comprehensively treating psychiatric / mental disorders. This will also help in prevention of mental disorders from manifesting or their recurrence.
Measures included under Sattvavajaya
Master Charaka has specified ‘Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’ for balancing the disordered rajas and tamas qualities, which are also the doshas of the mind, which tend to cause mental disorders when deranged. It is also the primary treatment for Manasika Rogas – mental disorders.
The below mentioned five are the measures / therapies or strategies included under Sattvavajaya Chikitsa and should be applied skillfully in the treatment of mental disorders. They have individual importance in the treatment of manasika rogas, but a skillful blend of two or more of these measures as and when needed will be a strategic win for comprehensively tackling the mental disorders. So, a physician should be well versed in knowing these entities to their fullest and also to include them in the treatment plan and administer them judiciously.
The five treatment strategies of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa include –
1. Jnana – increasing wisdom / intelligence and thought process / knowledge / conscience / awareness
2. Vijnana – increasing profane knowledge or understanding / discernment / judgment / consciousness / comprehension / perception
3. Dhairya – installing courage
4. Smriti – adopting measures to correct the memory process / to enhance and restore memory
5. Samadhi – meditation
Some experts have used the below mentioned terms, which when properly understood can be comprehensively included in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa. Though they have not been mentioned in Master Charaka’s classification, they can be included in one among these elite five. They are –
– Harshana – causing excitement / happiness / gladdening / delight / joy
– Ashwasana – providing assurance / encouragement
These measures are used to activate and conquer the mind which has been derailed, bring it to proper track and healing it comprehensively.
Benefits and role of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa in the treatment of Mental disorders
There are many aspects that are put into disarray when a person suffers from mental disorder of any kind. Sattvavajaya Chikitsa when implemented skillfully, either individually or in combination with other therapies like Daiva Vyapashraya Chikitsa, Yukti Vyapashraya Chikitsa or both will yield promising results and help in not only curing the mental disorders, but also to prevent them from recurring.
The dhi – intellect, dhruti – courage and decision-making capacity and smriti – memory – are the three important operational zone with which the mind is linked. All these entities are dependent on the knowledge or wisdom we get through our experiences and perceptions. Mind is the most important bridge through which we get connected to the external world through our senses and gain all experiences which would in later part of time become knowledge, wisdom or memories.
The roots of mental disorders are in asatmya indriyartha sannikarsha – improper coordination between the sense organs and sense objects – which may by of deficit, excess or perverted types, prajnaparadha – intellectual blasphemy i.e. committing conscious sins and mistakes and kala parinama – the effect of time, which is not under our control.
Sattvavajaya helps as a guideline for a person to understand these things as etiological factors of his or her mental disturbances and break out of their captivity by detaching themselves from asatmya indriyartha samyoga and prajnaparadha and hence prevent the deviations and deflections which might occur in dhi, Dhriti, and or smriti. Sattvavajaya also helps in streaming the dhi, Dhriti and smriti to the line of balance. All these can be achieved through various measures and interventions included under its umbrella, including jnana, vijnana, dhairya, smriti and samadhi. Thus, we can say that Sattvavajaya is the key to balance the intellect, judgment, perseverance and memory and their operational aspects and channelize them into a zone of positivity which is again a foundation for comprehensive mental health. Sattvavajaya is both preventive and curative.
The five components of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa mentioned by Master Charaka are definitely the gamechangers in the treatment of mental disorders. They are –
– jnana – promoting and creating awareness of spiritual knowledge
– vijnana – promoting and creating awareness of scriptural or scientific knowledge
– dhairya – instilling courage or encouraging the patient, helping him or her to gain mental restraint,
– smrti – helping out the patient to handle memories – accept and save good memories, and flush off the bad memories which are harmful on the long run
– samadhi – helping in development of focus and concentration
They can be administered either individually or skillfully combined to attain the goal of conquering the mind and channelizing it in proper and positive direction. This will help in ‘mind healing’ and to get rid of mental disorders.
In psychological impairments and diseases, one would have lost control on regulating and channelizing his or her thought processes, planning and executing the right ideas, taking right decisions, courage and determination. This would create negativity, fears and unnecessary blocks in the channels related to mind. Sattvavajaya helps in gaining back the control over these entities and in reinstalling courage, determination and focus. The person will learn to channelize his or her thoughts and bring them into action. Sattvavajaya will also help the person in understanding the actions under plan and also their consequences. This would help him to keep away from the obsessive mistakes and sins that one is compelled to do. All these can be achieved through the awareness and consciousness which have got channelized through implementation of sattvavajaya chikitsa.
Mental disorders like unmada – insanity or psychoses and attatvabhinivesha – schizophrenia / chronic mental disorders would put a person in a state wherein he would not be capable of differentiating between good and bad, true and false, beneficial and non-beneficial. These disorders need comprehensive approach and all three treatment modalities including daiva vyapashraya, yukti vyapashraya and sattvavajaya chikitsa should be included and skillfully combined. Sattvavajaya helps in differentiating the above-mentioned entities and establishing mental health.
Chitta Vrittis i.e. activities of the mind can be highly deviating for the mind. The mind will indulge in unwholesome objects. As a result, the knowledge perceived will be erroneous and harmful. They will be saved as bad and harmful memories only to get surfed in at a later point of time. Sattvavajaya Chikitsa will help the person to keep detached from unwanted and unwholesome objects and also to restrain from the ideation of such objects. In doing so, the role and benefits of sattvavajaya is almost similar to what is achieved by regular practice of Yoga.
Vikara or roga i.e. a state of being diseased is called ‘dukha’ i.e. grief or discomfort. On the other hand, Arogya i.e. a state of being healthy is called as ‘sukha’ i.e. happiness or comfort. Dukha and Sukha are states of mind. Sattvavajaya helps in getting rid of dukkha and attaining sukha and hence enables one to become healthy and manage that state.
Sattvavajaya, also helps in establishing equilibrium and a state of calmness in atma – soul, indriya – senses and manas – mind. These three are among the determinants of Swasthya in the Ayurveda definition of comprehensive health.
This therapy helps one in leading a happy, peaceful, satisfying, content and productive life. By conditioning the mind and channels related to it, sattvavajaya chikitsa helps in establishing mental peace, health and balance.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa aims at balancing the manasika doshas – rajas and tamas. Rajas and tamas qualities when increased or aggravated, will cause imbalances in the mind and its functions. Rajas and Tamas are the doshas of the mind and imbalance in their equilibrium provides a suitable foundation for the mental disorders to develop. On the other hand if sattva guna of the mind dominates over the rajas and tamas qualities, sattva guna would not allow the other two attributes to express. This is considered as a state of mental balance. Sattvavajaya Chikitsa would not only decrease the aggravation of raja and tama qualities of the mind but would also enhance the sattva attribute of the mind.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is also a ‘de-stressing’ therapy. It is an important gamechanger in those who are undergoing enormous stress at different phases of life. Apart from providing relief for mental and emotional stress, it also helps in achieving spiritual wisdom and bliss.
Related Reading – ‘Benefits of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
Other facets, various dimensions and perspectives of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa
Trivarga, Prajnaparadha and Sattvavajaya Chikitsa
Trivarga – Dharma – righteous way of living, Artha – gaining wealth in righteous way and Kama – good and reasonable desires are considered to be the trivargas. They are also the parts of purushartha chatushtaya i.e. four goals of human life, the fourth one being the resultant of the above mentioned three done in a righteous way i.e. moksha – salvation. Master Charaka mentions ‘following the trivarga in the proper way’ is a good therapy for mental disorders. To do this, one needs to have a sane mind and determination. When the mind is in a state of imbalance, one would do prajnaparadha due to rajas and tamas attributes going awry. As a result, dharma, Artha and kama will be sought through non-righteous way. Sattvavajaya Chikitsa helps in attaining mental balance and control, with which one would find right ways of conducting dharma, Artha and kama – which will help in getting rid of mental disorders and also would become the pathway for moksha.
Related Reading – ‘Trivarga and Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
Role of the five therapies included in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa in treating Mental Disorders
a. Jnana – promotion of cognition and its benefits in psychotherapy
Jnana / Prajna means knowledge or consciousness or cognition. In particular it is meant to explain spiritual knowledge.
Jnana therapy, which is a form of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa aims at various methods of improving Jnana and its key components i.e. dhi – intellect, Dhriti – courage or decision and smriti – memory.
When Jnana is promoted, the person starts introspecting and understanding the cores of inner self. He will start differentiating between good and bad, beneficial and non-beneficial, useful and harmful aspects clearly. It will help one to avoid erroneous and negative ways of thinking and instill positivity. The person will end up experiencing the true value of self, atma and paramatma and the philosophy and spirituality of life, which is the foundation for procuring a sane, balanced and healthy mind. The Jnana therapy will also help in healing the ailing mind and enriching the mind’s health.
In the process, not only rajas and tamas qualities which are the main culprits in causation of mental disorders are balanced, but the Jnana therapy also fine-tones dhi, Dhriti and smriti components – which forms the foundation for one to procure mental stability and get rid of psychological disorders if any.
From the modern medicine / psychiatry point of view, many therapies like auto-correction, spiritual understanding, reattribution techniques and decentering can be included under the umbrella of Jnana therapy.
Related Reading – ‘Jnana – Spiritual Knowledge, Role in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
b. Vijnana – promotion of worldly or scriptural knowledge
Vijnana is a therapy included in sattvavajaya chikitsa and has been defined as ‘Shastra Jnanam’ which means scriptural, scientific or textual knowledge.
The scriptural knowledge will help a person to understand the worldly affairs in a better way. The physician shall train the person towards comprehensive and scientific interpretation and understanding about the scriptural knowledge. This is a pathway in which the physician shall transfer his vijnana to the patient. This helps the patient to understand the quality and magnitude of his physical or mental or psychosomatic ailments and keep informed about the same. This will help him or her in combating their health issues, mental disorders in this context and keep them in check. This will also help them in understanding the nature of the mind, its qualities, functions, disturbances, disorders and ways to prevent, control or treat the fluctuations occurring in the mind. Initially this can be done with the help, guidance and monitoring by a physician or Ayurveda psychiatrist. Later, when the person learns the ‘self-help’ techniques, he can make a practice of controlling his mind and the fluctuations therein. Therefore, the scriptures, the description found therein and its scientific translation and understanding is very important in knowing and dealing with mental ailments. The scriptures are therefore considered as important testimonials and representative of true and unadulterated knowledge in Ayurveda.
Vijnana helps in understanding the mind games and its subtleties. It trains and guides the ailing person or otherwise to cope up with mental fluctuations, their causes and triggers and ways of coping up with negative emotions, stress and mind imbalances and also provides capacity to deal with them in the most effective way.
One would get the knowledge of pravritti i.e. attachment and nivrutti i.e. detachment which is the foundation for discriminating between good and bad in concern with mind health. This helps in preventing many mental disorders since the person will learn to keep away from the causative factors and triggers. He or she will also learn to respond and behave to various stimuli in a controlled way.
Apart from controlling rajas and tamas doshas of the mind, Vijnana will help in enhancing the sattva guna too. By doing so, it will lay a foundation towards gaining comprehensive mental health and stability. Therefore, it is an ideal therapy towards prevention and cure of mental disorders.
From the perspective of the benefits it bestows, Vijnana therapy is almost equivalent to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Vijnana can be understood in the meaning of comprehension, perception, judgment, profane understanding, discernment or consciousness. Vijnana aims at enhancing these qualities.
Enhanced Vijnana will help one in controlling the mind and its attributes, to balance the mental doshas i.e. rajas and tamas and to enhance the sattva guna. This is a foundation course towards learning to not do prajnaparadha i.e. conscious and obsessive mistakes or sins which is the main cause for many mental disorders. This also helps in prevention and cure of mental disorders.
Vijnana is an ocean consisting of many kinds of knowledge, including those of science, life science and art of blending with worldly affairs, understanding body-mind relationship, social and personal conducts, dietetic and lifestyle regulations and practices, pathology and treatment of mental disorders, preventive knowledge etc.
Vijnana involves behavioral techniques and the ways of developing these skills and putting them to constant use which will in turn help in treating psychiatric and psychosomatic diseases comprehensively.
Vijnana is also a happiness science. As a mind phenomenon it helps us in understanding many things in the correct sense so that we can blend with nature and the world around us, feel ourselves as a part of it and live a happy and blissful life. It also provides one with a clarity towards actions to be taken on the basis of procured knowledge.
Vijnana trains one in social skills which further helps in correcting the disturbed behaviors and behavioral deficits.
Related Reading – ‘Vijnana – Scriptural, Scientific or Worldly Knowledge – Educative approach and its role in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
c. Dhairya / Aashvasana Chikitsa – reassurance as a part of sattvavajaya chikitsa
Dhairya – means courage or confidence. As a therapy it involves instilling courage and confidence in the hearts of the patients. It is of utmost importance for those who have less courage or confidence. It can be used as a treatment for those having avara sattva i.e. weak minded. Providing assurance or confidence or courage to those in want of that is a part and parcel of sattvavajaya chikitsa i.e. physiotherapy. Dhairya is a sub-therapy included in sattvavajaya chikitsa. Some even call this as ashwasana chikitsa, ashwasana means reassuring the person which will in turn instill courage in him or her.
Apart from instilling courage, dhairya therapy also relieves fears and boosts self-confidence. It also generates a wave of hope enabling the person to see light at the end of the tunnel.
In this direction, it is important for the physician to have one-to-one talk with the patient. He should also explain the nature of the disease to the patients. This will help the patients to understand what is happening to them and develop an insight into the disease.
The physician should follow the same approach so as to explain the treatment procedures that the patient would be undergoing in the coming days. He shall also keep the patient intimated and aware about the causative factors, triggers, reasons for flare ups and recurrences and other facets of the disease. Patients should also be educated about the preventive measures and precautions which they need to know and also inculcate the same into their lives. This will help in prevention of many diseases.
Dhairya as a therapy will generate courage and confidence in the minds of the patients and help them conquer their fears. This will strengthen their sattvika quality of the mind. They will be ready to face any hardships of life and conquer their fears strongly. Dhairya is a tool to prevent and cure mental disorders.
Related Reading – ‘Dhairya / Aashvasana Chikitsa – reassurance and courage therapy, Role in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
d. Smriti Chikitsa – fine-toning Memory as a part of sattvavajaya chikitsa
Smriti which means memory, is an intervention which is included under the umbrella of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa explained by Master Charaka.
When used as a therapy it is used to restore and enhance the memory by balancing smriti bhramsha i.e. perversions of memory by using many methods. When not a part of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa, memory can be enhanced or balanced by using effective medicines and therapies in that direction.
Smriti therapy is used to remove or delete bad and unwanted memories and restore or establish good and wanted memories. The person is made to forget painful and traumatic memories which could cause many mental disorders when left unflushed. Bad memories are also sources of all kinds of grief, worry, anxiety, depression, fear and other harmful emotions. Smriti therapy includes replacing the memories, bad ones with good ones.
Smriti Vibhramsha and Prajnaparadha, leading to psychological disorders – Smriti or memory is one of the faculties of manas, the mind. Dhi and Dhriti are the other two. One will have a healthy and balanced mind when these three faculties are in a state of balance. On the other hand, one would suffer from many kinds of psychological disorders when one or more of the dhi, Dhriti or smriti or imbalanced or disturbed.
Smriti is defined as – ‘Drushta Shruta Anubhutanam Smaranat Smritih Uchyate’ which means ‘Smriti is remembering or recollecting the knowledge of anything that is perceived through seeing (observing), hearing or experiencing’.
Mano Vibhramsha i.e. perversion of mind is a state of mind when there is perversion of the faculties of the mind. When one does any action under the influence of mano vibhramsha it will be called as prajnaparadha i.e. conscious mistakes or sins.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa or Ayurveda psychotherapy aims at correcting these faculties and bringing them to their actual line of operation establishing serene balance in them, and hence healing the mind comprehensively. This is how the correction of the smriti component becomes an important component of sattvavajaya chikitsa.
Memory manipulation – It is an aspect of sattvavajaya chikitsa. The patients are trained to analyze their memories. They are guided to delete and get rid of bad and unwanted memories and replace new and good memories in their place. One can do this either voluntarily or being guided by their psychotherapist. This will teach the person to keep away the bad and negative emotions or stimuli / triggers and on the other side to develop and nurture positivity within.
This can help people having weak memory and when memory is required to get rid of the diseases.
Other benefits
One would need good memory to follow the instructions given by the physician related to prescription, diet, lifestyle and behavioral changes and also dose forms of medicines so that he or she recovers in quick time. Smriti helps one to remember his or her disease and its symptoms and also remember recovery and progression of treatment. Smriti helps one to be aware about attachment and detachment and the effects of the same. All these help in comprehensive psychosomatic healing.
Smriti Bhramsha – i.e. perversion of memory is the root of prajnaparadha and prajnaparadha is the root for all psychiatric illnesses and diseases. This is one such condition which demands memory manipulation through smriti therapy. It can be found in diseases like unmada, apasmara and atattvabhinivesha.
Related Reading – ‘Smriti – memory, recall – Cognitive Approach, Role in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
e. Samadhi – inducing Samadhi – meditation or concentration like state as a part of Sattvavajaya chikitsa
Samadhi is the fifth tool or intervention included in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa by Master Charaka. It is one of the elite eight branches of Ashtanga Yoga. It is a state of utmost and ultimate balance of mind and of unwavering concentration. It is a type of Yogic psychotherapy
Samadhi, as a therapy, is the best tool to treat those suffering from chronic mental or psychosomatic disorders. Samadhi would reduce wavering, fluctuations and confusions in the mind. This will bestow focus, concentration and tranquility which is utmost needed for healing and balance of mind.
Samadhi is of utmost importance in psychiatric interventions because most of the diseases one suffers in lifetime are psychosomatic in nature. The person’s mind will always be invested in the disease and its symptoms and in chronic diseases the disease becomes a habit and part and parcel of those suffering from it. The detachment and flush-out is needed. The ‘disease thoughts’ would constantly bother and waver the mind leading to different gradients of stress, worry, depression and anxiety. This is the main source for agitation and worsening of any mental disease and is also true for worsening of physical and psychosomatic ailments.
In such a state, the mind needs to be pulled back to the axis of balance which can definitely be achieved by applying various Yoga techniques. Samadhi is a kind of Yogic relaxation which is also a part of psychotherapy.
Master Patanjali defines Yoga as ‘Chitta Vritti Nirodha’. Chitta Vritti Nirodha comprises techniques and measures to control the fluctuant and uncontrolled activities of the mind and also channelizing it in a proper pathway. Gaining control over the mind and mind activities is nothing but ‘self-control’. Chitta Vritti Nirodha also means ‘control over the sense organs and their subjects’. These faculties are under the control of the manas – mind.
Chitta Vrittis – Chitta Vrittis are the thoughts which cause mind cluttering. In its normal state, chitta i.e. mind (memory, consciousness) is stable and balanced. Vrittis are those fluctuant waves which cause fluctuations and wavering in the stable mind and bring about instability therein. Practice of Yoga puts brakes on the chitta vrittis and hence brings about calmness in the mind. This keeps the mind detached from cluttering thoughts. Chitta Vritti Nirodha not only reduces stress but also increases self-awareness. Chitta Vrittis are the thought patterns that would prevent a person from seeing and realizing the truth about the Self and the world in which he or she lives.
Looking at this from an Ayurveda perspective – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the trigunas i.e. three basic attributes of the manas which are also responsible for creation of the universe. All psychological events happening in us are caused by these attributes and fluctuations happening in them. The imbalances in sattva etc. attributes are responsible for indulgence of one in the objects and fluctuations and wavering happening in the mind.
Wavering does not occur in sattva since it is not a dosha and is a state of balance. Rajas and Tamas are the doshas of mind. It is these two attributes that undergo fluctuations leading to chitta vrittis of different kinds. Imbalances occurring in raja and tama qualities of the mind will afflict the balance of mind and also that of sattva attributes of the mind. Sattvavajaya Chikitsa aims at balancing raja and tama qualities and to enhance or balance the sattva guna.
Related Reading – ‘Samadhi – inducing Samadhi like state, a kind of Yogic Psychotherapy as a part of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’.
Other inclusions in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa
Mano Kshobha Chikitsa – Shock or Psycho-shock therapy
The Ayurveda explanation of ‘Mano Kshobha Chikitsa’ can be included in the format of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa. It can be correlated with Psycho-shock therapy. The measures included herein as explained in Ayurveda treatises can be effectively used in management of acute and chronic mental diseases or exacerbations of symptoms of the same. Therefore, it is used in treatment of a wide array of diseases like Unmada – psychoses and Bhotonmada – chronic idiopathic demonic psychiatric disorders. Shock therapies will help in restoring the patient’s psyche. They will also help in balancing the mind and senses of those suffering from psychiatric ailments.
Examples include – Trasana – threatening or terrorizing, Harshana – exhilaration, Vismapana – causing astonishment etc. These methods will help in change of ideation and the mind can be brought back to its original healthy state. (Ref – For details – Read Charaka Chikitsa 9/80)
The purpose of these shock therapies will be healing the mind in spite of them producing physical pain and also mental shock to the patient. They will restore and reinstall normalcy and tranquility of mind. Kshobha Chikitsa acts on the lines of shock therapy or Electroconvulsive Treatment – ECT and will also bestow the same benefits.
Pratidvandva Chikitsa – Memory Replacement or Emotion Swap
This is a kind of neutralizing therapy in which one extreme emotion is replaced by yet another opposite emotion so as to neutralize it. Pratidvandva Chikitsa is an integral part of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa. Master Charaka has explained the same in Charaka Chikitsa Chapter 9 (9/86) in the context of Unmada Chiktisa – treatment of psychoses. It consists of replacing negative ideas with new positive thoughts and responses.
Sattva Pariksha and Sattva Chikitsa – Customized diagnosis and treatment of mental imbalances, Personal Psychotherapy
By explaining the Sattva Prakara i.e. types of sattva or mind states, classification of individual on the basis of trigunas (sattva, raja and tama), Sattva Pariksha amongst the Dashavidha Pariksha – the tenfold patient examination and Satvasara Purusha Lakshanas i.e. features of a person who is enriched with balanced mind, Ayurveda has accepted the variants of behavior of mind and people who have such a state of mind. The collective information from these contexts also gives us an idea and classification of different psychic personalities i.e. manasika prakriti.
Similarly, the other factors among the tenfold examination like prakriti, vikriti, sara, samhanana, desha, kala, vaya etc also should be considered along with the psychic personality and behavior of individuals to prepare a proper framework of treatment approach. Comprehensive knowledge of these entities will give a clarity to the physicians handling the mano vikritis – mental ailments and imbalances so as to plan, customize and execute psychotherapies – sattvavajaya chikitsa as and when needed on a person-to-person basis.
To Sum Up,
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is an important component of the treatment protocol explained in Ayurveda. It is used to comprehensively treat psychiatric and psychosomatic problems and also physical ailments with mental symptoms or mental disorders with physical symptoms (psychosomatic disorders). But basically, it is a foundation treatment and mandatory inclusion to treat mental conditions as per Ayurveda, the roots of the concepts are found to be spread in modern medicine laying the foundation for development of various facets of modern-day psychiatry.
Some principles like the Ayurveda version of shock therapy cannot be practiced as such in modern day approach towards psychiatric illnesses but their altered versions or remodulated approaches taking their essence can be designed and brought into play for comprehensive results in healing the ailing minds. The point is to appreciate that Ayurveda had stressed upon so many dimensions of approaches towards dealing with mind disorders.
