DHARANA AND THE FORMATION OF OBJECT RELATIONS: A KLEINIAN READING OF YOGIC CONCENTRATION

Concentration practices in yoga, specifically Patanjali's concept of Dharana, can be understood through psychoanalytic object relations theory. This paper argues that Dharana's method of progressively internalizing external objects parallels Melanie Klein's theories of introjection, projection, and the shift from paranoid-schizoid to depressive positions. Yogic concentration thus functions as a psychological technique for reworking early object relations, offering insights for both psychoanalysis and contemplative practice.

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Abstract

This study examines Patanjali's concept of धारणा (Dharana) (concentration) through the lens of Melanie Klein's object relations theory, exploring how yogic concentration practices parallel and potentially facilitate the developmental processes Klein identified in early psychological formation. By analyzing the structural similarities between Dharana's progressive internalization of external objects and Klein's theories of introjection, projection, and the movement from paranoid-schizoid to depressive positions, this paper argues that yogic concentration represents a sophisticated psychological technology for reworking primitive object relations. The research demonstrates how Dharana's systematic approach to object-focused attention mirrors Klein's understanding of how the psyche develops through relationship with both internal and external objects, offering insights for both psychoanalytic practice and contemplative studies.