Tantra and Modern Neurosciences: Is there any Correlation?
Anand Venkatraman, Rajarshi Nandy, Shyam Sudarshan Rao, Darshan Hemendra Mehta, Anand Viswanathan, Rama Jayasundar
Neurology India 2019 DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.271263 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Hinduism Interoception Mantra Subtle body Tantra |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key points | Proposes that Tantric texts offer a systematic framework for understanding subjective neural phenomena, which could inform interdisciplinary research on cognitive enhancement and neurological treatment. |
Abstract
Many studies have conclusively proven that meditative techniques derived from the Indian systems of philosophy, meditation and ritual classified as "Tantra" can bring about sustained changes in the structure and function of the nervous system of practitioners. The aim of this study is to provide neuroscientists a framework through which to interpret Tantra, and thereby provide a foundation upon which future interdisciplinary study can be built. We juxtapose Tantric concepts such as the subtle body, nadis and mantras with relevant neuroscientific findings. Our premise is that through sustained internalization of attention, Tantric practitioners were able to identify and document subtle changes in their field of awareness, which usually do not cross the threshold to come into our perception. The descriptions left by Tantric philosophers are often detailed and empirical, but they are about subjective phenomena, rather than external objects. They also focus on individual experiences, rather than the group-level analyses favored by modern medical science. Systematic exploration of Tantric texts can be of tremendous value in expanding our understanding of human beings' experiential reality, by enabling us to build bridges between first-person and third-person approaches to the nervous system. This may open up new avenues for cognitive enhancement and treating neurological diseases.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Role of meditation on the essence of self in the psychological profile, quality of life and lifestyle - a comparative study. Clinics 2025
- Spectral Analysis of Vishnu Sahasranama: Effects on Stress Levels and Memory Improvement Science Discovery June 27, 2026
- Un-binding the Umwelt: The Differential Contributions of the Five Classical Senses can be Understood Through Hindu Tantra Biosemiotics January 16, 2025
- Non-invasive Electrophysiological Characterization of Distinctive Meditative States in a Yogi during Samaadhi. International Journal of Yoga 2025
Cites 15
- Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation Neuroreport May 1, 2000
- Neural correlates of nondual awareness in meditation. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2014
- CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF EFFECTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PRACTICE ON INTERHEMISPHERIC FRONTAL ASYMMETRY AND FRONTAL COHERENCE International Journal of Neuroscience 2006
- I can feel my heartbeat: Dancers have increased interoceptive accuracy. Psychophysiology April 2018
- Taking time to feel our body: Steady increases in heartbeat perception accuracy and decreases in alexithymia over 9 months of contemplative mental training. Psychophysiology March 1, 2017
and 10 more in the library