Background to Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and of thought, feeling, and behavior. It deals mainly with humans but also sometimes with animals.

1.      Scientific study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context.

2.      The mental characteristics or attitude of a person or group.

Psychology [saɪˈkɒlədʒɪ]

n pl -gies

1. (Psychology) the scientific study of all forms of human and animal behaviour, sometimes concerned with the methods through which behaviour can be modified See also analytical psychology, clinical psychology, comparative psychology, educational psychology, experimental psychology

2. (Psychology) Informal the mental make-up or structure of an individual that causes him or her to think or act in the way he or she does

Psychologist  (Collins English Dictionary)

psy·chol·o·gy  (s-kl-j) n. pl. psy·chol·o·gies 1. The science that deals with mental processes and behavior. 2. The emotional and behavioral characteristics of an individual, group, or activity: the psychology of war. 3. Subtle tactical action or argument used to manipulate or influence another: He used poor psychology on his employer when trying to make the point. 4. Philosophy The branch of metaphysics that studies the soul, the mind, and the relationship of life and mind to the functions of the body.

(The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language)

How does the APA define "psychology"?

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience — from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental health care services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists.

Early Background to Psychology in Eastern Philosophy

In Upaniṣadic Period- (2500-600 BCE)

There were two main concepts In Upaniṣadic philosophy. Viz;

1.      Brahman – searching the world

2.      Ᾱtman –searching the soul of the individual

There were four states of the soul according to Upaniṣadic philosophy. Viz;

                                i.            Jāgara- awaken period of the soul(the state of the experiencing the world)

                              ii.            śvapna– dreaming period of the soul (the state of the building schemas or mental pictures by depending on experiences of the awaken period)

                            iii.            suṣupti–deepest level of the sleep of the soul. (Dreaming is not visible in this position. They say that the Ᾱtmanconnects with the Brahman for a few moments during this period. )

                            iv.            Tūriya–yogicperiod of the soul. (Ᾱtman will be become to the happiest level when a person practice the mysticism)

The nature of the soul according to the Upanisadic philosophy:

There is the Breath or sac of the Anima in the body (annamayakoṣa). The sac of the mental factor (prāṇamayakoṣa) is there inside the Anima.The sac of the consciousness (viññānamaya (koṣa))is there inside the sac of the mental factor and the delectable soul (ānandamayaᾹtman )is there inside the sac of the consciousness.

Anima          mental factors         consciousness          delectable soul

According to them,the association with the Brahman is same to the delectable soul.

In Buddhism

“mano”, “citta” are synonyms to the term Ᾱtman.

·         Mano pubbangamāDhammā – mind is the forerunner of all.

·         Nagarūpamamcittamidamṭhapetvā – mind is just like a town. It is busy and change soon.

·         Cittaksana

·         Mind is a conventional thing.

There are three historical periods; when we are considering the origin of the psychology from the western philosophy. They are:  

1.      Early period (in Greek (6 BCE-5 CE))

2.      Middle period (5CE -15CE)

3.      Modern period (15 CE-19CE )

Ø  In early period there was a religion called Dyneses in Greece. It had been mentioned of the soul. They were dancing after having liquor. They believed that when they are dancing, the Ᾱtmangoes beyond the body for short time.

Ø  There was a religion called ofic in Greece. Followers of the ofic religion have believed that there was an eternal soul which comes continually   existence to the next. When a person is died, then the Ᾱtmanwill release for a short period. Their main aim was releasing the Ᾱtmanfrom their bodies.

Ø  Homor was an author. He has written two books. Viz; Eliat and odice. According to him the Ᾱtman will release forever when a person die. They said that the Ᾱtman can runaway of the body from big injuries. Ᾱtman is smoother than the wind.He further said that the Ᾱtmanwill be entered in to the underworld after releasing the body.

Ø  Pythagoras - He had believed the rebirth. He has stated that he has been realized his own previous births.

Ø  Empedomes- he says that people suffer as a result of banish the heaven. 

Ø  Empedoclice- he says that obtaining the divine ship is the console of the soul.

Ø  Democretus - he says that the soul is origin from an atom. It is hot in its nature. It is same to the fire. According to him there is no eternal soul. The aim or the object of the life is to live without any defilement such as having sexual conducts and appease the five faculties of sense.

Ø  Plato – according to him there are two kinds of souls. Such as pudgalātmaand

jagadātma

·         585 BC- Thales of Miletus proposes a crucial role for the brain in mental experiences.

·         400 BC – Hippocrates proposes a relationship between personality characteristics and body type.

·         350 BC- Aristotle wrote the first text book of psychology De Anima (concerning the soul). Questioning the relationship between the soul and body. The soul is seen as giving life to the body.

During this period, intellectual life in Europe is dominated by Christian theology; objective investigation of behavior and mental experiences are discouraged. People seen as having souls and subject to the will of god

Modern period

·           1650- Rene Descartes distinguishes between mind (mental experiences- thoughts, feelings and sensations) and body (physical process), proposing these interact in the pineal gland in the brain and influence each other. 

·           1651- Thomas Hobbes claims that mental experiences are just a product of motion of physical matter.

·           1690- John Locke extends Hobbes’ views claiming that a newborn mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate). Formally beginning British empiricism and associationism (later elaborate by mills in the nineteenth century).

·           1748- La Mettrie writes L’ Homme Machine. (The Human Machine). Part of French materialism, proposing that mental experiences are just ‘epiphenomena’ – trivial by products of brain processes – and unimportant. 

·           Late 1700s- Franz joseph gall invents phrenology- location of mental faculties in specific regions of the brain- highly developed faculties associated with bumps on the skull.

·           1850- gustav Fechner develops experimental and statistical procedures to measure relationships between physical stimuli and sensations.

·           1859- Charles Darwin publishes “The origin of species” - the theory of evolution through natural selection.

·           1861- Paul Broca provides  first link between psychological functions (speech) and specific area of brain (broca’s) 

·           1874- Karl Wernicke discovers brain area associated with language comprehension (Wernicke’s)

·           1879- Wilhelm Wundt founds first experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. (Structuralism). ᴪ