An Interview with Dr. Ramesh Pattni
Dr. Ramesh Pattni is a renowned psychologist, Hindu theologian, and leading authority on Yoga Psychology. With doctorates in Theology from the University of Oxford and in Existential Psychotherapy, along with multiple master’s degrees in psychology and religion, he brings together ancient Indian wisdom and modern psychological science. A professor, researcher, and interfaith leader honoured with the OBE in 2020, Dr. Pattni continues to inspire through his work on consciousness, well-being, and the integration of Indian and Western psychological traditions.
The Literature Times: Your academic journey beautifully merges psychology, theology, and Indian philosophical traditions. What sparked your interest in exploring this unique intersection?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : My journey began with a deep curiosity about the human condition—why we suffer, how we change, and what ultimately leads us towards flourishing. Having grown up in a culturally rich Hindu environment, I was instinctively drawn to the profound psychological insights embedded in Indian wisdom traditions. Later, my formal training in psychology and theology at Oxford allowed me to see that these ancient perspectives speak directly to the existential questions modern psychotherapy grapples with. It was this recognition—that Indian philosophical systems offer rigorous, experiential, and remarkably sophisticated models of the mind—that inspired me to bring these domains into dialogue. Over the years, I have seen how integrating these worlds not only enriches scholarship but provides a genuinely holistic framework for healing and transformation.
The Literature Times: Your research compares Patañjali’s Yogasūtra with Western Positive Psychology. What insights did you gain about the similarities between Samādhi and the modern concept of flow?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : While flow is often presented as a contemporary psychological discovery, my comparative research showed that many of its core features were articulated in the Yogasūtra millennia ago. Both Samādhi and flow are states of complete absorption, effortless attention, and a deep sense of harmony between the individual and the task at hand. Yet the differences are equally illuminating: flow tends to arise spontaneously in peak performance, whereas Samādhi is cultivated through ethical discipline, meditative training, and the systematic refinement of consciousness. Understanding these parallels reveals that Indian psychology offers not only descriptive models of optimal experience but prescriptive pathways to attain them—an insight that has profound implications for mental well-being today.
The Literature Times: As an expert in Yoga Psychology, how do you see ancient Indian practices contributing to mental well-being in today’s stressed and fast-paced world?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : Indian traditions view well-being as an integrative process involving body, mind, intellect, and spirit. Practices such as breath regulation, mindfulness, mantra, and ethical discipline provide structured methods to calm the nervous system, regulate emotions, and cultivate clarity. Unlike many modern interventions, these systems recognise that distress often arises from deeper existential issues—meaning, identity, purpose, attachment. Yoga Psychology addresses these dimensions by helping individuals systematically develop self-awareness, equanimity, and inner stability. In these times marked by chronic anxiety, fragmentation, and burnout, these time-tested practices offer not only relief but pathways to coping, resilience and transformation.
The Literature Times: Having doctorates in both Theology and Existential Psychotherapy, how do these disciplines complement each other in your therapeutic work?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : Existential psychotherapy attends to freedom, responsibility, meaning, and mortality—the ultimate concerns that shape our inner landscape. Theology, when understood through the lens of Indian thought, explores the nature of consciousness, suffering, and liberation. When these disciplines meet, a powerful synergy emerges. In therapy, I help clients understand their lived experience phenomenologically, while also drawing upon contemplative traditions that offer tools for mindfulness, self-mastery and deep introspection, crucially leading to developing self-awareness and self-knowledge essential for self-transformation. This integration allows for a therapeutic process that is at once rigorous, compassionate, and spiritually attuned, especially for clients seeking a framework that honours both psychological complexity and spiritual depth.
The Literature Times: As someone who has studied consciousness and human flourishing for decades, what message would you like readers—and the next generation of psychologists—to take from your life’s work?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : My message is simple: the human being is far more profound than any single discipline can contain. Psychology gains immeasurably when it engages seriously with the sophisticated insights of Indian, and indeed many other indigenous philosophical systems. At the same time, spiritual traditions must converse with contemporary science to remain grounded and relevant. True flourishing arises when we understand ourselves as integrated beings—capable of self-reflection, ethical choice, and transcendence. I would encourage the next generation to remain curious, interdisciplinary, and courageous enough to build bridges across worlds that have too long remained separate.
The Literature Times: You’ve taught at Oxford, CVV, and many other institutions. How has teaching shaped your understanding of Indian and Western psychological systems?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : Teaching students from diverse backgrounds has been one of my greatest sources of joy and insight. Their questions often reveal assumptions embedded within both Western and Indian frameworks. Western psychology tends to excel in empirical precision, while Indian systems emphasise experiential depth and inner transformation. In the classroom, bringing these perspectives together demonstrates how each illuminates the other. I have found that students resonate deeply with integrated models that speak simultaneously to rational inquiry and lived experience. Teaching has therefore been both a testing ground and a catalyst for refining these interdisciplinary approaches.
The Literature Times: What was the most transformative moment in your research or personal practice that deepened your connection to Patañjali’s teachings?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : One transformative moment occurred while studying and practising the internal stages of meditation described in the Yogasūtra. I realised that Patañjali was not merely presenting a philosophical system but an experiential science of consciousness. The progression from distraction to stillness, and from stillness to absorption, is something one must verify within one’s own experience. That recognition changed my relationship with my research; it became clear that intellectual study and lived practice must inform one another. This alignment between scholarship and sādhanā continues to shape my work today and for me is a key to bridging different paradigms and systems of knowledge.
The Literature Times: You have played key roles in interfaith organisations and community service. How has interfaith engagement influenced your perspective on psychology and spirituality?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : Interfaith engagement has shown me that beneath our diverse languages of faith lie universal questions about suffering, hope, compassion, and meaning. Working closely with leaders from many traditions—and being part of dialogues that include Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist voices—has helped me appreciate the rich psychological wisdom embedded in all spiritual paths. It also reinforced my belief that spirituality is not peripheral to human well-being; it is central. Interfaith work cultivates humility, listening, and the ability to hold multiple worldviews—qualities that are essential in both psychotherapy and community leadership.
The Literature Times: Receiving the OBE for your contribution to interfaith relations is a remarkable honour. How did that recognition impact your journey as a scholar and community leader?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : The OBE was a humbling moment. I received it not as a personal accolade but as recognition of the collective efforts of many individuals and organisations committed to building understanding and harmony. It strengthened my resolve to continue bridging worlds—between traditions, between disciplines, and between ancient knowledge and contemporary science. The honour affirmed that scholarship must always serve humanity, as it has in many faith traditions, and that our work as academics and community leaders carries a profound responsibility.
The Literature Times: You have developed unique methodologies for integrating Indian and contemporary knowledge systems. What challenges did you face in building this bridge, and how did you overcome them?
Dr. Ramesh Pattni : One major challenge has been navigating two very different epistemologies. Contemporary psychology emphasises measurement and empiricism, while Indian systems privilege introspection and experiential verification. Bringing these together requires methodological creativity, intellectual humility, and rigorous scholarship. Another challenge has been institutional—the need to advocate for Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) within academic spaces that are still catching up to their value. Overcoming these obstacles involves years of research, developing state of the art multi-agent AI frameworks for IKS-CKS integration, building centres of excellence, and creating pedagogical models that make this integration accessible. Ultimately, the bridge is built through dialogue—between traditions, scholars, practitioners, and students. My work as the Director of the Centre of Excellence for Integration and Innovation at Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth with my dedicated team, is making these rigorous and robust dialogues between science and spirituality, ancient and modern possible. It is translating ideas into thoroughly researched conceptual models that have immediate practical significance for universal wellbeing
