YOGA

1
This perspective differs from Giddens’ interpretation of how the
individual is connected with others. From a yogic perspective, Giddens’
‘construction of the ego’ will not necessarily cultivate a compassionate
and caring individual. Although difficult to quantify, Paranjpe (1998,
229) draws attention to the countless claims by yogis over the ages who,
having attained altered states of consciousness, have related their
experiences to becoming more selfless. In his opinion, Western
philosophy has neglected this kind of personal transformation, whereas
it is the essence of the yogic tradition. 2.8 Conclusion This chapter
compared and contrasted Giddens’ ‘project of the self’ with the broader
principles underlying Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. These perspectives present
two different processes for self-transformation. A summary of the main
differences discussed in the two theories is listed in Table 2.1. This
comparison forms the theoretical framework for understanding the
experiences of transformation described by the participants in the
study, and enables questions to be raised concerning the extent to
which participants identify with these conceptualisations of self and
how the two perspectives might influence each other.