Public Lecture on Integral Yoga and Psychological Transformation Organised at University of Jammu

Jammu, May 04, 2026: The Department of Philosophy, University of Jammu, in collaboration with Shri Aurobindo Gyan Kendra, successfully organised a public lecture on “Aspiration, Rejection and Surrender: Psychological Foundation of Spiritual Transformation in Integral Yoga.” The lecture was delivered by Dr. Vijay Laxmi Rai from the Department of Philosophy, University of Jammu.

The programme was conducted under the visionary guidance of the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Umesh Rai, whose sustained encouragement to integrate India’s rich spiritual and philosophical heritage into contemporary academic discourse continues to inspire such meaningful initiatives.

In her address, Dr. Vijay Laxmi Rai elucidated three central psychological movements of Integral Yoga—Aspiration, Rejection, and Surrender—as the foundational processes of spiritual transformation. She explained that aspiration signifies the soul’s sincere upward movement towards the Divine Truth, transcending mere desire or intellectual curiosity.

Elaborating on the second movement, Rejection, Dr. Rai described it as a disciplined psychological process involving the conscious elimination of ignorance, ego, fear, and ingrained habitual tendencies. She emphasised that rejection is not suppression but a mindful process of awareness and purification across the mental, vital, and physical planes that obstruct inner growth.

The lecture culminated in an insightful exposition of Surrender, understood as the offering of one’s ego, will, and actions to the Divine Consciousness. The speaker further highlighted that these three processes together constitute a dynamic psychological discipline that facilitates transformation without necessitating withdrawal from worldly life.

Earlier, Ms. Deepti Padmanabhan, Administrative Officer, Dhanvantri Library, introduced the establishment and objectives of Shri Aurobindo Gyan Kendra. Prof. Jasbir Singh, Head, Department of Philosophy, in his welcome address, underscored the contemporary relevance of Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga as a synthesis of spirituality and life, highlighting its importance for psychological growth and inner transformation in the present times.

The formal vote of thanks was presented by Dr. Ajai Kumar Mishra from the Department of Philosophy.

The lecture was attended by distinguished faculty members, including Prof. Sangeeta Gupta (Dean, Planning & Development and Head, Department of Library Sciences), Prof. Namrata Sharma, Prof. Anupama Vohra, Prof. Sunita Sharma, Prof. Dushyant Rai, Prof. Shallu Sehgal, Dr. Anjuman Ara, Dr. Panu Sharma, Dr. Ashwin Khushwaha, Dr. Koshika Sharma, Dr. Suman Verma, and Ms. Shalini Gupta, along with research scholars and students, who actively participated in the interactive session.