The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, primarily known for its engineering programmes, has made headlines by introducing a mandatory course for its first-year BTech students titled ‘Introduction to Consciousness and Wellbeing’ which includes content related to reincarnation and out-of-body experiences in its course module.

This course, developed under the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) department, is part of the Indian Knowledge System and Mental Health Application (IKSMHA) Centre at IIT Mandi. The IKSMHA Centre focuses on scientific research related to the mind, brain, and consciousness, applying these studies to mental well-being.

“We at IIT Mandi are making sure that our students have a flexible curriculum that allows them to change their branch based on their interests after 1st year. We are working on creating a structure where researchers from engineering and medical backgrounds will do interdisciplinary research and have the freedom to choose the specialization that they want to pursue,” Professor Laxmidhar Behera, Director of IIT Mandi, said at a press conference last year.

Other courses at IKSMHA include Scientific basis of Mantra Chikitsa, Music and Musopathy, Vedic Thoughts and Cultural Behaviour, Neuroscience and Mental Health, Introduction to Yoga Sutras and others.

A Centre or courses on Indian Knowledge Systems have also been established at multiple other IITs and IIMs, including IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee and IIT Gandhinagar.

ABOUT IKSMHA CENTRE AT IIT MANDI

“The conceptualisation of IKSMHA is grounded in mind, brain, and consciousness via applications from consciousness studies, yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicinal research, and other Indian performing arts (music, dance, traditional Indian languages, etc.),” states the official website.

Since its inception in July 2022, the IKSMHA Centre has brought together over 40 researchers and 20 faculty members from diverse fields including computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, yoga, and linguistics.

The Centre is well-equipped with advanced scientific tools, including a 32-channel EEG/ERP system and Oculus Rift Headsets, facilitating cutting-edge research in mental health applications.

As per the official website, the IKSMHA Centre’s objectives are:

• To be a world leader and serve Indian society via research and translation activities concerning IKS and mental health (MH). It plans to achieve this by banking on state-of-the-art scientific methods in answering questions related to the effectiveness of IKS on the human body, mental health, and well-being.
• To serve society with IKS-related research interventions, knowledge, and tools via a wellness centre, which is open to both national and international visitors.
• To translate research into possible product prototypes for mental health diagnostics, therapy, and general well-being.

The IIT Mandi Centre delves into a variety of research disciplines within Indian Knowledge Systems, Cognitive Science, Virtual Reality and Sensors, and Mental Health Applications.

Some of the driving research questions it deals with include:

• What are the cognitive biomarkers of consciousness?
• What is the connection between consciousness and sleep states?
• How to investigate dreams and the contents of dreams?
• How to evaluate the level of sleep and enhance sleep and dream quality?
• How does physiological data relate to common yoga practices?
• What are the relations between neural, physiological, and molecular signatures, and how are they affected by IKS-based interventions?
• Use of neurofeedback and biofeedback mechanisms to improve meditation and yoga practices.
• Could computer vision and VR applications improve yogasana practices?
• Could Mantra chanting and tDCS in Virtual Reality (VR) improve mental conditions? Can this improvement be predicted via machine learning methods?
• What is the relationship of Prakriti on the effectiveness of meditation therapies for psychological and lifestyle disorders?
• Could machine learning predict a person’s Prakriti?
• Could Indian music and dance therapies help improve clinical cases of mental and lifestyle disorders?
• How can IKS interventions aid in the cases of deaddiction?
• How to develop translational technology based on IKS interventions for clinical and home-based setups?

The IKSMHA Centre is equipped with modern scientific tools that support its extensive research initiatives. Some of the laboratory infrastructure includes — a 32-channel EEG/ERP system (Geodesic EEG System 405), an Emotiv® 14-channel EEG/ERP headset, an Oculus Rift Headset, and others.

ABOUT THE MANDATORY ‘CONSCIOUSNESS’ COURSE

The ‘Introduction to Consciousness and Holistic Wellbeing’ course is compulsory for all undergraduate BTech students.

Approved by the Senate of IIT Mandi, the course is designed to integrate holistic wellness practices into the students’ technical education.

The course modules include:

• Unit/Topic 1: Theories of consciousness, Western and IKS perspectives on mind and consciousness, states of consciousness, effects of IKS art/dance forms on the mind, animal and plant consciousness, Supreme consciousness.
• Unit/Topic 2: Anatomy and functionality of the physical body; perspectives from Western medicine and Ayurveda; attention, breath, and mind.
• Unit/Topic 3: Diet, Gut-mind connection, sleep, circadian rhythms, meditation.
• Unit/Topic 4: Embryogenesis, concept of subtle body, reincarnation, near-death and out-of-body experiences.

In addition to this, students are engaged in practices such as guided meditation, yoga, physical exercise, and community services. The course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of both ancient wisdom and modern scientific approaches to consciousness and well-being.

CONTROVERSY AND DEBATE OVER COURSE CONTENT

The introduction of this course has sparked considerable debate on social media platforms.

IIT Mandi, known for its engineering excellence, is now facing criticism for incorporating “pseudoscientific” subjects such as reincarnation, out-of-body experiences, and subtle body concepts into its mandatory curriculum.

One Reddit user in a thread discussing this mandatory course asked mockingly, “Course material ke liya ganga provide karege kya?” (“Will Ganga be provided for the course material?”), while another expressed concern, stating, “IITs are losing their prestige.”

Additionally, the compulsory nature of Bhagavad Gita recitals and yoga classes has been met with resistance, with some students and critics viewing it as an imposition of religious practices.

Despite the backlash, IIT Mandi remains steadfast in its approach. The institute insists that its exploration of Indian Knowledge Systems is firmly grounded in scientific research, aiming to offer students a well-rounded education that blends technical knowledge with holistic well-being.