Psychological Aspects of Spirituality in Crisis Management with Special Reference to Sattvavajava Chikitsa (Ayurvedic Psychotherapy)

In present times human beings are living in a very unsettled world. People have to deal with unforeseen and unpredictable events and personal losses most of the time. Any unpredictable event or period that has a negative physical and psychological impact is perceived as a crisis. In modern times, we need a different approach to help us maintain inner peace and develop strong emotional resilience, preventing disease states when individuals deal with a crisis. This review article outlines the specific role of spiritual principles and spiritual living as a component of Sattvavajava Chikitsa (Ayurvedic psychotherapy) for crisis management. Sattvavajava Chikitsa (SC), which also has a psycho-spiritual dimension is commonly used as a psychotherapeutic measure for curative and preventive management of psychological and psychosomatic illnesses. SC works on five principles: development of spiritual knowledge, scriptural/scientific knowledge/skilled knowledge, patience, positive memory, and promotion of mental peace and meditation. In this article, we have focused on only one dimension of SC: the promotion of spiritual knowledge reviewed the concept of spirituality mentioned in Ayurvedic & allied literature, and also developed practical psychological aspects of spirituality that will be useful as a technique for crisis management.