Ahamkara: A study on the Indian model of self and identity

Abstract

AbstractIdeas around self and identity are at the core of various reflective traditions in both the east and the west. In psychological literature, they have multiple meanings. However, they usually reflect the idea of self‐sameness across changing times. The current study aimed to explore how contemporary Indians define their “self” and any parallel between modern and traditional construal of self. An open‐ended, Twenty Statements Test (TST) was used for this purpose. Another tool was a quantitative measure called the Ahamkara Questionnaire (AQ), which was based on the Indian model of self. A sample of 240 educated adults (females = 104, males = 136; mean age = 38.17 years, standard deviation [SD] = 11.45 years; range 20–60 years) were purposively selected from an urban area of North India and recruited in this mixed‐method, cross‐sectional research study. Thematic analysis of TST responses uncovered five broad thematic categories in self‐concepts: individuality, belongingness, separation, agency, and spiritual/transpersonal. Four of these overlapped with sub‐components of the AQ and differed with age. The fifth theme – spiritual/transpersonal – emerged, which was more frequent in the self‐concepts of older samples. Quantitative results from AQ also indicated that the level of ahamkara significantly differed with age and gender. These findings have implications for mental health and developing interventions utilising the Indian conception of self.