Paper short abstract:

The paper examines the centrality of attentional control in conceptualisations of the ideal self in north India. It traces the colonial roots of popular modes of concentration in contemporary India, and discusses how discourses of ‘focus’ feature prominently in present-day caste inequalities.

Paper long abstract:

This paper, which draws from historical research and fieldwork in Banaras, examines the centrality of ‘attentional control’ to conceptions of the ideal self in northern India, ranging from the brahmachari, who must ward of distracting sexual thoughts, to the unwavering absorption of the bhakt. In particular, the paper traces how a particular mode of singular concentration - in which the individual directs all of their energies to a single object leading to self-transformation - has come to figure as an important technique of the self in divergent arenas of contemporary north-Indian life, including self-improvement literature, Hindu nationalist discourse and business management books. The historical roots of this mode of singular concentration are traced to the late C19th with the popularisation of yoga in India and the corresponding development of a conception of an “Indian self” as defined (in opposition to the west) by its capacity for absorption. Special attention is given to the reformer Swami Vivekananda and the theosophist Annie Besant for their role in unmooring yogic techniques of concentration from their esoteric spiritual milieu and re-positioning them within this-worldly contexts, including work and politics.

The paper explores how during the high colonial period techniques of concentration figured prominently in numerous Indian nationalists attempts to undo inequalities wrought by British rule. However, it also argues that in contemporary north India discourses about concentration are being used to entrench systems of domination by linking attentional capacity and caste, and by treating ‘focus’ as a product of vegetarian, high-caste dietary habits.