Speakers - 2026

Title: Neuropsychological integration of western and Indian paradigms: Towards a consciousness-based understanding of addiction and behavioral regulation

Abstract

Addiction is now better appreciated as a multifaceted disorder of brain neurocognition, with work that has identified structural, functional and biochemical changes in the brain's reward, motivational and executive control systems. Recent neuroscience research indicates that chronic drug use hijacks dopaminergic transmission and impairs prefrontal control systems, leading to abnormal decision-making, compulsivity, and impaired emotional sensitivity/reactivity (Saini et al., 2021). Such mechanistic view has been in contrast to an ‘impact of-intensive care on-behaviour’ view, posited by Indian traditional psychologies – yoga (a way of life), Vedanta (philosophy) and Triguna model—of behavioral dysregulation emanating due to the derangement of consciousness, moral reasoning Intellectual-mind-Self balance (Naikare & Kumar, 2025).

This paper suggests a neurocognitive–consciousness integration model, a multi-dimensional perspective that melds contemporary addiction neuroscience and the Indian contemplative sciences. Indeed, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been found to modulate the neural response to craving and attentional bias, in part by augmenting top-down control processes and metacognitive monitoring (Garland, 2013). Similar neural modifications were correlated with the Sattvic attributes of lucidity, balance and reflexive awareness which are grounded in classical Indian thought, possibly indicating that meditation can act as a transitional link between cognitive reorganisation and transcendent self-regulation.

Additionally, the latest work on neuroplasticity underscores that repeated practice of - whether behavioural, cognitive or meditative - skills can rewire neural networks involved with psychopathology and addiction (Bhullar & Mendiratta, 2023). Converging evidence from yoga-based neurobiological research suggest pranayama (controlled breathing), meditation, and ethical precepts reprogram autonomic function and regulate stress-reward interactions providing a biological justification for their inclusion in addiction treatment (Singh, 2024).

The design model suggests that the recovery from addiction is a neuropsychological house cleaning – The process of reconciliation. Recovery is no longer just about abstinence but is the reformation and reconnecting of neural systems, psychological functioning, and existential awareness." The paper delineates clinical pathways incorporating best practice in CBT, REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy), mindfulness training and Vedantic contemplative methods known to foster sustained behavioral change.

In integrating empirical neuroscience with traditional psychological teachings, this has advanced a culturally grounded, ethically bound and scientifically sound paradigm for addiction recovery. It provides us with a potent counternarrative to reductionist models of medicine, one that attends to the fact that healing arises not just from an adjustment in our neurochemistry but also from reweaving the experience of self, other, and world.

Key Takeaways:

• A clear understanding of how addiction affects brain circuits related to reward, impulse control, and emotion.
• A concise framework combining neuroscience with Indian psychological concepts like Triguna and mindfulness.
• Practical therapeutic tools that merge CBT/REBT with meditation and neuroplasticity-based techniques.

How the Audience Can Use This Knowledge:

• Clinicians can apply these methods to improve relapse prevention and emotional regulation.
• Faculty and researchers can use the model to enrich teaching and develop cross-cultural studies.
• Counselors can implement mindfulness-based, low-cost interventions in schools and communities.

Professional Benefits:

• Enhances accuracy in assessment and treatment planning.
• Provides culturally grounded, easy-to-apply strategies for addiction care.
• Supports integrated, interdisciplinary approaches to behavioral health.