By Jyotisvara dasa
On 24th August 2025, the Institute for Science and Spirituality (ISS) Delhi hosted a landmark national conference titled “The Enigma of Perception (Pratyakṣa): Exploring the Science through the Lens of Indian Knowledge Systems” at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The event brought together eminent scholars, philosophers, and scientists to explore perception across the classical Indian traditions and contemporary sciences. The event saw around 100 in-person and more than 150 virtual participants. One of the central aims of the conference was to emphasize that perception must be understood not merely through mechanistic models, but within a consciousness-centric worldview. This approach stands in contrast to the reductionist paradigm of modern science.
The keynote address by Prof. Arindam Chakrabarti (Ashoka University; former University of Hawaii Manoa) examined nirvikalpaka pratyakṣa (non-conceptual perception) across Indian and Western philosophies. Dr. Vaibhav Tripathi (IIT Gandhinagar) offered cognitive models of perception, while Prof. Madhusudan Penna (Director, Sanskrit Academy, Hyderabad) presented Vedānta’s analysis of perception.
Other notable contributions included Prof. Srinivasa Varakhedi (Vice Chancellor, Central Sanskrit University), on the relation between smṛti and pratyakṣa, Dr. S. Ahalya (Vice Chancellor, Karnataka Samskrit University) on perception in Ayurveda, Prof. Madhumita Chattopadhyay (Jadavpur University) on early Mahāyāna thought, and Prof. Sachchidananda Mishra on Cārvāka perspectives. Prof. Daniel Raveh (Tel Aviv University) addressed ordinary and esoteric perception in Sāṃkhya-Yoga, Dr. Sohom Chakrabarty (IIT Roorkee) explored the Yoga Sūtras, and Dr. Venkatesh Chembrolu (IIT Mandi) spoke on a consciousness-first framework of reality. Mr. Parveen Kumar (Director, ISS Delhi) examined non-visual perception, Dr. Jyotiranjan Beuria (ISS Delhi) presented a quantum-theoretic model of collective behavior, and Dr. Nivedita Chaturvedi (University of Delhi) discussed perceptual transformation in Kumārila, Vasubandhu, and Dharmakīrti.
This conference represents a significant leap in intellectual inquiry, situating Indian theories of perception not as historical curiosities but as living frameworks capable of engaging with the frontiers of modern science, philosophy, and cognitive studies. By juxtaposing Vedānta, Nyāya, Buddhist, Sāṃkhya-Yoga, and Ayurvedic models with empirical psychology, neuroscience, and quantum cognition, the deliberations showcased how the study of pratyakṣa remains central to unraveling the mysteries of consciousness.
At a time when global scientific and philosophical discourse is re-examining the foundations of perception, cognition, and reality, this gathering at IIT Delhi affirmed the role of the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) in shaping that dialogue. It positioned the Indian perspective not at the margins, but at the forefront of contemporary debates on mind, perception, and the nature of reality.
Recordings are available at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR5fwcY3oo-wVk5eyYPqi2y5o84YdK6LE
Conference Website: https://issdelhi.org/ws/perception
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Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116068
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