Yogic approaches emphasize somato-psychic functioning of a person in the present moment and are not concerned with past psychological history, and thus are quite different than many of the present-day psychotherapeutic techniques where past psychological history dictates the significant direction of the therapy.
Yogic therapies are based on self-regulation and self-regulation of the patient, whereas pharmacotherapy or most of the psychotherapies foster dependence either on a physician or on a drug. Besides, yoga therapies remain an essential part of the multidimensional model of natural and spiritual healing.
Tranquilizers or antidepressants reduce the sensory stimulation feedback, thereby decreasing somatic and psychic awareness. Besides, pharmacotherapy not only disturbs homeostatic rebalancing, but also decreases motivation and self-insight.
Both psychoanalysis and meditation are based on the idea of increasing the area of consciousness creating more control of the "Self". They both trace the cause of human suffering in the past and belief that unless the past is unearthed and brought to the consciousness one cannot get rid of suffering. Though the approach is different, psychoanalysis and meditation both help in visualization and relieving but meditation leads to transcendence.
Meditation has several advantages over psycho-analysis
Psycho-analysis may help in exposing 10-20 % of the past before the patient's consciousness, meditation however if done regularly, will expose 100% before him, thus this is the only technique that promises the full liberation from bondages of ego or antahkarna..
Psycho-analysis primarily focuses on the search for the final goal, in doing so, it blocks freedom and happiness, as in obsessions. Meditation on the other hand removes all obsessions, hence brings freedom and happiness.
In Psycho-analysis, there is a significant role of transference and counter- transference, where as in meditation, there is no role of the same.
Psycho-analysis is time consuming and expensive to undertake, where as meditation does not involve any expenditure, as one has not to purchase time from the analyst and can practice mediation in their own surrounding and time, after having mastered the art (Goel, 1993).
