ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Cultural Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicPsychological Well-being in Indigenous Communities: Traditional Knowledge and Cultural InterventionsView all articles
Lived Experiences of Spiritual Emotional Intelligence: A Bhagavad Gītā-Based Indigenous Model of Psychological Well-Being
Provisionally accepted
Sai Kiran Gannamraju*
Venkatesh H Chembrolu- Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, India
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This study explores the lived experiences of Spiritual Emotional Intelligence (SEI), a psychological framework rooted in the Bhagavad Gītā, a foundational text of Indian spiritual philosophy. Building on a previously proposed model comprising five dimensions —ātma-bodha (self-awareness), samatva (equanimity), niṣkāma-karma (non-attached action), Dharma (virtuous duty), and bhakti (devotion) —we conducted a qualitative study with 26 participants from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. Semi-structured interviews examined how individuals apply these principles in daily life. Thematic analysis revealed enhanced self-reflection, emotional regulation, intrinsic motivation, ethical decision-making, and a deepened sense of meaning. Even neutral participants resonated with Gītā-based values such as mindfulness, non-attachment, and integrity, demonstrating their universal psychological applicability beyond religious identity. By integrating spiritual and emotional competencies, SEI fosters psychological flourishing and moral purpose. Grounding emotional intelligence in an indigenous Indian worldview, this research expands current understandings of positive psychology and culturally responsive well-being. It contributes to indigenous psychology by demonstrating how the Bhagavad Gītā, as a traditional knowledge system, offers a culturally grounded intervention for psychological flourishing in diverse communities, bridging Eastern and global contexts.
Keywords: Spiritual Emotional Intelligence (SEI), Bhagavad Gītā, Indian psychology, Emotional Intelligence, Positive Psychology, Psychological Capital, Well-being
Received: 22 Oct 2025; Accepted: 24 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gannamraju and Chembrolu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sai Kiran Gannamraju
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