We were lucky to catch up with Samhita Krishnaswamy recently and have shared our conversation below.
Samhita, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
An “auspicious” anecdote to begin with: A royal elephant (Airāvata) traversed the road just before I was born—right across from the hospital in Bangalore where I came into the world. In our culture, the elephant is a totem and symbolic of Lord Ganesha.
For as long as I can remember, I have been a seeker of spirituality, profoundly interested in exploring the possibilities that lie in intangible realms. I have always been fascinated by the marvels of planet Earth—grasslands, lakes, sand dunes, stalactites, stalagmites, quaint countryside landscapes, and so on. As a child, I wrote poetry and fiction, dreaming of becoming either a writer or a geographer.
I began my undergraduate studies (Bachelor of Arts) in Psychology, English Literature, and Economics in 2009, as no undergraduate programs in Geography were available in my city at the time. As I approached the final year of my B.A., I had to decide what to do next. My kith and kin frequently asked about my plans, prompting deep reflection. By the end of my third year, I was conducting extensive research on colleges, universities, and online courses. I applied for multiple master’s programs—M.Sc. Clinical Psychology, M.A. English Literature, and M.Sc. Industrial Psychology.
Caught in an approach-avoidance conflict, I struggled to choose between Psychology and English Literature. I loved both disciplines equally, making the decision incredibly difficult. The night before my interview for the M.A. in English Literature at a prestigious college in Bangalore, I had a vivid vision just before falling asleep.
I saw a huge, magnificent human-like Lord Ganesha seated before me as I struggled to walk against a magnetic wind pulling me backward. My subconscious mind spoke:
“Other fields of knowledge will pull you toward them with a magnetic force… but you must only choose Clinical Psychology.”
Then, Lord Ganesha opened His eyes.
This was one of the most clarifying and spiritual experiences of my life. The next day, I did NOT go to the interview for the M.A. in English Literature. That moment defined my path.
And here I am today, pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology! Ooh, I have goosebumps as I write this. *chuckles*
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a Doctoral Researcher in Psychology at a private university. Broadly speaking, my doctoral thesis is on mindfulness and mind wandering. I have a B.A. in Psychology, English Literature and Economics; an M.Sc. in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology. After my Master’s degree, After my Master’s degree, I took some time to explore new fields of knowledge and study. In 2014, I set out to learn French at the Alliance Française de Bangalore. I received a Diploma DELF B2 from the French Ministry of Education and an advanced level certification (Level C1) from the Alliance Française de Bangalore. I worked at clinics and educational institutions for some years and then got accepted to a PhD program in 2018. I did another Postgraduate Diploma in Technical Writing to hone my technical and academic writing skills. As part of the PhD coursework, first-year PhD Scholars at our university were given the flexibility to craft their own curriculum for 2 papers. I chose to specialize in Cognitive Psychology (Specialization Paper I) and Indian, Indigenous and Transpersonal Psychology (Specialization Paper II).
In 2020, during the lockdown, I was watching the sci-fi movie “Lucy”. I experienced an Aha! Moment whilst watching the movie and voilà ! This I believe is the genesis of my sole proprietorship Transpersonal Frontiers with the slogan Beyond the Tangible. Since then, I’ve been running a podcast, a Substack newsletter, and a WhatsApp channel. Every now and then, I write articles for magazines on topics related to Psychology and Spirituality. Apart from this, I’ve also been conducting events, creating content for clients, coaching clients, offering mindfulness interventions and teaching spirituality, and Transpersonal Psychology. I plan to sell digital collectibles and products on Etsy in the near future.
What sets me apart?
I have witnessed dark times growing up. As a consequence, I trudged through rugged, murky mindscapes for some years. One year ago, one of my coaches, whose expertise lies in Transpersonal Coaching Psychology suggested that I had “jumped timelines” as a 12 or 13 year old at this critical juncture in my life. Anyway, I guess it’s all part of the game called life. We have the ability to create our own happiness…notre petit coin de paradis n’importe où.
Well, my strength lies in my education, thirst for knowledge and my dedication towards personal growth, lifelong learning and skill enhancement. I have earned 15 Diplomas till date apart from university degrees.
Exploring the vast ocean of epistemology makes me feel like an infinitesimal earthling in the infinity that lies out there.
I have been felicitated with some international awards, gotten featured on radio channels, local television channels and newspapers, amongst other things.
I believe that we’re all souls that have incarnated on earth with a purpose that reaches far beyond the physical world, in search of transcendental opulence.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
If I could travel back in time, I’d choose to pursue geography or delve deep into quantum physics.
Considering these options right now make me feel very uncomfortable. It feels alien to my psyche and body. I guess it’s because I’m quite fulfilled doing what I am doing. Vive la psychologie ! 🙂
One more thing…
If I were a geographer or quantum physicist, I’d still come back to transpersonal psychology for the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Books that have stirred my soul:
1) Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
2) Many Lives Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss
3) The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
4) Aleph by Paulo Coelho
5) The Café at the Edge of the World by John Strelecky
Companies/Organisations that I follow:
1) Mindvalley, founded by Vishen Lakhiani
2) Alux
3) American Psychological Association
Other resources and institutions that left a lasting impression on my soul:
1) Perception: The Reality Beyond Matter (Video)
2) Dr. Joe Dispenza’s teachings
3) The Bhagavad Gita
4) Institute of Noetic Sciences, USA
5) Association for Transpersonal Psychology
6) The Alef Trust, UK
7) Centre of Excellence, UK
Contact Info:
- Website: www.transpersonalis.wordpress.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samhita-k-49827b119?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
- Other: Email:
samy.samhita@gmail.comWhatsApp Channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7o6HLKLaHqPi6JIF0HSpotify:
Substack:
https://transpersonalfrontiers.substack.com/Links to books authored by Samhita available on Amazon:
https://amzn.in/d/35HuZTQ
https://amzn.in/d/d7YJwin
https://a.co/d/cZASev1
Image Credits
Not Applicable