In the classical psycho-spiritual framework of Sanātana Dharma, the human psyche is not a simple unified faculty but a layered, dynamic field where consciousness, perception, cognition, memory, and identity interweave.

Antaḥkaraṇa, or the psyche, has four interacting facets: Manas – the reactive lower mind, Buddhi – the judicious higher mind (intellect), Citta – the memory store house, and Ahaṅkāra – the ego.

It is often said, “You are the sum of your experiences.” In other words, you are shaped by the memories you carry and the way you remember yourself. Therefore, the very heart of the psyche is Citta – often called ‘the mind-stuff’. It is the subtle repository of all that a person has thought, felt, willed, or experienced, and it shapes how one perceives reality, responds to life’s stimuli, and carries forward patterns from past into present.

Understanding Citta, and how it accumulates and replays Saṃskāra (psychological patterns), offers a map for both diagnosing the sources of human suffering and activating the potential for transformation, contentment, and wise living.

Citta: The Memory Bank

While Manas reacts, Buddhi reflects, and Ahaṅkāra owns experience, it is Citta that silently records every experience, intention, emotion, and belief.

Citta is described as having layers:

• The conscious surface layer contains what we are aware of.
• The subconscious layer contains psychological patterns that dynamically influence thought and behaviour without overt awareness.
• The latent layer contains even deeply buried impressions, which influence inclinations, emotional reactions, and the basic tonal shading of one’s sense of self-worth or unworthiness.

The waking mind navigates life while constantly being influenced, often unconsciously, by the subconscious and the deeper latent substrates.

1. Saṃskāra

Saṃskāra are the deeply buried subtle residues of our past experiences. They are stored in the latent layer of Citta.

A Saṃskāra functions like a marking or a groove made on a soft surface like wax. Each time a pattern is repeated the groove is etched deeper. Whether it is an act of generosity, a defensive reaction, an internalised shame, or a habitual thought, repetition strengthens the corresponding Saṃskāra. For instance, if someone has consistently practiced patience, the mind retains a Saṃskāra of patience, which makes them more inclined to respond calmly in the future.

Most importantly, Saṃskāra shape one’s subconscious sense of self-worth. A child repeatedly criticised may accumulate Saṃskāra that whisper “I am not good enough,” and decades later, that underlying impression can colour relationships, career choices, and even the interpretation of benign events as confirmations of inadequacy. Conversely, early experiences of safety and affirmation can lay down supportive Saṃskāra.

In the doctrinal view of  Sanātana Dharma, Saṃskāra accumulate not only over the course of a single life but also over many lifetimes, forming the latent conditioning that shapes how a person interprets and responds to the world.

Key Features:

• They are latent patterns, like grooves in the mind.
• They can be both positive or negative, depending on the action that created them.
• They act as seeds for future actions, thoughts, and habits.

2. Vāsanā

Vāsanā are subtle desires and tendencies that arise in the present life from Saṃskāra accumulated over lifetimes.

Vāsanā are innate dispositions or subconscious impulses that drive instinctual behaviours – those gut-level reactions or automatic judgments that seem to originate before conscious thought. They create the felt sense that “this is just how I am,” without awareness how these were shaped. For instance, a Vāsanā for sensory pleasure may cause someone to gravitate toward indulgence, even without consciously choosing it.

Key Features:

• They are specific and instinct-driven.
• They are often the motivating force behind thoughts and actions.
• They influence the formation of identity, preferences, and attachments.

3. Vṛtti

Vṛtti are recurring patterns of mental response to specific stimuli. They manifest as conscious states—thoughts, emotions, memories, or perceptions—that arise for a time and then dissolve. For example, a certain topic might habitually trigger an angry thought or a vivid memory.

While Vṛtti are transient and surface-level, they often draw their energy from deeper layers of the mind—Vāsanā and Saṃskāra.

Key Features

• They are active mental states, present in conscious awareness.
• They are more fleeting and superficial than Vāsanā.
• They are shaped and reinforced by Vāsanā and underlying Saṃskāra.

Memory And Wellbeing

Memory is not just a passive function. It is a dynamic force that shapes who we think we are, how we see the world, and how we respond to life today.

From an evolutionary perspective, memory helped us survive- remembering what nourishes us, what harms us, and how to form social bonds.

Because memories are rooted in Saṃskāra, they strongly impact our suffering and happiness. Unprocessed trauma or negative Saṃskāra can unconsciously drive us into reactive patterns. We can see this in many aspects of life:

• Career: Someone with a strong Saṃskāra of feeling ‘not good enough’ might turn down opportunities, take neutral feedback personally, and keep repeating the same patterns without even realising it. On the other hand memories of support, success, or love can give us strength, if we take time to reflect on and learn from them.
• Relationships: Someone with an underlying Saṃskāra of mistrust may find it hard to build deep relationships, seeing openness as danger instead of connection. Conversely, Saṃskāra of discipline, curiosity, or emotional balance can support wise decisions, healthy partnerships, and sustainable success.
• Finances: A person shaped by Saṃskāra that favour instant gratification might make choices that undermine long-term financial well-being, interpreting scarcity as inescapable.

We suffer not from events but from the impressions they leave – hurtful words, failures, betrayals – when they become recurring internal tapes.

Mental wellbeing is not about erasing all these negative memories but being free from their unconscious grip. Contentment arises when our choices come from a clear perspective rather than replayed automatic patterns.

Recoding Citta

Transforming the thought process involves working directly with Citta – recognising, purifying, and redirecting Saṃskāra. The key aspect here is that these imprints are not static fate; they are dynamic potentials. Like grooves in soft wax, if they can be deepened by repetition, they can also be softened, reshaped, or overwritten by conscious attention and new intentional experience.

Sanātana Dharma offers timeless methods for this, many of which align with modern ideas like neuroplasticity, habit formation, and cognitive restructuring.

1. Awareness

Transformation begins with awareness. Through meditation and self-reflection, we learn to observe our emotions and patterns without identifying with them. For instance, noticing, “This is anger” creates a gap between reaction and response – a space where transformation begins.

2. Cognitive Reframing

Studying teachings on the eternal nature of the true self – Ātman – and the impermanence of every other state allows one to reinterpret past experiences, reducing emotional charge and loosening harmful imprints.

3. Disidentification

Ancient wisdom teaches that the true self is distinct from thoughts and emotions. ‘Neti Neti’ is a process of elimination, where one consciously rejects identifications with everything that is not the self. This includes the physical body, thoughts, emotions, and external objects. Practices like Neti Neti help disidentify from transient mental states, loosening the hold of old Saṃskāra.

4. Creating New Impressions

Just as old patterns were formed by repetition, new, positive Saṃskāra can be cultivated through:

• Sankalpa: Repeatedly affirming a clear, value-based intention, for instance, “I act with integrity,” imprints constructive tendencies.
• Mantra/Japa: Repetition of sacred chants and sounds calms the mind and establishes new patterns of clarity and devotion.
• Karma Yoga: Engaging in action to the best of your abilities without attachment to outcomes purifies egoic tendencies and fosters inner freedom.

5. Emotional Processing

Healthy expression of emotions like grief or fear, through rituals or dialogue, enables deep release and healing of embedded Saṃskāra.

6. Associative Awareness

Because Saṃskāra respond to context, changing one’s surroundings or the company one keeps – not just people, but ideas, books, content – can reduce the triggers that reinforce old patterns.

Since Saṃskāra are influenced by repetition and association, frequent exposure to higher ideals purifies Citta naturally, supporting new positive patterns.

7. Daily Spiritual Practice

Some kind of consistent spiritual practice – ethical living, study, meditation, yoga – deepens positive tendencies. Prāṇāyāma, or breath-work, cleanses energetic and emotional blockages, bringing mental clarity.

8. Grace and Surrender

Letting go of egoic control and surrendering to a higher power invites divine influence, allowing love, compassion, and peace to reshape the inner world.

Conclusion

Citta is both an archive of everything we have experienced and the ground where our future tendencies and actions take root.

Saṃskāra – psychological imprints left in the Citta by our actions, intentions, and experiences – shape how we think, feel, and behave. These patterns often feel like our true identity, even though they are just habits of mind. So, remembering is not just about recalling facts – it is part of an active system that shapes our happiness, suffering, choices, life goals, and relationships.

In the vision of Sanātana Dharma, freeing the mind is not erasing the past, but transforming its influence. By recognising habitual patterns and choosing new responses, we allow awareness to reshape thought and action. Insight reveals old imprints and disciplined, value-guided living creates supportive ones. Through meditation, self-inquiry, and mindful action, we can cleanse and redirect the emotional energy in Citta. Gradually, we move from being unconsciously driven by Saṃskāra to consciously shaping our inner world—gaining wisdom, unleashing potential and finding peace.

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© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Sujata Khanna’s book, ‘The Eternal Law’, explores Sanātana Philosophy in its elemental form. Available on Amazon worldwide: India, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherland, Poland, Sweden, Japan

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