5 2 S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 6 - 2 Fa l l 2 0 2 0 2.2 Procedure After obtaining the informed consent, participants were oriented about prānā , the vital force involved in the pranic healing . Participants were also guided to feel the prānābetween hands as mentioned by Sui (Sui 2015, 37–38). While sensing the prānic experiences in between hands, the intensity and quality of different prānic experiences felt by the participants (purely based on their own decision) were recorded using the Pranic EnergyPerception Schedule . Thereafter, theVedic Personality Inventorywas administered to assess triguna personality traits. 2.3 Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria Those interested and consented to participate in the procedure of hand sensitization were included. Those with previ - ous experience of hand sensitization and experience of prānā were excluded. 2.4 Measures 2.4.1 Vedic Personality Inventory Several tests were developed employing the Indian construct of triguna to assess various aspects of human personality (Murthy and Kumar 2007). In this study, theVedic Personality Inventorywas applied due to two reasons: it was internationally validated (Wolff 1998), and found valid in the Indian setting (Hiremath 2016, 34). It has 56 items to assess three personality constructs based on their description in theVedas as a psychological categori - zation system. The original version of the Vedic Personality Inventory consisted of 90 items, however, it had been shortened to 56 items based on reliability and validity analysis (ranged from.93 to.94) (Dasa 1999, 2–19). It has 15 items for guna sattva , 19 for guna rājas , and 22 for guna tamas . There are seven options provided for each question. Respondents could choose from the seven options: 1. Very strongly disagree; 2. Strongly disagree; 3. Somewhat disagree; 4. Neutral; 5. Somewhat agree; 6. Strongly agree; 7. Very strongly agree. The response of the participants was scored with proper procedure – sum all the responses for a guna , then divide this sum by the total score for the guna . This will give the guna score in the form of a percentage. Then, to obtain a standardised score for a guna , sum the three guna percentage scores and divide it into the guna percentage scores. The three standardised scores form the gunaprofile for a person. Chronbach alpha for the sattva subscale was calculated as.866; alpha for the rājas subscale was calculated as.928; alpha for the tamas subscale was calculated as.910. Thus, the scale has high reliability. The validity of the questionnaire was estimated using Chronbach’s formula, and the obtained value for the three subscales ranged from.93 to.94 (Wolf 1999, 1379–1390 ). 2.4.2 Pranic Energy Perception Schedule The Pranic Energy Perception Schedulewas designed on the bases of quantity and quality of prānic experiences by the research center of the World Pranic Healing Foundation. It consists of two parts: prānic energy experienced based on quantitative perception, and prānic energy experience based on qualitative perception. Experiences in quantitative perception include: • Magnetic sensation , i.e. perception of prānā in the form of a magnetic field; • Electric current , i.e. perception of prānā in the form of an electric field; • The sensation of the balloon , i.e. prānic perception in the form of pressure sensation varied as the size of a balloon in between hands during hand sensitization; • Feeling rotation in the palm , i.e. prānic perception in the form of pressure that rotate in between hands during hand sensitization; • Tingling sensation , i.e. altered, skin sensation like stinging, prickling, or thrilling sensation.
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