“The world, like a dream full of attachments and aversions seems real until the awakening.” -Adi Shankara
Whether it’s social media or news platforms, the popularity of Mahakumbh is spreading everywhere. Amidst this sea of pilgrims seeking spiritual solace, the name of ‘IITian Baba’ is gaining popularity as well. An IITian Baba? Yes! You heard it right. We are talking about Abhey Singh, affectionately known as IITian baba, who left his ₹36 lakh annual salary job in search to find the meaning of life and self-discovery. This is not a plot from any existentialism novel written by Dostoevsky or Jean-Paul Sartre, but a real-life scenario. For those who haven’t heard of Abhey Singh, his story presents a narrative that bridges the worlds of science and spirituality. And those who are aware of him are asking the question, why and what compelled Abhey to move on to such a path?
Born in Haryana, Abhey Singh graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay where he studied aerospace engineering. Not only did he ace it, but he also secured a high-paying job in Canada, with an annual salary of ₹36 lakh. Now if you are wondering how this bright mind, trained to design complex machinery, ended up at the world’s largest religious gathering, sharing the ancient wisdom? Well, his life story is far from being a simple career shift. According to Abhey, he always had curious questions about the human condition and the workings of our soul. This quest of knowing the unknown is what compelled him to seek out his origins, the origin of the meaning of life.
The Quest for Meaning of Life:
As the great philosophers have always said ‘Once this hunger arises, it never goes down easily’ and just like that, a deep sense of unease began to stir Abhey’s mind. During his IIT, he was drawn to the works of great thinkers like Socrates and Plato, who had grappled with the same questions of truth and purpose centuries ago. Because he was so interested in different ideas, he decided to obtain a Master’s degree in Design. This shows that he was eager to look at things from many viewpoints.
From Addiction to ‘Rujhaan’ (Inclination):
Abhey tells his story the way every youth lives it. From ending the four-year relationship to his addiction to alcohol and cigarettes to countless hours of work to experience the void in Western lifestyle, Abhey lived it all. At last, these personal experiences exposed a deeper fragility and a longing for something more. A longing to search for the meaning of this life. He even wrote a book about it named ‘A Beautiful Place to Get Lost’.
Witnessing frequent conflicts between his parents further shook his faith in the institution of marriage, contributing to a growing disillusionment with worldly pursuits and solidifying his path towards spiritual life. It was not a conscious decision but a powerful, intuitive pull towards spirituality. Abhey calls it ‘Rujhaan’ (inclination) that drew him towards devotion, pushing him away from the expected path of material success.
To fulfil his path, Abhey finally went to Prayagraj for the epic spiritual gathering Mahakumbh Mela. It was here, amidst millions of pilgrims, that Abhey Singh found a renewed sense of purpose and he describes it as the best time of his life. To achieve this, he left the world of high finance and corporate ladders and embraced a life of spiritual inquiry and service. But he did not abandon his intellectual roots. Abhey says that he is still gathering knowledge that people often refer to as ‘superstition’ and those who pursue it are called fools by society. Instead, he merged his engineering background with his spiritual pursuits. He uses diagrams and visual presentations to make complex spiritual concepts accessible to modern audiences. That’s where he became the IITian Baba, a bridge between the world of science and the realms of spirituality.
Philosophical Influence: From Socrates and Plato to Shankaracharya
We all have heard Socrates’ famous statement, ‘Know Thyself’, but Abhey took it to heart. His philosophical leanings provide a crucial insight into the framework of his thinking. His immersion in the works of Socrates and Plato exposed him to contrasting yet complementary approaches to understanding the world. During his academic years, Singh was deeply interested in philosophical concepts. He studied the courses on Post-Modernism, Socrates, and Plato to understand life’s deeper meaning.
Let’s see how their thoughts differ from each other.
| Aspect | Socrates | Plato | Adi Shankaracharya |
| Core Philosophy | Knowledge as a path to Ethics & Virtue | Theory of Forms, Reality consists of ideal forms | Non-duality of Atman and Brahman |
| Methodology | Socratic methods (Question and answers) | Existence of two worlds | Self-inquiry & Contemplation |
| Views On Reality | Reality is subjective | Reality consists of ideal forms and is beyond sensory perception | The world is an illusion, (Moh Maya), only Brahman is ultimate reality. |
| Self-exploration | Focus on ethical self-examination | Soul is immortal, king and philosophers rule | Atman is identical with Brahman, no individual soul exists |
| The Ultimate Goal | To achieve virtue and Ethical living | To govern wisely by understanding forms | To attain Moksha (Through self-realization) |
Childhood Trauma & Healing: A Psychological Perspective
Though Karl Jung and Freud couldn’t satisfy Abhey Singh’s hunger to search for the meaning of this life. But his fear of marriage and acceptance of his fear tells a great psychology about it. He himself said that he has a lower confidence in the institution of marriage, and doubt in their ability to have a successful marriage of their own. This indicates his fear of repeating the negative patterns of their parents’ relationship, and this subconscious fear that he himself may create a negative marriage situation. This sheds light on his childhood trauma. Research within trauma studies consistently indicates that exposure to interparental conflict or parental divorce can profoundly affect a child’s view of relationships. Although we don’t know the exact details of Abhey’s life, he himself admitted of his childhood trauma while coping with his parents’ troubled marriage and fights.
In many cases, we have seen that meditation and spiritual practices can heal your traumas and you can attain inner peace. How it works, let’s explore!
| Stage | Psychological Process | Intervention |
| Recognition | Acknowledgement of Personal Issues | Spiritual Exploration |
| Healing | Processing Emotional Wounds | Self Reflection, Meditation |
| Transformation | Rebuilding Identity | Spiritual Practices |
That’s how spiritual practices often become a pathway to recovery and healing. Abhey’s decision to seek solace in spirituality, where he found a sense of stability and purpose that was lacking in the conventional expectations of worldly relationships. He saw them as hollow, meaningless paths. It reflects his existentialist beliefs.
Brain Frequencies and Spiritual Awakening:
In a recent clip, Abhey talked about his understanding of neuroscience, mental health, addiction and depression. During his stay in Canada, he found himself more inclined to find his answers. But not even Western philosophers and psychologists like Karl Jung and Freud could not give him satisfactory answers. And this search led him to find meaning in Indian thinkers like Swami Vivekanand, Shankaracharya and Patanjali’s Yoga Shashtra. He became deeply inspired by them.
There are studies seen which tell us spiritual practices such as meditation and Yoga can open new pathways to achieve these frequencies and consciousness. Even modern neuroscience has proven the theory of consciousness through spiritual practices. Let’s explore each frequency and what realm they cause.
As we know, the human brain operates across 5 primary frequency bands, Delta (0.5-4 Hz), Theta (4-8 Hz), Alpha (8-12 Hz), Beta (12-30 Hz), and Gamma (above 30 Hz) and the state of higher consciousness is associated with each band of frequency.
Delta (0.5-4 Hz):
This is the most relaxed state of the human mind- a state of deep sleep and unconsciousness.
Theta (4-8 Hz):
Creativity, deep meditation, and states of heightened intuition, often associated with deep relaxation.
Alpha (8-12 Hz):
Relaxation, calm alertness, and a sense of peaceful awareness.
Beta (12-30 Hz):
This is our everyday waking state of the mind. Tasks like active thinking and problem-solving come under this frequency.
Gamma (above 30 Hz):
Peak focus, heightened perception, and states of intense concentration and spiritual experiences.
Abhey Singh’s story opens our readers to a world of neuroscience and traditions altogether. It shows how meditation and yoga can help balance our minds. His belief brings modern science and ancient yogic practices together and shows a way to form a better connection with ourselves and the world.
A Mix of Existentialism and Spiritualism:
At some point in our lives, we all go through existential crisis and we wonder what is the meaning of this life. Why are we born and suffer meaninglessly until we die? Abhey had the same quest, the quest to know ultimate reality and its being. Existentialism tells us the individual’s responsibility to create meaning in this absurd world. Abhey Singh resonates with this philosophy, but includes science and ancient yogic practices to question societal norms and seek a deeper purpose beyond material success.
| Aspect | Existentialism | Abhey’s Beliefs |
|---|---|---|
| Source of Meaning | We must self-create it | Claims- Found through ‘Bhakti’ |
| Approach | Questioning | Blending logic with devotion |
| View of Life | Absurd but worth living | A divine connection guides life |
| Focus | Individual Responsibility | Spiritual awakening and ‘Moksha’ |
The Other Perspective:
People are divided in their opinions when it comes to perception, while many are praising him for his courage to prioritize personal growth and philosophical understanding over conventional career paths, others are claiming that it’s nothing but a classic case of substance abuse. Whatever the truth is, it stays with Abhey Singh. From personal childhood trauma, attaining a prestigious IIT degree, intellectual curiosity, and addiction to the spiritual journey, Abhey Singh’s story seems like a plot from an existential novel. Often thinkers and great philosophers have said that the pursuit of inner peace, self-understanding, and a deeper connection liberates you.
As Abhey still wanders around to question reality and explore the self, we can extract a few learnings from his narrative. It reminds us to take momentary breaks for ourselves as the path to true fulfilment is not found in material success alone.
Link to Abhey Singh’s book (As shared on his social media profile)-
A_Beautiful_place to_get_Lost.pdf
His Instagram profile- https://www.instagram.com/abhey_singh/
