April 28, 2026
Appreciating Knowledge Not Based in Mental Processes
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 1 Meaning and Nature of the Psychic Being, pg. 42This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/04/26/appreciating-knowledge-not-based-in-mental-processes/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #psychic being #soul #knowledge #psychic knowledge
1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,400
Knowledge in the minds of most
people is mental knowledge.
2
00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:09,960
We are trained to use our minds
to read, to observe, to analyze,
3
00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,080
to compare, to remember and to
correlate.
4
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,000
We learn the skills of mental
logic and honour those who
5
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:22,000
advanced in mental capabilities.
We practice argument and debate
6
00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:26,640
and declare winners as those who
are able to present the better
7
00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,040
argument.
We know when there is a stream
8
00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,160
of thought in our minds that
tells us what we know.
9
00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:39,360
Rene Descartes famously declared
I think therefore I am.
10
00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,880
Man is the mental being, the
current peak of the evolution of
11
00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:49,080
consciousness, able to use his
mind to rearrange the physical
12
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,920
world and control the animal
world.
13
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,360
We are, however, beginning to
understand and appreciate that
14
00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,440
there are other forms and types
of knowing that we have
15
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,599
suppressed and undervalued.
As the mental form of knowing
16
00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:09,480
gained its ascendancy and proved
its value in the building of our
17
00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:14,640
external world and our own
success in that world, people
18
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,840
are beginning to explore
emotional intelligence, vital
19
00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:23,040
reactions that occur without
mental thought, even physical
20
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,440
knowledge based in body
consciousness.
21
00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,080
Each of these forms of knowing
are unique and based in the
22
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,920
capacities of that level of
consciousness.
23
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,760
The mind, even while we consider
it the peak of our current
24
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:43,440
development, is clearly neither
perfect nor is it absolute or
25
00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:48,040
precise in its power of knowing.
We are beginning to understand
26
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,080
and explore other powers that go
beyond those of the body, the
27
00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:57,120
life force and the mind, powers
that originate at levels above
28
00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:02,360
the mental level.
Intuition, inspiration are
29
00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,400
forcing us to reconsider the
role that the mind has to play
30
00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:12,200
in our future development.
The psychic, being directly
31
00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,440
connected to the spirit and the
truth of existence, has its own
32
00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:21,160
way of knowing what Triorobindo
defines as a form of knowledge
33
00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,800
by identity.
In order to comprehend what the
34
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,600
soul knows, we also need to
adjust our view of knowledge so
35
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:35,440
that we can experience, feel,
intuit the truth, not simply be
36
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:40,760
swayed by potentially faulty or
incomplete statements of logic
37
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,080
or reasoning, the mother
observes.
38
00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,960
Quote communications from the
psychic do not come in a mental
39
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,480
form.
They are not ideas or
40
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,320
reasonings.
They have their own character,
41
00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,400
quite distinct from the mind,
something like a feeling that
42
00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:02,400
comprehends itself and acts by
its very nature.
43
00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:08,760
The psychic is calm, quiet and
luminous, understanding and
44
00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:13,520
generous, wide and progressive.
Its constant effort is to
45
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:19,240
understand and progress.
The mind describes and explains
46
00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:27,160
the psychic sees and understands
End Quote Reference Sri
47
00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,200
aurobindo and the Mother The
psychic being soul, its nature,
48
00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,600
mission and evolution Section 1
Meaning and nature of the
49
00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,040
psychic being, page 42.
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,400
Knowledge in the minds of most
people is mental knowledge.
2
00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:09,960
We are trained to use our minds
to read, to observe, to analyze,
3
00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,080
to compare, to remember and to
correlate.
4
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,000
We learn the skills of mental
logic and honour those who
5
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:22,000
advanced in mental capabilities.
We practice argument and debate
6
00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:26,640
and declare winners as those who
are able to present the better
7
00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,040
argument.
We know when there is a stream
8
00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,160
of thought in our minds that
tells us what we know.
9
00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:39,360
Rene Descartes famously declared
I think therefore I am.
10
00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,880
Man is the mental being, the
current peak of the evolution of
11
00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:49,080
consciousness, able to use his
mind to rearrange the physical
12
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,920
world and control the animal
world.
13
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,360
We are, however, beginning to
understand and appreciate that
14
00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,440
there are other forms and types
of knowing that we have
15
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,599
suppressed and undervalued.
As the mental form of knowing
16
00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:09,480
gained its ascendancy and proved
its value in the building of our
17
00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:14,640
external world and our own
success in that world, people
18
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,840
are beginning to explore
emotional intelligence, vital
19
00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:23,040
reactions that occur without
mental thought, even physical
20
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,440
knowledge based in body
consciousness.
21
00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,080
Each of these forms of knowing
are unique and based in the
22
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,920
capacities of that level of
consciousness.
23
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,760
The mind, even while we consider
it the peak of our current
24
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:43,440
development, is clearly neither
perfect nor is it absolute or
25
00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:48,040
precise in its power of knowing.
We are beginning to understand
26
00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,080
and explore other powers that go
beyond those of the body, the
27
00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:57,120
life force and the mind, powers
that originate at levels above
28
00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:02,360
the mental level.
Intuition, inspiration are
29
00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,400
forcing us to reconsider the
role that the mind has to play
30
00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:12,200
in our future development.
The psychic, being directly
31
00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,440
connected to the spirit and the
truth of existence, has its own
32
00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:21,160
way of knowing what Triorobindo
defines as a form of knowledge
33
00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,800
by identity.
In order to comprehend what the
34
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,600
soul knows, we also need to
adjust our view of knowledge so
35
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:35,440
that we can experience, feel,
intuit the truth, not simply be
36
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:40,760
swayed by potentially faulty or
incomplete statements of logic
37
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,080
or reasoning, the mother
observes.
38
00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,960
Quote communications from the
psychic do not come in a mental
39
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,480
form.
They are not ideas or
40
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,320
reasonings.
They have their own character,
41
00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,400
quite distinct from the mind,
something like a feeling that
42
00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:02,400
comprehends itself and acts by
its very nature.
43
00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:08,760
The psychic is calm, quiet and
luminous, understanding and
44
00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:13,520
generous, wide and progressive.
Its constant effort is to
45
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:19,240
understand and progress.
The mind describes and explains
46
00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:27,160
the psychic sees and understands
End Quote Reference Sri
47
00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,200
aurobindo and the Mother The
psychic being soul, its nature,
48
00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,600
mission and evolution Section 1
Meaning and nature of the
49
00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,040
psychic being, page 42.
