Jan. 17, 2025
Hypnosis and Individual Development of Its Action for Liberation from the Control of the Surface Waking Consciousness
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XIX Occult Powers of the Subliminal, pg. 150
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/01/15/hypnosis-and-individual-development-of-its-action-for-liberation-from-the-control-of-the-surface-waking-consciousness/
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More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,880
We tend to label actions and
thereby don't reflect on the
2
00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:09,640
implications of them.
Thus, for most people, when we
3
00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,800
use the term hypnosis, we
associate it with a hypnotist
4
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,920
using some unique power to gain
some control over another
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:22,240
individual's will and actions.
Since its introduction in the
6
00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:27,080
West, hypnosis has been
controversial both as to its
7
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:31,760
actual power of action and the
implications of that power of
8
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,520
action.
Many have lumped it into the
9
00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:39,200
category of pseudoscience, a
sort of trick carried out by a
10
00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,000
magician or con man.
Yet, in recent decades, a number
11
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,160
of studies have been done,
particularly as to the ability
12
00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:52,720
of hypnosis to help alleviate
various types of chronic pain.
13
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,720
A review published by the
National Institutes of Health of
14
00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:01,200
the US government concluded that
more research is needed, but
15
00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,480
there were definitely benefits
associated with the use of
16
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,960
hypnosis.
Thus, we can put aside the hoax
17
00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:11,680
claim and turn to what is
actually taking place.
18
00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,800
Shrioro Bindo describes it when
he indicates that a process is
19
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,400
used to separate the subject
from the impingement of the
20
00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,880
waking external consciousness
and thereby remove the response
21
00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,040
to the nerve impulse that
communicates itself to that
22
00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,840
consciousness as pain.
What is possible through the
23
00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,400
intervention of a trained
professional working on a
24
00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:41,480
subject is, however, certainly
also possible for the individual
25
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,000
himself to practice and
implement this separation of the
26
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,800
consciousness from the pain
response.
27
00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:54,080
As Sri Aurobindo also points
out, the phenomenon of the yogic
28
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:59,000
trance samadhi is one such
implementation, where the
29
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,480
awareness is drawn deep inward
and does not attend to the outer
30
00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,280
conditions.
Yet it is also possible to
31
00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,560
maintain a waking consciousness
yet separate oneself from the
32
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,960
surface reactions as well.
This is a further refinement of
33
00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,320
the process that does not
require a complete trance state
34
00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,880
in order to function.
The description of Milarepa's
35
00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,280
state of awareness and control
at the time of his imminent
36
00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:31,240
demise through poisoning by a
jealous priest makes it clear
37
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,080
that the state of external
awareness and the separation
38
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:40,320
from the reaction that gives in
to overarching pain can coexist,
39
00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,400
Sriorbindo writes.
Quote In the phenomena of
40
00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,480
hypnosis, not only can the
hypnotized subject be
41
00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:52,160
successfully forbidden to feel
the pain of a wound or puncture
42
00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,760
when in the abnormal state, but
can be prevented with equal
43
00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,520
success from returning to his
habitual reaction of suffering
44
00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,880
when he is awakened.
The reason of this phenomenon is
45
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,840
perfectly simple.
It is because the hypnotizer
46
00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,960
suspends the habitual waking
consciousness, which is the
47
00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,640
slave of nervous habits, and is
able to appeal to the subliminal
48
00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:21,440
mental being in the depths, the
inner mental being, who is
49
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,520
master, if he wills, of the
nerves and the body.
50
00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,840
But this freedom, which is
affected by hypnosis abnormally
51
00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:36,440
rapidly without true possession
by an alien will, may equally be
52
00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:43,040
one normally gradually with true
possession by one's own will, so
53
00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,000
as to effect partially or
completely a victory of the
54
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:51,040
mental being over the habitual
nervous reactions of the body.
55
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,720
End Quote.
Reference.
56
00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,160
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
Powers within, Chapter 19.
57
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,240
Occult Powers of the Subliminal,
page 150.
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,880
We tend to label actions and
thereby don't reflect on the
2
00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:09,640
implications of them.
Thus, for most people, when we
3
00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,800
use the term hypnosis, we
associate it with a hypnotist
4
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,920
using some unique power to gain
some control over another
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:22,240
individual's will and actions.
Since its introduction in the
6
00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:27,080
West, hypnosis has been
controversial both as to its
7
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:31,760
actual power of action and the
implications of that power of
8
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,520
action.
Many have lumped it into the
9
00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:39,200
category of pseudoscience, a
sort of trick carried out by a
10
00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,000
magician or con man.
Yet, in recent decades, a number
11
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,160
of studies have been done,
particularly as to the ability
12
00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:52,720
of hypnosis to help alleviate
various types of chronic pain.
13
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,720
A review published by the
National Institutes of Health of
14
00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:01,200
the US government concluded that
more research is needed, but
15
00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,480
there were definitely benefits
associated with the use of
16
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,960
hypnosis.
Thus, we can put aside the hoax
17
00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:11,680
claim and turn to what is
actually taking place.
18
00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,800
Shrioro Bindo describes it when
he indicates that a process is
19
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,400
used to separate the subject
from the impingement of the
20
00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,880
waking external consciousness
and thereby remove the response
21
00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,040
to the nerve impulse that
communicates itself to that
22
00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,840
consciousness as pain.
What is possible through the
23
00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,400
intervention of a trained
professional working on a
24
00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:41,480
subject is, however, certainly
also possible for the individual
25
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,000
himself to practice and
implement this separation of the
26
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,800
consciousness from the pain
response.
27
00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:54,080
As Sri Aurobindo also points
out, the phenomenon of the yogic
28
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:59,000
trance samadhi is one such
implementation, where the
29
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,480
awareness is drawn deep inward
and does not attend to the outer
30
00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,280
conditions.
Yet it is also possible to
31
00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,560
maintain a waking consciousness
yet separate oneself from the
32
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,960
surface reactions as well.
This is a further refinement of
33
00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,320
the process that does not
require a complete trance state
34
00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,880
in order to function.
The description of Milarepa's
35
00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,280
state of awareness and control
at the time of his imminent
36
00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:31,240
demise through poisoning by a
jealous priest makes it clear
37
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,080
that the state of external
awareness and the separation
38
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:40,320
from the reaction that gives in
to overarching pain can coexist,
39
00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,400
Sriorbindo writes.
Quote In the phenomena of
40
00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,480
hypnosis, not only can the
hypnotized subject be
41
00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:52,160
successfully forbidden to feel
the pain of a wound or puncture
42
00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,760
when in the abnormal state, but
can be prevented with equal
43
00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,520
success from returning to his
habitual reaction of suffering
44
00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,880
when he is awakened.
The reason of this phenomenon is
45
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,840
perfectly simple.
It is because the hypnotizer
46
00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,960
suspends the habitual waking
consciousness, which is the
47
00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,640
slave of nervous habits, and is
able to appeal to the subliminal
48
00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:21,440
mental being in the depths, the
inner mental being, who is
49
00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,520
master, if he wills, of the
nerves and the body.
50
00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,840
But this freedom, which is
affected by hypnosis abnormally
51
00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:36,440
rapidly without true possession
by an alien will, may equally be
52
00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:43,040
one normally gradually with true
possession by one's own will, so
53
00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,000
as to effect partially or
completely a victory of the
54
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:51,040
mental being over the habitual
nervous reactions of the body.
55
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,720
End Quote.
Reference.
56
00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,160
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
Powers within, Chapter 19.
57
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,240
Occult Powers of the Subliminal,
page 150.