Sept. 28, 2024
Imagination and Science
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
Amazon Music 
RSS Feed 
Castro 
RadioPublic 
PocketCasts 
YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter III Imagination, pp. 31-32 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/09/24/imagination-and-science/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available 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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,440
Jules Verne, a writer who was
not himself a scientist,
2
00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,920
nevertheless inspired
generations of scientists.
3
00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:15,040
He did not invent the idea of
the submarine, but in his book
4
00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,160
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea he
worked out a number of
5
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,760
conceptual issues so that
submarine use could become
6
00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,240
widespread, and he opened up the
wonder and beauty of the
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,640
undersea world so that people
would be inspired to try.
8
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:37,800
Similarly, he was not the first
to propose the idea of flying to
9
00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,800
the moon, but in his book From
the Earth to the Moon, he
10
00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,880
developed the story in such a
way that once again people were
11
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,840
inspired to try, eventually
landing people on the moon and
12
00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,640
returning them safely to the
earth.
13
00:00:54,640 --> 00:01:00,120
Imagination has always led the
way to breakthroughs in science.
14
00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,920
Nikola Tesla cited a vision he
had while walking in a field as
15
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,320
the basis for his invention of
the alternating current motor,
16
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,880
which he eventually developed,
perfected, and patented.
17
00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,520
He made it clear that it was
vision that led to his greatest
18
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,920
scientific breakthroughs, while
his mastery of technical skills
19
00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,640
in the field allowed him to
translate the vision into the
20
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,120
reality.
Albert Einstein famously stated
21
00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,320
quote.
Imagination is more important
22
00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:37,040
than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited.
23
00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:44,040
Imagination encircles the world.
End Quote as well as quote.
24
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:49,120
Imagination is everything.
It is the preview of life's
25
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,560
coming attractions.
End Quote.
26
00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,680
Einstein went on to say, quote,
we can't know something is
27
00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:01,440
possible or impossible until we
try it, and without imagination
28
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,800
it would never occur to us to
try it.
29
00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:11,039
End Quote.
A disciple notes Men of science
30
00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:17,360
must be having imagination.
The mother writes quote a lot,
31
00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,560
otherwise they would never
discover anything.
32
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,760
In fact, what is called
imagination is a capacity to
33
00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,240
project oneself outside realized
things and towards things
34
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,720
realizable and then to draw them
by the projection.
35
00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,600
One can obviously have
progressive and regressive
36
00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,920
imaginations.
There are people who always
37
00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:45,880
imagine all the catastrophes
possible and unfortunately they
38
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,440
also have the power of making
them come.
39
00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,640
It's like the antennae going
into a world that's not yet
40
00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:56,440
realized, catching something
there and drawing it here.
41
00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,920
Then naturally it is an addition
to the earth atmosphere, and
42
00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:04,400
these things tend towards
manifestation.
43
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,640
It is an instrument which can be
disciplined, can be used at
44
00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:13,400
will.
One can discipline it, direct
45
00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,920
it, Orient it.
It is one of the faculties one
46
00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:20,920
can develop in himself and
render serviceable.
47
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:24,440
That is, use it for definite
purposes.
48
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,040
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
49
00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:35,640
Mother Powers within, Chapter 3,
Imagination, pages 31 to 32.
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,440
Jules Verne, a writer who was
not himself a scientist,
2
00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,920
nevertheless inspired
generations of scientists.
3
00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:15,040
He did not invent the idea of
the submarine, but in his book
4
00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,160
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea he
worked out a number of
5
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,760
conceptual issues so that
submarine use could become
6
00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,240
widespread, and he opened up the
wonder and beauty of the
7
00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,640
undersea world so that people
would be inspired to try.
8
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:37,800
Similarly, he was not the first
to propose the idea of flying to
9
00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,800
the moon, but in his book From
the Earth to the Moon, he
10
00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,880
developed the story in such a
way that once again people were
11
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,840
inspired to try, eventually
landing people on the moon and
12
00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,640
returning them safely to the
earth.
13
00:00:54,640 --> 00:01:00,120
Imagination has always led the
way to breakthroughs in science.
14
00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,920
Nikola Tesla cited a vision he
had while walking in a field as
15
00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,320
the basis for his invention of
the alternating current motor,
16
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,880
which he eventually developed,
perfected, and patented.
17
00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,520
He made it clear that it was
vision that led to his greatest
18
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,920
scientific breakthroughs, while
his mastery of technical skills
19
00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,640
in the field allowed him to
translate the vision into the
20
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,120
reality.
Albert Einstein famously stated
21
00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,320
quote.
Imagination is more important
22
00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:37,040
than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited.
23
00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:44,040
Imagination encircles the world.
End Quote as well as quote.
24
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:49,120
Imagination is everything.
It is the preview of life's
25
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,560
coming attractions.
End Quote.
26
00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,680
Einstein went on to say, quote,
we can't know something is
27
00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:01,440
possible or impossible until we
try it, and without imagination
28
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,800
it would never occur to us to
try it.
29
00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:11,039
End Quote.
A disciple notes Men of science
30
00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:17,360
must be having imagination.
The mother writes quote a lot,
31
00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,560
otherwise they would never
discover anything.
32
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,760
In fact, what is called
imagination is a capacity to
33
00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,240
project oneself outside realized
things and towards things
34
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,720
realizable and then to draw them
by the projection.
35
00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,600
One can obviously have
progressive and regressive
36
00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,920
imaginations.
There are people who always
37
00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:45,880
imagine all the catastrophes
possible and unfortunately they
38
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,440
also have the power of making
them come.
39
00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,640
It's like the antennae going
into a world that's not yet
40
00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:56,440
realized, catching something
there and drawing it here.
41
00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,920
Then naturally it is an addition
to the earth atmosphere, and
42
00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:04,400
these things tend towards
manifestation.
43
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,640
It is an instrument which can be
disciplined, can be used at
44
00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:13,400
will.
One can discipline it, direct
45
00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,920
it, Orient it.
It is one of the faculties one
46
00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:20,920
can develop in himself and
render serviceable.
47
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:24,440
That is, use it for definite
purposes.
48
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,040
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
49
00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:35,640
Mother Powers within, Chapter 3,
Imagination, pages 31 to 32.