Oct. 17, 2025
Introduction to the Higher Levels of Consciousness Beyond the Mind
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pp. 20-21This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/introduction-to-the-higher-levels-of-consciousness-beyond-the-mind/
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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 SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:05,000
Western psychology has begun to
explore the levels and realms of
2
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,880
mind.
This study has been going on for
3
00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,640
many hundreds if not thousands
of years in India, where the
4
00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:16,000
psychological framework of inner
space has been a key focus of
5
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,640
yogic psychology.
Western study started with the
6
00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,680
mental powers and then began to
explore the connection of less
7
00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:28,800
conscious levels such as the
subconscious and what Jung
8
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,560
called the collective
unconscious and their influence
9
00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,080
on our waking minds and
responses to circumstances and
10
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:40,120
events.
Srioro Bindo recognized that the
11
00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,120
evolution of consciousness
implies that there are higher
12
00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,080
realms and stages of
consciousness beyond what the
13
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,920
human being ordinarily
experiences, and thus took his
14
00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,040
research into those higher
realms.
15
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,000
He acknowledges the role and
impact of the subconscious and
16
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:04,400
the unconscious, but he also
recognizes that as new, higher,
17
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,640
and more powerful levels of
awareness take on a greater
18
00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,800
importance in human life, many
of the former levels will be
19
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:17,760
subject to modification and even
transformation in the life
20
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,600
Divine.
Sri Robindo does a review of
21
00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,560
some of these higher stages and
the differentiating factors as
22
00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,120
to how they operate.
Starting from the mental level,
23
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,560
there is what he calls the
higher Mind.
24
00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,520
Above that are levels such as
the Illumined Mind, the Over
25
00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,440
Mind and eventually the
Supermind.
26
00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,080
The Supermind acts as the
primary interface between pure
27
00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,120
existence, consciousness, force
and bliss.
28
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,880
Suchit Ananda and the
manifestation of the world's
29
00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,000
associated with mind, life and
physical substance.
30
00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:59,440
It holds concurrently the
awareness of pure existence and
31
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,240
the power to create and manifest
the world's and their operation
32
00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,640
in detail.
For a substantial understanding
33
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,479
of these levels and their
differences and their varying
34
00:02:09,479 --> 00:02:14,320
modes and powers of operation,
it is best to consult the Life
35
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,200
Divine directly.
As part of this more
36
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,120
comprehensive view of the play
of consciousness, Sri Aurobindo
37
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,640
also describes the action and
conscious force that is tied to
38
00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:30,600
each of the chakras, the subtle
energy centers that act as a
39
00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:35,360
Nexus for reception and
expression of various forms of
40
00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,520
the consciousness and force
operative in the creation.
41
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,920
Sri Aurobindo observes.
Quote If your consciousness
42
00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:49,360
rises above the head, that means
that it goes beyond the ordinary
43
00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,920
mind to the centre above which
receives the higher
44
00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:57,040
consciousness, or else towards
the ascending levels of the
45
00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:02,120
higher consciousness itself.
The 1st result is the silence
46
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,200
and peace of the self, which is
the basis of the higher
47
00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:10,120
consciousness.
This may afterwards descend into
48
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,040
the lower levels, into the very
body.
49
00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:19,360
Light also can descend and force
the navel and the centers below
50
00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,640
it are those of the vital and
the physical.
51
00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,960
Something of the higher force
may have descended there.
52
00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:31,640
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu, Bases of
53
00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:37,880
Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
Equality, pages 20 to 21.
00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:05,000
Western psychology has begun to
explore the levels and realms of
2
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,880
mind.
This study has been going on for
3
00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,640
many hundreds if not thousands
of years in India, where the
4
00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:16,000
psychological framework of inner
space has been a key focus of
5
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,640
yogic psychology.
Western study started with the
6
00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,680
mental powers and then began to
explore the connection of less
7
00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:28,800
conscious levels such as the
subconscious and what Jung
8
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,560
called the collective
unconscious and their influence
9
00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,080
on our waking minds and
responses to circumstances and
10
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:40,120
events.
Srioro Bindo recognized that the
11
00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,120
evolution of consciousness
implies that there are higher
12
00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,080
realms and stages of
consciousness beyond what the
13
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,920
human being ordinarily
experiences, and thus took his
14
00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,040
research into those higher
realms.
15
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,000
He acknowledges the role and
impact of the subconscious and
16
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:04,400
the unconscious, but he also
recognizes that as new, higher,
17
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,640
and more powerful levels of
awareness take on a greater
18
00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,800
importance in human life, many
of the former levels will be
19
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:17,760
subject to modification and even
transformation in the life
20
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,600
Divine.
Sri Robindo does a review of
21
00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,560
some of these higher stages and
the differentiating factors as
22
00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,120
to how they operate.
Starting from the mental level,
23
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,560
there is what he calls the
higher Mind.
24
00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,520
Above that are levels such as
the Illumined Mind, the Over
25
00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,440
Mind and eventually the
Supermind.
26
00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,080
The Supermind acts as the
primary interface between pure
27
00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,120
existence, consciousness, force
and bliss.
28
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,880
Suchit Ananda and the
manifestation of the world's
29
00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,000
associated with mind, life and
physical substance.
30
00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:59,440
It holds concurrently the
awareness of pure existence and
31
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,240
the power to create and manifest
the world's and their operation
32
00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,640
in detail.
For a substantial understanding
33
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,479
of these levels and their
differences and their varying
34
00:02:09,479 --> 00:02:14,320
modes and powers of operation,
it is best to consult the Life
35
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,200
Divine directly.
As part of this more
36
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,120
comprehensive view of the play
of consciousness, Sri Aurobindo
37
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,640
also describes the action and
conscious force that is tied to
38
00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:30,600
each of the chakras, the subtle
energy centers that act as a
39
00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:35,360
Nexus for reception and
expression of various forms of
40
00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,520
the consciousness and force
operative in the creation.
41
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,920
Sri Aurobindo observes.
Quote If your consciousness
42
00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:49,360
rises above the head, that means
that it goes beyond the ordinary
43
00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,920
mind to the centre above which
receives the higher
44
00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:57,040
consciousness, or else towards
the ascending levels of the
45
00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:02,120
higher consciousness itself.
The 1st result is the silence
46
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,200
and peace of the self, which is
the basis of the higher
47
00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:10,120
consciousness.
This may afterwards descend into
48
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,040
the lower levels, into the very
body.
49
00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:19,360
Light also can descend and force
the navel and the centers below
50
00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,640
it are those of the vital and
the physical.
51
00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,960
Something of the higher force
may have descended there.
52
00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:31,640
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu, Bases of
53
00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:37,880
Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm, Peace and
Equality, pages 20 to 21.
