April 27, 2026
Mental Knowledge Compared to Psychic Knowledge
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/2026/04/25/mental-knowledge-compared-to-psychic-knowledge/
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#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #soul #psychic being #mental knowledge #knowledge by identity
1
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,760
Each plane of consciousness has
its own way of knowing.
2
00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:07,880
Mental knowledge comes through a
process of observation,
3
00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:14,000
classification, comparison,
categorization, analysis, and a
4
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,440
decision based on this process
through a comparison to past
5
00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,880
circumstances, events, or
experiences.
6
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,000
Mental knowledge is limited by
this framework and frequently
7
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,240
makes inaccurate judgments due
to limited knowledge or
8
00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:33,760
incorrect assessment, in many
cases due to trained in biases
9
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,680
and prejudices.
The psychic being on the other
10
00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:42,400
hand, does not utilize this type
of cumbersome and linear process
11
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,560
of step by step analysis to come
to its understanding and
12
00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,600
knowledge.
Due to its direct connection to
13
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,600
the Divine, it possesses an
unerring ability to instantly
14
00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,840
separate truth from falsehood.
Any perception, any vital
15
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:05,680
motive, any mental idea, when
passed to the soul, yields an
16
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,600
instant vibrational pattern for
an interpretation that either
17
00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,960
represents a truth, a partial
truth, or a falsehood.
18
00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,960
We speak of a gut instinct, but
instinct is very much made-up of
19
00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:23,880
reactions of the external nature
to patterns subliminally
20
00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:28,400
received in many cases that
correspond to some prior event,
21
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:34,040
some internalized understanding,
training, or vital response, or
22
00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,320
reactions embedded through the
long history of the evolution of
23
00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:42,120
consciousness.
The soul's knowledge is not
24
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,040
quite the same as a gut
instinct.
25
00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,200
Rather, it is a form of
knowledge by identity where the
26
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,360
truth of the spirit is either
confirmed in the impinging
27
00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:57,080
vibrational pattern or else a
variance is experienced.
28
00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,720
The purity of the soul is able
to distinguish purity or
29
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:06,960
impurity in the energy received.
The soul's knowledge provides an
30
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,039
instant sense, while it does not
attempt to go into all of the
31
00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:14,800
details and analysis of the
mental being, which strives in
32
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,280
its turn to achieve knowledge
through a process of increasing
33
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,800
detail and complexity.
Each type of knowledge has its
34
00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,000
uses and its place.
For the spiritual seeker,
35
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,320
developing the ability to hear
the voice of the soul is an
36
00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,720
essential power for progress in
the spiritual growth and
37
00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:40,360
development, as it alone can
provide real guidance to the
38
00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,720
spiritual aspirant about the
ultimate direction and decision
39
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,440
to take, Sri Rabindra writes
quote.
40
00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,080
The mental being within watches,
observes and passes judgment on
41
00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,320
all that happens in you.
The psychic does not watch and
42
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,600
observe in this way like a
witness, but it feels and knows
43
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,720
spontaneously, in a much more
direct and luminous way, by the
44
00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,920
very purity of its own nature
and the divine instinct within
45
00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:15,160
it.
And so whenever it comes to the
46
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,000
front, it reveals at once what
are the right and what the wrong
47
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:25,120
movements in your nature.
End Quote Reference Shrioro
48
00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,440
Bindu and the Mother The psychic
being soul, its nature, Mission
49
00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,200
and evolution Section 1 Meaning
and Nature of the Psychic Being
50
00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:35,800
Page 42.
00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,760
Each plane of consciousness has
its own way of knowing.
2
00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:07,880
Mental knowledge comes through a
process of observation,
3
00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:14,000
classification, comparison,
categorization, analysis, and a
4
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,440
decision based on this process
through a comparison to past
5
00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,880
circumstances, events, or
experiences.
6
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,000
Mental knowledge is limited by
this framework and frequently
7
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,240
makes inaccurate judgments due
to limited knowledge or
8
00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:33,760
incorrect assessment, in many
cases due to trained in biases
9
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,680
and prejudices.
The psychic being on the other
10
00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:42,400
hand, does not utilize this type
of cumbersome and linear process
11
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,560
of step by step analysis to come
to its understanding and
12
00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,600
knowledge.
Due to its direct connection to
13
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,600
the Divine, it possesses an
unerring ability to instantly
14
00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,840
separate truth from falsehood.
Any perception, any vital
15
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:05,680
motive, any mental idea, when
passed to the soul, yields an
16
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,600
instant vibrational pattern for
an interpretation that either
17
00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,960
represents a truth, a partial
truth, or a falsehood.
18
00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,960
We speak of a gut instinct, but
instinct is very much made-up of
19
00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:23,880
reactions of the external nature
to patterns subliminally
20
00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:28,400
received in many cases that
correspond to some prior event,
21
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:34,040
some internalized understanding,
training, or vital response, or
22
00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,320
reactions embedded through the
long history of the evolution of
23
00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:42,120
consciousness.
The soul's knowledge is not
24
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,040
quite the same as a gut
instinct.
25
00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,200
Rather, it is a form of
knowledge by identity where the
26
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,360
truth of the spirit is either
confirmed in the impinging
27
00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:57,080
vibrational pattern or else a
variance is experienced.
28
00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,720
The purity of the soul is able
to distinguish purity or
29
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:06,960
impurity in the energy received.
The soul's knowledge provides an
30
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,039
instant sense, while it does not
attempt to go into all of the
31
00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:14,800
details and analysis of the
mental being, which strives in
32
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,280
its turn to achieve knowledge
through a process of increasing
33
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,800
detail and complexity.
Each type of knowledge has its
34
00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,000
uses and its place.
For the spiritual seeker,
35
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,320
developing the ability to hear
the voice of the soul is an
36
00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,720
essential power for progress in
the spiritual growth and
37
00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:40,360
development, as it alone can
provide real guidance to the
38
00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,720
spiritual aspirant about the
ultimate direction and decision
39
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,440
to take, Sri Rabindra writes
quote.
40
00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,080
The mental being within watches,
observes and passes judgment on
41
00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,320
all that happens in you.
The psychic does not watch and
42
00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,600
observe in this way like a
witness, but it feels and knows
43
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,720
spontaneously, in a much more
direct and luminous way, by the
44
00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,920
very purity of its own nature
and the divine instinct within
45
00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:15,160
it.
And so whenever it comes to the
46
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,000
front, it reveals at once what
are the right and what the wrong
47
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:25,120
movements in your nature.
End Quote Reference Shrioro
48
00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,440
Bindu and the Mother The psychic
being soul, its nature, Mission
49
00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,200
and evolution Section 1 Meaning
and Nature of the Psychic Being
50
00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:35,800
Page 42.
