Jan. 12, 2025
Objective Versus Subjective Knowledge in the Realms of Psychic Experience
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XIX Occult Powers of the Subliminal, pp. 145-146 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/01/10/objective-versus-subjective-knowledge-in-the-realms-of-psychic-experience/
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
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,240
Perhaps one of the biggest
hurdles the Western mind needs
2
00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,600
to overcome in addressing the
subtle powers of consciousness
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,920
that either already are or will
be coming forward as the next
4
00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,640
phase of evolution continues to
work itself out, is the conflict
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,680
between the drum beat of
objectivity as the watchword of
6
00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:26,080
science and reliable
observation, and the need for an
7
00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:31,320
inner, necessarily subjective
exploration of consciousness and
8
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,840
its actions, which are not
independently verifiable and
9
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,360
reproducible along the lines
that science believes is the
10
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,840
only accurate way to understand
and measure phenomena.
11
00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,840
This dogma of objectivity,
however, has been shaken by the
12
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,120
development of quantum mechanics
and the principles that indicate
13
00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,480
that the fact of observation
impacts the results.
14
00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:04,599
Thus, the observer, the outer
observer, is every much a part
15
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:09,800
of the observation and thus
cannot escape that subjective
16
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:15,280
influence on the results.
It must also be recognized that
17
00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,800
even objective results are
subject to skewing by the way
18
00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,800
results data is plotted and
analyzed.
19
00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:27,080
Sometimes results wind up
confirming preconceived ideas or
20
00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,640
biases of the researcher due to
the way the study is conducted
21
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,520
or the data is compiled.
We see scientific studies being
22
00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:41,720
challenged and even withdrawn
despite the emphasis on
23
00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,960
objectivity.
If we cannot apply the mental
24
00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,680
rules that work in the external
physical world to our analysis
25
00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,360
of inner experience and
consciousness, we still need to
26
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:58,520
be able to distinguish between
experiences and powers that are
27
00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,920
actually occurring and those
that either intentionally or
28
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,960
unintentionally are false,
misleading, or outright
29
00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,720
deceptive.
In The Life Divine, Sriorobindo
30
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,640
notes the various ways of
knowing and obtaining of
31
00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:20,360
knowledge and those that rely on
the external model of separation
32
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,960
of knower from the object of
knowledge and the process of
33
00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,160
knowing.
In other words, the objective
34
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:32,360
formation of knowing are less
complete and accurate than the
35
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,920
development of knowledge by
identity through a merging of
36
00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:41,240
the field of consciousness of
the knower, the object and the
37
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,440
process of knowing.
The question arises how to
38
00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,440
distinguish then whether the
knowledge so obtained through
39
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,840
identity is real and reliable or
not.
40
00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,280
The first point to be made is
that for someone experiencing
41
00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:01,080
this oneness of consciousness,
there is absolutely no question
42
00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,520
of its veracity.
The second point is that as more
43
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,600
and more people have such
experiences, these experiences
44
00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,920
can be correlated to verify how
closely they align with one
45
00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:16,600
another.
While this cannot be the
46
00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,040
ultimate arbiter of truth or
falsehood of the experience, it
47
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:25,560
is clear that if a particular
formation tends to reoccur many
48
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,400
times for different people not
connected to one another in any
49
00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,200
direct way, that it lends
credence to the validity.
50
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,960
For example, a researcher into
near death experience in the UK,
51
00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:44,400
Doctor Peter Fenwick, and his
wife Elizabeth, investigated
52
00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,400
over 300 near death experiences,
which they recounted in the book
53
00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,480
The Truth in the Light.
They wound up reviewing over
54
00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,320
2000 letters describing the near
death experience of different
55
00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,680
individuals and found that high
percentages recounted very
56
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:05,200
similar occurrences and
reactions, some correlating over
57
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:11,000
72% of the time.
Trior Ovindo briefly described
58
00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,920
some of the most common
experiences people have related
59
00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,279
as they begin to move into inner
space.
60
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,079
One of these has been described
numerous times as what is
61
00:04:21,079 --> 00:04:24,120
commonly known as the Akashic
record.
62
00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,840
Some people describe it as a
library with all manner of
63
00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:33,480
information, others as a series
of scrolls that are stacked up.
64
00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,920
These are clearly transcriptions
of what is taking place in the
65
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,880
experience that we try to make
sense of with our external
66
00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,280
minds.
Some people simply see visual
67
00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:49,960
representations of people and
events which they bring back
68
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,760
with them, some relating to the
past, some to the present or the
69
00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:59,360
future.
In some cases they actually wind
70
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,440
up recognizing people in the
future they have seen during
71
00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,160
their visit to the Akashic
record.
72
00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:11,160
Sri Robindo observes quote.
A completer opening of the
73
00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,680
psychical consciousness leads us
far beyond this faculty of
74
00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:19,080
vision by images and admits us
not indeed to a new time
75
00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:23,800
consciousness, but to many ways
of the triple time knowledge.
76
00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,960
The subliminal or psychic self
can bring back or project itself
77
00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,760
into past states of
consciousness and experience and
78
00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:37,960
anticipate, or even though this
is less common, strongly project
79
00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:41,480
itself into future states of
consciousness and experience.
80
00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:47,000
It does this by a temporary
entering into or identification
81
00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,120
of its being or its power of
experiencing knowledge with
82
00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:55,560
either permanences or
representations of the past and
83
00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,800
the future that are maintained
in an eternal time consciousness
84
00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,960
behind our mentality, or thrown
up by the eternity of Super Mind
85
00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,840
into an indivisible continuity
of time vision.
86
00:06:10,280 --> 00:06:13,720
Or it may receive the impress of
these things and construct a
87
00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:18,200
transcriptive experience of them
in the subtle ether of psychical
88
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,640
being.
Or it may call up the past
89
00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,120
subconscious memory, where it is
always latent, and give it in
90
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:31,880
itself a living form and a kind
of renewed memorative existence.
91
00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,480
And equally it may call up from
the depths of latency, where it
92
00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:43,280
is already shaped in the being
and similarly form to itself and
93
00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:47,920
experience the future.
It may be a kind of psychical
94
00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,640
thought vision or soul
intuition, not the same thing as
95
00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,520
the subtler and less concrete
thought vision of the luminous
96
00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:01,840
intuitive intelligence.
Foresee or foreknow the future
97
00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:05,880
or flash this sole intuition
into the past that has gone
98
00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,080
behind the veil and recover it
for present knowledge.
99
00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,880
It can develop a symbolic seeing
which conveys the past and the
100
00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,880
future through a vision of the
powers and significances that
101
00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:23,880
belong to super physical planes
but are powerful for creation in
102
00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,880
the material universe.
It can feel the intention of the
103
00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,960
divine, the mind of the gods,
all things in their signs and
104
00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,320
indices that descend upon the
soul and determine the complex
105
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:42,240
movement of forces.
It can feel too the movement of
106
00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:46,960
forces that represent or respond
to the pressure, as it can
107
00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:51,520
perceive the presence and the
action of the beings of the
108
00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,400
mental, vital or other worlds
who concern themselves with our
109
00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,040
lives.
It can gather on all hands all
110
00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:04,240
kinds of indications of
happenings in past, present and
111
00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:05,200
future.
Time.
112
00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:10,680
It can receive before its sight
the etheric writing Akasha Lippi
113
00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:15,560
that keeps the record of all
things past, transcribes all
114
00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,680
that is in process in the
present, writes out the future.
115
00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,680
End Quote.
Reference Sri Rabindu and the
116
00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:28,160
Mother Powers within, Chapter
19.
117
00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:34,080
Occult Powers of the Subliminal
Pages, 1:45 to 1:46.
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,240
Perhaps one of the biggest
hurdles the Western mind needs
2
00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,600
to overcome in addressing the
subtle powers of consciousness
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,920
that either already are or will
be coming forward as the next
4
00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,640
phase of evolution continues to
work itself out, is the conflict
5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,680
between the drum beat of
objectivity as the watchword of
6
00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:26,080
science and reliable
observation, and the need for an
7
00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:31,320
inner, necessarily subjective
exploration of consciousness and
8
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,840
its actions, which are not
independently verifiable and
9
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,360
reproducible along the lines
that science believes is the
10
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,840
only accurate way to understand
and measure phenomena.
11
00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,840
This dogma of objectivity,
however, has been shaken by the
12
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,120
development of quantum mechanics
and the principles that indicate
13
00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,480
that the fact of observation
impacts the results.
14
00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:04,599
Thus, the observer, the outer
observer, is every much a part
15
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:09,800
of the observation and thus
cannot escape that subjective
16
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:15,280
influence on the results.
It must also be recognized that
17
00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,800
even objective results are
subject to skewing by the way
18
00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,800
results data is plotted and
analyzed.
19
00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:27,080
Sometimes results wind up
confirming preconceived ideas or
20
00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,640
biases of the researcher due to
the way the study is conducted
21
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,520
or the data is compiled.
We see scientific studies being
22
00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:41,720
challenged and even withdrawn
despite the emphasis on
23
00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,960
objectivity.
If we cannot apply the mental
24
00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,680
rules that work in the external
physical world to our analysis
25
00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,360
of inner experience and
consciousness, we still need to
26
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:58,520
be able to distinguish between
experiences and powers that are
27
00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,920
actually occurring and those
that either intentionally or
28
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,960
unintentionally are false,
misleading, or outright
29
00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,720
deceptive.
In The Life Divine, Sriorobindo
30
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,640
notes the various ways of
knowing and obtaining of
31
00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:20,360
knowledge and those that rely on
the external model of separation
32
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,960
of knower from the object of
knowledge and the process of
33
00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,160
knowing.
In other words, the objective
34
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:32,360
formation of knowing are less
complete and accurate than the
35
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,920
development of knowledge by
identity through a merging of
36
00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:41,240
the field of consciousness of
the knower, the object and the
37
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,440
process of knowing.
The question arises how to
38
00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,440
distinguish then whether the
knowledge so obtained through
39
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,840
identity is real and reliable or
not.
40
00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,280
The first point to be made is
that for someone experiencing
41
00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:01,080
this oneness of consciousness,
there is absolutely no question
42
00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,520
of its veracity.
The second point is that as more
43
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,600
and more people have such
experiences, these experiences
44
00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,920
can be correlated to verify how
closely they align with one
45
00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:16,600
another.
While this cannot be the
46
00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,040
ultimate arbiter of truth or
falsehood of the experience, it
47
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:25,560
is clear that if a particular
formation tends to reoccur many
48
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,400
times for different people not
connected to one another in any
49
00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,200
direct way, that it lends
credence to the validity.
50
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,960
For example, a researcher into
near death experience in the UK,
51
00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:44,400
Doctor Peter Fenwick, and his
wife Elizabeth, investigated
52
00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,400
over 300 near death experiences,
which they recounted in the book
53
00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,480
The Truth in the Light.
They wound up reviewing over
54
00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,320
2000 letters describing the near
death experience of different
55
00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,680
individuals and found that high
percentages recounted very
56
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:05,200
similar occurrences and
reactions, some correlating over
57
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:11,000
72% of the time.
Trior Ovindo briefly described
58
00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,920
some of the most common
experiences people have related
59
00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,279
as they begin to move into inner
space.
60
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,079
One of these has been described
numerous times as what is
61
00:04:21,079 --> 00:04:24,120
commonly known as the Akashic
record.
62
00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,840
Some people describe it as a
library with all manner of
63
00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:33,480
information, others as a series
of scrolls that are stacked up.
64
00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,920
These are clearly transcriptions
of what is taking place in the
65
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,880
experience that we try to make
sense of with our external
66
00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,280
minds.
Some people simply see visual
67
00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:49,960
representations of people and
events which they bring back
68
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,760
with them, some relating to the
past, some to the present or the
69
00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:59,360
future.
In some cases they actually wind
70
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,440
up recognizing people in the
future they have seen during
71
00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,160
their visit to the Akashic
record.
72
00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:11,160
Sri Robindo observes quote.
A completer opening of the
73
00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,680
psychical consciousness leads us
far beyond this faculty of
74
00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:19,080
vision by images and admits us
not indeed to a new time
75
00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:23,800
consciousness, but to many ways
of the triple time knowledge.
76
00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,960
The subliminal or psychic self
can bring back or project itself
77
00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,760
into past states of
consciousness and experience and
78
00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:37,960
anticipate, or even though this
is less common, strongly project
79
00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:41,480
itself into future states of
consciousness and experience.
80
00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:47,000
It does this by a temporary
entering into or identification
81
00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,120
of its being or its power of
experiencing knowledge with
82
00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:55,560
either permanences or
representations of the past and
83
00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,800
the future that are maintained
in an eternal time consciousness
84
00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,960
behind our mentality, or thrown
up by the eternity of Super Mind
85
00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,840
into an indivisible continuity
of time vision.
86
00:06:10,280 --> 00:06:13,720
Or it may receive the impress of
these things and construct a
87
00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:18,200
transcriptive experience of them
in the subtle ether of psychical
88
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,640
being.
Or it may call up the past
89
00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,120
subconscious memory, where it is
always latent, and give it in
90
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:31,880
itself a living form and a kind
of renewed memorative existence.
91
00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,480
And equally it may call up from
the depths of latency, where it
92
00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:43,280
is already shaped in the being
and similarly form to itself and
93
00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:47,920
experience the future.
It may be a kind of psychical
94
00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,640
thought vision or soul
intuition, not the same thing as
95
00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,520
the subtler and less concrete
thought vision of the luminous
96
00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:01,840
intuitive intelligence.
Foresee or foreknow the future
97
00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:05,880
or flash this sole intuition
into the past that has gone
98
00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,080
behind the veil and recover it
for present knowledge.
99
00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,880
It can develop a symbolic seeing
which conveys the past and the
100
00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,880
future through a vision of the
powers and significances that
101
00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:23,880
belong to super physical planes
but are powerful for creation in
102
00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,880
the material universe.
It can feel the intention of the
103
00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,960
divine, the mind of the gods,
all things in their signs and
104
00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,320
indices that descend upon the
soul and determine the complex
105
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:42,240
movement of forces.
It can feel too the movement of
106
00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:46,960
forces that represent or respond
to the pressure, as it can
107
00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:51,520
perceive the presence and the
action of the beings of the
108
00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,400
mental, vital or other worlds
who concern themselves with our
109
00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,040
lives.
It can gather on all hands all
110
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kinds of indications of
happenings in past, present and
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00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:05,200
future.
Time.
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00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:10,680
It can receive before its sight
the etheric writing Akasha Lippi
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that keeps the record of all
things past, transcribes all
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that is in process in the
present, writes out the future.
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End Quote.
Reference Sri Rabindu and the
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Mother Powers within, Chapter
19.
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Occult Powers of the Subliminal
Pages, 1:45 to 1:46.