June 5, 2024
Science and Occultism
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 5 Occult Forces, pp 106-107 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/06/02/science-and-occultism/
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
00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:07,240
Scientists study the hidden,
let's admit, the occult powers
2
00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,800
of the material world and of our
lives, while they clothe their
3
00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,200
study in words that imply a
process that would distinguish
4
00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,920
what they do from the general
term of occultism.
5
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,160
If we reflect carefully, we can
see that science is essentially
6
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:29,960
a subset or branch of the larger
field of occultism that does not
7
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,600
restrict itself solely to
material energies or material
8
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,920
laws of development, but which
delves into the nature of
9
00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,560
existence and the operation of
unseen forces across multiple
10
00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,520
aspects and planes of our
existence.
11
00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:50,800
The path followed by the seeker
in the Titeria Upanishad, who
12
00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,320
started with an investigation of
matter and moved through a
13
00:00:54,320 --> 00:01:00,400
review of the plane of energy of
life, the plane of mind, the
14
00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,080
plane of the causal power of
creation and the plane of pure
15
00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,840
existence, Consciousness, bliss,
is virtually identical to the
16
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,320
path followed by scientists who,
while they start from matter,
17
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:22,080
eventually wind up looking at
energy, mind and causality in
18
00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,280
the form of universal
consciousness.
19
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:33,520
The first terms of knowledge are
steps along the way, but not a
20
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,680
final knowledge.
And the further they go, the
21
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,240
more they begin to appreciate
that they are forces and powers
22
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,400
at work, far beyond the limits
of human perception.
23
00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,560
And they also recognize that
what they thought were universal
24
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,280
laws turn out to only apply in
certain limited circumstances.
25
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:58,160
The opening up of the field of
quantum mechanics has finally
26
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,040
forced scientists to begin to
acknowledge that the mechanical
27
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,920
laws of Newtonian physics do not
apply in all ways and at all
28
00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,039
times.
Thus we now have scientists
29
00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:14,000
taking talking about multiple
universes, infinite
30
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,160
possibilities carried out in
infinite worlds where different
31
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,000
choices are made and different
formulations of existence and
32
00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:27,600
awareness apply.
Albert Einstein declared quote
33
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,680
concerning matter.
We have been all wrong.
34
00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,240
What we have called matter is
energy, whose vibration has been
35
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,440
so lowered as to be perceptible
to the senses.
36
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,640
There is no matter.
Time does not exist, we invented
37
00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:46,160
it.
Time is what the clock says.
38
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,640
Time and space are not
conditions in which we live, but
39
00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:56,720
modes by which we think.
The more I learn of physics, the
40
00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:01,440
more I am drawn to metaphysics.
I'm not an atheist.
41
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,800
The problem involved is too vast
for our limited minds.
42
00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,840
We are in the position of a
little child entering a huge
43
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,640
library filled with books in
many languages.
44
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,880
The child knows someone must
have written those books.
45
00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:23,440
End Quote.
Nikola Tesla declared quote the
46
00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,800
day science begins to study non
physical phenomena, it will make
47
00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:33,040
more progress in one decade than
in all the previous centuries of
48
00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,280
its existence.
End Quote.
49
00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,000
And thus we see scientists
acknowledging and embracing the
50
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:47,120
science of occultism.
A disciple asks Mother, can
51
00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,360
physical science by its progress
open to occultism?
52
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,160
The Mother responds quote, it
does not call it occultism.
53
00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,080
That's all.
It is only a question of words.
54
00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,720
They are making sensational
discoveries which people with
55
00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,760
occult knowledge already knew
thousands of years ago.
56
00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:12,120
They have made a long circuit
and come to the same thing with
57
00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,160
the most recent discoveries in
medicine, in the applied
58
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:20,160
sciences, for instance, they're
contacting in this way with a
59
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,120
wonderstruck interest, things
which were known to certain
60
00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,400
sages a very, very long time
ago.
61
00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,400
And then they present all this
before you as new marvels.
62
00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,560
But indeed they are rather old.
They're marvels.
63
00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,480
They will end up by practicing
occultism without knowing that
64
00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,880
they are doing so.
For in fact, as soon as one
65
00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:50,280
draws close, however slightly,
to the truth of things, and when
66
00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:53,520
one is sincere in one's search,
not satisfied by mere
67
00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,640
appearances, when one really
wants to find something and goes
68
00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:02,520
deep, penetrates behind
appearances, then one begins to
69
00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,840
advance towards the truth of
things.
70
00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:10,800
And as one comes closer to it,
well, one finds again the same
71
00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,440
knowledge that others who began
by going within have brought
72
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,920
back from their inner
discoveries.
73
00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,640
Only the method and the path are
different, but the thing
74
00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,640
discovered will be the same,
because there are not two things
75
00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:30,400
to be found, there is only one.
It will necessarily be the same
76
00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,800
if all depends on the path. 1
follows.
77
00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:39,520
Some go fast, others slowly.
Some go straight, others, as I
78
00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:44,240
said, go a long way round.
And what labour, how they have
79
00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:48,480
laboured.
Besides it is very respectable.
80
00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:54,240
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
81
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,800
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
5.
82
00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:00,640
Occult Forces pages one O 6 to
one O 7.
00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:07,240
Scientists study the hidden,
let's admit, the occult powers
2
00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,800
of the material world and of our
lives, while they clothe their
3
00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,200
study in words that imply a
process that would distinguish
4
00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,920
what they do from the general
term of occultism.
5
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,160
If we reflect carefully, we can
see that science is essentially
6
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:29,960
a subset or branch of the larger
field of occultism that does not
7
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,600
restrict itself solely to
material energies or material
8
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,920
laws of development, but which
delves into the nature of
9
00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,560
existence and the operation of
unseen forces across multiple
10
00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,520
aspects and planes of our
existence.
11
00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:50,800
The path followed by the seeker
in the Titeria Upanishad, who
12
00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,320
started with an investigation of
matter and moved through a
13
00:00:54,320 --> 00:01:00,400
review of the plane of energy of
life, the plane of mind, the
14
00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,080
plane of the causal power of
creation and the plane of pure
15
00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,840
existence, Consciousness, bliss,
is virtually identical to the
16
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,320
path followed by scientists who,
while they start from matter,
17
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:22,080
eventually wind up looking at
energy, mind and causality in
18
00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,280
the form of universal
consciousness.
19
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:33,520
The first terms of knowledge are
steps along the way, but not a
20
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,680
final knowledge.
And the further they go, the
21
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,240
more they begin to appreciate
that they are forces and powers
22
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,400
at work, far beyond the limits
of human perception.
23
00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,560
And they also recognize that
what they thought were universal
24
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,280
laws turn out to only apply in
certain limited circumstances.
25
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:58,160
The opening up of the field of
quantum mechanics has finally
26
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,040
forced scientists to begin to
acknowledge that the mechanical
27
00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,920
laws of Newtonian physics do not
apply in all ways and at all
28
00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,039
times.
Thus we now have scientists
29
00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:14,000
taking talking about multiple
universes, infinite
30
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,160
possibilities carried out in
infinite worlds where different
31
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,000
choices are made and different
formulations of existence and
32
00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:27,600
awareness apply.
Albert Einstein declared quote
33
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,680
concerning matter.
We have been all wrong.
34
00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,240
What we have called matter is
energy, whose vibration has been
35
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,440
so lowered as to be perceptible
to the senses.
36
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,640
There is no matter.
Time does not exist, we invented
37
00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:46,160
it.
Time is what the clock says.
38
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,640
Time and space are not
conditions in which we live, but
39
00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:56,720
modes by which we think.
The more I learn of physics, the
40
00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:01,440
more I am drawn to metaphysics.
I'm not an atheist.
41
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,800
The problem involved is too vast
for our limited minds.
42
00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,840
We are in the position of a
little child entering a huge
43
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,640
library filled with books in
many languages.
44
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,880
The child knows someone must
have written those books.
45
00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:23,440
End Quote.
Nikola Tesla declared quote the
46
00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,800
day science begins to study non
physical phenomena, it will make
47
00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:33,040
more progress in one decade than
in all the previous centuries of
48
00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,280
its existence.
End Quote.
49
00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,000
And thus we see scientists
acknowledging and embracing the
50
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:47,120
science of occultism.
A disciple asks Mother, can
51
00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,360
physical science by its progress
open to occultism?
52
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,160
The Mother responds quote, it
does not call it occultism.
53
00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,080
That's all.
It is only a question of words.
54
00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,720
They are making sensational
discoveries which people with
55
00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,760
occult knowledge already knew
thousands of years ago.
56
00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:12,120
They have made a long circuit
and come to the same thing with
57
00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,160
the most recent discoveries in
medicine, in the applied
58
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:20,160
sciences, for instance, they're
contacting in this way with a
59
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,120
wonderstruck interest, things
which were known to certain
60
00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,400
sages a very, very long time
ago.
61
00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,400
And then they present all this
before you as new marvels.
62
00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,560
But indeed they are rather old.
They're marvels.
63
00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,480
They will end up by practicing
occultism without knowing that
64
00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,880
they are doing so.
For in fact, as soon as one
65
00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:50,280
draws close, however slightly,
to the truth of things, and when
66
00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:53,520
one is sincere in one's search,
not satisfied by mere
67
00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,640
appearances, when one really
wants to find something and goes
68
00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:02,520
deep, penetrates behind
appearances, then one begins to
69
00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,840
advance towards the truth of
things.
70
00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:10,800
And as one comes closer to it,
well, one finds again the same
71
00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,440
knowledge that others who began
by going within have brought
72
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,920
back from their inner
discoveries.
73
00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,640
Only the method and the path are
different, but the thing
74
00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,640
discovered will be the same,
because there are not two things
75
00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:30,400
to be found, there is only one.
It will necessarily be the same
76
00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,800
if all depends on the path. 1
follows.
77
00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:39,520
Some go fast, others slowly.
Some go straight, others, as I
78
00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:44,240
said, go a long way round.
And what labour, how they have
79
00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:48,480
laboured.
Besides it is very respectable.
80
00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:54,240
End Quote Reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, The
81
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,800
Hidden Forces of Life, Chapter
5.
82
00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:00,640
Occult Forces pages one O 6 to
one O 7.