Oct. 10, 2025
Spiritual Experience Impacting the External Being
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pg. 17
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/08/spiritual-experience-impacting-the-external-being/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable 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 SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
#yoga#integral yoga#spirituality#spiritual experiences#Sri Aurobindo
1
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,480
Spiritual experiences are not
purely subjective events
2
00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,680
impacting the mind or the
emotions.
3
00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,920
They can also take on a very
concrete form that impacts the
4
00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,480
vital nature and the physical
body.
5
00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,320
Because of a general mental,
religious, and social bias
6
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,160
against what appear to be
unusual experiences, many people
7
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:29,280
are left confused, bewildered,
or even afraid to discuss what
8
00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,280
has occurred within them.
For fear of being labeled or
9
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,400
even ostracized.
Many people have been referred
10
00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,520
for psychological counselling
once they have begun to speak
11
00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,960
about what is occurring in their
inner state.
12
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,840
This bias, however, is being
eroded as more people engage in
13
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,160
spiritual pursuits and begin to
experience things outside the
14
00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:58,520
realm of what is generally
labeled as normal in the West.
15
00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,240
Pioneers such as CG Jung have
opened the doors to a new
16
00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,680
understanding of experiences
which have been known and
17
00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,480
appreciated for millennia.
In the ancient Indian Vedic
18
00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:16,440
tradition, having the support of
an experienced guide or guru can
19
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,520
be very helpful as the seeker
begins to navigate these inner
20
00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:26,120
spaces and opens himself to
experiences outside the frame of
21
00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,920
the external body, life, mind,
normal responses.
22
00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,680
Numerous people report
experience such as a widening of
23
00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,480
the perceived body, essentially
a connection to the vital
24
00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,480
envelope that is felt as a
concrete sensation, or a sense
25
00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,200
that one is uplifted off the
ground several inches while the
26
00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,440
physical body remains visibly
fixed on the ground.
27
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,920
Countless people have reported
what are called out of body
28
00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,160
experiences, and they recount
seeing things occurring from
29
00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,640
that new viewpoint while they
are not locked into the physical
30
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,040
form.
Practitioners of what is known
31
00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:11,560
as Kundalini yoga report the
experience of a power rising up
32
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,800
from the base of the spine,
through the subtle energy
33
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,080
channels and out through the
crown of the head.
34
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,240
People who go on any form of
vision quest will frequently
35
00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:27,160
recount experiences of the sense
of travelling without the body
36
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,280
or temporarily occupying the
body of a totem animal and
37
00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,320
experiencing things from that
space.
38
00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,880
There are also many experiences
that recount the descent of
39
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,400
light, knowledge, power, or
bliss into the being.
40
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,480
People who have these
experiences are frequently able
41
00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,240
to recount details that make it
obvious that they have had
42
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,600
something extraordinary happen
to them.
43
00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,640
One of the most common
experiences, however, is the
44
00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:05,280
descent of a sense of peace and
silence, so solid and concrete
45
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:10,040
that it takes over the body
sense and the individual feels
46
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:15,200
enclosed within this piece for
long term progress in the
47
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,280
spiritual path.
This experience provides a real
48
00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,840
and lasting basis for what is
trying to develop.
49
00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,560
It is not a transient
experience, as some of the
50
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,920
others turn out to be, but
something that can remain with
51
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:35,040
the individual, built into a
constant stable foundation for
52
00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,080
the transformative action of the
divine force on the external
53
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,440
nature.
Fiora Bindo writes quote.
54
00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,600
The experience of this solid
block feeling indicates the
55
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,960
descent of a solid strength and
peace into the external being,
56
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,840
but into the vital physical
most.
57
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,480
It is this always that is the
foundation, the sure basis into
58
00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:08,680
which all else Ananda, light,
knowledge, Bhakti can descend in
59
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,440
the future and stand on it or
play safely.
60
00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,680
The numbness was there in the
other experience because the
61
00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,920
movement was inward.
But here the Yoga Shakti is
62
00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:27,080
coming outward into the full
aware external nature as a first
63
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,880
step towards the establishment
of the Yoga and its experience
64
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,320
there.
So the numbness which was a sign
65
00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,400
of the consciousness tending to
draw back from the external
66
00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:44,720
parts is not there.
And quote reference Shriya
67
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:50,120
Robindo, Faces of Yoga, Chapter
1 column Peace and Equality,
68
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:51,480
page 17.
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,480
Spiritual experiences are not
purely subjective events
2
00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,680
impacting the mind or the
emotions.
3
00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,920
They can also take on a very
concrete form that impacts the
4
00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,480
vital nature and the physical
body.
5
00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,320
Because of a general mental,
religious, and social bias
6
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,160
against what appear to be
unusual experiences, many people
7
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:29,280
are left confused, bewildered,
or even afraid to discuss what
8
00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,280
has occurred within them.
For fear of being labeled or
9
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,400
even ostracized.
Many people have been referred
10
00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,520
for psychological counselling
once they have begun to speak
11
00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,960
about what is occurring in their
inner state.
12
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,840
This bias, however, is being
eroded as more people engage in
13
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,160
spiritual pursuits and begin to
experience things outside the
14
00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:58,520
realm of what is generally
labeled as normal in the West.
15
00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,240
Pioneers such as CG Jung have
opened the doors to a new
16
00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,680
understanding of experiences
which have been known and
17
00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,480
appreciated for millennia.
In the ancient Indian Vedic
18
00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:16,440
tradition, having the support of
an experienced guide or guru can
19
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,520
be very helpful as the seeker
begins to navigate these inner
20
00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:26,120
spaces and opens himself to
experiences outside the frame of
21
00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,920
the external body, life, mind,
normal responses.
22
00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,680
Numerous people report
experience such as a widening of
23
00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,480
the perceived body, essentially
a connection to the vital
24
00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,480
envelope that is felt as a
concrete sensation, or a sense
25
00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,200
that one is uplifted off the
ground several inches while the
26
00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,440
physical body remains visibly
fixed on the ground.
27
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,920
Countless people have reported
what are called out of body
28
00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,160
experiences, and they recount
seeing things occurring from
29
00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,640
that new viewpoint while they
are not locked into the physical
30
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,040
form.
Practitioners of what is known
31
00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:11,560
as Kundalini yoga report the
experience of a power rising up
32
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,800
from the base of the spine,
through the subtle energy
33
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,080
channels and out through the
crown of the head.
34
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,240
People who go on any form of
vision quest will frequently
35
00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:27,160
recount experiences of the sense
of travelling without the body
36
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,280
or temporarily occupying the
body of a totem animal and
37
00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,320
experiencing things from that
space.
38
00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,880
There are also many experiences
that recount the descent of
39
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,400
light, knowledge, power, or
bliss into the being.
40
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,480
People who have these
experiences are frequently able
41
00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,240
to recount details that make it
obvious that they have had
42
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,600
something extraordinary happen
to them.
43
00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,640
One of the most common
experiences, however, is the
44
00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:05,280
descent of a sense of peace and
silence, so solid and concrete
45
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:10,040
that it takes over the body
sense and the individual feels
46
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:15,200
enclosed within this piece for
long term progress in the
47
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,280
spiritual path.
This experience provides a real
48
00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,840
and lasting basis for what is
trying to develop.
49
00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,560
It is not a transient
experience, as some of the
50
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,920
others turn out to be, but
something that can remain with
51
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:35,040
the individual, built into a
constant stable foundation for
52
00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,080
the transformative action of the
divine force on the external
53
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,440
nature.
Fiora Bindo writes quote.
54
00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,600
The experience of this solid
block feeling indicates the
55
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,960
descent of a solid strength and
peace into the external being,
56
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,840
but into the vital physical
most.
57
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,480
It is this always that is the
foundation, the sure basis into
58
00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:08,680
which all else Ananda, light,
knowledge, Bhakti can descend in
59
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,440
the future and stand on it or
play safely.
60
00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,680
The numbness was there in the
other experience because the
61
00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,920
movement was inward.
But here the Yoga Shakti is
62
00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:27,080
coming outward into the full
aware external nature as a first
63
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,880
step towards the establishment
of the Yoga and its experience
64
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,320
there.
So the numbness which was a sign
65
00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,400
of the consciousness tending to
draw back from the external
66
00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:44,720
parts is not there.
And quote reference Shriya
67
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:50,120
Robindo, Faces of Yoga, Chapter
1 column Peace and Equality,
68
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:51,480
page 17.
