April 8, 2026
The Dual Levels of Body, Life, Mind and Soul -- the External Formations and the Inner, Subliminal and Subtler Level That Links to the Universal and Causative Being
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 1 Meaning and Nature of the Psychic Being, pp. 24-25This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/04/06/the-dual-levels-of-body-life-mind-and-soul-the-external-formations-and-the-inner-subliminal-and-subtler-level-that-links-to-the-universal-and-causative-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
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #subliminal #soul #psychic being #desire-soul
1
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,120
The framework of the physical
body and the limitations of the
2
00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,400
interface between the body, the
life force and the mental powers
3
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,520
of the external being
circumscribe our awareness and
4
00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:17,280
our ability to perceive the
forces at work that shape our
5
00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,720
existence.
We can experience under various
6
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:26,480
circumstances, a wider, subtler,
more free ranging consciousness
7
00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,440
that sheds the limitations of
the external being.
8
00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,080
When we quiet the promptings of
our mind and vital we can
9
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:40,200
receive inspirations,
intuitions, perceptions from
10
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,560
another level of awareness.
Many people, for instance, have
11
00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,600
reported the experience of
exiting from their physical body
12
00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:53,480
and undertaking a form of vital
travel whereby they could see
13
00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:56,800
and experience things that were
outside the range of the
14
00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,560
physical existence.
Similarly, many creative people
15
00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,720
report that ideas or insights
come to them in moments when
16
00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,720
they are not focused on their
external activities.
17
00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,200
The experience is often
described as a kind of flash or
18
00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,640
intuitive understanding.
These are actually impressions
19
00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:22,800
from the universal consciousness
active in the pure mental, pure
20
00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,600
vital, or pure physical realms
that actually are causative to
21
00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:32,400
our external reality.
Seen from the divine standpoint,
22
00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,840
the reality begins and takes
shape on these larger universal
23
00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:42,080
levels of mind, life and body,
and then it is translated into
24
00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:47,040
the smaller, denser forms within
which we experience our outer
25
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,320
life.
Similarly, there are two forms
26
00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:56,640
of the soul, the external form
which takes on the color of our
27
00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,840
vital personality, which
Triorrobindo calls the desire
28
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,560
soul, and the deeper inner true
soul.
29
00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:10,600
Triorrobindo observes quote.
There is a double soul or
30
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,280
psychic term in us, as every
other cosmic principle in US is
31
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,720
also double.
For we have two minds.
32
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,440
One, the surface mind of our
expressed evolutionary ego, the
33
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,680
superficial mentality created by
us in our emergence out of
34
00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,080
matter.
Another, a subliminal mind which
35
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,280
is not Hanford by our actual
mental life and its strict
36
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:40,160
limitations, something large,
powerful and luminous, the true
37
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,440
mental being behind that
superficial form of mental
38
00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,360
personality which we mistake for
ourselves.
39
00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:53,240
So also we have two lives, one
outer involved in the physical
40
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,440
body, bound by its past
evolution and matter, which
41
00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:03,440
lives and was born and will die.
The other a subliminal force of
42
00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,680
life which is not cabin between
the narrow boundaries of our
43
00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,960
physical birth and death, but is
our true vital being behind the
44
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,440
form of living which we
ignorantly take for our real
45
00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,200
existence.
Even in the matter of our being
46
00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,720
there is this duality, for
behind our body we have a
47
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:28,280
subtler material existence which
provides the substance not only
48
00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,560
of our physical but of our vital
and mental sheaths, and is
49
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,360
therefore our real substance,
supporting this physical form
50
00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,960
which we erroneously imagined to
be the whole body of our spirit.
51
00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:47,600
So too we have a double psychic
entity in us, the surface desire
52
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,400
soul, which works in our vital
cravings, our emotions,
53
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,080
aesthetic faculty and mental
seeking for power, knowledge and
54
00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:00,360
happiness.
And a subliminal psychic entity,
55
00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:07,280
a pure power of light, Lovejoy,
and refined essence of being,
56
00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,360
which is our true soul behind
the outer form of psychic
57
00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,279
existence we so often dignify by
the name.
58
00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:21,640
It is when some reflection of
this larger and purer psychic
59
00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,800
entity comes to the surface that
we say of a man he has a soul,
60
00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,800
and when it is absent in his
outward psychic life that we say
61
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:37,600
of him he has no soul.
The external forms of our being
62
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,320
are those of our small egoistic
existence.
63
00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,320
The subliminal are the
formations of our larger true
64
00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:49,360
individuality, therefore are
these that concealed part of our
65
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,800
being in which our individuality
is close to our universal
66
00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:59,520
universality, touches it is in
constant relation and commerce
67
00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,400
with it.
The subliminal mind in US is
68
00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:06,160
open to the universal knowledge
of the Cosmic Mind, the
69
00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,400
subliminal life in us to the
universal force of the Cosmic
70
00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:15,440
life, the subliminal physicality
in us to the universal force
71
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:20,640
formation of cosmic matter.
The thick walls which divide
72
00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:25,040
from these things are surface
mind, life, body, and which
73
00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,400
nature has to Pierce with.
So much trouble, so imperfectly,
74
00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,960
and by so many skillful, clumsy
physical devices are there in
75
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:40,680
the subliminal only a rarefied
medium at once of separation and
76
00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,720
communication.
So too is the subliminal soul in
77
00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,920
U.S.
Open to the universal delight
78
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,800
which the cosmic soul takes in
its own existence and in the
79
00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:56,680
existence of the myriad souls
that represent it, and in the
80
00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:01,640
operations of mind, life and
matter by which Nature lends
81
00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,760
herself to their play and
development.
82
00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:09,240
But from this cosmic delight the
surface soul is shut off by
83
00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,040
egoistic walls of great
thickness, which have indeed
84
00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:17,120
gates of penetration, but in
their entry through them the
85
00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,640
touches of the divine cosmic
delight become dwarfed,
86
00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:26,720
distorted, or have to come in
masked as their own opposites.
87
00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,880
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
88
00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,960
Mother, The psychic being soul,
its nature, Mission and
89
00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,280
evolution.
Section 1.
90
00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,880
Meaning and Nature of the
Psychic Being, pages 24 to 25.
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,120
The framework of the physical
body and the limitations of the
2
00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,400
interface between the body, the
life force and the mental powers
3
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,520
of the external being
circumscribe our awareness and
4
00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:17,280
our ability to perceive the
forces at work that shape our
5
00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,720
existence.
We can experience under various
6
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:26,480
circumstances, a wider, subtler,
more free ranging consciousness
7
00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,440
that sheds the limitations of
the external being.
8
00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,080
When we quiet the promptings of
our mind and vital we can
9
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:40,200
receive inspirations,
intuitions, perceptions from
10
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,560
another level of awareness.
Many people, for instance, have
11
00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,600
reported the experience of
exiting from their physical body
12
00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:53,480
and undertaking a form of vital
travel whereby they could see
13
00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:56,800
and experience things that were
outside the range of the
14
00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,560
physical existence.
Similarly, many creative people
15
00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,720
report that ideas or insights
come to them in moments when
16
00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,720
they are not focused on their
external activities.
17
00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,200
The experience is often
described as a kind of flash or
18
00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,640
intuitive understanding.
These are actually impressions
19
00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:22,800
from the universal consciousness
active in the pure mental, pure
20
00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,600
vital, or pure physical realms
that actually are causative to
21
00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:32,400
our external reality.
Seen from the divine standpoint,
22
00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,840
the reality begins and takes
shape on these larger universal
23
00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:42,080
levels of mind, life and body,
and then it is translated into
24
00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:47,040
the smaller, denser forms within
which we experience our outer
25
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,320
life.
Similarly, there are two forms
26
00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:56,640
of the soul, the external form
which takes on the color of our
27
00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,840
vital personality, which
Triorrobindo calls the desire
28
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,560
soul, and the deeper inner true
soul.
29
00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:10,600
Triorrobindo observes quote.
There is a double soul or
30
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,280
psychic term in us, as every
other cosmic principle in US is
31
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,720
also double.
For we have two minds.
32
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,440
One, the surface mind of our
expressed evolutionary ego, the
33
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,680
superficial mentality created by
us in our emergence out of
34
00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,080
matter.
Another, a subliminal mind which
35
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,280
is not Hanford by our actual
mental life and its strict
36
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:40,160
limitations, something large,
powerful and luminous, the true
37
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,440
mental being behind that
superficial form of mental
38
00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,360
personality which we mistake for
ourselves.
39
00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:53,240
So also we have two lives, one
outer involved in the physical
40
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,440
body, bound by its past
evolution and matter, which
41
00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:03,440
lives and was born and will die.
The other a subliminal force of
42
00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,680
life which is not cabin between
the narrow boundaries of our
43
00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,960
physical birth and death, but is
our true vital being behind the
44
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,440
form of living which we
ignorantly take for our real
45
00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,200
existence.
Even in the matter of our being
46
00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,720
there is this duality, for
behind our body we have a
47
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:28,280
subtler material existence which
provides the substance not only
48
00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,560
of our physical but of our vital
and mental sheaths, and is
49
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,360
therefore our real substance,
supporting this physical form
50
00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,960
which we erroneously imagined to
be the whole body of our spirit.
51
00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:47,600
So too we have a double psychic
entity in us, the surface desire
52
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,400
soul, which works in our vital
cravings, our emotions,
53
00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,080
aesthetic faculty and mental
seeking for power, knowledge and
54
00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:00,360
happiness.
And a subliminal psychic entity,
55
00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:07,280
a pure power of light, Lovejoy,
and refined essence of being,
56
00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,360
which is our true soul behind
the outer form of psychic
57
00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,279
existence we so often dignify by
the name.
58
00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:21,640
It is when some reflection of
this larger and purer psychic
59
00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,800
entity comes to the surface that
we say of a man he has a soul,
60
00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,800
and when it is absent in his
outward psychic life that we say
61
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:37,600
of him he has no soul.
The external forms of our being
62
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,320
are those of our small egoistic
existence.
63
00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,320
The subliminal are the
formations of our larger true
64
00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:49,360
individuality, therefore are
these that concealed part of our
65
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,800
being in which our individuality
is close to our universal
66
00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:59,520
universality, touches it is in
constant relation and commerce
67
00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,400
with it.
The subliminal mind in US is
68
00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:06,160
open to the universal knowledge
of the Cosmic Mind, the
69
00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,400
subliminal life in us to the
universal force of the Cosmic
70
00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:15,440
life, the subliminal physicality
in us to the universal force
71
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:20,640
formation of cosmic matter.
The thick walls which divide
72
00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:25,040
from these things are surface
mind, life, body, and which
73
00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,400
nature has to Pierce with.
So much trouble, so imperfectly,
74
00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,960
and by so many skillful, clumsy
physical devices are there in
75
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:40,680
the subliminal only a rarefied
medium at once of separation and
76
00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,720
communication.
So too is the subliminal soul in
77
00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,920
U.S.
Open to the universal delight
78
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,800
which the cosmic soul takes in
its own existence and in the
79
00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:56,680
existence of the myriad souls
that represent it, and in the
80
00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:01,640
operations of mind, life and
matter by which Nature lends
81
00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,760
herself to their play and
development.
82
00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:09,240
But from this cosmic delight the
surface soul is shut off by
83
00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,040
egoistic walls of great
thickness, which have indeed
84
00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:17,120
gates of penetration, but in
their entry through them the
85
00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,640
touches of the divine cosmic
delight become dwarfed,
86
00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:26,720
distorted, or have to come in
masked as their own opposites.
87
00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,880
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
88
00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,960
Mother, The psychic being soul,
its nature, Mission and
89
00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,280
evolution.
Section 1.
90
00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,880
Meaning and Nature of the
Psychic Being, pages 24 to 25.
