A Podcast Featuring Sri Aurobindo Studies
Sept. 24, 2024

The General Action of Thoughts and Our Need to Observe and Manage Them

The General Action of Thoughts and Our Need to Observe and Manage Them

reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter III Imagination, pp. 27-29 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/09/20/the-general-action-of-thoughts-and-our-need-to-observe-and-manage-them/

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Every thought, every idea, every
imagination, every focus

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represents electrical impulses
that are formed and projected

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into the general mental
atmosphere, whether expressed

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verbally or in writing, or
simply formulated in one's mind.

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Each such formation is either
weaker or stronger, depending on

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its development in the mind and
whether and to what extent it is

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linked to the will or the
emotions to provide it

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additional impetus.
Once it is formulated, it goes

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out into the world and either
begins to dissipate and disperse

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if it is not strongly projected,
or else it begins to make itself

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felt in the mental atmosphere,
where it can gain further

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strength through joining with
similar thought forms or be

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weakened through interaction
with conflicting thought forms.

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This process can be generally
compared to the formation of

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major storms in the weather
pattern of the world.

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Major cyclones, also known
variously as hurricanes or

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typhoons, form in generally warm
waters in one of the oceans of

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the world.
Depending on the atmospheric

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flow and pattern of warm and
cold air and humidity present,

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the storm will strengthen.
It moves across the ocean

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similar to a thought form, going
out into the mental atmosphere

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where it meets with changing
conditions of ocean temperature.

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Air temperature inversion of.
Cool air over warm air, the cool

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air attempting to descend, the
warm air attempting to rise, and

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the flow of the atmospheric
winds which either support the

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storm building up strength or
with wind shear, will begin to

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tear apart the formation,
dissipating the storm's energy.

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Much of this interplay runs
through our minds and we are

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constantly bombarded with
thoughts of all sorts that

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distract us and continually
shift our focus so that it is

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difficult to achieve anything of
note or value.

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Because this tends to occur
automatically and even

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unconsciously.
We just let this play of forces

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take place in our minds unless
we develop a form of discipline

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to observe the thoughts, to
quiet the mind, and to train our

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ability to keep a specific focus
without distraction.

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The mother notes quote.
And now to come down to a more

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ordinary level.
Everyone has in him, in a

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greater or lesser measure, the
power to give form to his mental

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activity and use this form
either in his ordinary activity

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or to create and realize
something.

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We are all the time always
creating images, creating forms.

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We send them into the atmosphere
without even knowing that we are

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doing so.
They go roaming about, pass from

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one person to another, meet
companions, sometimes join

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together and get.
On Happily.

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Sometimes.
Create conflicts and there.

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Are battles for often very often
in these?

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Mental imaginations.
There is a small element of will

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which tries to.
Realize itself and then everyone

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tries to send out his formation.
So that it can act so that.

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Things can happen as he.
Wants and.

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As everyone does this, it
creates a general confusion if

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our eyes were open to the
vision.

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Of all these forms.
In the atmosphere.

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We would.
See very amazing things,

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battlefields, waves, onsets,
retreats of a crowd of small

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mental entities which are
constantly thrown out.

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Into the air.
And always try to realize

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themselves all these formations.
Have a.

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Common tendency.
To want to materialize.

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And realize themselves
physically.

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And as.
They are countless.

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They are far too many for there
to be room enough on earth to

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manifest them.
They jostle and elbow one

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another.
They try to push back those

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which do not agree with them or
even form armies in good order,

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always to take up the available
room.

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Both in.
Time and space.

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It is only a very small space
compared with the countless

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number of creations.
So individually, this is what

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happens.
Some people do all that without

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knowing it, perhaps everybody,
and they are constantly tossed

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from one thing to another and
hope, wish, desire, are

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disappointed, sometimes happy,
sometimes in despair, for they

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don't have any control or
mastery over these things.

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But the beginning of wisdom is
to look at ourselves, thinking,

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and to see this phenomenon,
become aware of this constant

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projection into the atmosphere
of small living entities which

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are trying to manifest.
All this comes out of the mental

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atmosphere which we carry within
ourselves.

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Once we see and observe, we can
begin to sort them out, that is

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to push back what is not in
conformity with our highest will

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or aspiration and allowed to
move towards manifestation, only

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the formations which can help us
to progress and develop.

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Normally this is the control of
active thought, and that was

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what I meant the other day.
End Quote reference Srioro Bindo

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and the Mother powers within
Chapter 3 imagination.

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Pages 27.
To 29.