April 22, 2026

The Latent Potential of the Soul and the Actual Implementation of the Psychic Being

The Latent Potential of the Soul and the Actual Implementation of the Psychic 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. 37-38

This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/04/20/the-latent-potential-of-the-soul-and-the-actual-implementation-of-the-psychic-being/

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#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #psychic being #soul #Schroedinger's cat #double slit experiment

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An individual walks into a train
station without a particular

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destination in mind.
He is confronted with dozens, if

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not hundreds of possible
destinations.

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He is surrounded by the latent
potential to take a particular

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direction.
Each possible destination holds

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opportunities and further
decision points for him which he

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cannot yet see or comprehend.
Once he makes his choice and

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boards a particular train, all
of the unknown possibilities

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that existed in those other
directions collapse and he is

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now following a particular line
of development come what may.

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Every day we are confronted by
choices, opportunities, and

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decisions.
Depending on those choices, our

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lives develop and we create
before us the chain of cause and

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effect which leads us forward on
the chosen path.

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In the field of quantum
mechanics, there is a particular

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thought experiment that helps us
frame our understanding of the

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latent versus the actual.
A theoretical physicist

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Schrodinger proposed that there
is a cat in a box.

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We cannot observe the status of
the cat.

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There is also a vial that if
broken, will release a deadly

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poison gas and kill the cat.
Until such time as we actually

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open the box and observe the
actual status of the cat, we

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have to treat the cat as being
in two potential states at the

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same time, alive and dead.
This represents the

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potentiality, whereas the
observation upon opening of the

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box collapses one of these two
options and we recognize the one

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that was turned into an
actuality.

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Another experiment has light
passing through 2 slits in a

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screen.
As long as it is unobserved, the

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light passes through both of
these slits, but once observed

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and measured, it creates a
specific resulting pattern.

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The potential result of the
unobserved phenomenon becomes an

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actual result through the
process of observation.

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The relationship between the
latent potentiality and the

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actual reality is represented in
the soul and the psychic being

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as well.
The soul, as a divine element

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within each being, contains the
potentiality of the entire

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divine intention through its
expression of the psychic being.

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Particular directions are chosen
for each lifetime to carry out a

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specific line of that divine
intention in a particular

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individual incarnation.
The psychic being games the

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essence of the experience of the
mind, life and body, and over

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time it works to increase its
direct influence over these

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parts to ensure they are
carrying out the divine will in

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an ever clearer and more direct
manner.

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It does so generally
unobtrusively and allows the

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external parts to grow and
exercise their native powers and

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directions until they are ready
on their own to accept the

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deeper aspiration and guidance
that the psychic being embodies.

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Srioro Bindo writes quote The
psychic has two aspects.

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There is the sole principle
itself, which contains all soul

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possibilities, and there is the
psychic personality, which

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represents whatever soul power
is developed from life to life

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or put forward for action in our
present life formation.

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The psychic being usually
expresses itself through its

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instruments, mental, vital and
physical.

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It tries to put as much of its
stamp on them as possible, but

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it can seldom put on them the
full psychic stamp unless it

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comes fully out from its rather
secluded and overshadowed

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position, and takes into its
hands the direct government of

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the nature.
It can then receive and express

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all spiritual realization in its
own way and manner.

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For the turn of the psychic is
different from that of the

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overhead planes.
It has less of greatness, power,

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wideness, more of a smaller
sweetness, delicate beauty.

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There is an intense beauty of
emotion, a fine subtlety of true

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perception and intimate
language.

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The expression sweetness and
light can very well be applied

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to the psychic as the kernel of
its nature.

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The spiritual plane, when it
takes up these things, gives

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them a wider utterance, a
greater splendor of light, a

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stronger sweetness, a breath of
powerful audacity, strength and

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space.
End Quote.

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Reference Shrioro Window and the
Mother.

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The psychic being, Soul, its
nature, mission and evolution.

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Section 1.
Meaning and Nature of the

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Psychic Being, pages 37 to 38.