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/
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 #psychic being #soul #Schroedinger's cat #double slit experiment
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,640
An individual walks into a train
station without a particular
2
00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:09,200
destination in mind.
He is confronted with dozens, if
3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,600
not hundreds of possible
destinations.
4
00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,560
He is surrounded by the latent
potential to take a particular
5
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,280
direction.
Each possible destination holds
6
00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,720
opportunities and further
decision points for him which he
7
00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:30,120
cannot yet see or comprehend.
Once he makes his choice and
8
00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:34,840
boards a particular train, all
of the unknown possibilities
9
00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,880
that existed in those other
directions collapse and he is
10
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:43,400
now following a particular line
of development come what may.
11
00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,680
Every day we are confronted by
choices, opportunities, and
12
00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,720
decisions.
Depending on those choices, our
13
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,200
lives develop and we create
before us the chain of cause and
14
00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,240
effect which leads us forward on
the chosen path.
15
00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,800
In the field of quantum
mechanics, there is a particular
16
00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,960
thought experiment that helps us
frame our understanding of the
17
00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:15,360
latent versus the actual.
A theoretical physicist
18
00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,240
Schrodinger proposed that there
is a cat in a box.
19
00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:22,160
We cannot observe the status of
the cat.
20
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,440
There is also a vial that if
broken, will release a deadly
21
00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:32,600
poison gas and kill the cat.
Until such time as we actually
22
00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,080
open the box and observe the
actual status of the cat, we
23
00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,760
have to treat the cat as being
in two potential states at the
24
00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:46,360
same time, alive and dead.
This represents the
25
00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:51,160
potentiality, whereas the
observation upon opening of the
26
00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:56,080
box collapses one of these two
options and we recognize the one
27
00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,600
that was turned into an
actuality.
28
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,520
Another experiment has light
passing through 2 slits in a
29
00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,200
screen.
As long as it is unobserved, the
30
00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,320
light passes through both of
these slits, but once observed
31
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,920
and measured, it creates a
specific resulting pattern.
32
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:19,840
The potential result of the
unobserved phenomenon becomes an
33
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,560
actual result through the
process of observation.
34
00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,560
The relationship between the
latent potentiality and the
35
00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:33,280
actual reality is represented in
the soul and the psychic being
36
00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,000
as well.
The soul, as a divine element
37
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,960
within each being, contains the
potentiality of the entire
38
00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,520
divine intention through its
expression of the psychic being.
39
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,600
Particular directions are chosen
for each lifetime to carry out a
40
00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,280
specific line of that divine
intention in a particular
41
00:02:55,280 --> 00:03:00,000
individual incarnation.
The psychic being games the
42
00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,520
essence of the experience of the
mind, life and body, and over
43
00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,120
time it works to increase its
direct influence over these
44
00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:12,800
parts to ensure they are
carrying out the divine will in
45
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,720
an ever clearer and more direct
manner.
46
00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,520
It does so generally
unobtrusively and allows the
47
00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,040
external parts to grow and
exercise their native powers and
48
00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:29,160
directions until they are ready
on their own to accept the
49
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:34,000
deeper aspiration and guidance
that the psychic being embodies.
50
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:40,160
Srioro Bindo writes quote The
psychic has two aspects.
51
00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,400
There is the sole principle
itself, which contains all soul
52
00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,320
possibilities, and there is the
psychic personality, which
53
00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:53,120
represents whatever soul power
is developed from life to life
54
00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,280
or put forward for action in our
present life formation.
55
00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,400
The psychic being usually
expresses itself through its
56
00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,520
instruments, mental, vital and
physical.
57
00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,680
It tries to put as much of its
stamp on them as possible, but
58
00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,120
it can seldom put on them the
full psychic stamp unless it
59
00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,680
comes fully out from its rather
secluded and overshadowed
60
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,880
position, and takes into its
hands the direct government of
61
00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,560
the nature.
It can then receive and express
62
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,360
all spiritual realization in its
own way and manner.
63
00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,040
For the turn of the psychic is
different from that of the
64
00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,600
overhead planes.
It has less of greatness, power,
65
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:42,320
wideness, more of a smaller
sweetness, delicate beauty.
66
00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:47,280
There is an intense beauty of
emotion, a fine subtlety of true
67
00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:50,040
perception and intimate
language.
68
00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,480
The expression sweetness and
light can very well be applied
69
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,000
to the psychic as the kernel of
its nature.
70
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,200
The spiritual plane, when it
takes up these things, gives
71
00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,240
them a wider utterance, a
greater splendor of light, a
72
00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:12,000
stronger sweetness, a breath of
powerful audacity, strength and
73
00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,240
space.
End Quote.
74
00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:17,960
Reference Shrioro Window and the
Mother.
75
00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:22,480
The psychic being, Soul, its
nature, mission and evolution.
76
00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,440
Section 1.
Meaning and Nature of the
77
00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,920
Psychic Being, pages 37 to 38.