Oct. 17, 2024
The Mental Will and Its Influence on the Health and Well-Being of the Body
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter V Will-Power, pg. 52 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/10/15/the-mental-will-and-its-influence-on-the-health-and-well-being-of-the-body/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available 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 Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:06,680
By now, most people have heard
of the placebo effect, yet they
2
00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,040
have not gone into the
significance of what this
3
00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:12,240
implies.
Studies have shown that as much
4
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:17,240
as 30% of a group given an inert
treatment have similar healing
5
00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:20,120
outcomes to those given an
actual targeted treatment.
6
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,320
The individual given the placebo
does not know he has received an
7
00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,440
inert treatment.
The mind of the individual
8
00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:33,360
adopted the sense of being aided
and undertook to create a will
9
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,720
to heal.
What this statistic does not do,
10
00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,440
however, is provide information
on what percent of those who
11
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,760
actually received the targeted
drug or other type of treatment
12
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,400
were benefited by a similar will
to heal, regardless of whether
13
00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,040
the drug or treatment was
helping them or not.
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,800
It has become clear that the
mind, the mental will, plays an
15
00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,360
enormous role in the healing of
the body.
16
00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,640
On the flip side of this healing
scenario, there is the question
17
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,560
of hypochondria, where the mind
imagines that the body is
18
00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,520
suffering from some disease or
disease condition and through
19
00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,640
dwelling on it, the body
actually responds and exhibits
20
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,760
symptoms of illness.
There is also the factor of fear
21
00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:26,080
weakening the vital envelope and
thus allowing entrance to a
22
00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,560
communicable disease.
The mind accepts the suggestions
23
00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,600
about the disease, manifests the
fear and thus the disease
24
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,560
becomes something of a self
fulfilling prophecy.
25
00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,520
We can also observe different
results depending on the
26
00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,360
intention of the individual.
Thus, an individual may
27
00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:52,640
undertake a fast, start a diet
regimen, or simply not have food
28
00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,000
available and thus be subject to
starvation.
29
00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,000
In all three cases, the
individual is not eating.
30
00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,160
Those who are fasting with
intention tend to report an
31
00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,479
increase in energy and focus.
Those who are dieting tend to
32
00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:11,360
report a struggle to maintain
the diet while working to
33
00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:16,200
overcome temptation, with a
focus on the process, not the
34
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,200
side effect of increased clarity
that the fasting individual
35
00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,040
reports.
The person without food suffers
36
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,800
from starvation and focuses on
the ways to acquire sustenance.
37
00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:34,000
Of course, when any discipline
such as fasting or dieting is
38
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,160
taken to extremes, it can have
negative consequences on the
39
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,120
body similar to that of
starvation, but that is an
40
00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:47,240
extreme result in the short
term. 3 individuals, none of
41
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,720
them eating food, have three
different results and mental
42
00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,160
frameworks, and their bodies
tend to respond differently.
43
00:02:55,640 --> 00:03:01,040
In his Autobiography of a Yogi,
Paramount's Yogananda described
44
00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,600
meeting with certain individuals
who ate very little or nothing
45
00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,160
at all for various spans of
time.
46
00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,440
These individuals had a
spiritual purpose, a strong
47
00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,560
energetic action, and a radiant
glow about them, despite not
48
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,480
relying on material substance.
We tend to believe the mental
49
00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,680
conception that the body
requires physical sustenance,
50
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,720
and thus we expect it to break
down when food is withheld.
51
00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,880
This may, however, be seen as a
habit, albeit a very deeply
52
00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,880
entrenched habit.
The question arises whether
53
00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,000
there are states of
consciousness where the body can
54
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,000
find support and nourishment
through some other form of
55
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:47,560
conversion of energy into
matter, possibly bypassing the
56
00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,480
transitional steps that lead to
the creation of food that needs
57
00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,520
to be eaten in order to then
convert it back into the energy
58
00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:00,400
and building blocks of substance
needed to sustain and operate
59
00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,120
the body.
While this may not be a reality
60
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:09,120
for most, if not all in today's
world, can we not envision the
61
00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,840
possibility of a future
formulation of being that is
62
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,120
able to construct and maintain a
body through direct action of
63
00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:20,560
consciousness and force?
At the moment solar energy is
64
00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,880
absorbed by plants and through
the process we call
65
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:28,480
photosynthesis, they produce
material substance that converts
66
00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:33,040
that energy into a solid form
and makes it bioavailable for
67
00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,880
the plants own needs and for
animals and human beings to
68
00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,560
consume and convert into
sustenance and energy for their
69
00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,480
needs.
We thus see energy converted
70
00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,520
into a form of matter and then
matter converted back into a
71
00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,520
form of energy through the
action of the plants.
72
00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,840
If an individual could gain the
power of directly tapping into
73
00:04:55,840 --> 00:05:00,000
the solar energy without the
intermediate steps, a whole new
74
00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,680
paradigm of existence, bodily
health and well-being and growth
75
00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,680
could be envisioned.
Changing this habit or
76
00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,400
limitation in the mind and
developing a new form of
77
00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,400
relationship to energy through
exercise of the will could
78
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:21,320
remove the expectation that
lacking food inevitably leads to
79
00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,840
a breakdown of health, the
mother writes.
80
00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:29,680
Quote, The Yogi or aspiring Yogi
who does asanas to obtain a
81
00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:35,120
spiritual result or even simply
a control over his body obtains
82
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,320
these results because it is with
this aim that he does them.
83
00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:43,320
Whereas I know some people who
do exactly the same things, but
84
00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,240
for all sorts of reasons
unrelated to spiritual
85
00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,440
development, and who haven't
even managed to acquire good
86
00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:55,040
health by it, and yet they do
exactly the same thing.
87
00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,600
Sometimes they even do it much
better than the Yogi, but it
88
00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,920
doesn't give them a stable
health because they haven't
89
00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,600
thought about it, haven't done
it with this purpose in mind.
90
00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:11,200
I have asked them myself.
I said, but how can you be ill
91
00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,000
after doing all that?
Oh, but I never thought of it.
92
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,320
That's not why I do it.
This amounts to saying that it
93
00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:23,840
is the Conscious will which acts
on matter, not the material
94
00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:25,800
fact.
End Quote.
95
00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:31,840
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother Powers within Chapter 5,
96
00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,400
Willpower, page 52.
00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:06,680
By now, most people have heard
of the placebo effect, yet they
2
00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,040
have not gone into the
significance of what this
3
00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:12,240
implies.
Studies have shown that as much
4
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:17,240
as 30% of a group given an inert
treatment have similar healing
5
00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:20,120
outcomes to those given an
actual targeted treatment.
6
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,320
The individual given the placebo
does not know he has received an
7
00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,440
inert treatment.
The mind of the individual
8
00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:33,360
adopted the sense of being aided
and undertook to create a will
9
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,720
to heal.
What this statistic does not do,
10
00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,440
however, is provide information
on what percent of those who
11
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,760
actually received the targeted
drug or other type of treatment
12
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,400
were benefited by a similar will
to heal, regardless of whether
13
00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,040
the drug or treatment was
helping them or not.
14
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,800
It has become clear that the
mind, the mental will, plays an
15
00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,360
enormous role in the healing of
the body.
16
00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,640
On the flip side of this healing
scenario, there is the question
17
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,560
of hypochondria, where the mind
imagines that the body is
18
00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,520
suffering from some disease or
disease condition and through
19
00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,640
dwelling on it, the body
actually responds and exhibits
20
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,760
symptoms of illness.
There is also the factor of fear
21
00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:26,080
weakening the vital envelope and
thus allowing entrance to a
22
00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,560
communicable disease.
The mind accepts the suggestions
23
00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,600
about the disease, manifests the
fear and thus the disease
24
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,560
becomes something of a self
fulfilling prophecy.
25
00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,520
We can also observe different
results depending on the
26
00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,360
intention of the individual.
Thus, an individual may
27
00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:52,640
undertake a fast, start a diet
regimen, or simply not have food
28
00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,000
available and thus be subject to
starvation.
29
00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,000
In all three cases, the
individual is not eating.
30
00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,160
Those who are fasting with
intention tend to report an
31
00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,479
increase in energy and focus.
Those who are dieting tend to
32
00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:11,360
report a struggle to maintain
the diet while working to
33
00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:16,200
overcome temptation, with a
focus on the process, not the
34
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,200
side effect of increased clarity
that the fasting individual
35
00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,040
reports.
The person without food suffers
36
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,800
from starvation and focuses on
the ways to acquire sustenance.
37
00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:34,000
Of course, when any discipline
such as fasting or dieting is
38
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,160
taken to extremes, it can have
negative consequences on the
39
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,120
body similar to that of
starvation, but that is an
40
00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:47,240
extreme result in the short
term. 3 individuals, none of
41
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,720
them eating food, have three
different results and mental
42
00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,160
frameworks, and their bodies
tend to respond differently.
43
00:02:55,640 --> 00:03:01,040
In his Autobiography of a Yogi,
Paramount's Yogananda described
44
00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,600
meeting with certain individuals
who ate very little or nothing
45
00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,160
at all for various spans of
time.
46
00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,440
These individuals had a
spiritual purpose, a strong
47
00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,560
energetic action, and a radiant
glow about them, despite not
48
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,480
relying on material substance.
We tend to believe the mental
49
00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,680
conception that the body
requires physical sustenance,
50
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,720
and thus we expect it to break
down when food is withheld.
51
00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,880
This may, however, be seen as a
habit, albeit a very deeply
52
00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,880
entrenched habit.
The question arises whether
53
00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,000
there are states of
consciousness where the body can
54
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,000
find support and nourishment
through some other form of
55
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:47,560
conversion of energy into
matter, possibly bypassing the
56
00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,480
transitional steps that lead to
the creation of food that needs
57
00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,520
to be eaten in order to then
convert it back into the energy
58
00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:00,400
and building blocks of substance
needed to sustain and operate
59
00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,120
the body.
While this may not be a reality
60
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:09,120
for most, if not all in today's
world, can we not envision the
61
00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,840
possibility of a future
formulation of being that is
62
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,120
able to construct and maintain a
body through direct action of
63
00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:20,560
consciousness and force?
At the moment solar energy is
64
00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,880
absorbed by plants and through
the process we call
65
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:28,480
photosynthesis, they produce
material substance that converts
66
00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:33,040
that energy into a solid form
and makes it bioavailable for
67
00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,880
the plants own needs and for
animals and human beings to
68
00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,560
consume and convert into
sustenance and energy for their
69
00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,480
needs.
We thus see energy converted
70
00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,520
into a form of matter and then
matter converted back into a
71
00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,520
form of energy through the
action of the plants.
72
00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,840
If an individual could gain the
power of directly tapping into
73
00:04:55,840 --> 00:05:00,000
the solar energy without the
intermediate steps, a whole new
74
00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,680
paradigm of existence, bodily
health and well-being and growth
75
00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,680
could be envisioned.
Changing this habit or
76
00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,400
limitation in the mind and
developing a new form of
77
00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,400
relationship to energy through
exercise of the will could
78
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:21,320
remove the expectation that
lacking food inevitably leads to
79
00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,840
a breakdown of health, the
mother writes.
80
00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:29,680
Quote, The Yogi or aspiring Yogi
who does asanas to obtain a
81
00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:35,120
spiritual result or even simply
a control over his body obtains
82
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,320
these results because it is with
this aim that he does them.
83
00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:43,320
Whereas I know some people who
do exactly the same things, but
84
00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,240
for all sorts of reasons
unrelated to spiritual
85
00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,440
development, and who haven't
even managed to acquire good
86
00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:55,040
health by it, and yet they do
exactly the same thing.
87
00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,600
Sometimes they even do it much
better than the Yogi, but it
88
00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,920
doesn't give them a stable
health because they haven't
89
00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,600
thought about it, haven't done
it with this purpose in mind.
90
00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:11,200
I have asked them myself.
I said, but how can you be ill
91
00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,000
after doing all that?
Oh, but I never thought of it.
92
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,320
That's not why I do it.
This amounts to saying that it
93
00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:23,840
is the Conscious will which acts
on matter, not the material
94
00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:25,800
fact.
End Quote.
95
00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:31,840
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
Mother Powers within Chapter 5,
96
00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,400
Willpower, page 52.