Sept. 13, 2024
The Need for Understanding the Power of Thought Formation
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter II Power of Thought, pg. 14 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/09/08/the-need-for-understanding-the-power-of-thought-formation/
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
00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:06,360
What is thought formation?
For many people, the constant
2
00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:10,360
stream of haphazard ideas,
thoughts, reflections, and
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:16,840
perceptions represents thought.
Their minds are constantly
4
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,960
bombarded by thoughts of all
types without a consistent flow
5
00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,480
or theme.
They jump from one subject to
6
00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,600
another without even a
transitional link.
7
00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,560
They have not discovered the
true power of thought when it is
8
00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:38,560
organized, focused and directed.
There are times and moments when
9
00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,280
an individual concentrates his
attention on a specific subject
10
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:47,720
of interest that one can observe
a systematic development of
11
00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:53,160
thought focused on that subject
and building from one idea to
12
00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:57,360
another until a pattern or
picture emerges, which we may
13
00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:02,280
call a thought formation.
The thought forms so created are
14
00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,000
usually general in nature and go
out into the mental atmosphere,
15
00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:11,280
vibrate there, and if there is
another individual receptive to
16
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,840
that vibrational pattern, it
gets picked up and potentially
17
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,560
further enhanced and
rebroadcast.
18
00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,480
There are thought forms that are
tied to a specific individual
19
00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,520
and are tightly focused around
that person's own interests,
20
00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:33,360
needs, wants, and plans.
In that case, while a thought
21
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,400
form is created, it does not
achieve full and free
22
00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:42,480
independence, but also continues
to act within the mental space
23
00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,760
of the individual who created
it.
24
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,320
Thus the individual finds that
the thought pattern returns and
25
00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,840
continues to fix the attention
of that individual time and
26
00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,880
again until the underlying issue
is fully resolved or
27
00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:03,720
implemented, as the case may be.
Sometimes the formation so
28
00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:08,039
developed take over the mind of
the person, and they develop a
29
00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:13,080
monomania of sorts that does not
let go of them, the mother
30
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:14,280
observes.
Quote.
31
00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,120
Human thought is very creative
in the mental world all the
32
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,040
time.
When you are thinking, you are
33
00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:25,520
creating forms and you send them
out in the atmosphere and they
34
00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:30,800
go and do their work constantly.
You are surrounded by a heap of
35
00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,800
small formations.
Naturally, there are people who
36
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,800
can't even think clearly, so
they form nothing at all except
37
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,360
faint eddies.
But people who think clearly are
38
00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:47,040
surrounded by a heap of little
forms which sometimes go out to
39
00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:51,680
do some work in others, and one
when one thinks of them again,
40
00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,160
they return.
And we have seen instances of
41
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,160
people who are troubled by their
own formations, which return
42
00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,400
constantly as though to take
possession of them, and which
43
00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,920
they can't get rid of because
they don't know how to undo the
44
00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:11,960
formations they have made.
There are more cases of this
45
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,160
kind than one would think when
they have made a particularly
46
00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:21,000
strong formation for themselves.
You see, relatively, this
47
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,160
formation is always tied up with
the one who makes it and returns
48
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,800
to knock at the brain to receive
forces, and ends up by truly
49
00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:34,840
acting as a necessity.
It is a whole world to know one
50
00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,000
truly lives in ignorance.
One has powers 1 doesn't know
51
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,320
about.
So naturally 1 uses them very
52
00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:48,200
badly. 1 uses them somewhat
unconsciously and very badly.
53
00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:54,200
End Quote reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers
54
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,720
within, Chapter 2.
Power of Thought, page 14.
00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:06,360
What is thought formation?
For many people, the constant
2
00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:10,360
stream of haphazard ideas,
thoughts, reflections, and
3
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:16,840
perceptions represents thought.
Their minds are constantly
4
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,960
bombarded by thoughts of all
types without a consistent flow
5
00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,480
or theme.
They jump from one subject to
6
00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,600
another without even a
transitional link.
7
00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,560
They have not discovered the
true power of thought when it is
8
00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:38,560
organized, focused and directed.
There are times and moments when
9
00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,280
an individual concentrates his
attention on a specific subject
10
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:47,720
of interest that one can observe
a systematic development of
11
00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:53,160
thought focused on that subject
and building from one idea to
12
00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:57,360
another until a pattern or
picture emerges, which we may
13
00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:02,280
call a thought formation.
The thought forms so created are
14
00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,000
usually general in nature and go
out into the mental atmosphere,
15
00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:11,280
vibrate there, and if there is
another individual receptive to
16
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,840
that vibrational pattern, it
gets picked up and potentially
17
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,560
further enhanced and
rebroadcast.
18
00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,480
There are thought forms that are
tied to a specific individual
19
00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,520
and are tightly focused around
that person's own interests,
20
00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:33,360
needs, wants, and plans.
In that case, while a thought
21
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,400
form is created, it does not
achieve full and free
22
00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:42,480
independence, but also continues
to act within the mental space
23
00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,760
of the individual who created
it.
24
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,320
Thus the individual finds that
the thought pattern returns and
25
00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,840
continues to fix the attention
of that individual time and
26
00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,880
again until the underlying issue
is fully resolved or
27
00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:03,720
implemented, as the case may be.
Sometimes the formation so
28
00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:08,039
developed take over the mind of
the person, and they develop a
29
00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:13,080
monomania of sorts that does not
let go of them, the mother
30
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:14,280
observes.
Quote.
31
00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,120
Human thought is very creative
in the mental world all the
32
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,040
time.
When you are thinking, you are
33
00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:25,520
creating forms and you send them
out in the atmosphere and they
34
00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:30,800
go and do their work constantly.
You are surrounded by a heap of
35
00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,800
small formations.
Naturally, there are people who
36
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,800
can't even think clearly, so
they form nothing at all except
37
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,360
faint eddies.
But people who think clearly are
38
00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:47,040
surrounded by a heap of little
forms which sometimes go out to
39
00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:51,680
do some work in others, and one
when one thinks of them again,
40
00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,160
they return.
And we have seen instances of
41
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,160
people who are troubled by their
own formations, which return
42
00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,400
constantly as though to take
possession of them, and which
43
00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,920
they can't get rid of because
they don't know how to undo the
44
00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:11,960
formations they have made.
There are more cases of this
45
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,160
kind than one would think when
they have made a particularly
46
00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:21,000
strong formation for themselves.
You see, relatively, this
47
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,160
formation is always tied up with
the one who makes it and returns
48
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,800
to knock at the brain to receive
forces, and ends up by truly
49
00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:34,840
acting as a necessity.
It is a whole world to know one
50
00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,000
truly lives in ignorance.
One has powers 1 doesn't know
51
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,320
about.
So naturally 1 uses them very
52
00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:48,200
badly. 1 uses them somewhat
unconsciously and very badly.
53
00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:54,200
End Quote reference Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers
54
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,720
within, Chapter 2.
Power of Thought, page 14.