Feb. 16, 2026
The Promise of a Greater Psychology Integrating Knowledge of the Whole With Understanding of the Parts
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pp. 96-97This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/02/14/the-promise-of-a-greater-psychology-integrating-knowledge-of-the-whole-with-understanding-of-the-parts/
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 #psychology #spirituality #Plato
1
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,720
The Greek philosopher Plato,
after deep consideration,
2
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,480
reached the conclusion that some
higher principle was real, which
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:14,800
he called Forms or Ideas, and
that the physical reality we see
4
00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,200
and experience is the result,
not the cause.
5
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,000
This concept is in consonance
with the Vedic understanding.
6
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,800
Even the Christian Bible notes
that quote in the beginning was
7
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:34,160
the word End Quote.
All of these approaches, and
8
00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:37,640
many more from around the world
and across numerous traditional,
9
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:42,360
religious, philosophical, and
spiritual directions, make it
10
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,080
clear that the physical world is
a derivative phenomenon of the
11
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,760
higher source.
Western psychology, in its
12
00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,280
earliest approaches, tries to
define the meaning, direction
13
00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:00,120
and motivation for our lives in
the external reality based in
14
00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,640
trauma and various drives of the
lower nature, without ever
15
00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,640
taking into account the
implications of the higher
16
00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,240
wisdom that the sages and
thinkers throughout the ages
17
00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:16,600
have eventually embraced.
The life we lead, the promptings
18
00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,360
we follow, the thoughts we
think.
19
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,920
The aspirations we experience do
not originate in material
20
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,680
substance, somehow trying to
survive due to random
21
00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,360
combinations of chemicals making
us what we are.
22
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,600
Rather, they come from levels
that are currently
23
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,520
superconscient to our normal
experience, which represent the
24
00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:46,720
idea, the Word, the light, or as
some define it, God.
25
00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:53,440
In his book The Life Divine,
Srioro Bindo identifies the
26
00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,640
basic human aspiration as a
seeking after God, light,
27
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:04,640
freedom, immortality.
It is these basic drives that
28
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:09,120
define the value and development
of human life in general, as
29
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,920
well as providing specific
motivation to individuals as
30
00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:16,960
they awaken to a greater meaning
for their existence.
31
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,720
Once we recognize the wider
range of the human existence,
32
00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,520
encompassing drives, energies,
motivations, aspirations that
33
00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:33,120
are conscient to us as well as
those that are subconscient and
34
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,400
those that are superconscient,
we cannot avoid expanding the
35
00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:42,440
focus of psychology to not
simply try to fit all human life
36
00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,880
into a small part of the
subconscient elements of our
37
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,560
existence.
Rather, we need to develop what
38
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,360
Triorobindo calls a greater
psychology that takes all the
39
00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,200
different planes and parts of
our being into account and
40
00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:03,000
explores also the impacts of
forces subliminal to our
41
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,480
conscious awareness.
Trying to define humanity by our
42
00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:13,520
subconscious animal drives is
both unduly limited and a
43
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,560
falsification that distorts our
search for meaning and our
44
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,200
understanding of the
significance of life, and of our
45
00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:26,520
own lives in particular, Sri
Robinto notes quote.
46
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,400
I find it difficult to take
these psychoanalysts at all
47
00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,040
seriously when they try to
scrutinize spiritual experience
48
00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,600
by the flicker of their
torchlights.
49
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,840
Yet perhaps one ought to, for
half knowledge is a powerful
50
00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:46,120
thing and can be a great
obstacle to the coming in front
51
00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,640
of the true truth.
This new psychology looks to me
52
00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,840
very much like children learning
some summary and not very
53
00:03:54,840 --> 00:04:00,840
adequate alphabet, exulting and
putting their abcd of the
54
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,680
subconscious and the mysterious
underground superego together,
55
00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,600
and imagining that their first
book of obscure beginnings.
56
00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:18,519
CAT, Cat, TREE, Tree is the very
heart of the real knowledge.
57
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:23,720
They look from down, up and
explain the higher lights by the
58
00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,480
lower obscurities.
But the foundation of these
59
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:33,800
things is above and not below.
Upari Butna Isham, the
60
00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:38,360
superconscient, not the
subconscient, is the true
61
00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,760
foundation of things.
The significance of the Lotus is
62
00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,440
not to be found by analyzing the
secrets of the mud from which it
63
00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:47,280
grows.
Here.
64
00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:53,440
Its secret is to be found in the
heavenly archetype of the Lotus
65
00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,280
that blooms forever in the light
above.
66
00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,720
The self chosen field of these
psychologists is besides poor,
67
00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,360
dark and limited.
You must know the whole before
68
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,120
you can know the part, and the
highest before you can truly
69
00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,560
understand the lowest.
That is the promise of the
70
00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:18,240
greater psychology awaiting its
hour, before which these poor
71
00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,520
gropings will disappear and come
to nothing.
72
00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:26,360
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
73
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,520
of Yoga, chapter 5.
Physical consciousness,
74
00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,760
subconscious sleep and dream
illness.
75
00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:35,320
Pages 96 to 97.
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,720
The Greek philosopher Plato,
after deep consideration,
2
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,480
reached the conclusion that some
higher principle was real, which
3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:14,800
he called Forms or Ideas, and
that the physical reality we see
4
00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,200
and experience is the result,
not the cause.
5
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,000
This concept is in consonance
with the Vedic understanding.
6
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,800
Even the Christian Bible notes
that quote in the beginning was
7
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:34,160
the word End Quote.
All of these approaches, and
8
00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:37,640
many more from around the world
and across numerous traditional,
9
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:42,360
religious, philosophical, and
spiritual directions, make it
10
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,080
clear that the physical world is
a derivative phenomenon of the
11
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,760
higher source.
Western psychology, in its
12
00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,280
earliest approaches, tries to
define the meaning, direction
13
00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:00,120
and motivation for our lives in
the external reality based in
14
00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,640
trauma and various drives of the
lower nature, without ever
15
00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,640
taking into account the
implications of the higher
16
00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,240
wisdom that the sages and
thinkers throughout the ages
17
00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:16,600
have eventually embraced.
The life we lead, the promptings
18
00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,360
we follow, the thoughts we
think.
19
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,920
The aspirations we experience do
not originate in material
20
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,680
substance, somehow trying to
survive due to random
21
00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,360
combinations of chemicals making
us what we are.
22
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,600
Rather, they come from levels
that are currently
23
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,520
superconscient to our normal
experience, which represent the
24
00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:46,720
idea, the Word, the light, or as
some define it, God.
25
00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:53,440
In his book The Life Divine,
Srioro Bindo identifies the
26
00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,640
basic human aspiration as a
seeking after God, light,
27
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:04,640
freedom, immortality.
It is these basic drives that
28
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:09,120
define the value and development
of human life in general, as
29
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,920
well as providing specific
motivation to individuals as
30
00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:16,960
they awaken to a greater meaning
for their existence.
31
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,720
Once we recognize the wider
range of the human existence,
32
00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,520
encompassing drives, energies,
motivations, aspirations that
33
00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:33,120
are conscient to us as well as
those that are subconscient and
34
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,400
those that are superconscient,
we cannot avoid expanding the
35
00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:42,440
focus of psychology to not
simply try to fit all human life
36
00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,880
into a small part of the
subconscient elements of our
37
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,560
existence.
Rather, we need to develop what
38
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,360
Triorobindo calls a greater
psychology that takes all the
39
00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,200
different planes and parts of
our being into account and
40
00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:03,000
explores also the impacts of
forces subliminal to our
41
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,480
conscious awareness.
Trying to define humanity by our
42
00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:13,520
subconscious animal drives is
both unduly limited and a
43
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,560
falsification that distorts our
search for meaning and our
44
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,200
understanding of the
significance of life, and of our
45
00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:26,520
own lives in particular, Sri
Robinto notes quote.
46
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,400
I find it difficult to take
these psychoanalysts at all
47
00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,040
seriously when they try to
scrutinize spiritual experience
48
00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,600
by the flicker of their
torchlights.
49
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,840
Yet perhaps one ought to, for
half knowledge is a powerful
50
00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:46,120
thing and can be a great
obstacle to the coming in front
51
00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,640
of the true truth.
This new psychology looks to me
52
00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,840
very much like children learning
some summary and not very
53
00:03:54,840 --> 00:04:00,840
adequate alphabet, exulting and
putting their abcd of the
54
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,680
subconscious and the mysterious
underground superego together,
55
00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,600
and imagining that their first
book of obscure beginnings.
56
00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:18,519
CAT, Cat, TREE, Tree is the very
heart of the real knowledge.
57
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:23,720
They look from down, up and
explain the higher lights by the
58
00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,480
lower obscurities.
But the foundation of these
59
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:33,800
things is above and not below.
Upari Butna Isham, the
60
00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:38,360
superconscient, not the
subconscient, is the true
61
00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,760
foundation of things.
The significance of the Lotus is
62
00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,440
not to be found by analyzing the
secrets of the mud from which it
63
00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:47,280
grows.
Here.
64
00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:53,440
Its secret is to be found in the
heavenly archetype of the Lotus
65
00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,280
that blooms forever in the light
above.
66
00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,720
The self chosen field of these
psychologists is besides poor,
67
00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,360
dark and limited.
You must know the whole before
68
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,120
you can know the part, and the
highest before you can truly
69
00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,560
understand the lowest.
That is the promise of the
70
00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:18,240
greater psychology awaiting its
hour, before which these poor
71
00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,520
gropings will disappear and come
to nothing.
72
00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:26,360
End Quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
73
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,520
of Yoga, chapter 5.
Physical consciousness,
74
00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,760
subconscious sleep and dream
illness.
75
00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:35,320
Pages 96 to 97.
