May 5, 2026
The Psychic Being -- Its Special Role Manifesting the Divine Presence in Matter
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 2 Role, Function and Action of the Psychic, pp. 47-49This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/05/03/the-psychic-being-its-special-role-manifesting-the-divine-presence-in-matter/
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
1
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,520
Humanity has long had the
feeling that it represents
2
00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,920
something special and unique in
the universal creation.
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,360
Major religions have creation
stories that emphasize this
4
00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:16,280
uniqueness, with God creating
man in his own image and finding
5
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,760
that it was good.
Many people believe that
6
00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,840
humanity is the only self aware
sentient being in the entire
7
00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,080
universe.
While they bolster this claim
8
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,560
with the claim that our search
for sentient life elsewhere has
9
00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:35,880
come up empty, it is clear that
we can neither perceive all the
10
00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,960
beings that exist in our own
world, nor that we have been
11
00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,840
able to explore the vast
universe at distances that
12
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,960
require time far beyond our
short human lifetimes to reach.
13
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,200
Stories from ancient texts tell
of the unique opportunity of a
14
00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,280
human birth while acknowledging
the existence of other sentient
15
00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:03,160
beings, some with knowledge and
powers far exceeding those we
16
00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,000
possess.
In our review of the world we
17
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,120
can observe and the beings that
inhabit Earth, we accentuate the
18
00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:17,520
predominant role that humanity
plays to shore up our role as
19
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,440
the leading species on the
planet.
20
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,520
We tend to believe that advanced
mental capacities are what make
21
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:28,200
us unique.
Yet these same mental capacities
22
00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:33,080
have serious limitations and
lead to unintended consequences
23
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,880
that threaten the destruction of
not only all of humanity, but
24
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:44,360
possibly of the entire world.
In the Cana Upanishad, the
25
00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:49,160
powers of matter, life and mind
embodied in the beings known as
26
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:54,760
Agni, Wyu and Indra are shown
their limitations by a power
27
00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:59,040
that far exceeds them.
Eventually, the mental power
28
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,320
concludes there is a further
consciousness that transcends
29
00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,200
them all.
It is the direct link to this
30
00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,120
higher consciousness that
actually represents the true
31
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:14,440
uniqueness of the human being.
In the Christian religion, Jesus
32
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,920
was born into the human world.
As the Son of God, he carries
33
00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:24,040
the divinity into human life.
Looked at in more general terms,
34
00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:29,040
the psychic being represents the
element in each human being that
35
00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,960
brings into the human being the
spark, the direct connection to
36
00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,960
the divine.
The ancient texts make it clear
37
00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,920
that other beings, including
highly conscious and powerful
38
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:46,240
beings, do not carry this
specific divine connection.
39
00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,600
They are static beings that do
not evolve or develop beyond the
40
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,080
limits of their own role and
capacities.
41
00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,760
The psychic being in man
provides the mechanism for
42
00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:01,080
development, growth, and
evolution.
43
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,520
Beings that desire to
participate in this process are
44
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,800
compelled, therefore, to take a
human birth.
45
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:14,720
A disciple asks what is the work
of the psychic being?
46
00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:20,800
The mother answers quote what is
the work of the psychic being?
47
00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,720
You want it to have some work?
What do you want to say exactly?
48
00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,360
What is its function?
Ah, very well.
49
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,320
One could put it this way that
it is like an electric wire that
50
00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,360
connects the generator with the
lamp.
51
00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,800
Now if someone has understood,
let him explain what I said.
52
00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,920
Disciple, what is the generator
and what the lamp?
53
00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,840
Laughter.
The mother quote.
54
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,600
Ah, there we are.
So what is the generator and
55
00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,720
what the lamp?
That is exactly it.
56
00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,840
What is the generator and what
the lamp?
57
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,600
Or rather, who is the generator
and who is the lamp?
58
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,360
Disciple, The generator is the
define and the lamp is the body,
59
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:18,160
the Mother, it is the body, it
is the visible being, so that is
60
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,560
its function.
This means that if there were no
61
00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,320
psychic in matter, it would not
be able to have any direct
62
00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,000
contact with the divine.
And it is happily due to this
63
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,200
psychic presence in matter that
the contact between matter and
64
00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,400
the divine can be direct and all
human beings can be told.
65
00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,320
You carry the divine within you,
and you have only to enter
66
00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,880
within yourself, and you will
find him.
67
00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,240
It is something very particular
to the human being, or rather to
68
00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:54,320
the inhabitants of the earth.
In the human being the psychic
69
00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,840
becomes more conscious, more
formed, more conscious and more
70
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,320
dependent.
Also it is individualized in
71
00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,560
human beings, but it is a
specialty of the earth.
72
00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:12,280
It is a direct infusion, special
and redeeming in the most
73
00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:16,480
inconscient and obscure matter,
so that it might once again
74
00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,840
awake through stages to the
divine consciousness, the Divine
75
00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:24,640
Presence, and finally to the
Divine himself.
76
00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,160
It is the presence of the
psychic which makes man an
77
00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,520
exceptional being.
I don't like to tell him this
78
00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,480
very much, because already he
thinks too much of himself.
79
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:39,160
He has such a high opinion of
himself that it is not necessary
80
00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,840
to encourage him, but still this
is a fact.
81
00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:46,960
So much so that there are beings
of other domains of the
82
00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:51,840
universe, those called by some
people demigods and even gods.
83
00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:56,240
Beings, for instance, of what
Trior Obindo calls the Overmind,
84
00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,680
who are very eager to take a
physical body on earth to have
85
00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,280
the experience of the psychic,
for they don't have it.
86
00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:09,520
These beings certainly have many
qualities that men don't, but
87
00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,680
they lack this divine presence
which is altogether exceptional
88
00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,040
and exists only on the earth and
nowhere else.
89
00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:22,320
All these inhabitants of the
higher worlds, the higher mind
90
00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:27,240
over mind and other regions have
no psychic being.
91
00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,440
Of course, the beings of the
vital worlds don't have it
92
00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,960
either.
But these latter don't regret
93
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:35,680
it.
They don't want it.
94
00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,560
There are only those very rare
ones, quite exceptional, who
95
00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:45,080
want to be converted, and for
this they act without delay.
96
00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,000
They immediately take a physical
body.
97
00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,880
The others don't want it.
It is something which binds them
98
00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,680
and constrains them to a rule
they do not want.
99
00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,240
But it is a fact, so I am
obliged to state that this is
100
00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,320
how it is.
That is an exceptional quality
101
00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:07,960
of human being to carry within
himself the psychic, and truly
102
00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,240
speaking, he does not take full
advantage from it.
103
00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,960
He does not seem to consider
this quality of something very,
104
00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,760
very desirable from the way he
treats this presence, exactly
105
00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:26,160
that he prefers to it the ideas
of his mind, prefers the desires
106
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,960
of his vital being and the
habits of his physical.
107
00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,520
End Quote Reference Sri Oro
Bindu and the Mother, the
108
00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,640
psychic being soul, its nature,
mission and evolution.
109
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,560
Section 2.
Role, function and Action of the
110
00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,960
Psychic.
Pages 47 to 49.
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,520
Humanity has long had the
feeling that it represents
2
00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,920
something special and unique in
the universal creation.
3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,360
Major religions have creation
stories that emphasize this
4
00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:16,280
uniqueness, with God creating
man in his own image and finding
5
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,760
that it was good.
Many people believe that
6
00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,840
humanity is the only self aware
sentient being in the entire
7
00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,080
universe.
While they bolster this claim
8
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,560
with the claim that our search
for sentient life elsewhere has
9
00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:35,880
come up empty, it is clear that
we can neither perceive all the
10
00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,960
beings that exist in our own
world, nor that we have been
11
00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,840
able to explore the vast
universe at distances that
12
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,960
require time far beyond our
short human lifetimes to reach.
13
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,200
Stories from ancient texts tell
of the unique opportunity of a
14
00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,280
human birth while acknowledging
the existence of other sentient
15
00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:03,160
beings, some with knowledge and
powers far exceeding those we
16
00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,000
possess.
In our review of the world we
17
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,120
can observe and the beings that
inhabit Earth, we accentuate the
18
00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:17,520
predominant role that humanity
plays to shore up our role as
19
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,440
the leading species on the
planet.
20
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,520
We tend to believe that advanced
mental capacities are what make
21
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:28,200
us unique.
Yet these same mental capacities
22
00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:33,080
have serious limitations and
lead to unintended consequences
23
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,880
that threaten the destruction of
not only all of humanity, but
24
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:44,360
possibly of the entire world.
In the Cana Upanishad, the
25
00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:49,160
powers of matter, life and mind
embodied in the beings known as
26
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:54,760
Agni, Wyu and Indra are shown
their limitations by a power
27
00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:59,040
that far exceeds them.
Eventually, the mental power
28
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,320
concludes there is a further
consciousness that transcends
29
00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,200
them all.
It is the direct link to this
30
00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,120
higher consciousness that
actually represents the true
31
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:14,440
uniqueness of the human being.
In the Christian religion, Jesus
32
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,920
was born into the human world.
As the Son of God, he carries
33
00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:24,040
the divinity into human life.
Looked at in more general terms,
34
00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:29,040
the psychic being represents the
element in each human being that
35
00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,960
brings into the human being the
spark, the direct connection to
36
00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,960
the divine.
The ancient texts make it clear
37
00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,920
that other beings, including
highly conscious and powerful
38
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:46,240
beings, do not carry this
specific divine connection.
39
00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,600
They are static beings that do
not evolve or develop beyond the
40
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,080
limits of their own role and
capacities.
41
00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,760
The psychic being in man
provides the mechanism for
42
00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:01,080
development, growth, and
evolution.
43
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,520
Beings that desire to
participate in this process are
44
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,800
compelled, therefore, to take a
human birth.
45
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:14,720
A disciple asks what is the work
of the psychic being?
46
00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:20,800
The mother answers quote what is
the work of the psychic being?
47
00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,720
You want it to have some work?
What do you want to say exactly?
48
00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,360
What is its function?
Ah, very well.
49
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,320
One could put it this way that
it is like an electric wire that
50
00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,360
connects the generator with the
lamp.
51
00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,800
Now if someone has understood,
let him explain what I said.
52
00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,920
Disciple, what is the generator
and what the lamp?
53
00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,840
Laughter.
The mother quote.
54
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,600
Ah, there we are.
So what is the generator and
55
00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,720
what the lamp?
That is exactly it.
56
00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,840
What is the generator and what
the lamp?
57
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,600
Or rather, who is the generator
and who is the lamp?
58
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,360
Disciple, The generator is the
define and the lamp is the body,
59
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:18,160
the Mother, it is the body, it
is the visible being, so that is
60
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,560
its function.
This means that if there were no
61
00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,320
psychic in matter, it would not
be able to have any direct
62
00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,000
contact with the divine.
And it is happily due to this
63
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,200
psychic presence in matter that
the contact between matter and
64
00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,400
the divine can be direct and all
human beings can be told.
65
00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,320
You carry the divine within you,
and you have only to enter
66
00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,880
within yourself, and you will
find him.
67
00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,240
It is something very particular
to the human being, or rather to
68
00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:54,320
the inhabitants of the earth.
In the human being the psychic
69
00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,840
becomes more conscious, more
formed, more conscious and more
70
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,320
dependent.
Also it is individualized in
71
00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,560
human beings, but it is a
specialty of the earth.
72
00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:12,280
It is a direct infusion, special
and redeeming in the most
73
00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:16,480
inconscient and obscure matter,
so that it might once again
74
00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,840
awake through stages to the
divine consciousness, the Divine
75
00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:24,640
Presence, and finally to the
Divine himself.
76
00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,160
It is the presence of the
psychic which makes man an
77
00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,520
exceptional being.
I don't like to tell him this
78
00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,480
very much, because already he
thinks too much of himself.
79
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:39,160
He has such a high opinion of
himself that it is not necessary
80
00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,840
to encourage him, but still this
is a fact.
81
00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:46,960
So much so that there are beings
of other domains of the
82
00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:51,840
universe, those called by some
people demigods and even gods.
83
00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:56,240
Beings, for instance, of what
Trior Obindo calls the Overmind,
84
00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,680
who are very eager to take a
physical body on earth to have
85
00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,280
the experience of the psychic,
for they don't have it.
86
00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:09,520
These beings certainly have many
qualities that men don't, but
87
00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,680
they lack this divine presence
which is altogether exceptional
88
00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,040
and exists only on the earth and
nowhere else.
89
00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:22,320
All these inhabitants of the
higher worlds, the higher mind
90
00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:27,240
over mind and other regions have
no psychic being.
91
00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,440
Of course, the beings of the
vital worlds don't have it
92
00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,960
either.
But these latter don't regret
93
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:35,680
it.
They don't want it.
94
00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,560
There are only those very rare
ones, quite exceptional, who
95
00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:45,080
want to be converted, and for
this they act without delay.
96
00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,000
They immediately take a physical
body.
97
00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,880
The others don't want it.
It is something which binds them
98
00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,680
and constrains them to a rule
they do not want.
99
00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,240
But it is a fact, so I am
obliged to state that this is
100
00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,320
how it is.
That is an exceptional quality
101
00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:07,960
of human being to carry within
himself the psychic, and truly
102
00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,240
speaking, he does not take full
advantage from it.
103
00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,960
He does not seem to consider
this quality of something very,
104
00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,760
very desirable from the way he
treats this presence, exactly
105
00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:26,160
that he prefers to it the ideas
of his mind, prefers the desires
106
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,960
of his vital being and the
habits of his physical.
107
00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,520
End Quote Reference Sri Oro
Bindu and the Mother, the
108
00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,640
psychic being soul, its nature,
mission and evolution.
109
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,560
Section 2.
Role, function and Action of the
110
00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,960
Psychic.
Pages 47 to 49.
