The 'Psychic Mirror' and Its Power of Transformation of the External Nature

0:01 One of the powerful techniques which Sri Aurobindo describes for the spiritual aspirant is the separation of the witness consciousness from the active external nature. Creation of a mental witness awareness is not quite the same thing, although it may be a helpful step along the way. This is still the play of the nature in the mental plane. What is intended here is not a mental approach, but development of a standpoint that is outside the normal action of body, life and mind, residing in the spiritual consciousness. The Mother has described what she calls the psychic mirror, which is a form of witness awareness that is not mental, but which is holding up the energetic vibrational pattern of the soul presence, the psychic being, as a means of determining whether any particular aspect of the external being conforms with the psychic beings focus or not. In other words, is there coherence between the psychic being and the activities of body, life and mind? Some people think that what is intended is their conscience. However this is not the case.

1:22 Conscience is based in moral and ethical training along guidelines set in the social structure. What is moral or ethical in one society may be considered immoral or unethical in another. Even if something is considered immoral or unethical in every society, it is still a rule based judgment, not the intended psychic mirror approach the Mother describes. For the spiritual seeker awakened to the stirrings of the soul, there comes a point in time when he can recognize the vibrational field created by the psychic being. He feels the aspiration, the consecration, the surrender of the ego, the experience of bliss, ananda and other vibrations associated with the soul. What the Mother proposes is that whenever there is a thought and emotion, a feeling, a need, that the seeker place that vibration side by side with the psychic vibration and see if there is coherence or whether there is distance or disturbance between the two.

2:37 When we are focused on external activities and we experience greed, jealousy, anger, grasping, attachment, these each have their own vibrational signature and wavelength, so to speak. Many people in fact assign colors to these varying vibrations such as green with envy, red with sexual energy, yellow with fear, etcetera. The pure psychic flame is a flame of white light. If you can begin to refer all the external responses, reactions and reflections to this psychic mirror, one quickly can distinguish those things which interfere or disrupt the psychic vibrational field and those which enhance and support it. It is not a matter of thought.

3:30 It is not a matter of emotion, It is not a matter of moral judgment. It is simply a reflection of how we are vibrating and whether that energetic field is compatible with the true psychic energy. The power of this approach is that over time we begin to adjust our acceptance and rejection of energies which approach us as well as those that trigger something still within us in seed form. From past experiences, the mother recommends that if one looks back over time after adopting this practice, one will see the substantial difference in reactions, responses, thoughts, and feelings that have taken place. People frequently ask whether we can intervene successfully in our external nature or whether this will bring about reactions that are actually going to set us back. This approach comes from the idea of the abandonment of life as the goal, the liberation from the earthly life, whether we call it moksha, Nirvana, cessation of birth, ascent to heaven, or some other terminology that implies the same thing.

4:46 For those interested in the transformation of nature through the evolution of consciousness, a different view must be considered. That view is that as consciousness develops, it can effectuate changes in the preceding stages of consciousness. Just as the life energy changes dense matter into living matter, and just as the mental force rearranges both the life energy and matter, so the next stage of conscious evolution will be able to modify and change mind, life, and body. In that case, the question then comes down to method of implementation. Forceful suppression is found to be counterproductive, but gaining conscious adherence and acceptance, willingness to change through the promptings of the psychic being, is a potential mechanism to effect change. In his book The Mother, Sri Aurobindo identifies the role of the spiritual seeker as one of aspiration, rejection, surrender.

5:56 This implies an intervention in the external nature as the psychic being assumes its role as the guide and organizing force for the changes that are intended as the next stage of evolution takes place. The Mother notes quote. There is but one remedy. That signpost must always be there. A mirror well placed in one's feelings, impulses, all one's sensations. One sees them in this mirror. There are some which are not very beautiful or pleasant to look at. There are others which are beautiful, pleasant, and must be kept. This one does 100 times a day if necessary, and it is very interesting.

6:44 One draws a kind of big circle around the psychic mirror and arranges all the elements around it. If there's something that is not all right, it casts a sort of Gray shadow upon the mirror. This element must be shifted, organized. It must be spoken to, made to understand. One must come out of that darkness. If you do that, you never get bored. When people are not kind, when one has a cold in the head, when 1 doesn't know one's lessons and so on, one begins to look into this mirror. It is very interesting. One sees the canker.

7:27 I thought I was sincere. Not at all. Not a thing happens in life which is not interesting. This mirror is very, very well made. Do that for two years, 3-4 years. At times one must do it for 20 years. Then at the end of a few years, look back, turn your gaze upon what you were three years ago. How have I changed? Was I like that? It is very entertaining. I could speak like that. I could talk like that, think like that. But I was indeed stupid. How I have changed, Isn't it very interesting?

8:11 Isn't it? End Quote Reference Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, the psychic being soul, its nature, mission and evolution. Section 2. Role, function and Action of the Psychic. Pages 68 to 69.