Nov. 29, 2025
The Separation of States of Awareness Between the Waking State, the Sleep State and the Spiritual Realms
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pg. 48
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/11/27/the-separation-of-states-of-conscious-awareness-between-the-waking-state-the-sleep-state-and-the-spiritual-realms/
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 #samadhi #sleep #consciousness #spirituality
1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,320
When we sleep, we are generally
oblivious to our waking state of
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:09,120
consciousness, and conversely,
when we are awake we are
3
00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:12,160
oblivious to what takes place
during the sleep state.
4
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,720
We sometimes get a few glimpses
when we are in that twilight
5
00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,000
condition between sleep and
waking, or when we are aware of
6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,840
our dreams, but otherwise what
takes place during deep sleep
7
00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:31,840
remains very much a mystery.
People do not generally reflect
8
00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,720
on this and they just take sleep
for granted without exploring
9
00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,000
the consciousness active at that
time.
10
00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,680
However, technological
instruments are able to measure
11
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,680
brain wave activity during
sleep, and it is quite certain
12
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,640
that such activity takes place
without our awareness of the
13
00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:56,360
content of that activity.
Similarly, there are stages of
14
00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,640
meditation, as well as various
experiences of the spiritual
15
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,760
planes where the awareness goes
there.
16
00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,800
But when the individual returns
to the waking consciousness, he
17
00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,240
does not have a clear conception
of what happened during that
18
00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,800
other state of consciousness.
Sometimes, as with our
19
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,960
occasional awareness of elements
of the sleep state, we bring
20
00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:26,760
back a feeling, a glimpse, or an
idea from that other realm of
21
00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,160
consciousness.
For the most part, however,
22
00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,400
there are generally partial
transcriptions, but not a full
23
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,560
understanding and awareness of
the status on the other side of
24
00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,480
the border beyond the waking
state.
25
00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,440
Mostly this turns out to be a
lack of experience or a lack of
26
00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,400
language to describe something
that is not part of the usual
27
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,000
pattern of life.
If the experiences repeat
28
00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,440
themselves and the person
becomes habituated to
29
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,960
transitioning between the two
statuses, it actually becomes
30
00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,760
possible to bring the power and
understanding of that experience
31
00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:13,880
into the waking consciousness,
Srioro Bindo notes quote.
32
00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,600
The entire oblivion of the
experience means merely that
33
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,640
there is no sufficient bridge
between the inner consciousness,
34
00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:27,920
which has the experience in a
kind of samati, and the exterior
35
00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:31,000
waking consciousness.
It is when the higher
36
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,480
consciousness has made the
bridge between them that the
37
00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,560
outer also begins to remember.
End Quote.
38
00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:44,960
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of Yoga, Chapter 3 in
39
00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,280
difficulty, page 48.
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,320
When we sleep, we are generally
oblivious to our waking state of
2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:09,120
consciousness, and conversely,
when we are awake we are
3
00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:12,160
oblivious to what takes place
during the sleep state.
4
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,720
We sometimes get a few glimpses
when we are in that twilight
5
00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,000
condition between sleep and
waking, or when we are aware of
6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,840
our dreams, but otherwise what
takes place during deep sleep
7
00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:31,840
remains very much a mystery.
People do not generally reflect
8
00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,720
on this and they just take sleep
for granted without exploring
9
00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,000
the consciousness active at that
time.
10
00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,680
However, technological
instruments are able to measure
11
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,680
brain wave activity during
sleep, and it is quite certain
12
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,640
that such activity takes place
without our awareness of the
13
00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:56,360
content of that activity.
Similarly, there are stages of
14
00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,640
meditation, as well as various
experiences of the spiritual
15
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,760
planes where the awareness goes
there.
16
00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,800
But when the individual returns
to the waking consciousness, he
17
00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,240
does not have a clear conception
of what happened during that
18
00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,800
other state of consciousness.
Sometimes, as with our
19
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,960
occasional awareness of elements
of the sleep state, we bring
20
00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:26,760
back a feeling, a glimpse, or an
idea from that other realm of
21
00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,160
consciousness.
For the most part, however,
22
00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,400
there are generally partial
transcriptions, but not a full
23
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,560
understanding and awareness of
the status on the other side of
24
00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,480
the border beyond the waking
state.
25
00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,440
Mostly this turns out to be a
lack of experience or a lack of
26
00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,400
language to describe something
that is not part of the usual
27
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,000
pattern of life.
If the experiences repeat
28
00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,440
themselves and the person
becomes habituated to
29
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,960
transitioning between the two
statuses, it actually becomes
30
00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,760
possible to bring the power and
understanding of that experience
31
00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:13,880
into the waking consciousness,
Srioro Bindo notes quote.
32
00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,600
The entire oblivion of the
experience means merely that
33
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,640
there is no sufficient bridge
between the inner consciousness,
34
00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:27,920
which has the experience in a
kind of samati, and the exterior
35
00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:31,000
waking consciousness.
It is when the higher
36
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,480
consciousness has made the
bridge between them that the
37
00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,560
outer also begins to remember.
End Quote.
38
00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:44,960
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
of Yoga, Chapter 3 in
39
00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,280
difficulty, page 48.
