Feb. 21, 2026
The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of...
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pp. 100-101This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/02/19/the-stuff-that-dreams-are-made-of/
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 #spirituality #vital plane #mental plane #dreams #symbolic dreams
1
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,800
Once we break out of the
limitations set by Western
2
00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:08,480
psychologists such as Freud in
our attempt to understand the
3
00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:13,320
nature of dreams, we can explore
the much wider and more nuanced
4
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:18,600
potential causes, triggers,
images and significances of
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,080
dreams.
We find it hard to appreciate
6
00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:26,120
that there are independent
mental or vital planes or subtle
7
00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,320
physical worlds that exist
outside of the human frame of
8
00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,280
reference.
We also have a hard time
9
00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,240
recognizing that forces and
beings from these other planes
10
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,000
or worlds can and do impact our
lives here.
11
00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:46,200
Yet the premise is quite simple.
There is a vibrational spectrum,
12
00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,160
and we accept that we are only
able to directly perceive a
13
00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:55,640
specific range of that spectrum.
We also accept that vibrations
14
00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,160
from outside that range can be
experienced by other beings in
15
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:05,840
the world and that they also can
impact us even when we cannot
16
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:10,600
directly perceive them.
It is thus no extraordinary leap
17
00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,240
to understand that these forces
and beings influence our
18
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,360
behaviour, nor that they are
most effective in that influence
19
00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:24,240
when our conscious waking guard
is down during periods of sleep
20
00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,120
and dream.
It is also true that even
21
00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,200
impulses, vibrations and forces
that are known to be active in
22
00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,960
our world can influence us,
particularly when they act on
23
00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:40,040
the subconscious levels where we
are less able to monitor and
24
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,320
control them on a consistent
basis.
25
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,600
Thus, energies we encounter in
our lives can raise up reactions
26
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:53,880
and responses that come out in
the dream state, Triorobindo
27
00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,240
observes Quote.
All dreams of this kind are very
28
00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,680
obviously formations, such as
one often meets on the vital,
29
00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,760
more rarely on the mental plane.
Sometimes they are the
30
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,039
formations of your own mind or
vital.
31
00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,600
Sometimes they are the
formations of other minds with
32
00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,560
an exact or modified
transcription in yours.
33
00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,840
Sometimes formations come that
are made by the non human forces
34
00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:26,800
or beings of these other planes.
These things are not true and
35
00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:31,200
need not become true in the
physical world, but they may
36
00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,280
still have effects on the
physical if they are framed with
37
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:39,200
that purpose or that tendency.
And if they are allowed, they
38
00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,200
may realize their events or
their meaning, for they are most
39
00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:48,640
often symbolical or schematic in
the inner or the outer life.
40
00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,560
The proper course with them is
simply to observe and
41
00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,320
understand, and if they are from
a hostile source, reject or
42
00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,880
destroy them.
There are other dreams that have
43
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,120
not the same character, but are
of representation or
44
00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,240
transcription of things that
actually happen on other planes,
45
00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,000
in other worlds under other
conditions than ours.
46
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,080
There are again some dreams that
are purely symbolic and some
47
00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:21,720
that indicate existing movements
and propensities in US, whether
48
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:27,440
familiar or undetected by the
waking mind, or exploit old
49
00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:32,120
memories, or else raise up
things either passively stored
50
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,240
or still active in the
subconscient.
51
00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:40,160
A mass of various stuff which
has to be changed or got rid of
52
00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,360
as one rises into a higher
consciousness.
53
00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:48,440
If one learns how to interpret,
one can get from dreams much
54
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,680
knowledge of the secrets of our
nature and of other nature.
55
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:58,800
And quote reference Sri
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
56
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,800
Chapter 5 Physical
Consciousness, Subconscious
57
00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,680
Sleep and Dream Illness, pages
100 to 101.
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,800
Once we break out of the
limitations set by Western
2
00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:08,480
psychologists such as Freud in
our attempt to understand the
3
00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:13,320
nature of dreams, we can explore
the much wider and more nuanced
4
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:18,600
potential causes, triggers,
images and significances of
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,080
dreams.
We find it hard to appreciate
6
00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:26,120
that there are independent
mental or vital planes or subtle
7
00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,320
physical worlds that exist
outside of the human frame of
8
00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,280
reference.
We also have a hard time
9
00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,240
recognizing that forces and
beings from these other planes
10
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,000
or worlds can and do impact our
lives here.
11
00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:46,200
Yet the premise is quite simple.
There is a vibrational spectrum,
12
00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,160
and we accept that we are only
able to directly perceive a
13
00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:55,640
specific range of that spectrum.
We also accept that vibrations
14
00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,160
from outside that range can be
experienced by other beings in
15
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:05,840
the world and that they also can
impact us even when we cannot
16
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:10,600
directly perceive them.
It is thus no extraordinary leap
17
00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,240
to understand that these forces
and beings influence our
18
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,360
behaviour, nor that they are
most effective in that influence
19
00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:24,240
when our conscious waking guard
is down during periods of sleep
20
00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,120
and dream.
It is also true that even
21
00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,200
impulses, vibrations and forces
that are known to be active in
22
00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,960
our world can influence us,
particularly when they act on
23
00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:40,040
the subconscious levels where we
are less able to monitor and
24
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,320
control them on a consistent
basis.
25
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,600
Thus, energies we encounter in
our lives can raise up reactions
26
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:53,880
and responses that come out in
the dream state, Triorobindo
27
00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,240
observes Quote.
All dreams of this kind are very
28
00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,680
obviously formations, such as
one often meets on the vital,
29
00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,760
more rarely on the mental plane.
Sometimes they are the
30
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,039
formations of your own mind or
vital.
31
00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,600
Sometimes they are the
formations of other minds with
32
00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,560
an exact or modified
transcription in yours.
33
00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,840
Sometimes formations come that
are made by the non human forces
34
00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:26,800
or beings of these other planes.
These things are not true and
35
00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:31,200
need not become true in the
physical world, but they may
36
00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,280
still have effects on the
physical if they are framed with
37
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:39,200
that purpose or that tendency.
And if they are allowed, they
38
00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,200
may realize their events or
their meaning, for they are most
39
00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:48,640
often symbolical or schematic in
the inner or the outer life.
40
00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,560
The proper course with them is
simply to observe and
41
00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,320
understand, and if they are from
a hostile source, reject or
42
00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,880
destroy them.
There are other dreams that have
43
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,120
not the same character, but are
of representation or
44
00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,240
transcription of things that
actually happen on other planes,
45
00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,000
in other worlds under other
conditions than ours.
46
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,080
There are again some dreams that
are purely symbolic and some
47
00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:21,720
that indicate existing movements
and propensities in US, whether
48
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:27,440
familiar or undetected by the
waking mind, or exploit old
49
00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:32,120
memories, or else raise up
things either passively stored
50
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,240
or still active in the
subconscient.
51
00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:40,160
A mass of various stuff which
has to be changed or got rid of
52
00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,360
as one rises into a higher
consciousness.
53
00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:48,440
If one learns how to interpret,
one can get from dreams much
54
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,680
knowledge of the secrets of our
nature and of other nature.
55
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:58,800
And quote reference Sri
Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga,
56
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,800
Chapter 5 Physical
Consciousness, Subconscious
57
00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,680
Sleep and Dream Illness, pages
100 to 101.
