Feb. 2, 2026
The Subconscious, the Subliminal and the Superconscious Influence on Our External Lives
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pg. 88This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/01/31/the-subconscious-the-subliminal-and-the-superconscious-influence-on-our-external-lives/
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 #subconscious #subliminal #spirituality #superconscient
1
00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:05,200
When we are focused on our
external being, we tend not to
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,400
recognize that forces unseen
actually not only impact how and
3
00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:14,840
what we perceive, understand and
respond to impressions and
4
00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:20,080
pressures, but actually very
much define who we believe we
5
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:23,000
are.
There are forces that are
6
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,240
subconscious to our external
awareness, which send up
7
00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:32,400
suggestions, thoughts, impulses,
drives, habits and instincts
8
00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,120
that drive our action.
There are also forces super
9
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:41,600
conscient to our external
awareness that help us see and
10
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,600
grow beyond the limits of our
physical, vital mental
11
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,200
existence.
If we look carefully at the
12
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,360
sources or seeds of our external
reactions, we can begin to trace
13
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,720
back much of the way we act to
specific vital or mental
14
00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,840
patterns that human beings have
brought forward from animal
15
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,120
nature.
The very way we respond to
16
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,360
pressure, the fight or flight
response, the pecking order
17
00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:14,840
response, all come from an
earlier stage of evolution and
18
00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,880
remain active in our existing
lives.
19
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,080
Even our evolved mental life is
very much conditioned by past
20
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,360
habits of human thought as well
as by social conditioning,
21
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,920
education and interactions we
have.
22
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,600
As we experience our human
childhood, it becomes difficult
23
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,760
to determine what is unique
within us other than the
24
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,040
specific assemblage of these
pre-existing and trained
25
00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:49,760
responses that are packaged to
represent a specific external
26
00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,040
personality.
There are also many elements
27
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,640
which are subliminal which act
without our conscious attention.
28
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,440
Many of the metabolic functions,
for instance, are not controlled
29
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,840
by our conscience, thought and
will, but take place at a level
30
00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:13,480
that is not easily perceptible
by our waking mind at a certain
31
00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,720
point.
We also find that as individuals
32
00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,000
grow and evolve, as they
optimize the powers of body,
33
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,840
life and mind, they experience
what can only be named a calling
34
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,520
to another focus in life
direction.
35
00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,400
They begin to reorient their
actions and thoughts towards
36
00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,280
this higher calling, a response
to the pressure coming from
37
00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,880
regions of awareness super
conscient to our normal human
38
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:47,480
range of perception.
Srioro Bindo writes quote this
39
00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,440
subconscious is the evolutionary
basis in US.
40
00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,240
It is not the whole of our
hidden nature, nor is it the
41
00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,400
whole origin of what we are.
But things can rise from the
42
00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:03,000
subconscient and take shape in
the conscious parts, and much of
43
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,360
our smaller vital and physical
instincts, movements, habits,
44
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:13,240
character forms has this source.
There are three occult sources
45
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:17,080
of our action, the
superconscient, the subliminal,
46
00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,880
the subconscient, but of none of
them are we in control or even
47
00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,640
aware.
What we are aware of is the
48
00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:27,800
surface being, which is only an
instrumental arrangement.
49
00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,480
The source of all is the general
nature, universal nature,
50
00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,200
individualizing itself in each
person.
51
00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,880
For this general nature deposits
certain habits of movement,
52
00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,840
personality, character,
faculties, dispositions,
53
00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:50,040
tendencies in US, and that,
whether formed now or before our
54
00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:54,160
birth, is what we usually call
ourselves.
55
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,200
A good deal of this is in
habitual movement and use in our
56
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,520
known conscious parts on the
surface.
57
00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,840
A great deal more is concealed
in the other unknown 3 which are
58
00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,920
below or behind the surface.
End Quote.
59
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:17,800
Reference Sri Aurobindo Bases of
Yoga, Chapter 5 Physical
60
00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:23,920
Consciousness, Subconscious
Sleep and Dream illness page 88.
00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:05,200
When we are focused on our
external being, we tend not to
2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,400
recognize that forces unseen
actually not only impact how and
3
00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:14,840
what we perceive, understand and
respond to impressions and
4
00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:20,080
pressures, but actually very
much define who we believe we
5
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:23,000
are.
There are forces that are
6
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,240
subconscious to our external
awareness, which send up
7
00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:32,400
suggestions, thoughts, impulses,
drives, habits and instincts
8
00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,120
that drive our action.
There are also forces super
9
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:41,600
conscient to our external
awareness that help us see and
10
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,600
grow beyond the limits of our
physical, vital mental
11
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,200
existence.
If we look carefully at the
12
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,360
sources or seeds of our external
reactions, we can begin to trace
13
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,720
back much of the way we act to
specific vital or mental
14
00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,840
patterns that human beings have
brought forward from animal
15
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,120
nature.
The very way we respond to
16
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,360
pressure, the fight or flight
response, the pecking order
17
00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:14,840
response, all come from an
earlier stage of evolution and
18
00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,880
remain active in our existing
lives.
19
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,080
Even our evolved mental life is
very much conditioned by past
20
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,360
habits of human thought as well
as by social conditioning,
21
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,920
education and interactions we
have.
22
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,600
As we experience our human
childhood, it becomes difficult
23
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,760
to determine what is unique
within us other than the
24
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,040
specific assemblage of these
pre-existing and trained
25
00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:49,760
responses that are packaged to
represent a specific external
26
00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,040
personality.
There are also many elements
27
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,640
which are subliminal which act
without our conscious attention.
28
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,440
Many of the metabolic functions,
for instance, are not controlled
29
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,840
by our conscience, thought and
will, but take place at a level
30
00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:13,480
that is not easily perceptible
by our waking mind at a certain
31
00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,720
point.
We also find that as individuals
32
00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,000
grow and evolve, as they
optimize the powers of body,
33
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,840
life and mind, they experience
what can only be named a calling
34
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,520
to another focus in life
direction.
35
00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,400
They begin to reorient their
actions and thoughts towards
36
00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,280
this higher calling, a response
to the pressure coming from
37
00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,880
regions of awareness super
conscient to our normal human
38
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:47,480
range of perception.
Srioro Bindo writes quote this
39
00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,440
subconscious is the evolutionary
basis in US.
40
00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,240
It is not the whole of our
hidden nature, nor is it the
41
00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,400
whole origin of what we are.
But things can rise from the
42
00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:03,000
subconscient and take shape in
the conscious parts, and much of
43
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,360
our smaller vital and physical
instincts, movements, habits,
44
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:13,240
character forms has this source.
There are three occult sources
45
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:17,080
of our action, the
superconscient, the subliminal,
46
00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,880
the subconscient, but of none of
them are we in control or even
47
00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,640
aware.
What we are aware of is the
48
00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:27,800
surface being, which is only an
instrumental arrangement.
49
00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,480
The source of all is the general
nature, universal nature,
50
00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,200
individualizing itself in each
person.
51
00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,880
For this general nature deposits
certain habits of movement,
52
00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,840
personality, character,
faculties, dispositions,
53
00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:50,040
tendencies in US, and that,
whether formed now or before our
54
00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:54,160
birth, is what we usually call
ourselves.
55
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,200
A good deal of this is in
habitual movement and use in our
56
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,520
known conscious parts on the
surface.
57
00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,840
A great deal more is concealed
in the other unknown 3 which are
58
00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,920
below or behind the surface.
End Quote.
59
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:17,800
Reference Sri Aurobindo Bases of
Yoga, Chapter 5 Physical
60
00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:23,920
Consciousness, Subconscious
Sleep and Dream illness page 88.
