March 8, 2026
Understanding the Terminology in Sri Aurobindo's Use of the Words 'Soul' and 'Psychic'
reference: reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, MIssion and Evolution, Preface by the publisher, pp. i – iii
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/03/06/understanding-the-terminology-in-sri-aurobindos-use-of-the-words-soul-and-psychic/
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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 #soul #psychic being #psychic
1
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:06,240
Sriro Binda's use of the terms
soul and psychic started out
2
00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:10,480
with the common usage of the
time, but as his work developed,
3
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,960
he determined it was best to
create a more precise
4
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,520
terminology than was commonly in
use.
5
00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,240
In order to appreciate the
nuances involved and follow
6
00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:24,000
along with the central sense
being communicated.
7
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,160
We take a moment to focus on
these terms, which will appear
8
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:34,360
constantly in our review of the
current text as cited in the
9
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:39,320
publisher's preface.
Quote The reason why Sri Robindo
10
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,720
adopted the term psychic being
has been stated by him as
11
00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,480
follows.
Quote The word soul is very
12
00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:51,280
vaguely used in English as it
often refers to the whole non
13
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,640
physical consciousness including
even the vital with all its
14
00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,520
desires and passions.
That is why the word psychic
15
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,400
being has to be used so as to
distinguish this divine portion
16
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,080
from the instrumental parts of
the nature.
17
00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:12,480
End Quote The word psychic too,
as Sri Aurobindo points out, has
18
00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:17,080
been used in a confused manner.
Therefore, the first section of
19
00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,000
the compilation contains
extracts which deal with the
20
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,200
various meanings of the word
soul and psychic and clarify
21
00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,120
their connotations in Trioro
Bindo's Yoga.
22
00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,320
To avoid confusion to those who
might read some of Srioro
23
00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:36,040
Bindo's earlier writings,
particularly the unrevised parts
24
00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:41,280
of the synthesis of Yoga, it may
be pointed out that Trioro Bindo
25
00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,840
had at first used the terms
psychic and psychical
26
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,200
interchangeably in referring to
the occult phenomena.
27
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,800
He also used the term psychic in
such expressions as psychic
28
00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:59,280
prana as distinguished from
physical prana and psychic soul
29
00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:04,240
as distinguished from the desire
soul, to distinguish what is
30
00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,440
deeper or below the surface from
that which is more on the
31
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,480
surface.
However, in the revised parts of
32
00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,720
the earlier writings and in
later writings, he always used
33
00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,120
the term psychic to refer to the
soul or inmost part of the
34
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,880
being, which from the very
beginning he called the psyche.
35
00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,360
One of the most important points
to be grasped clearly is the
36
00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:35,920
vital distinction between the
soul in its essence, referred to
37
00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:40,880
variously by Sri or Ovindo as
the psyche, psychic essence,
38
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,880
psychic entity, psychic
existence, soul spark or soul
39
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:51,080
element and the soul in its
evolved individualized form
40
00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:57,080
called the psychic being,
psychic personality, soul form
41
00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:02,080
or soul personality, which in
Tree Robindo's words is the
42
00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,800
spark growing into a fire
evolving with the growth of
43
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,480
consciousness.
It should also be pointed out
44
00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,920
that the terms soul and the
psychic, when used without an
45
00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:18,640
epithet, sometimes refer to the
soul spark or psychic essence
46
00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,440
and sometimes to the soul
personality or psychic being.
47
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,240
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
48
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,440
Mother.
The psychic being, soul, its
49
00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,360
nature, mission and evolution.
Prefaced by the publisher.
50
00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,600
Pages one to three.
Thank you.
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:06,240
Sriro Binda's use of the terms
soul and psychic started out
2
00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:10,480
with the common usage of the
time, but as his work developed,
3
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,960
he determined it was best to
create a more precise
4
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,520
terminology than was commonly in
use.
5
00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,240
In order to appreciate the
nuances involved and follow
6
00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:24,000
along with the central sense
being communicated.
7
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,160
We take a moment to focus on
these terms, which will appear
8
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:34,360
constantly in our review of the
current text as cited in the
9
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:39,320
publisher's preface.
Quote The reason why Sri Robindo
10
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,720
adopted the term psychic being
has been stated by him as
11
00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,480
follows.
Quote The word soul is very
12
00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:51,280
vaguely used in English as it
often refers to the whole non
13
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,640
physical consciousness including
even the vital with all its
14
00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,520
desires and passions.
That is why the word psychic
15
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,400
being has to be used so as to
distinguish this divine portion
16
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,080
from the instrumental parts of
the nature.
17
00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:12,480
End Quote The word psychic too,
as Sri Aurobindo points out, has
18
00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:17,080
been used in a confused manner.
Therefore, the first section of
19
00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,000
the compilation contains
extracts which deal with the
20
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,200
various meanings of the word
soul and psychic and clarify
21
00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,120
their connotations in Trioro
Bindo's Yoga.
22
00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,320
To avoid confusion to those who
might read some of Srioro
23
00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:36,040
Bindo's earlier writings,
particularly the unrevised parts
24
00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:41,280
of the synthesis of Yoga, it may
be pointed out that Trioro Bindo
25
00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,840
had at first used the terms
psychic and psychical
26
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,200
interchangeably in referring to
the occult phenomena.
27
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,800
He also used the term psychic in
such expressions as psychic
28
00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:59,280
prana as distinguished from
physical prana and psychic soul
29
00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:04,240
as distinguished from the desire
soul, to distinguish what is
30
00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,440
deeper or below the surface from
that which is more on the
31
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,480
surface.
However, in the revised parts of
32
00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,720
the earlier writings and in
later writings, he always used
33
00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,120
the term psychic to refer to the
soul or inmost part of the
34
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,880
being, which from the very
beginning he called the psyche.
35
00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,360
One of the most important points
to be grasped clearly is the
36
00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:35,920
vital distinction between the
soul in its essence, referred to
37
00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:40,880
variously by Sri or Ovindo as
the psyche, psychic essence,
38
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,880
psychic entity, psychic
existence, soul spark or soul
39
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:51,080
element and the soul in its
evolved individualized form
40
00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:57,080
called the psychic being,
psychic personality, soul form
41
00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:02,080
or soul personality, which in
Tree Robindo's words is the
42
00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,800
spark growing into a fire
evolving with the growth of
43
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,480
consciousness.
It should also be pointed out
44
00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,920
that the terms soul and the
psychic, when used without an
45
00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:18,640
epithet, sometimes refer to the
soul spark or psychic essence
46
00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,440
and sometimes to the soul
personality or psychic being.
47
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,240
End Quote.
Reference Srioro Bindu and the
48
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,440
Mother.
The psychic being, soul, its
49
00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,360
nature, mission and evolution.
Prefaced by the publisher.
50
00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,600
Pages one to three.
Thank you.
