14 Validity of Supraphysical and Spiritual Experience It is a fact that mankind almost from the beginning of its existence or so far back as history or tradition can go, has believed in the existence of other worlds and in the possibility of communication between their powers and beings and the human race. In the last rationalistic period of human thought from which we are emerging, this belief has been swept aside as an agelong superstition; all evidence or intimations of its truth have been rejected a priori as fundamentally false and undeserving of inquiry because incompatible with the axiomatic truth that only Matt

Index Adwaita, 136, 373, 376 See also Monism Antaratman, 379 See also Psychic being Asat, see Non-Being Assagioli, Roberto, 370 Atman, 86, 88, 122-23, 344, 347, 374,380 and the Purushas, 107 the word 'Atman', 379 See also Self; Spirit; cf. Brahman Avidya, see Ignorance (the) Barbarism, 259, 271-74 passim and civilisation distinguished, 274-75 and culture, 281 economic, 272-74 cf. Savage Being, central, see Central Being emotional, 63 inner, see Inner being outer, see Outer being parts and planes, 336-337, 348-49 physical, see physical, t

4 The Inconscient A spiritual evolution, an evolution of consciousness in Matter in a constant developing self-formation till the form can reveal the indwelling Spirit, is ... the key-note, the central significant motive of the terrestrial existence. This significance is concealed at the outset by the involution of the Spirit, the Divine Reality, in a dense material Inconscience; a veil of Inconscience, a veil of insensibility of Matter hides the universal Consciousness-Force which works within it, so that the Energy, which is the first form the Force of creation assumes in the physical universe, appears to be itself inconscient and yet does the works of

19 Evolution of Mankind Psychological and Spiritual Growth of Society (a) Cycles of Growth In the history of man everything seems now to point to alternations of a serious character, ages of progression, ages of recoil, the whole constituting an evolution that is cyclic rather than in one straight line. A theory of cycles of human civilisation has been advanced, we may yet arrive at the theory of cycles of human evolution, the kalpas and manvantaras of the Hindu theory. If its affirmation of cycles of world-existence is farther off from affirmation, it is because they must be so vast in their periods as to escape not only all

3 Consciousness: the Materialistic and the Mystical Views Perhaps the earliest roots of the concept of consciousness lie in ancient Indian thought which, founded on immediate mystical experience, conceived of the Absolute Reality as Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss). In this concept of the triune Reality, Chit or Consciousness stands for the Conscious Force which as Energy creates the universe. In contrast to this mystical concept of consciousness is the materialistic view which is described by Sri Aurobindo thus: ...consciousness in itself does not exist, there are only phenomena

16 States of Consciousness (a) Waking-State, Dream-State, Sleep-State ...only a small part whether of world-being or of our own being comes into our ken or into our action. The rest is hidden behind in subliminal reaches of being which descend into the profoundest depths of the subconscient and rise to highest peaks of superconscience, or which surround the little field of our waking self with a wide circumconscient existence of which our mind and sense catch only a few indications. The old Indian psychology expressed this fact by dividing consciousness into three provinces, waking state, dream-state, sleep-state, jāgrat, svapna, suṣu

A GREATER PSYCHOLOGY A Greater Psychology An Introduction to the Psychological Thought of Sri Aurobindo Edited by A.S.Dalal Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry First published by Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York, NY.: January, 2001 First Indian edition October, 2001 Third impression 2008 Rs 225 ISBN 978-81-7058-659-3 © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 2001 Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry 605 002 Web http://www.sabda.in Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry PR

20 Towards a Greater Psychology Materialistic Basis of Modern Psychology Modern Science, obsessed with the greatness of its physical discoveries and the idea of the sole existence of Matter, has long attempted to base upon physical data even its study of Soul and Mind and of those workings of Nature in man and animal in which a knowledge of psychology is as important as any of the physical sciences. Its very psychology founded itself upon physiology and the scrutiny of the brain and the nervous system. Social and Political Thought, p. 1 To perceive and have a right view of our way to such a transformation [conversion of

Glossary of Names and Terms The Glossary includes Sanskrit terms, certain proper names and special terms found in Sri Aurobindo's writings. Explanations of philosophical and psychological terms have generally been given in Sri Aurobindo's own words. Some of the terms defined below have more than one meaning, and may have different connotations in different contexts. The meanings given below apply to the terms as used in this book. the Absolute — the supreme reality of that transcendent Being which we call God. Indian thought calls it Brahman, European thought the Absolute because it is a self-existent which is absolved of all bondage to r

12 The Superconscient Gradations of the Higher Consciousness We become aware, in a certain experience, of a range of being superconscient to all these three [the waking consciousness, the subconscient and the subliminal], aware too of something, a supreme highest Reality sustaining and exceeding them all, which humanity speaks of vaguely as Spirit, God, the Oversoul: from these superconscient ranges we have visitations and in our highest being we tend towards them and to that supreme Spirit. There is then in our total range of existence a superconscience as well as a subconscience and inconscience, overarching and perhaps enveloping our su