The Psychic Being, the Vital Being and the Sunlit Path

Some spiritual seekers tned to go through emotional highs and lows. They feel a type of ecstatic awareness at certain times, and then these same individuals can plunge into a deep and dark state of depression or despair. In the Pilgrims Progress, the alternations between the times of light and the times of darkness in the spiritual life are described, with the dark times called 'the dark night of the soul' or the soul crossing the 'slough of despond'.

Other spiritual seekers seem to move steadily, calmly forward, at peace and with a certitude that does not allow setbacks, of shorter or longer duration, to cloud their commitment to the spiritual path.

The external vital being is attached to its drama and thereby tends to be melodramatic when things don't happen as it desires, while being overly enthusiastic when it looks like it is achieving its goals. This dynamic also impacts spiritual seekers. When there is palpable progress, spiritual revelations or experiences, the vital being revels in the energy. When the experiences withdraw, it sinks into despair. This is the normal process of the gunas, the qualities of nature, in action. The vital nature is the seat of rajas, energy, ambition, reaching out to achieve desired aims. When rajas is frustrated, it tends to fall into tamas, bringing darkness, despair and indolence.

The psychic being, as it begins to impact the external nature more overtly has still to interact with the vital nature and gain its support and adherence. This is what brings the positive outlook and energy. When the vital nature goes too far, and begins to assert itself beyond the psychic guidance, it tends to hit limits that cause it to fall back into tamasic weakness.

Once the psychic being is able to gain the adherence of the mind, it can often begin to cultivate sattwa, which brings light, balance, harmony and equilibrium to the seeker, along with an understanding of the natural alternations of times of ascent along with times of integration when the experiences recede and the being has to find a way to incorporate the new understanding and forces into its normal working on a day to day basis.

The actual expression is an interactive process between the psychic being and its influence relating to the mind, vital being and physical body of the seeker.

The Mother writes: "There are many different reasons which make one feel at times more active, more alive, more full of force and joy.... Usually, in ordinary life, there are people who, due to their very constitution, the way they are made, are in a certain harmony with Nature, as though they breathed with the same rhythm, and these people are usually always joyful, happy; they succeed in all they do, they avoid many troubles and catastrophes, indeed they are in harmony with the rhythm of life and Nature. And, moreover, there are days when one is in contact with the divine Consciousness which is at work, with the Grace, and then everything is tinged, coloured with this Presence, and things which usually seem to you dull and uninteresting become charming, pleasant, attractive, instructive -- everything lives and vibrates, and is full of promise and force. So, when one opens to that, one feels stronger, freer, happier, full of energy, and everything has a meaning. One understands why things are as they are and one participates in the general movement."

"There are other times when, for some reason or other, one is clouded or closed or down in a hole, and so one no longer feels anything and all things lose their taste, their interest, their value; one goes ahead like a walking block of wood."

"Now, if one is able to consciously unite with one's psychic being, one can always be in this state of receptivity, inner joy, energy, progress, communion with the divine Presence. And when one is in communion with That, one sees it everywhere, in everything, and all things take on their true meaning."

"On what does that depend?... On an inner rhythm. Perhaps a grace. In any case on a receptivity to something that is beyond you."

reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 6 More Lights on the Psychic Being, pp. 180-181