We see a proliferation of people who claim to act as intermediaries through a process of seance, or use of a Ouija board or planchette, to communicate with individuals who have passed away. The interest in this area goes through periods of peaks and troughs, but continually captures the popular ... Views: 166
Imagination is a window to the future. People who are stuck in their past, or the present, tend to close themselves off from development. They insist that things have always been done a certain way, and that is how they are going to be done. Change is anathema to them. They have little, if any, ... Views: 165
It is an obvious fact that as one grows and develops in the spiritual path, the concentration of conscious force, tapasya, will definitely increase not only the spiritual development, but also the powers that the individual has available to accomplish action in his life in the world. In the ... Views: 164
We tend to take the development of life, and mind, for granted. We do not actually reflect on what it takes for them to emerge from Matter. Many believe that somehow various chemical elements in the material world are impacted by the radiation from the sun and through the heat of the core of the ... Views: 164
There is a clear divide between those who have actually experienced the action of spiritual or yoga-force, and those who have a mental conception of spirituality but have not had a strong experience thus far that makes the theory into something real and actual for them. Once the experience is ... Views: 164
One of the limitations of Mind embedded in a physical body is that it tends to fixate on what it can experience ‘here and now’. It has a hard time correlating past, present and future and seeing and understanding trends, directions, trajectories and momentum, other than in specific areas such as ... Views: 164
When we try to define consciousness we tend to do it from an individual standpoint, our own state of awareness. From a broader perspective however, we can see that consciousness exceeds both in scope and power, that of the individual status. Western science is moving toward a view that will ... Views: 163
There is considerable confusion between the concept of occultism and the idea of the practice of magic (whether considered ‘white’ magic or ‘black’ magic). Occultism essential is the science of dealing with forces subliminal to our outer senses, but nevertheless active and acting upon our being. ... Views: 163
In his epic poem Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, Sri Aurobindo explores the vast field of human consciousness and development. Along the way he provides numerous references to hidden, latent powers within each of us, psychic powers, powers of mind, vital powers and powers of the physical being, ... Views: 163
When we begin to reflect on the role of thought in the creation of forms in the world, it becomes clear that it is an important part of the process of converting pure conscious awareness into the world of vital action and physical substance. Thought is a tool of consciousness. When properly ... Views: 163
Every great power that humanity discovers and wields in the world has both its negative and its positive side. It can either be utilized to destroy or to support, benefit and create. For example, humanity has harnessed the use of fire. Fire can burn down the house, or it can cook one’s food. ... Views: 162
The idea that there is a ‘law of attraction’ has gained significant attention in the West over the last few decades. It has largely been interpreted by the materialistic mind of the West as a way to attract wealth and all forms of fulfillment of desire. This, however, is both a misreading and a ... Views: 161
The terms ‘divine grace’, along with ‘cosmic law’ and ‘divine compassion’, are transcriptions into human terms from our human viewpoint of actions and events that take place from an entirely different level of the divine manifestation and with a viewpoint that far exceeds that of our limited ... Views: 161
More frequently than not, the spiritual aspirant has both a great upward aspiration and a corresponding ‘knot’ that he needs to work out which is the counter-part to the upward capacity. It is the dynamic tension between the two that forces him to persevere. He will either given in to the lower ... Views: 160
What is thought formation? For many people, the constant stream of haphazard ideas, thoughts, reflections and perceptions represents thought. Their minds are constantly bombarded by thoughts of all types without a consistent flow or theme. They jump from one subject to another without even a ... Views: 160
We take the chatter in our minds for granted and do not attribute any real significance or power to it most of the time. The constant influx of thoughts is just a lot of background noise, for the most part. When we concentrate on something and focus the thoughts, we recognise that we can ... Views: 160
We utilize speech to communicate with other people. Speech however is a translation into vibrational patterns a specific thought content developed with a particular pattern of electrical impulses. When it is effective, the hearer receives the vibrational energy of the speech he has heard, and ... Views: 159
For the most part, we live within a framework set for us by our parents, community, society, education and the individual choices we make as a result of these things. To some extent these things determine where we will concentrate our focus, what capacities we will practice and develop, and ... Views: 158
Every thought, every idea, every imagination, every focus, represents electrical impulses that are formed and projected into the general mental atmosphere, whether expressed verbally or in writing, or simply formulated in one’s mind. Each such formation is either weaker or stronger depending on ... Views: 158
For the most part, people live on the surface of their being, and do not see into the occult or hidden beings and forces that exist and act upon them, unseen, invisible and essentially unregarded. Many things that occur in the world are hard to explain without an understanding of the occult ... Views: 158
When people become totally immersed in something, they concentrate, naturally, all their energies and focus in that direction, without seeming effort, and experience the joy of the process. We can observe this in children at play. They become the act of play and don’t concern themselves with ... Views: 158
Most people tend to respond to life circumstances and opportunities based on past experience, training, education and any guidelines or rules they have imbibed from their past, all combined with their basic outlook on their lives, their desires, their needs and their circumstances. We can say ... Views: 157
We recognise nowadays that actions of the mother impact the fetus in the womb. Certain things impact the physical development, including certain drugs or alcohol. Some drugs may cause physical deformities; others may impact the brain and nervous system. What is less frequently acknowledged, ... Views: 157
As the evolution of consciousness unfolds we see the development and expression of ever-increasing powers of knowledge and action. There are powers of perception, there are powers of thought and reflection, there are powers of vital expression, emotion, and there are physical powers. Because ... Views: 157
Creating a detailed imagination is the first step in a future realisation. The formation so devised will attempt to achieve its actualisation in the world. Yet, it must contend with the readiness of the ground upon which it alights, the preparation of the ‘soil’, the proper support along the ... Views: 156
The Dhammapada provides the spiritual seeker with a deep wisdom that forces us to reflect and gain understanding. The Mother has taken up a particular verse about the harm caused by a mind that is not tightly focused and under control. With some consideration we can understand the deeper ... Views: 156
There is a famous story in the Mahabharata which has a profound meaning when it comes to the application of any power of action in the world, including the power to create thought formations. One of the protagonists in the great war that was fought at Kurukshetra was Arjuna. He was the greatest ... Views: 156
Jules Verne, a writer who was not himself a scientist, nevertheless inspired generations of scientists. He did not invent the idea of the submarine, but in his book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, he worked out a number of conceptual issues so that submarine use could become widespread, ... Views: 155
Developing external power through the use of technology has several unexpected or unintended consequences. One of these, of course, is to give us powers of observation and action that were not available to us through the normal progression of physical, vital and mental development. In order to ... Views: 153
A devotee residing at Sri Aurobindo Ashram some years ago tried an experiment which he reported. For a specific time period he determined not to speak. He did not do this in an indiscriminate way, however. He implemented this experiment by avoiding all social speech whatsoever, but agreed to ... Views: 152
We tend to interpret events from our own ego-standpoint as to whether they are “good” or “bad” without reflecting on or considering how they relate to a larger picture and longer perspective. This means we judge circumstances as if they occur by ‘chance’ and we evaluate these things with the ... Views: 152
In his book The Mother, Sri Aurobindo defines the conditions and qualities of faith needed to overcome all obstructions or disasters: “To walk through life armoured against all fear, peril and disaster, only two things are needed, two that go always together — the Grace of the Divine Mother and ... Views: 152
Physical forces take physical forms. Vital forces take vital forms. Even though they may act upon the physical existence of the being, they are not physical forces. Similarly, mental forces take mental forms on the mental plane. Once again, they may act upon vital forces and physical forces, but ... Views: 150
There has been a long-standing debate between religion and science, centered around the question of faith versus the search for truth through the use of the mind and its powers. This raises several questions, however, about the type and nature of the faith, and the type and nature of the mental ... Views: 149
The prevailing wisdom in today’s world holds that science has understood enough about the etiology of disease to be able to intervene and take steps to mitigate or cure disease using drugs or even, at the cutting edge, various forms of genetic intervention. The practitioners of that science ... Views: 149
Healing the Body Through Spiritual Force or Through Faith
Posted on October 19, 2024
We tend to believe that an individual who has a strong mental development has advantages in all fields of life. It is true that the mind has provided some strong benefits, particularly in navigating the ... Views: 149
Auto-suggestion is constantly active, although we generally do this more or less unconsciously. For example, when we anticipate a meal at a favorite restaurant, our mind sends signals to the body that generates feelings of hunger, begins to develop saliva, and prepares the body for enjoyment of ... Views: 149
With our standpoint based in the mental consciousness we tend to believe that if we think something, it is ‘real’. This viewpoint fails to account for the different parts of the being, and their different modes of response. For example, we may hold a mental conception to not fear something, and ... Views: 148
People proudly deny occultism with a laugh and a smirk about how unreal it is, and how people are taken in by the occult sciences. They state their dependence on what is “real” and “solid” and palpable to their senses. Seeing is believing, they say! They frequently pound on the table to prove ... Views: 146
In the movie Sixth Sense, a psychiatrist meets up with a young boy who claims to see dead people and interact with them. The psychiatrist spends the better part of the film trying to understand the boy and bring him out of his delusion. In the end, it turns out that the psychiatrist gains the ... Views: 145
The power of visualisation has been recognised as an aid in healing from illness, in excelling in sports, and in helping an individual achieve results in the external world. The spiritual seeker also can put this power to work to achieve results in the inner world. Practitioners of Tibetan ... Views: 145
The human propensity to set up ‘either/or’ scenarios leads us to believe that we either have to focus on ‘perfection’ or ‘speed’ in the things we do. This is actually a false choice because it leaves out the factor of concentration which can accomplish actions with speed while not sacrificing ... Views: 144
We tend to accept the limitations of the sense organs and the mind as if they are axioms, unable to be altered. We accept that blind people cannot see and that deaf people cannot hear. We believe we cannot interact using the mind alone to communicate or to experience things at a distance. We ... Views: 144
When an individual undertakes tapasya, the concentration of conscious force, in any manner, it is certain that the results will bring about new powers for that individual, whether an accentuation of powers that the individual already possessed and exercised to some degree, or the development and ... Views: 144
The genius of the Rishis of ancient India was their ability to focus on the essential core of knowledge, will and existence. They reminded us that we can obtain many forms and types of knowledge, but each of these is but a fragment, an isolated fact or event, if we have not identified that ... Views: 144
We tend to associate the process we call ‘thinking’ with the linear sequence of words that organize our understanding in our mind. We thus associate thinking with language and indicate that our thinking is limited by the language. A language that is rich in words and nuances will yield more ... Views: 144
People constantly ask whether they should concentrate focused in the heart, between the eyebrows or above the head. The short answer is “yes”. Each centre of concentration relies on a different power of action. In the end, what is more important is the action of concentration itself. An ... Views: 143
There are countless stories of what may be called the “placebo effect” for confidence in action. Athletes sometimes believe they will perform better if they are wearing a specific shirt or pair of socks. People have their ‘lucky charms’ that they believe provide them success in certain ... Views: 143
The ‘law of attraction’ has been seen as something of a ‘wish-fulfilling gem’, where we can think about something and focus on it, and thereby draw it to us. The reality of the law of attraction is not so dramatic as to cause riches, fame and other desired results to manifest for us somewhat ... Views: 141
The mind has a tremendous power to influence the physical body, for good or ill. In some cases, mental ideas can lead to extraordinary imbalances in the body, which can lead to weakness, illness and even the death of the body. Many times we will push the body beyond its limits without concern ... Views: 140