When the Psychic Being Comes Forward to Direct the External Nature

There is a considerable difference in effective results from the psychic being having an influence, essentially from ‘behind’ the surface nature, on the actions of the life in the external world, and what Sri Aurobindo and the Mother designate as the psychic being ‘coming forward’. Until the psychic being is sufficient well-developed, it is essentially ‘overpowered’ by the energy and focus of the external body, life and mind. It may make ‘suggestions’ but it cannot, at that stage, take full control of the external life. As it grows and matures, it becomes more ready to focus the life action on its own directions and concerns, and it has more power to not simply influence, but direct and control the focus, intentionality and action of the life. At that point, the life takes on a new meaning and significance as it aligns with the evolutionary divine intention in the world.

Sri Aurobindo observes: “What is meant by [the psychic’s] coming to the front is simply this. The psychic ordinarily is deep within. Very few people are aware of their souls — when they speak of their soul, they usually mean the vital + mental being or else the (false) soul of desire. The psychic remains behind and acts only through the mind, vital and physical wherever it can. For this reason the psychic being except where it is very much developed has only a small and partial, concealed and mixed or diluted influence on the life of most men. By coming forward is meant that it comes from behind the veil, its presence is felt already in the waking daily consciousness, its influence fills, dominates, transforms the mind and vital and their movements, even the physical. One is aware of one’s soul, feels the psychic to be one’s true being, the mind and the rest begin to be only instruments of the inmost within us.”

“The inner mental, vital, physical are also veiled, but much nearer to the surface and much of their movements or inspirations get through the veil (but not in any fullness or purity) in the lives of developed human beings, something even in the lives of ordinary people. But these too in yoga throw down the veil after a time and come in front and their action predominates in the consciousness while the external is no longer felt as one’s own self but only as a front or even a fringe of the being.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Our Many Selves: Practical Yogic Psychology, Chapter 2, Planes and Parts of the Being, pp. 98-99