Climbing the Mountain of Consciousness

Aurobindo proposed a hierarchy of mental states that extend far beyond our ordinary human mind. It’s a veritable Jacob’s ladder of consciousness, each rung representing a higher state of awareness and capability. Let’s ascend this mountain together:

1. Mind: We begin our journey with the ordinary human mind. Despite being a remarkable instrument capable of analysis, synthesis, and complex thought, the mind’s divisive nature limits its capabilities. It perceives the world in fragments, creating distinctions between subject and object, self and other. This fragmentation, while necessary for certain types of understanding, ultimately limits our perception of the underlying unity of existence.
2. Higher Mind: As we take our first step beyond ordinary mental consciousness, we enter the realm of the Higher Mind. Envision a state where a luminous clarity infuses your thoughts, allowing ideas to flow with a coherence and power that surpasses ordinary thinking. This is the Higher Mind, the first step into the realm of spiritual consciousness. Here, thoughts become more than mere mental constructs; they carry a spiritual charge, a deeper connection to the underlying truth of things.
3. Illumined Mind: Climbing higher, we enter a realm of spiritual light and power. The Illumined Mind is characterized by a greater force of consciousness than the Higher Mind. Here, insight comes not through laborious analysis, but through sudden illumination, as if the truth of things were revealed by an inner light. It’s a state where knowledge becomes more intuitive, where understanding flows from a deeper source than mere intellect.
4. Intuitive Mind: At this level, knowledge becomes direct and immediate. The Intuitive Mind represents a higher form of reason and intellect, transcending the limitations of analytical thought. It’s as if the veil between the knower and the known has thinned to transparency, allowing for a profound and instantaneous understanding of reality. Here, we perceive truth directly, in its essence, rather than deducing it.
5. Overmind: We’ve now reached the highest plane below the Supermind. The Overmind is a realm of cosmic consciousness, where the unity of all things is perceived, yet still retains the possibility of division and ignorance. Aurobindo describes the Overmind as a turning point, where the divine consciousness can either descend into ignorance or ascend towards full realization. It’s a state of vast cosmic awareness, yet one that still contains the seeds of separation.
6. Supermind: The Supermind, a state of truth-consciousness where the divine reality fully manifests, represents the pinnacle of mental evolution. It’s a state beyond our current comprehension, yet Aurobindo saw it as the inevitable next step in human evolution. In the Supermind, knowledge and will are one, and the unity of all existence is not just understood but lived.

This hierarchy isn’t just a theoretical construct; it’s a roadmap for human potential. Aurobindo believed that through spiritual practice and evolution, humanity could ascend these levels, ultimately manifesting the divine consciousness in the material world.

Aurobindo encapsulates his vision of this evolutionary journey in these powerful words:

“The human mind is much too imperfect a type of consciousness to be the final resting point of nature. A still higher form of consciousness is bound to develop out of the mind.”

This statement underscores Aurobindo’s belief in the ongoing evolution of consciousness beyond the limitations of the human mind. It challenges us to look beyond our current state and envision the vast potential that lies ahead in our evolutionary journey.

The Integral Approach: Yoga for a New Age

How does one climb this mountain of consciousness? Aurobindo’s answer was Integral Yoga, a comprehensive spiritual practice aimed at nothing less than the total transformation of human nature. Unlike traditional yogic paths that often emphasized withdrawal from the world, Integral Yoga seeks to integrate all aspects of life – physical, mental, and spiritual – into a harmonious whole.

The goal? The realization of Satchitananda – the ultimate reality of being, consciousness, and bliss. It’s a journey that involves both an ascent of consciousness to higher realms and a descent of these higher states into our everyday existence.

Integral Yoga unfolds through a triple process:

1. Psychicization: This initial stage focuses on awakening the innermost core of our being, our psychic entity, and allowing it to guide our thoughts, emotions, and actions. The psychic being, in Aurobindo’s philosophy, is the evolving soul, the true individuality that persists across lifetimes. By bringing this psychic influence to the forefront, we align our outer nature with our inner truth.
2. Spiritualization: The next stage involves opening ourselves to a higher spiritual consciousness and allowing it to transform our entire being. This process elevates our consciousness beyond the mental plane, allowing us to access the higher levels of mind – the Illumined, Intuitive, and Overmental states. It’s a progressive divinization of our nature, where spiritual light and power begin to infuse our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
3. Supramentalization: The ultimate stage, where the Supramental consciousness descends and transforms not just the individual, but potentially the entire material world. This is the most radical aspect of Aurobindo’s vision – the idea that the divine consciousness could manifest fully in the physical realm, leading to a fundamental transformation of life on Earth.

This isn’t just personal growth; it’s evolution on a cosmic scale. Aurobindo envisioned a future where humanity as a whole would evolve into a supramental race, manifesting the divine consciousness on Earth. It’s a vision of a “life divine” – a state where the spiritual and the material are perfectly integrated, where the limitations of our current existence are transcended.