Page 9 - NAMAH-Oct-2018

Namah Editorial

the delusional thought-space might find it although still classified, even when its value
difficult to handle an inrush of diverse cosmic and power are admitted, as a hallucination.
forces. Of course, cosmic forces are of different In the psychology of the East it has always
qualities and subjects could get affected by been recognised as a reality and the aim of
one or other constellation of cosmic forces our subjective progress. The essence of the
depending on their susceptibility. Excessive passage over to this goal is the exceeding of
religiosity can be a symptom of schizophrenia the limits imposed on us by the ego-sense and
and get aligned with cosmic forces that could at least a partaking, at most an identification
use religious icons to produce a confusing with the self-knowledge which broods secret
state. Bipolar subjects in manic phase could in all life and in all that seems to us inanimate
have an expansive mood to draw in different (5).”
religious icons from the cosmic consciousness.
There could be numerous variations of the References
alignment of the delusional thought-space
with the cosmic space. What is important is 1. Beers CA. Mind that found itself: An Autobiography.
that a mix-up of religious expressions in the New York: Doubleday, Page and Co; 1923.
delusional thought-space does not indicate
a synthetic spiritual perspective but a novel 2. Foucault M. Madness and Civilisation. London:
situation where it is difficult to handle Routledge; 2001, p. xii.
overwhelming cosmic forces.
3. Porter R (ed). The Faber Book of Madness. London:
It is all the more important that psychology Faber & Faber; 1993, p. 13.
should seriously start to understand the
significance of cosmic consciousness. We are 4. Bryant MD. To hear the stars speak: ontology
still to take cognisance of what Sri Aurobindo in the study of religion(s) in Sharma A (ed).
wrote a century back: Fragments of Infinity – Essays in Religion and
Philosophy. USA: Prism Press; 1991, p. 47.
“The possibility of a cosmic consciousness in
humanity is coming slowly to be admitted 5. Sri Aurobindo. Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo,
in modern Psychology, like the possibility Volume 21. 7th ed. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo
of more elastic instruments of knowledge, Ashram Trust; 2009, p. 24.

— Dr. Soumitra Basu

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