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Yogic insights into human psychology

Encountering Reality

Dr. Alok Pandey

Abstract
It is important to answer a few fundamental questions before we can live life meaningfully; among them
a question of capital importance is as to the nature of Reality that underlies creation. Is it a mechanical
inconscient energy or a conscious Force? Whatever it be, this Reality must be also within us since it is the
origin and the source of all things. Is there a way to contact and confirm this Reality? These are the questions
that have vexed mankind. Among the answers sought to these questions, the most promising seems to be
coming through yoga. It is not just a philosophy or a belief-system but a real-time process of engaging and
discovering Reality.

An understanding of Reality is important, But we as human beings have not just a
especially for us as human beings, since this belief that our perception is the best but
is the cause of many misunderstandings, unfortunately the only one as well. We
frictions, quarrels and other misgivings. believe our own understanding of the world
We humans have the unique distinction of as true while all others as either untrue or
living in different worlds even though we inferior to our own. What we fail to see is
may inhabit the same physical space! In fact that ‘Reality’ at its bottom is subjective. This
we live not in one world but many, by often is not to say that there is nothing and all is
shifting from one part of the day to the other. simply an illusion. That is an equally absurd
And while we live and breathe that world’s proposition. What it means is that there is
air we are affected by its atmosphere. We are ‘Something’ but we all perceive it differently,
trapped as it were in bubbles of inner Space a little limited by our senses, a little distorted
that co-exist as parallel universes. In itself this by our mind’s conditioning, a little changed
would not be so much of a problem except by our emotions, a little cabined and cramped
that we would simply continue to remain by the action of our ego that builds frames
shut in the prison-house of our ignorance. where there is only a limitless vast extension
Animals live very much like that, happy in of the One Infinite. Those who have gone
their ignorance with no need to change either beyond the frame of the ego and limitations
themselves or others. of our experience and knowing born out of

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