Page 49 - NAMAH-Oct-2021

Namah A case of mistaken identity

— that happens even much later. And so, the power of his mind and will he begins to
when you begin to see this ‘something else’, dissociate himself from the hallucinations. It
you begin to see that it has the power to set in is not that he does not see the people, he still
motion the second thing, which is an active will; sees them, but he says, “I choose to ignore
and not only that, but that it has a very direct them.” Just like that, our thoughts, desires,
and very important action on the reactions, feelings, traps of ego-consciousness, are here to
the feelings, the sensations, and that finally stay, but we also have the free-will to choose to
it can have control over all the movements of ignore the ones which trap us in narrowness,
the being — this part which watches, observes, which limit us, and make us suffer.
judges and decides.
References
That is the beginning of control (4).”
1. Sri Aurobindo. Birth Centenary Library, Volume
So, let us all use the signal of constriction of 20. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust;
our being, the limits we put on ourselves, 1970, p. 430.
the narrowness and the rigidities — all of
them, as a signal to realise that we have gotten 2. Sri Aurobindo, SABCL, Volume 18; 1970, pp.367-
identified at a wrong place again. This will 68.
keep on happening for a larger part of our life,
since we are born in forgetfulness. Hence, the 3. Sri Aurobindo, The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo,
only way is remembrance, the remembrance Volume 29. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram
of our true nature, the realisation of our true Trust; 2013, pp.447-48.
nature. With that in its proper place, one can
then gradually let the Divine Consciousness 4. The Mother. The Collected Works of the Mother,
transform the mind, vital, and physical nature. Volume 9. Cent ed. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo
Ashram Trust; 1977, pp. 310-11.
Living with hallucinations and choosing
to ignore them Suggested reading

In the movie, A Beautiful Mind, the main 1. Sri Aurobindo. SABCL, Volume 18; 1970, pp.
character of the film lives with hallucinations, 365-87.
where he sees people who are not real people,
but for a long time, he considers them real, 2. Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Volume 17; 2003, pp.
and hence suffers in the process. Slowly, with 16-20.

Monica Gulati, a learner and a seeker, is based in Gurgaon, India and an editor of NAMAH.

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