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Namah Consciousness: An Expanding Experiential Construct

the different planes of consciousness can be References
integrated. It carries the most intense, sweetest
or deepest experiences of a lifetime, especially 1. Ross MN (ed. Walton J). Brain’s Diseases of
experiences which have a divine connotation. the Nervous System. 10 ed. Oxford: Oxford
th
These experiences survive as memory University Press; 1993, p. 134.
transcripts in the cosmic consciousness
beyond the lifespan of individuals and 2. Malhotra R. Being Different. An Indian Challenge
can influence future lives in diverse ways. to Western Universalism. India: Harper Collins;
2011, pp. 222-25.
The sixth significant characteristic is that Sri
Aurobindo’s vision of Consciousness provides 3. Sri Aurobindo. The Complete Works of
the most comprehensive structural map of Sri Aurobindo, Volume 23. Sri Aurobindo
the Being that accommodates both the Ashram Trust; 1999, p. 387.
dimensions of personality and impersonality.
It places the human being simultaneously 4. Ibid., p.388.
along a vertical perspective and a horizontal
perspective. The vertical perspective spans 5. Ibid., p. 389.
from the Inconscience to the Superconscience
and traverses the planes of the physical, vital 6. Ibid.
and mental consciousness and even supra-
cognitive planes. The horizontal perspective 7. Ibid.
extends from the ego-bound outer being,
crosses an inneror subliminal being that is 8. Sri Aurobindo. CWSA, Volume 21; 2005. p. 54.
in communion with the cosmic consciousness
to reach the soul-space. This soul-space holds 9. Ibid., p. 32.
the Central Being or Jivatman or Unevolving
Self that supports the manifestation though 10. Velmans M. Understanding Consciousness. London:
not located within it but sends or projects an Routledge; 2000, p.16.
evolving mode into the manifestation which is
the psychic being. The psychic being can come 11. Gupta, Nolini Kanta. Collected Works. 3
rd
forward to replace the ego which is skewed ed. Kolkata: Sri Aurobindo Bhavan; 1989,
in functioning and harmonise the disparate p. 9.
aspects of the being into an integral whole.
12. Sri Aurobindo. CWSA, Volume 21; 2005, p. 55.
In his comprehensive vision of Consciousness,
Sri Aurobindo integrates the mystical and 13. Basu S, Miovic, M. Consciousness Based Psychology:
scientific perspectives of consciousness in a Sri Aurobindo’s Vision of Yoga, Health and
unique and meaningful way. Transpersonal Growth (at the press).

Dr. Soumitra Basu, a practising psychiatrist and member of SAIIIHR, is the Director of a school of
psychology, Integral Yoga Psychology. He is also one of the editors of NAMAH.

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