The Physical Plane of Consciousness

“Caught in a blind stone-grip Force worked its plan

And made in sleep this huge mechanical world

That Matter might grow conscious of its soul…. ¹”

Generally, when a psychologist uses the term ‘consciousness’, it refers to phenomena that fall within the subtle realms of thought and emotion, emerging from or modulated by neurophysiological processes. Whereas, the mystical usage of the term ‘consciousness’ usually denotes the state of the ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ or AAtman. The Integral perspective of consciousness acknowledges the One Reality behind all such divergent views and accords as much importance to the physical plane of consciousness in universal nature as it accords to the plane of consciousness that subserves our thoughts, emotions, or mystical insights. The significance of the physical vis-à-vis the non-physical planes of consciousness is aptly explained by Sri Aurobindo when he describes that the human being’s individualised physical consciousness (which is a part or formation of the universal physical consciousness) is used by the Soul or Spirit or AAtman “for the support of its expression in the physical world and for a direct dealing with all these external objects and movements and forces².” This means that the physical plane is needed by all the higher planes as a base or field of action. Indeed, the physical is the basic template on which life and mind manifest. An acknowledgement of the physical plane of consciousness does not diminish the significance of the higher planes of consciousness, but on the other hand, provides a scope for their manifestation in earthly terms.

While describing an individual in psycho-logical terms, we usually focus on the uniqueness of the subject’s thinking or cognitive repertoire as well as the uniqueness of the subject’s emotional (vital) repertoire. One could thus describe a certain person as rational in thinking while having difficulty in controlling anger! Likewise, there is another dimension of an individual that receives scant attention – every subject has a unique physical personality or character. The Mother describes that this physical character is largely shaped by atavism and education and is modulated by the physical mind to such an extent that “purely physically everyone has a character ³.” Thus, many characteristics of individuals, like patience and physical strength, are due not to vital or mental reasons but to the physical personality ⁴. It would thus be interesting to study the characteristics of the physical plane of consciousness as experientially perceived by Sri Aurobindo.

Characteristics of the Physical Plane of Consciousness

The characteristics of the physical plane of consciousness arise from the three cardinal principles signifying Matter, as described by Sri Aurobindo ⁵:

a. the force of inertia

b. the force of inconscience

c. the force of division or atomic disaggregation.

(A) The Force of Inertia

The chief characteristic of the physical plane of consciousness is inertia (or tamas in Sanskrit), evident both in physical earth-nature and in the human body. “Physical nature is slow and inert and unwilling to change; its tendency is to be still and take long periods of time for a little progress ⁶.” This tamas or inertia has to be carefully distinguished from ‘laziness’. Laziness has a psychological component of ‘ill-will’, a refusal to make an effort, while in tamas, there is an inability to make an effort. The Mother described that tamas is ‘a purely material thing; it is very rare to have a vital or mental tamas (it may occur, but through thought contagion). I believe it is more a tamas of the nerves or the brain than a vital or mental tamas. “But laziness is everywhere, in the physical, the vital, the mind. Generally, lazy people are not always lazy, not in all things. If you propose something that pleases them, amuses them, they are quite ready to make an effort. There is much ill-will in laziness ⁷.”

The question arises: How does inertia become a characteristic of the physical consciousness? Sri Aurobindo explains that inertia rises from the subconscient to the level of physical consciousness. However, inertia cannot abolish the effects of the higher non-physical planes of consciousness on the physical plane, but can dilute their action or bring them down to a lower level. ⁸ In other words, one of the results of the phenomenon of inertia or tamas is that the physical plane offers resistance to the workings of the higher powers of consciousness.

Resistance to change

The mental consciousness manifests through cognition and volition, while the vital consciousness manifests through energy, dynamism, emotions, and passion. However, these non-physical qualities cannot express themselves in earthly nature unless they act through the physical plane of consciousness. It is here that the difficulty arises, because the mental and vital attributes can be dulled or negated by the physical inertia. The resistance of the physical plane can lead to the non-fulfilment of many non-physical potentials of consciousness.

Thus, resistance to change is one of the key features of the physical plane of consciousness, which, being the most material, is “by nature rigid, stationary, and refractory to any rapid remoulding change ⁹.” Resistance occurs due to inertia being an inherent component of the physical plane of consciousness. Moreover, this resistance is quite stubborn, as the physical plane manifests through the rigidity of fixed ‘forms’, whereas the phenomena of the mental and vital planes are supple, nebulous, unstable, fluctuating, and without clear boundaries. As a result, the resistance of the physical plane of consciousness to transmuting forces either results in

a. inert, inactive dullness or

b. dispersion (expressed as chaotic activity of the physical nature).

In fact, these two attributes led material scientists to formulate the concepts of chance and probability ¹⁰.

The tamas, or inertia, of the physical conscious-ness, which is responsible for resistance to change, also triggers several other properties of the physical plane: viz., mechanical repetitiveness, slow arousal, and passivity.

Mechanical Repetitiveness

The physical plane of consciousness needs to be repeatedly stimulated to produce any durable impression or to display consistent responses. In fact, the higher planes of consciousness continually impinged on matter, and these repeated impressions were necessary to produce consistent patterns of form and behaviour. In accordance with Sri Aurobindo’s explanation, this is the genesis of behaviourism in psychology ¹¹. He also explained that this is a limitation of behaviourism, as the physical plane of consciousness is only one aspect of a pluri-dimensional reality.

Slow Arousal

The inertia of the physical plane also modifies the reaction pattern studied in psychology and is notable for causing ‘slow arousal’. Consequently, a subject who is more focused on the physical and whose intellect, will and dynamism are not optimally harnessed to combat inertia, may need a greater stimulation for arousal than others ¹². Psychologically, this could be a troublesome affair. Thus, a subject with too much inertia may require more extreme or aggressive stimulation. This may range from having highly spiced or flavoured foods to enjoying a terribly violent movie. Indeed, this is one of the most important ways physical exercise serves the cause of psychological growth.

Passivity

Another characteristic of the physical plane of consciousness is “a state of fundamental passivity in which one is and does what the forces of the physical plane make one be and do ¹³.” Such a passivity is capable of diminishing and negating the effects of will-power and motivation in life. This is responsible for helplessness, meaninglessness and boredom that so often leads to alienation or a life steeped in mediocrity. This inert passivity needs to be distinguished from the non-judgmental inner passivity of the witness-attitude necessary for knowledge, and from the luminous passivity that facilitates surrender to the Divine ¹⁴.

Adaptive and Maladaptive Aspects of the Physical

The characteristics of the physical plane of consciousness (viz., inertia, the resultant resistance to change, mechanical repetitiveness, slow arousal, and passivity) have adaptive and survival value, as they provide stability to the bodily form, ultimately helping preserve the species. In fact, the bodily form has to be protected so that it is not disrupted by universal forces. The vital and mental forces are more fluid in their operation and interaction, and if the physical form did not offer resistance, they would coalesce into each other, and one would lose one’s individuality and become indistinguishable from another. Ideally, the body’s form has to serve as a template in which vital and mental forces can manifest.

However, the same characteristics of the physical consciousness that provide stability to the bodily form can also facilitate maladaptive affects:

a. The resistance at the physical plane of consciousness to transmuting forces is implicit in the etiology of psychosomatic illnesses. It is also a reason why physical dependence in substance abuse is more problematic to tackle, even if the subject conquers the psychological dependence.

b. The characteristics of mechanical repetitiveness, which facilitated consistent behaviours, also have their maladaptive effects in initiating refractory conditions like habit disorders (tics, torticollis). It is also interesting to note that drugs administered to correct certain habits (like attention-deficit, hyperactivity) can precipitate tics.

c. The characteristic of slow arousal modifies the reaction pattern of certain individuals to such an extent that some of the subjects may become more prone to deviant pleasures like sadism and masochism.

d. The passivity of the physical plane of consciousness is manifested in low motivation, low morale, diminished coping strategies, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and illness behaviour.

(B) The Force of Inconscience

Inertia which is the hallmark of the physical plane of consciousness arises from the inconscience and rises through the subconscious to the physical plane. This is because the inconscience is a mask of consciousness and a cardinal feature of Matter. The ‘inertia’ of Matter is a ‘phenomenal’ description; actually, Matter is not scientifically inert; the electrons are in motion, and Matter itself resolves into forms of energy. Whenever Sri Aurobindo used the word ‘inertia’ to describe Matter, he actually meant that ‘Matter is rigidly chained by a fixed and mechanical Law which is imposed on it, which it does not understand nor has ever conceived but works out inconsciently as a machine works and knows not who created it, by what process or to what end’; while “Spirit is free, master of itself and its works, not bound by them, creator of law and not its subject ¹⁵.” Thus, the ‘inertia’ of Matter is inert in comparison to the freedom of the Spirit. Sri Aurobindo further explained that the rigid laws under which Matter operates can yield to the forces of life and mind, albeit ”eluctantly and only up to a certain point. But beyond that point it presents an obstinate inertia, obstruction, negation and even persuades Life and Mind that they cannot go farther, cannot pursue to the end their partial victory¹⁶.” Thus, Life seeks wideness and immortality but ends in death. Mind seeks truth, love and joy but ends with error, hatred and grief. “The inertia with which Matter responds to the demands of the Mind and Life, prevents the conquest of the Ignorance and of the brute Force that is the power of the Ignorance ¹⁷.”

(C) The force of Division or Atomic Disaggregation

Sri Aurobindo explained that the phenomena of inertia and resistance of the physical are due to the material principle of division. If this principle of division were not there, the supreme consciousness could not produce ‘forms.’ In fact, it is the purpose of Matter to be expressed in ‘forms’ which are durable, tangible, distinct, resistant, gross and graspable by the senses. This “formula of accomplished divisibility ¹⁸” is the hallmark of Matter, and in contrast to the formula of ‘unity and oneness’ perceived by the Spirit.

Through the essence of all forms is an indivisible oneness; the expression of forms is based on divisibility. Any union of forms, either in the form of assimilation or aggregation, tends to dissociation, dissolution and death. Yet, if division was not true, the physical body of the human being would not have distinctive, separative and individually unique features, nor would each human being express unique and distinct emotional and mental characteristics that make his/her uniqueness in personality, because these non-physical attributes have to be expressed through the individual body.

However, the resistance of the physical, and finally the death of the individual physical form, negate the full manifestation of the personality’s potentialities, which is why spiritual seekers in India have traditionally regarded the body with scepticism. Despite the inertia and impermanence of physical forms, Sri Aurobindo viewed the phenomenon from another perspective, showing that all problems of existence ultimately need to be worked out to converge on a variegated harmony.

Though there is a dissolution of forms at death, the substance that constitutes physical forms improves in quality as life moves along the evolutionary scale through successive species. As higher and higher species appear one after another in the evolutionary hierarchy, the quality of bodily forms also improves to support the expression of an increasingly refined and supple consciousness. If so, a logical continuation of the process can lead to a refinement of form that increasingly supports the Divine Consciousness in a compatible and conducive way. The Mother commented:

“But this substance itself — this material physical substance which forms it constitutes an organism which lives for a certain length of time in a given form and then this form declines and dissolves — the substance itself constituting these successive forms progresses through all these forms. That is, the molecular, cellular substance — perhaps even the cellular — the molecular and atomic, is progressing in its capacity to express the divine Force and Consciousness. Through all these organisms this substance becomes more and more conscious, more and more luminous, more and more receptive, until it reaches a perfection sufficient for it to become a possible vehicle for the Divine Force itself which will be able to use it as it uses the elements of the other parts of the creation, like the mind or the vital.

And at that moment the physical substance will be ready to manifest in the world the new Consciousness, new Light, new Will. Through all the centuries, through countless lives, passing through innumerable organisms, using countless experiences it, so as to speak, becomes refined, it is prepared, and becomes more and more receptive and open to the divine Forces ¹⁹.”

The logical continuation of this movement is that the body should one day be able to resist decay and then willfully control and regulate the forces of decomposition.

Body-Consciousness

There is an inert and inactive consciousness in Matter, subconscious in its operations. However, in contrast to non-living systems, the matter in living systems becomes progressively less inert, and even though it remains largely subconscious, it can become active when driven by life-energy. In fact, there is in the body an obscure consciousness proper to the limbs, tissues, glands, organs, and cells. The Mother pointed out that this consciousness is difficult to change because it is influenced by collective suggestions belonging to the earth-consciousness as a whole and opposed to transformation.

But there is also a subtle body-consciousness that can transform the obscurity of the material part into a luminous, conscious, responsive awareness. This supple body consciousness can be developed to the point that it acts independently of the mental will, or even against it.

Actually, the cultivation of subtle-body consciousness helps the body, per se, develop a unique individuality, unique to each body. Just as each individual has a unique thought structure and a unique emotional repertoire, likewise, each human body can have its own individuality, which one may not be aware of at all. This is the subtle body consciousness which has to be developed, aroused, trained and harnessed.

Sri Aurobindo elaborated about this subtle body-consciousness:

“The body, for instance, has its own consciousness and acts from it, even without any conscious mental will of our own or even against that will, and our surface mind knows very little about this body-consciousness, feels it only in an imperfect way, sees only its results and has the greatest difficulty in finding out their causes. It is part of the Yoga to become aware of this separate consciousness of the body, to see and feel its movements and the forces that act upon it from inside or outside and to learn how to control and direct it even in its most hidden and (to us) subconscient processes. But the body — consciousness itself is only part of the individualised physical consciousness in us which we gather and build out of the secretly conscious forces of universal physical Nature ²⁰.”

“When we advance in that ultra-normal self-knowledge and experience which Yoga brings with it, we become aware that the body too has a consciousness of its own; it has habits, impulses, instincts, an inert yet effective will which differs from that of the rest of our being and can resist it and condition its effectiveness ²¹.”

Sri Aurobindo also explained that although the mind is higher than the body, this does not necessarily mean the body must always remain a blind servant of the mind. The body also has a scope for independent action, “…the body obeys the mind automatically in those things in which it is formed or trained to obey it, but the relation of the body to the mind is not in all things that of an automatic, perfect instrument. The body also has a consciousness of its own and, though it is a submental instrument or servant consciousness, it can disobey or fail to obey as well. In many things, in matters of health and illness for instance, in all automatic functionings, the body acts on its own and is not a servant of the mind. If it is fatigued, it can offer a passive resistance to the mind’s will. It can cloud the mind with tamas, inertia, dullness, fumes of the subconscient so that the mind cannot act. The arm lifts itself no doubt when it gets the suggestion, but at first the legs do not obey when they are asked to walk; they have to learn how to leave the crawling attitude and movement and take up the erect and ambulatory habit. When you first ask the hand to draw a straight line or to play music, it can’t do it and won’t do it. It has to be schooled, trained, taught, and afterwards it does automatically what is required of it. All this proves that there is a body-consciousness different from the mind-consciousness which can do things at the mind’s order, but has to be awakened, trained, made a good and conscious instrument. It can even be so trained that a mental will or suggestion can cure the illnesses of the body ²².”

The Physical Consciousness Vis-à-Vis the Physical Plane of Consciousness

The physical plane of consciousness represents the basic template through which the vital and mental forces act to bring about earthly manifestation. This plane is represented both in the universe and in the individual. ‘Physical consciousness’ is a term with a broader connotation — it encompasses the physical aspects of all planes of consciousness and the various combinations of different planes in which the physical is also involved. The striking thing is that when the physical is intertwined with other planes higher than it, it receives an illumination to enlarge its own scope, but also, with its inertia, dulls and dilutes the higher forces. Thus, there is that part of the mind which is enmeshed in the physical — the Physical Mind, which is narrow and limited in functioning, is concerned with small, ordinary, habitual thoughts, goes on doubting, but can be dominated by a higher rational mental operation. In fact, the progress of human civilisation, the refinement of culture and the conscious development of the individual would not have occurred unless the physical mind was enlightened by novel ideas and moved by vital dynamism. It is, therefore, logical to suppose that an illumination of the physical mind by the higher spiritual and supramental forces is necessary for the transformation of the physical ²³. At a still lower level, there is a Mechanical Mind which is too obscure to be influenced by higher forces.

There is also a physical aspect of the vital — the Vital-Physical which is below the Physical Mind and is the vehicle of the nervous responses of our physical nature, “it is the field and instrument of the smaller sensations, desires, reactions of all kinds to the impacts of the outer physical and gross material life….its habitual reactions and obstinate pettinesses are the chief stumbling-block in the way of transformation of the outer consciousness… It is also largely responsible for most of the suffering and disease of mind or body to which the physical being is subject in Nature ²⁴.”

This is only natural as the physical plane, with its inertia and immobility, can only become activated when it is animated by the life-energy of the vital to an optimal degree. The physical tries to dilute the workings of life-energy through exhaustion and lassitude, which are responsible for fatigue, stress and suffering.

The Future Body

The transformation of the body is one of the most difficult things because of its inertness, resistance and perishable nature. Yet, the evolutionary nisus strives to bring such a change even at the corporeal level. Sri Aurobindo described that the difficulty of transformation of the body is dual, “psychological and corporeal’:” the psychological difficulty is due to “the effect of the unregenerated animality upon the life especially by the insistence of the body’s gross instincts, impulses, desires;” and can be overcome by imposition of a higher will and a higher consciousness ²⁵.” The corporeal change is more difficult as the structure and organic instrumentation of the body impose its restrictions on the workings of the higher transmuting forces. Despite this, the evolutionary nisus would strive to bring changes in two directions:

a. Functionally, the actions of the bodily organs would be more and more supple and “more serviceable for the psychological purposes of the inhabitant, less blindly material in their responses ²⁶.”

b. Structurally, the organs themselves might begin to change and might be substituted by “subtle organs of a very different character or, if anything material was needed, instruments that would be forms of dynamism or plastic transmitters rather than what we know as organs ²⁷.” This does not mean that the present human body has to be discarded totally. Sri Aurobindo described that the new body, “must continue the already developed evolutionary form; there must be a continuation from the type Nature has all along been developing, a continuity from the human to the divine body, no breaking away to something unrecognisable but a high sequel to what has already been achieved and in part perfected ²⁸.”

The future human body will develop unique potentialities if it undergoes a Supramental transformation. “New powers have to be acquired by the body which our present humanity could not hope to realise, could not even dream of or could only imagine… The body itself might acquire new means and ranges of communication with other bodies, new processes of acquiring knowledge, a new aesthesis, new potencies of manipulation of itself and objects. It might not be impossible for it to possess or disclose means native to its own constitution, substance or natural instrumentation for making the far near and annulling distance, cognizing what is now beyond the body’s cognizance, acting where action is now out of its reach or its domain, developing subtleties and plasticities which could not be permitted under present conditions to the needed fixity of a material frame²⁹.”

Though such a transformation looks unrealistic at this stage of humanity, the Mother had described in her mystic vision the attributes of such a culmination, “The supramental body which has to be brought into being here has four main attributes: lightness, adaptability, plasticity and luminosity. When the physical body is thoroughly divinised, it will feel as if it were always walking on air, there will be no heaviness or tamas or unconsciousness in it. There will be no end to its power of adaptability: in whatever condition it is placed it will immediately be equal to the demands made upon it because its full consciousness will drive out all that inertia and incapacity which usually make Matter a drag on the Spirit. Supramental plasticity will enable it to stand the attack of every hostile force which strives to pierce it: it will present no dull resistance to the attack but will be, on the contrary, so pliant as to nullify the force by giving way to it to pass off. Thus it will suffer no harmful consequences and the most deadly attacks will leave it unscathed. Lastly, it will be turned into the stuff of light, each cell will radiate the supramental glory. Not only those who are developed enough to have their subtle sight open but the ordinary man too will be able to perceive this luminosity. It will be an evident fact to each and all, a permanent proof of the transformation which will convince even the most sceptical.

“The bodily transformation will be the supreme spiritual rebirth — an utter casting away of all the ordinary past…It is to be free of what is called Karma, the stream of our past actions: in other words, a liberation from the bondage of Nature’s common activity of cause and effect. When this cutting away of the past is triumphantly accomplished in the consciousness, all those mistakes, blunders, errors and follies which, still vivid in our recollection, cling to us like leeches sucking our life-blood, drop away, leaving us most joyfully free. This freedom is not a mere matter of thought; it is the most solid, practical, material fact. We really are free, nothing binds us, nothing affects us, , there is no obsession of responsibility. ³⁰ “