Long before Freud or Jung pioneered modern psychology, the ancient yoga texts of India were explaining the nature of the mind. The Sanskrit Vedas that teach the science of yoga and meditation date back around 5000 years according to Indian scholars. To think that yogis and philosophers were so self-aware and psychologically astute back then, really obliges us to reconsider our origins as a human race. Our modern explorations into inner and outer space appear to be merely a rediscovery of some far more ancient practices that we perhaps lost in the mists of time.
Bhagavad Gita, for example describes the mind as potentially our best friend or our worst enemy, depending on how we master it. The levels of consciousness are described as comprising of mind (manas), intelligence (buddhi) and false ego (ahankara). Then beyond that is the real original eternal identity or spirit soul (jivatma). Finally there is the original personality of godhead situated within the heart of every living entity as supersoul (paramatma). The yogi was trained to be aware of these aspects of self and meditate accordingly.
Mind can be further deconstructed or observed to fall under certain levels of conscious awareness, based on the influences of the material nature under which we may fall, whether goodness (sattva), passion (rajas) or ignorance (tamas). The five primary states of mind are described thus:
Kshipta
Here the mind is scattered. It is always active, never restful, constantly at work. Most of us are in this state, and certainly those who have no self-awareness may be in this state. It is likened to a mad elephant running in any direction with no aim or purpose, that cannot be controlled. Here the person does not even try to stop the purposeless activity as they believe that it is normal. Such a person is described as being afraid of sinking into indifference or losing individuality if told to reduce speed.
Mudha
Here the mind is actually considered stupid. The word “mudha” is Sanskrit for “fool”. One is confused, dull, lazy, inactive or idiotic. Ignorance covers the intellect and so this is considered the opposite of the former state of mind mentioned above. Thus we have the two states of “overactive” or “underactive”, neither of which are beneficial for real self-realization.
Vikshipta
This state of mind simply describes a person who is constantly vacillating between these two above-mentioned states. One is sometimes active and sometimes dull. Naturally this state is not of much value either. In fact none of these first three states are of any use on the path of yoga and meditation or self-realization. It is only the two states mentioned below that really begin to offer insight and advancement of consciousness.
Ekagra
This is a state of one-pointed concentration. “Eka” is Sanskrit for “one” or “single”. In this state of mind, which is cultivated by much effort and practice in yoga and meditation, one can realize the true nature of things. As a result all the knots of material desires are slackened. By years of sincere practice in self-realization and training, the lower urges and instincts for mating and defending cease to disturb the aspiring transcendentalist.
Modern propaganda deceitfully pushes us in the opposite direction nowadays, actually inflaming our material desires and attachments, making out as if that is actually the goal of life. In order to profit from consumerism, advertisers will flaunt the sexual lifestyle or a lifestyle of more material acquisition as if it is the goal, whereas the opposite is true. This is how degraded our society has become. It has been turned on its head in this degraded age in which we live. But because we are born into it, we know nothing better and have been indoctrinated to live in gross illusion of our true natures as consciousness.
Niruddha
This is the final state of consciousness available to the serious aspirant on the path of self-realization. It is comprised of a well-controlled concentration. All involuntary activity is subdued. In this state one transcends ordinary limitations of mind, reaching a superconscious state called “samadhi” or god consciousness. This is when one awakens remembrance of one’s original eternal spiritual personality as a lover of god.
In this state one sees oneself as we are in the spiritual world, in a relationship with the godhead, person to person, engaging in pastimes with the divinity of love and friendship, according to the Vaishnava conclusion (siddhanta) of Bhakti yoga. We don’t have to die and leave this body in order to return to that realm of consciousness. The perfected yogi can enter it via a trance state induced by pranayama (breath control), asana (sitting postures) and detailed meditation techniques over many years of practice. Add to that the application of “yama niyama” or do’s and don’ts, and we have the path of astanga yoga which, when combined with bhakti (a mood of love and devotion toward the focal point of the deity or godhead), can awaken or revive our original psychological state.
When you think that you are the material body and accompanying mind, as modern psychology tells you, then you will never discover your true nature as eternal spirit soul. That is the delusion we are under thanks to the speculations of psychology today, which are discovered via the ascending process of knowledge, which is like a person stumbling around in the dark, trying to find out what is going on. We may gain some impressions via feeling our way blindly, and describe them from our limited perspective, like Plato’s analogy of the cave dweller seeing shadows. However, we will never enter the clear light of day and see the actual reality that produces the shadows because we are starting with the wrong premise.
Therefore we really need to question everything, and look more deeply into the subject of self-realization as described in the original texts on the subject. Before they are again lost to humanity or burned in another “library of Alexandria” moment, where the corrupted leaders hide your truth of your past from you so that they can continue their dictatorship over a dumbed down population.
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