We can envision multiple potential future developments in the evolutionary process on earth. One of these involves the manifestation of an entirely new level of consciousness, the supramental, and its creation of a new species, which we may call homo supramentalis for the sake of differentiation, to embody this consciousness and carry out its role. Another one involves the pressure or influence of the supramental to uplift, widen and perfect the action of the mental consciousness. In this latter case, several options also arise. There could be a complete conversion of our current mental consciousness to shift its focus, source and response to the supramental pressure rather than to its current vital and physical fixation. This could encompass all of humanity. Alternatively, there could be such a shift and action that impacts just a leading edge of advanced individuals in the society, who would then be tasked with helping to inform and guide the rest of the human population, and hopefully, at least some expansion of the mental powers within the remaining segment of humanity.

The easiest line of understanding from our current perspective, based on straight-line extrapolation, would be for the mind to continue its progress and development, increasing in subtlety and power, reaching towards a perfection that would primarily impact leading minds while leaving the rest of humanity virtually untouched for the most part. This is a view we get from a review of several thousand years of human history. Neither would we, with this view, expect any kind of radical shift to a new principle of consciousness, nor would we expect the mass of humanity to take up the greater future potential of the mind when they have to a great degree not even taken up the currently available potential. Yet, if we look at the evolutionary process over a longer period of time, we see that the animal mind could not have envisioned the fast (in evolutionary terms) development of mankind and the greater powers of reasoning intelligence and logical intellect that we have used to transform life on the planet. Thus, the absence of imagination in this regard is not necessarily an indicator of the truth of the matter.

There is no doubt, as we can see in today’s world, that a new spirit of understanding based on oneness is beginning to impact the collective understanding of humanity. Climate change, pollution and the impacts of human population on the planet’s sutaining ability, global pandemics, potential nuclear disasters all provide impetus to spur on the change in consciousness that has been growing silently for some time. When we see the images of the vastness of the universe, land on the moon and look back at earth, and the iconic photograph of the earth seen from space, we recognise that a new understanding of the unity of all life on earth is beginning to dawn. Instant communication, world travel and mass media begin to bring all humanity together in ways never before considered. We thus can see a broad influence of a new consciousness already at work, perhaps providing the foundation for at least the idea of the supramental consciousness guiding the leading development of humanity while concurrently exerting its influence on the way the rest of humanity responds.

This still leaves open the possibility of a completely new species emerging to embody the supramental consciousness in its fullness.

Sri Aurobindo notes: “A new humanity would then be a race of mental beings on the earth and in the earthly body, but delivered from its present conditions in the reign of the cosmic Ignorance so far as to be possessed of a perfected mind, a mind of light which could even be a subordinate action of the supermind or Truth-Consciousness, and in any case capable of the full possibilities of mind acting as a recipient of that truth and at least a secondary action of it in thought and life. It could even be a part of what could be described as a divine life upon earth and at least the beginnings of an evolution in the Knowledge and no longer entirely or predominantly in the Ignorance. How far this would go, whether it would eventually embrace the whole of humanity or only an advanced portion of it, would depend upon the intention in the evolution itself, on the intention in whatever cosmic or transcendent Will is guiding the movements of the universe.” citation from Sri Aurobindo, The Mind of Light, Supermind in Evolution, pg. 83

Author's Bio: 

Santosh Krinsky is the editor-in-chief at Lotus Press, and the published author of 15 books in a series of Readings in the main writings of Sri Aurobindo.