The Nature of the Subconscious

Most of the impressions we receive on a day to day basis go unremarked by our conscious awareness, but are nevertheless received and stored away in our subconscious levels. These impressions may rise to the surface during dreams, or be triggered by certain sensations, events or circumstances, without us actually recognizing where they are coming from. In particular, it is known that the sense of smell can trigger memories and feelings that come from some past experience. But it goes much further than just triggering of memories that have been encapsulated and stored. There are numerous unorganized impressions that simply lay in our subconscious without any particular association. It is interesting to note that individuals undergoing hypnosis or certain forms of regression therapies can frequently identify details that their conscious minds do not know. Similarly, dream analysis can sometimes lay bare things which have been received but not properly ‘digested’ by the conscious awareness.

We also do not recognise that there are essentially two levels of subconscious impressions. There are those which are ‘personal’ to the individual, based on impressions he has received, and there are also those that are part of what psychological researchers such as C.G. Jung have called the “collective unconscious” which represent images and archetypes that attach themselves to our human existence generally and which underlay various general forms of reactions that get triggered. Some of these are even atavistic throwbacks to a pre-human, animal consciousness that have collected in this broad ‘collective unconscious’ container.

The subconscient realm can impact the conscious realm. Thus, the spiritual aspirant must eventual confront this issue and determine how to address it, how to overcome the confused, disorganized and incoherent aspects that pull down the consciousness, or that can be triggered and overcome conscious intention in various situations.

A disciple asks: “What does ‘subconscient’ mean, exactly?”

The Mother observes: “Subconscient? It is what is half conscious, you see. And we say ‘sub’, because that means ‘below’ the consciousness. It is something more obscure than the consciousness, but which, at the same time, is like a lower substratum supporting the consciousness. It is like those stores from which one would draw out something quite unformed, a formless substance which could be translated into forms or translated into actions or translated into impulses or even into feelings. But it is like those stores containing a considerable number of fairly mixed things, not very distinct, but which would be very rich in possibilities; only they would have to be drawn out into the light and organised, clasified, put into shape so as to give them a value.”

“So long as they are there, it is a mass, a mixture, certainly subconscient, that is to say, half-conscious, semi-conscious, in which everything is muddled up. It lacks organisation and classification. It is the characteristic of consciousness to organise and classify… classification, putting into order, arranging logically… there are varieties of logic, but still, some logic, a beginning of logic. There are higher and higher kinds of logic, more and more superior. But even preliminary logic is the first work of the consciousness.”

“But consciousness is plunged — plunged as though by its roots — into this domain, and draws up as it would draw up sap; it constantly pumps this subconscient which it has to transform into something organised. That is why we spend our time re-doing the same work. If we had a small limited amount of consciousness which was our own, as some people imagine it, like a small bag full of consciousness, you know, which is one’s own consciousness, well, when you have put it in good order and organised it well, your work will be done, and you can be quiet. But it is not at all like that, it is not at all like that.”

“Even as there are elements of consciousness which escape and evaporate, which spread out, there is this constant rising, as from a deep ground, of something that asks to be made conscious. And your work has to be perpetually redone. But one can — if one is careful and attentive — instead of re-doing exactly the same thing each time, one can re-do it with a little progress. Then the movement is not rectilinear, but a movement which goes like this… you see (gesture of spiral movement). One seems at times to be going back, but that’s in order to go farther and farther forward.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Our Many Selves: Practical Yogic Psychology, Chapter 2, Planes and Parts of the Being, pp. 50-51