Epistemology of perception

How do we in the role of the subject perceive an object?   What is the state of our consciousness with respect to the object ?  This is referred to as the epistemology of perception. In this post, I will first survey perception (Pratyaksha) as outlined by Vedanta and then discuss how  Sri Aurobindo augmented this theory in the light of his own supramental experiences.   By giving new meaning to the four terms Vijnana, Prajnana, Samjnana and Ajnana listed in the Aitereya Upanishad, Sri Aurobindo presented a fresh perspective on the epistemology of perception. Read more

The action of subliminal memory

The sultry weather, the pungent aromas, the pensive faces, the distant inaudible music…we may not remember everything we experience during the day, but unknown to us, these things are accurately recorded in our consciousness.  Writing in the early twentieth century, Sri Aurobindo said that “there is a subliminal memory which can hold all things, even those which the mind cannot understand, e.g. if you hear somebody talking Hebrew, the subliminal memory can hold that and bring it up accurately in some abnormal state, e.g. the hypnotic. Exact images are retained by the subliminal memory.  All that is subliminal is described by mainstream psychology as the subconscient which is not true because the consciousness that holds exact memories is far wider and fuller than our waking or surface consciousness, and so is cannot be called subconscient.”[1].   Modern psychology uses the term eidetic memory or photographic memory to refer to such precision memory recall skills.   This article covers a few examples of this action of the subliminal memory.  Read More