Additional Forms of Disturbance Associated with the Physical Mind

Dr. Dalal identifies other manifestations of the physical mind which can present issues for an individual. Everyone has had the experience, at some point or another, of thoughts that keep revolving around in the brain, and no matter how much one tries, they continue to crop up and recur. We chew on and regurgitate things, particularly when we are trying to sort out some disruption or conce
that we dwell on. The same round of thoughts keep repeating and there seems no way out. The mind is unable to break free easily from this fixed round, and thus, is unable to see solutions that await just outside the current limited view. This can also lead to symptomatic repetition of an exte
al action due to a ‘short circuit’ caused by these repeating sequences in the brain.

Another issue of the physical mind which he identifies is doubt which leads to paralysis in action, indecision and uncertainty. This is another area that everyone experiences from time to time. We don’t know how to choose the right course, we continue to vacillate between one and another way forward, and keep focusing on the difficulty of knowing the right thing to do, as well as the conflicting pull of ideas or desires that cannot all be carried out. Quantum physics holds that there are numerous, if not infinite, ‘possibilities’ until such time as a choice is made, and then the “wave” gets turned into a specific particle with a specific outcome. When the physical mind sees even just a few options, it struggles to choose, knowing that it is ‘giving up’ the other options at that moment of choice.

Dr. Dalal observes: “Another characteristic of the physical consciousness which influences the mind is its mechanical repetitiveness. This trait is manifested in the automatic recurrences of thoughts and words to which the physical mind is prone. Again, most people are either not aware or not disturbed by such repetitive thoughts unless the thoughts are of an upsetting nature, such as hostile, guilt-laden or lewd thoughts, and become of an obsessive nature so that one is unable to stop them.”

“Still another psychological disturbance related to the physical mind stems from the obscurity of the physical consciousness, leading to perpetual doubt. Here too, though the disturbance is inherent in the very nature of the physical mind, one usually becomes aware of it only when the disturbance is pronounced and manifests in compulsive behaviour, such as the compulsion to check and re-check if a door has been locked or if the gas has been turned off.”

“One form of doubt that plagues the physical mind is indecision in the face of several desires pulling from different directions. When such an indecision takes an extreme form, paralyzing the action, it is recognized as a pathological symptom, referred to as ebulia. However, in its milder form, indecision is a normal characteristic in all those who have a somewhat active physical mind. Regarding the dynamics of indecision, Sri Aurobindo observes: ‘Those who can’t choose, have the vital indecision and it is usually due to a too active physical mind, seeing too many things or too many sides at a time.’ “

“From what has been stated above regarding the disturbances of the physical mind, it should be apparent that the obsessive-compulsive neurosis — characterized by obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviour, indecision, etc. — is related chiefly to the physical mind.”

Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, Living Within: The Yoga Approach to Psychological Health and Growth, Introduction, Disturbances Associated with the Mind, pp. xiv-xix