Understanding the Physical Body in its Gross and Subtle Aspects

When a particular power of consciousness is intended to participate in the evolution in the exte
al world, it utilizes the physical body as the foundation or anchor of its action. This fixes its action in the world, while at the same time, imposes limits on the power due to the watering-down effect of having to leave its native, subtler world of unrestricted freedom within its own sphere, and acting within the limits imposed by material nature.

At the same time, the action of mind, life-energy, psychic-soul, and powers beyond the mind are not solely limited to their action in the material sphere, but maintain their native action in their own world, and exert influence through the connection with the material on levels that are more subtle and wider than that of Matter.

It is possible for the seeker to become aware of these subtler levels of action and interaction as the awareness becomes more refined and is trained to observe and understand actions which normally take place as something of a mystery for most people. Much of what we term coincidence or simultaneity is actually an occult interaction taking place to impact the life with influences from these other planes of existence and powers of action.

Sri Aurobindo observes: “Everything has a physical part — even the mind has a physical part; there is a mental physical, a mind of the body and the material. So the emotional being has a physical part. It has no location separate from the rest of the emotional. One can only distinguish that when the consciousness becomes sufficiently subtle to do so.”

“By the gross physical is meant the earthly and bodily physical — as experienced by the outward sense-mind and senses. But that is not the whole of Matter. There is a subtle physical also with a subtler consciousness in it which can, for instance, go to a distance from the body and yet feel and be aware of things in a not merely mental or vital way.”

“The physical nerves are part of the material body but they are extended into the subtle body and there is a connection between the two.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Our Many Selves: Practical Yogic Psychology, Chapter 2, Planes and Parts of the Being, pp. 15-16