As an illustration, people who fall deeply in love and get almost obsessed with the other may be called anxiously attached or clingy. Yet, if only such a person changes their object of attention slightly and becomes obsessed with the divine, then the pre-existing qualities work to the benefit of the person. What is the movement towards a more integral psychology?
I am quite young in this field though and don’t know how to exactly put these views into action (if they are indeed the appropriate views). Looking for some insight, if possible.
The progressive minds in the East and the West are turning towards a more holistic, integral and completest possible understanding of life and creation and the human mind itself. The purely materialistic world view and along with it, the biological/chemical view of man is clearly proving inadequate.
The integral psychology does not discard the material processes but sees them as an instrument of a complex play of forces that operate from behind. And behind these forces, there are the planes of consciousness on which we are stationed. It is our state of consciousness that determines the nature of forces that come into play. The change of consciousness or at least an inner shift is therefore the secret of psychological change.ย
The other important difference is that while in conventional psychology, the ego is our only self whereas in the integral psychology, the ego is only a device created by nature. The true self is yet deeper, hidden behind it.
The most important aspect of integral psychology is that it accepts the evolutionary process but gives it a new and completer meaning. Man himself is not final. He is still evolving from a mental to spiritual and further towards a divine superhumanity.
These and several other ideas make the integral psychology unique. But the ideas are based on verifiable experiences through the integral yoga. It is not a theoretical framework or a paradigm to be believed, accepted or rejected. The ideas and many of the experiences can be verified by the individual as well as put into practice in his everyday life. Our human nature is like a laboratory for future evolution of man himself. It is this ongoing journey of man that an integral psychology seizes and teaches us how to evolve from our present state subject to sorrow and suffering to a state of freedom, peace and delight thus solving the riddle called man himself rather than solving his various problems one by one in bits and parts. The spiritual frameworks behind Sri Aurobindoโs Integral Yoga Psychology is Vedanta as well as Tantra extended to their ultimate synthesis and harmonious integration. But that is another vast subject.
There are several books and writings available on the subject. But basically, it is best to go through Sri Aurobindoโs Letters on Yoga and The Motherโs Collected Works to get the theory and the practice. There are compilations such as a Greater Psychology as well as some of my own books, such as Veda of the Body and plenty of writings and talks you will find on auromaa.ย
Affectionately
Alok da
