The Playful Self-Involution of Divine Consciousness: Sri Aurobindo’s Evolutionary Cosmopsychism and His Response to the Individuation Problem

Sri Aurobindo developed a sophisticated form of cosmopsychism, the view that consciousness is fundamental to reality and the universe itself is conscious. He argued against materialist reductionism, drawing on his spiritual experiences and study of Vedāntic scriptures to formulate a panentheistic philosophy called realistic Advaita. According to his evolutionary cosmopsychism, the Divine Saccidānanda (being-consciousness-bliss) is involved in all matter and gradually manifests through evolution from matter to life to mind, and ultimately to Supermind—a future stage where humans will realize their true divine nature. He solved the individuation problem by proposing that the Divine individuates into distinct consciousnesses through a process of exclusive concentration, playfully limiting itself.

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Abstract

Abstract This article argues that the Indian philosopher-mystic Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950) espoused a sophisticated form of cosmopsychism that has great contemporary relevance. After first discussing Aurobindo’s prescient reflections on the “central problem of consciousness” and his arguments against materialist reductionism, I explain how he developed a panentheistic philosophy of “realistic Adwaita” on the basis of his own spiritual experiences and his intensive study of the Vedāntic scriptures. He derived from this realistic Advaita philosophy a highly original doctrine of evolutionary cosmopsychism, according to which the Divine Saccidānanda is “involved” in everything in the universe and gradually manifests itself at each stage of the evolutionary process from matter to life to mind, and ultimately, to Supermind—the final stage that is yet to come, upon the attainment of which we will attain knowledge of our true divine nature as Saccidānanda. I then reconstruct Aurobindo’s novel solution to the individuation problem, according to which the Divine Saccidānanda individuates into various distinct consciousnesses by playfully limiting itself through a process of “exclusive concentration.” Finally, I highlight the continued relevance of Aurobindo’s evolutionary cosmopsychism by bringing him into conversation with Itay Shani, a contemporary proponent of cosmopsychism.