The Self and the Structure of the Personality: An Overview of Sri Aurobindo’s Topography of Consciousness
Matthijs Cornelissen
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies September 1, 2018 DOI: 10.24972/ijts.2018.37.1.63 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga, aimed at Divine realization and an integral transformation of human nature, rests on a comprehensive framework of personality—centers of identity, vertical and concentric dimensions, and the placement of consciousness—that must be understood on its own terms, distinct from Western psychology. Proposes that consciousness is not only awareness but also force, and situates humanity within an ongoing evolution of consciousness. |
Abstract
Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga aimed not only at what he called the realization of the Divine, but also at an integral transformation of human nature under Divine influence. For this exceptionally wide aim, he developed an exceptionally deep and comprehensive frame for understanding human nature. His concepts, as discussed in this paper, must be understood on their own terms, which are often different from meanings attributed in the conventional language of Western psychology. This paper provides a detailed account of Sri Aurobindo’s conceptualization of the various centers of identity and of the vertical and concentric dimensions he used to describe the structure of the personality. It explains the importance Sri Aurobindo gave to the location where one places one’s consciousness, and indicates why he argued that consciousness is not only awareness, but also force. Finally, this paper describes how Sri Aurobindo visualized the still ongoing evolution of consciousness and humanity’s role in it.