Understanding the Limitations of the Mechanical Mind

At a very basic, rudimentary level, less developed in the evolutionary scale than the physical mind, lies what is termed the ‘mechanical mind’. This level relies heavily on programmed repetition. It is programmed to have a simple instruction set, to repeat continuously whatever ‘sets off’ its routine.

The ‘ear-worm’ is one such activity. The concept of an ‘ear-worm’ basically is a musical theme or phrase or string of words that one cannot get out of one’s head after hearing. It just keeps going on. Certain music, in fact, is developed in such a way that it tends to create such ‘ear-worm’ effects.

The mechanical mind relies on rote learning for its programming, so basic things like learning an alphabet, or counting numbers tends to be done through the use of rote repetition. Military drill training is another form of rote learning that relies, not on the higher intellectual capabilities of the mind, but on training this very basic mechanical mind. Marketing slogans and propaganda try to impress themselves on this fundamental layer of mental activity. The action of the mechanical mind leads to automated responses without involvement of the higher thought processes. It is of course very useful in training the body for various ‘automatic’ physical responses.

The limitations of this approach are obvious. In a complex world, particularly in the high-speed, fast-changing environment of modern life, there is a premium required for insight, intelligent analysis and flexibility. The mechanical mind not only cannot supply any of these things, but it actively holds back the action of these higher functions of the mind through its very highly limited instruction set and mode of action.

The use of certain mantras recited by rote (without dwelling on the meaning) may cast out obtrusive repetitive thoughts programmed at this level. Some people use the mantra to expel all other types of repetitive formations at this level, which leaves the mantra active in place of them. The next step however is to bring silence to this level of activity.

The Mother observes: “The mechanical mind is still more stupid than the physical mind. The physical mind is what we spoke about one day, that which is never sure of anything. … I told you the story of the closed door, you remember. Well, that is the nature of the physical mind. The mechanical mind is at a lower level still, because it doesn’t even listen to the possibility of a convincing reason, and this happens to everyone. Usually we don’t let it function, but it comes along repeating the same things, absolutely mechanically, without rhyme or reason, just like that. When some craze or other takes hold of it, it goes … For example, you see if it fancies counting: ‘One, two, three, four’, then it will go on: “One, two, three, four; one, two, three, four.’ And you may think of all kinds of things, but it goes on: ‘One, two, three, four’, like that … (Mother laughs). Or it catches hold of three words, four words and repeats them and goes on repeating them; and unless one turns away with a certain violence and punches it soundly, telling it, ‘Keep quiet!’, it continues in this way, indefinitely.”

Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, Living Within: The Yoga Approach to Psychological Health and Growth, Disturbances of Mind, Obsessive and Compulsive Thoughts, pp. 32-35