The Physical Consciousness and Its Functions

Most people, when asked, attribute consciousness to the mind, and center it in the brain. But consciousness does not stop there and, indeed, there are various types of consciousness associated with different aspects of the being. There is a mental consciousness, an emotional consciousness, a vital consciousness and even a physical consciousness. People do not generally recognise the physical consciousness for what it is, and therefore, they tend to underestimate it and its potential as an aid in the spiritual development.

The physical consciousness acts independent of conscious control by the mental consciousness. The mind and the vital consciousness can impact the physical consciousness and help to build up its capacity and awareness, or they can interfere with its action, causing severe disruptions. We understand the power of training the body to undertake certain tasks, developing what is called ‘muscle memory’. If we reflect closely however, we see that the body functions best if the mind and vital are not actively trying to ‘micro-manage’ it. There is a well-known phenomenon in sports, such as elite gymnastics, that is called (in that event) the “twisties”. Essentially, the body is trained, tuned and brought to a peak of capacity in certain complex gymnastic skills. At the top world competitive level, such as the Olympic Games, there is considerable mental and emotional pressure to perform and at a certain point, if the gymnast starts trying to manage or control the body through thought, will-power or vital force, the body becomes confused and serious injuries, including fatalities, can occur. In a recent Olympic Games, the top woman’s gymnast withdrew when she noted that she could no longer simply let her body carry out what it knew how to do because of these mental and vital pressures and interventions. It is clear from this example that the body has its own consciousness and it can, and does, function best when it is allowed to do that without admixture from outside beyond it being given the understanding and the training needed to carry out those tasks.

If we delve deeper, however, we see that the physical consciousness carries out instinctive behaviours, and even automatic responses that allow the body to function in the first place and respond to pressures and threats to health and well-being. This consciousness carries out the breath function, the immune system function, the operation of all the internal organs at a level of detail and efficiency that we cannot even fully mentally understand. Just imagine if we had to mentally try to control the working of the kidneys, the liver, the pancreas, the thyroid, or any other internal organ, the heart, the lungs, the movement of impulses through the physical nerves, etc. Everything would break down, and nothing would work properly. One of the risks of undertaking various forms of hatha yoga or kundalini yoga practices is just that they represent an interference with the normal automatic function. To some degree, with guidance and patience, enhancements can be made, but the risk of imbalance is always there.

The cells of the body also store memories! Traumatic events frequently get embedded in various parts of the body and can lead to chronic tension in the shoulders and neck, or other forms of pain that manifest when triggered. Some of the impulses that come to the body actually also act as triggers for awareness that has been stored at the cellular level.

Thus we see the physical consciousness is both real and far more subtle and complex than we ordinarily consider it to be. At a certain point in time, the evolutionary force has to begin to adapt and change this level of the being so that it can receive and hold the new forms of consciousness that are in the process of manifesting. There is also a process of evolution of forms, as noted by Charles Darwin, that represents the slow evolutionary response of the physical consciousness to new demands and needs as higher levels of awareness manifest through time.

Sri Aurobindo observes: “Our object is the supramental realisation and we have to do whatever is necessary for that or towards that under the conditions of each stage. At present the necessity is to prepare the physical consciousness; for that a complete equality and peace and a complete dedication free from personal demand or desire in the physical and the lower vital parts are the things to be established. Other things can come in their proper time. What is needed now is the psychic opening in the physical consciousness and the constant presence and guidance there.”

Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pg. 83