EXPERIENCE OF HIGHER PLANES OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF INTEGRAL YOGA A dissertation presented to The Faculty of Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Psychology by Michele Riley Kramer San Francisco, California June 2008 UMI Number: 3396802 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3396802 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 ©2008 by Michele Riley Kramer Approval of the Dissertation EXPERIENCE OF HIGHER PLANES OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF INTEGRAL YOGA This dissertation by Michele Riley Kramer has been approved by the committee members below, who recommend it be accepted by the faculty of Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation Committee: __________________________________________________________ Allan Combs, Ph.D., Chair Date __________________________________________________________ David Lukoff, Ph.D., Member Date ___________________________________________________________ Jürgen Kremer, Ph.D., Member Date ii Abstract EXPERIENCE OF HIGHER PLANES OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF INTEGRAL YOGA Michele Riley Kramer Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center Integral Yoga, developed by Sri Aurobindo, unites the ascending spiritual aspiration of the individual to access the Divine, found in many mystical and spiritual traditions, with the expectation of the descent of the Divine into the individual. The outcome of Integral Yoga is the evolutionary transformation of a human being to a spiritual being. Sri Aurobindo described the order of higher planes of consciousness, which form the conduit between the individual and the Divine. This study proposed the following questions: What is the experience of being in higher planes of consciousness in Integral Yoga: levels of consciousness beyond higher mind, described as the beginning of the superconscient realms of consciousness? Can reading about these experiences somehow impact or change the reader? Studies on such experiences are rare. Fourteen long-term practitioners from the Integral Yoga community participated in semi-structured interviews directed at exploring their spiritual practices and significant experiences. The range of Integral Yoga practice was 10 to 35 years, with 9 practitioners having at least 30 years experience. Data from the transcribed interviews were analyzed for themes and patterns. Interview transcripts served as the basis for developing narrative stories about their experiences. The impact of participation in the study for the researcher, practitioners, and story readers was assessed. iii Themes that emerged from the data were that spiritual practices are as unique as the individual but possess commonalities with others, experiences and the integration of them are equally important, and the spiritual path is a lifelong process. Feedback from 10 practitioners and 3 readers indicated that their participation affected them in some way. Findings were unexpected. While 6 practitioners described experiences in higher planes of consciousness, they were not as important as the integration and usefulness of the experiences afterward. Other experiences were equally significant. The findings resulted in a re-evaluation of the original research focus. Story readers’ reactions suggest that research information in the form of stories has an impact. Findings and stories contribute to the fields of transpersonal psychology, consciousness evolution, and Integral Yoga. Dedication This study is dedicated to Sri Aurobindo, the Mother, my coresearchers, and the Integral Yoga Community. I have felt guided by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother since the beginning. I hope this study will contribute to the knowledge pool in Integral Yoga. My wonderful coresearchers are true pioneer-explorers in consciousness and consciousness evolution. They are truly brave souls. They broke long-held taboos in speaking with me about their experiences and revealing very personal aspects of themselves. They also risked exposure of their identities, which I have worked diligently to guard. I am deeply honored to know them. iv Acknowledgments I want to thank the members of my committee: Dr, Allan Combs, my chair, Dr. David Lukoff, and Dr. Jürgen Kremer. Their confidence in me, as well as their knowledge and patience, kept me going. I appreciate that Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center exists, so that those of us who do not fit in anywhere else can study unusual topics in a highly regarded transpersonal environment. This study would not have been as profound and transformative for me if not for the creators of the transpersonal research method of organic inquiry, especially Dr. Jennifer Clements, who graciously provided me access to her unpublished manuscript. I would not have finished this study without the love and support of family and friends. Dr. Eugene Whitworth, Sri Aurobindo, and the Mother were invaluable in their support in the nonphysical realms. And the friends here in the physical world include Ruth Whitworth, Beverlyan Burnett, Ginny Bryan, Sunny Wofford, and Terry Vitorelo, who have supported me from the beginning. Above all, I am grateful for the love and support of my husband, Jeffrey, and my children, Joshua and Hannah. They have been, and continue to be, proud of me. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ......................................................................................................................x List of Figures in Appendixes ............................................................................................ xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1 Purpose .................................................................................................................................2 Research Questions ..............................................................................................................2 Significance of the Study .....................................................................................................3 Clarification of Terms ..........................................................................................................3 Meditation Research ............................................................................................................6 Integral Yoga and Meditation ................................................................................12 Summary ................................................................................................................13 Issues in Meditation Research ...............................................................................14 Other Considerations .........................................................................................................16 Mystic and Transcendent Experiences...................................................................16 Integral Yoga and Experiential Accounts ..............................................................20 Transpersonal Theory and Participatory Knowing ................................................20 Subtle Energy and Human Energy Fields ..............................................................22 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................27 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................29 The Psychology of Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga ...........................................................29 Sri Aurobindo: A Brief History .........................................................................................32 Definition of Terms............................................................................................................34 Integral Yoga Psychology ..................................................................................................39 Kaleidoscope View I: Personality ......................................................................................43 Outer and Inner Being ..........................................................................................43 Ego .............................................................................................................44 Physical/Body ............................................................................................46 Mind/Mental ..............................................................................................46 Vital/Life ....................................................................................................47 Psychic Being or Soul ............................................................................................48 Central Being .........................................................................................................49