One of the Signs of the Coming of the New Subjective Age of Humanity

Earlier stages of human development kept the development of spiritual focus and occult powers to small groups of initiates, people who were vetted and who in many cases had to undergo special disciplines and ‘tests’ to ensure they were both worthy and capable of developing and holding the powers that would inevitably develop. This brought about an age that created the teacher/student, guru/shishya relationships and eventually the development of Ashrams, training institutions and schools for teaching the disciplines and practices to the selected students. In the earliest times, the relationships were “one to one” and a disciple sought out a guru who could aid in the realisation of their spiritual aspiration. The teachings were kept as ‘mysteries’ and shrouded by multiple levels of secrecy. Even the texts were written in a way so as to present an out significance that acted as a symbolic reference to the deeper, hidden meaning described to the initiate, but not available to the casual reader. The Rig Veda, as a specific example, was written to have a dual sense of various terms, an outer term for the uninitiated and an inner sense for those in the know. Sri Aurobindo detailed this in his book The Secret of the Veda and described the “Doctrine of the Mystics in his book Hymns to the Mystic Fire.

We can see a dramatic change has occurred whereby much of the knowledge kept secret and protected behind walls of initiation in former times is now widely made available, world-wide through explanatory texts, internet courses, and a proliferation of teachers and gurus who make these teachings available to thousands, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of disciples! This change makes it obvious that more of humanity has reached a stage where they can begin to appreciate, and practice, many of the techniques, exercises and methodologies that can provide them access to spiritual experience and the development of occult powers of varying sorts. Entire institutions have arisen to create course curricula and researchers have undertaken numerous studies to provide a scientific and factual underpinning to support the use of these practices, and document their benefits for health, well-being, enhanced powers of action and performance, and, for many development of a spiritual focus and dedication in their lives.

Military units have been set up to identify potential candidates and train them systematically in powers such as remote viewing. Numerous courses have arisen for not only remote viewing, but also a range of other so-called ‘psychic powers’. Participants are given training and testing as they progress so that they become comfortable with both the use and benefits of the practices they are learning. Madame Alexandra David-Neel, a French explorer, was initiated into various practices during her journeys in Tibet, including the generation of psychic heat. Her experience is recounted in her various books about her time in Tibet.

All of this new activity represents a broadening of the scope of humanity in the field of spiritual, psychic, mental, and vital development beyond what has been considered to be the standard range of action. Such a ‘texturing of consciousness’ is necessary to prepare the field for the emergence of those forerunners who can then move toward the next evolutionary stage on the basis of a more general human integration of basic powers that have been heretofore very limited in their development.

Dr. Dalal observes: “One of the signs of the dawning of the New Age — adumbrated by Sri Aurobindo and others — is that more and more people are seeking the development of powers within as evidenced by the emergence of the Human Potential Movement, training courses for the enhancement of sensory and paranormal abilities, devices for expansion of consciousness (trying to develop the inside from outside!) and the increasing popularity of meditation and other spiritual practices.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Introduction, pg. xiv