Read more about '''[[Self Observation Compilation|Self Observation]]''' from the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.
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=What is Self-Observation?=
Self observation is to know what stands behind one’s surface nature and personality. To observe oneself is to become conscious of oneself, of the different parts of one’s being and their respective activities. It is to know one’s inner mental, vital, physical and psychic being and its powers and movements... In its advanced stages where one takes an impersonal poise, Self-observation also consists of knowing the universal laws and processes of the occult Mind and Life which stand behind the material-front of the universe. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/memory-ego-and-self-experience#p5</ref>
<ref> http://incarnateword.in/cwm/09/18-june-1958#p3</ref>
[[File:SelfObservationSlide1.png|center|1000px]]=Why is Self-Observation Important?=
==To Overcome Ignorance==
In our everyday life, we always look outwards into the appearance of things and get trapped into the surface ignorance and rarely turn inwards. Amongst other things, this comes with ignorance, unconsciousness, egoism. If we wish to overcome these limitations and discover & utilise our potentialities beyond the surface appearances, we need to observe ourselves. <ref> http://incarnateword.in/cwm/09/18-june-1958#p3</ref>
[[File:SOSlide2.PNG|center|1000px]]==Self-awareness==
Through self-observation, one learns to distinguish different parts one from another, so that one may become clearly aware of the origin of the movements that occur in oneself, the many impulses, reactions and conflicting wills that drive one to action. <ref>h http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/the-science-of-living#p5</ref>
==To Utilise One’s Full Potential==
[[FileMan must know himself and discover and utilise all his potentialities:SOSlide3but to know himself and the world completely he must go behind his own and its exterior, he must dive deep below his own mental surface and the physical surface of Nature.PNG|center|1000px]]This he can only do by observing oneself. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/09/18-june-1958#p3</ref>
=How to Observe Oneself?=
==By Cultivating the Inner Attitude of Witness==
[[File:SOSlide4.PNG|center|1000px]] [[File:SOSlide5.png|center|1000px]] [[File:SOSlide6.png|center|1000px]] [[File:SOSlide7To observe oneself, first & foremost is cultivating an inner attitude of witnessing.PNG|center|1000px]] [[File:SOSlide8.PNG|center|1000px]] [[File:SOSlide9.PNG|center|1000px]] [[File:SOSlide10.PNG|center|1000px]]__NOTOC__ <h1>Self Observation Summary</h1> {|class="wikitable" style= "background-color: #efefff; width: 100%;"| =What Witness attitude is Self-Observation?= Man must know himself and discover and utilise all his potentialities: but to know himself and not the world completely he must go behind his own and its exteriorsame as introspection. In introspection, he must dive deep below his own mental one looks with one part of the surface and mind at what happens in another part of the physical same surface of Nature. <ref>http://incarnatewordmind.Whereas when we have the witness attitude, our consciousness frees itself from habitual entanglements in/cwm/09/18thoughts, feelings and sense-june-1958#p3</ref> perceptions and becomes peaceful, silent, and capable of watching whatever happens in nature as a pure witness, sakshi, without bias, reaction or involvement.
As one goes beyond However, in the ordinary surface body consciousnessbeginning, we discover an inner level of mentalit helps to use the introspective mind, vital, physical being along with especially if a human has a inner subtle well- physical beingdevelopment introspective mind. By identifying ourselves with our inner being, we are able to observe our It helps in not getting carried away by thoughts and feelings . A man with a very developed with very identifies with this part of his mind and can trace the source observes his own thoughts and motives of our actions and operative energies that build up our surface personality. This helps us in improving our self-visionstudies their nature. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/knowledge-by-identity-and-separative-knowledge#p12</ref>It That is only through self-observation one gets an intuitive perception of a beginning which makes it easy for the Nature forces - sattva, rajas, tamas. By Observing one’s dreams, one can full detachment to come to understand them and their significance to our inner life.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/30/three-experiences-of-the-inner-being#p6</ref>
=Why - Self-Observation?=In our everyday lifeFurther, we always look outwards into to develop the appearance of things and get trapped into the surface ignorance and rarely turn inwards witness attitude it helps to seek self Project oneself on a screen and discover then observe and utilize our potentials. ...if each element which comes with its ignorance, its unconsciousness, its egoism, see all that is put before the will to change moving there and one remains awake, compares, observes, studies and slowly acts, that becomes infinitely interesting, one makes marvellous how it moves and quite unexpected discoverieswhat happens.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/0406/1913-apriloctober-19511954#p14p2</ref>
To work for your perfection, the first step is to become conscious of yourself, of Look at oneself objectively as a third person engaging in the different parts of your being and their respective surface level activities. You must learn to distinguish these different parts one from another, so that you may become clearly aware of One need not like or dislike the origin of activity but sincerely observe the movements that occur in you, the many impulses, reactions and conflicting wills that drive you to actionof nature.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/the-science-of-living#p5</ref>
=How to Observe Oneself?=By projecting oneself on a screen and then observe and see all that is moving there and how it moves and what happens.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/05/29-july-1953#p47</ref>Developing the Contact with the Psychic Being==
'''By Vigilance'''The mental being within watches, observes and passes judgment on all that happens in you. The psychic does not watch and observe in this way like a witness, but it feels and knows spontaneously in a much more direct and luminous way by the very purity of its own nature and the divine instinct within it, and so, whenever it comes to the front it reveals at once what are the right and what the wrong movements in one’s nature. <ref>h http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/work-and-yoga#p45</ref>
Not fear, but vigilance. If you remain vigilant, then with the increase of the Force upholding you, a power of self-control will come, a power to see and reject the wrong turn or the wrong reaction when it comes. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/fear#p12</ref>==By Being Vigilant==
'''By Developing Secondly, vigilance helps in self-observation. If one remains vigilant, not fearful, then with the increase of the Force upholding oneself, a Quiet Mind'''power of seeing and self-observation comes. The power of seeing is accompanied by the power of self-control and the power to reject the wrong turn or the wrong reaction when it comes. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/fear#p12</ref>
If the whole mind remains quiet and detached observing the vital movement, but not giving its assent, then to reject it becomes more easy. This established quietude and detachment of the mind marks always ==By Developing a great step forward made in the sadhana. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/the-vital-and-other-levels-of-being#p45</ref>Quiet Mind==
'''By Developing Thirdly, quietude and detachment of the Witness Attitude'''mind helps in self-observation. If the whole mind remains quiet and detached, then to observe the vital movement without giving assent and rejecting it becomes more easy. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/the-vital-and-other-levels-of-being#p45</ref>
In order to become conscious, one needs to develop within a part with a witness attitude that observes and is not carried away by thoughts and feelings. People with very developed introspective mind identifies with this part and it becomes easy for them ==By Exercising the Will to begin the process of self-observation.Change==
The process of By putting each element that enters our consciousness before the will to change while remaining awake, comparing, observing, studying and slowly acting, we are able to hone our ability at self-observation should be objective and one should look at make interesting discoveries within oneself as a third person engaging in the surface level activities. One need not like or dislike the activity but sincerely observe the movements of nature.By Education
Consequently, all life is an education pursued more or less consciously, more or less willingly. In certain cases this education will encourage ==By Educating the movements that express the light, in others, on the contrary, those that express the shadow. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/vital-education#p6</ref>Senses==
==Difficulties during SelfBy the education of the senses the growth of one's general education is aided. The senses can, in particular, be used as instruments of observation, control and knowledge. For instance, the way one keeps one’s room is often a reflection of where one is in one’s consciousness. Taking this feedback, and consciously trying to use the sense of colour and form, order and organisation helps develop the ability to use one’s senses a logical, rational, useful way. Going further, it also helps discover who one is in the conscious way of designing one’s room.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/06/31-Observation==march-1954#p13</ref>
Be aware of the “escape attitude’’ as man always rushes into external action and looks for reasons to not have time to observe himself and turn inward.=Difficulties in Self-Observation=
There is “danger of ego” in observing the movements and attaching the sense of ‘I’’to the process of self-observing and not going behind the surface level I.==Escape Attitude==
Focussing on the negative- To be Man always observing faults rushes into external action and wrong movements brings depression and discourages the faith. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/steps-towards-overcoming-difficulties#p28</ref> You looks for reasons to not have time to observe themhimself and turn inward, thus it is important to be wary of course, but not stress them.<ref>http://incarnatewordthe “escape attitude” within oneself.in/cwsa/31/dealing-with-depression-and-despondency#p22</ref>
Surface -level observation It is evident that our state on the surface is indeed a state of knowledge, so far as it goes, but a limited knowledge enveloped and invaded by ignorance and, to a very large extent, by reason of its limitation, itself a kind of ignorance, at best a mixed knowledge-ignorance.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/knowledge-by-identity-and-separative-knowledge#p7</ref>==Ego==
= Results The second is the “danger of Selfego” in observing the movements and attaching the sense of ‘I’’ to the process of self-observation =observing and not going behind the surface level I.
If one sincerely observes oneself and put all one’s ignorance, unconsciousness and egoism before a will to change then life becomes infinitely interesting and one can make marvellous and unexpected discoveries about oneself. The process becomes interesting and one begins to find out a lot of small hidden folds one never knew existed within. Once they discovered and light is put upon them, they disappear and one no longer has those reactions and that is how you make progress ==Focussing on the path of self discovery.Negative==
= Things To be always observing faults and wrong movements brings depression and discourages the faith. <ref> http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/steps-towards-overcoming-difficulties#p28</ref> One has to Remember =observe them, of course, but not stress them.<ref> http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/dealing-with-depression-and-despondency#p22</ref>
'''Continuous Process of Self-observation''' If one begins Instead it is important to find out, to understand what a feeling is and what a thought is, and how it works, then one can already go quite far focus on the path. One must at the same time observe how his feelings good part and thoughts have an action on the bodygive it strength, what whilst not denying the reciprocity is. And then, there is another exercise which consists in looking into oneself for what is persistent, what is lasting, something which makes one say "I", limitations and which is not the bodywrong movements. '''Divine as Observer''' A hidden Power is the true Lord and overruling Observer of our acts and only he knows through all the ignorance and perversion and deformation brought in by the ego their entire sense and ultimate purpose.
'''Content curated by Aditi Kaul'''
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Read more about '''[[Self Observation Compilation|Self Observation]]''' from the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.
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==References==