Yoga / Habit of memory
Memory was condemned by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, where he labeled it as one of the unwanted vrittis mento-emotional expressions. These mento-emotional expressions are spontaneous, which makes it a task, to control them as recommended by Patanjali. For that control he gave the term of nirodhah. His verse 2 of chapter 1 of the sutras reads:
Yogah chittavritti nirodhah
To understand nirodhah, we may take a boy whose name is Aniruddha. That means one who is Own-Way, one who is attached to doing whatever he wants to do and who instinctively resist being instructed. If we remove the “a”, we get the opposite which is child who is attentive to his parents and who is disinclined to resist every suggestion made by them.
Nirodhah in reference to the memories means that their spontaneous expression, especially during meditation should cease. The yogi should either have a mind in which the memories do not arise during meditation or he should have the power of will whereby any memory that begins is squelched immediately.
The mind should not be own-way (aniruddha). It should be compliant with the aims of yoga. During meditation the memories should cease either by force of will or because the mind is quiescent or yoga-flexible.
Is it really possible to shut down the operation of memories, such that they do not arise in the mind except when requested and when their presentation assist the basic objectives of yoga?
Just recently I spoke to a person who has such a photographic memory, that she remembers details of the most insignificant things. I notice that along with this uncanny ability, she enjoyed fishing through her memory and picking out details. Is this in her spiritual interest? Would this be useful if she suddenly decided she wanted to master Patanjali’s ashtanga yoga process?
First of all do memories have a location in the psyche? Are they just being pulled out of thin air? Are the memories locative and all-pervading. Where are they stored in the mind or psyche?
Funny is it not, that we know that our photos and videos are stored on the hard drive or in a memory device but we do not know where our memories are located in the mind or psyche? Medical science knows where they are in the brain of the body but is there a parallel psychological or cloud storage which they are unaware of?
Patanjali wants them shut down before we begin advanced meditation practice (samyama). What is the perfect method of doing that?
Why do we impulsively fish in the mind for memories? Why do we enjoy doing that if it is counterproductive to advanced meditation?
Are memories psychic objects, which we mistake for subtle impressions which we feel are too flimsy for absolute mental control?
Is Patanjali’s instruction practical or was he just a theorist?
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Memories represent our sum total of identity per the particular connections between the attention energy and the memory banks by way of the intellect organ.
Who and what my body represents to me in the present are based on my recollection of memories. They give meaning to life by connecting our experiences, exposures and lessons in a given existence.
Memories as instincts determine our natural and emotional behaviors. The memories carry over from ancient ways based on our evolutionary run up through the species. They are also represented in the format of who we are in human society as far as our unsuspected connections to our line of ancestry.
There seems to be a line where memories from subtle existence overlap with those of any of our life cycles. From the subtle existence, our memories in consecutive lives are truncated; much like digital stream of communication can be truncated at some point. The Akashic record would then represent more of a collection of data on all our history, much like those mega storages that are used by entities like Google.
When any part of a recollection is played before the eyes or the intellect there is connection with the observer’s life force, for displaying the appropriate emotional link along with its diverse array of behavioral display independently of their said core-self. The life force is the presiding agency over bodily and emotional functioning.
Such memories can be of any sort whatever, from just an aroma passing in the wind to the great spiritual events in one’s life. In the end beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The degree to which I may feel attracted to a sexy lady passing, to that degree I have accessed memories of stimuli or subtle impressions related to such attractions.
Another may feel indifferent based on their life experiences as well as predispositions based on past life and ancestral dispositions that can override present memory connections or routing. So there is a past record from the subtle, that can be considered as memory and is different from superficial and, or newer layers of memory.
The dimensionally multilayered mirror of the consciousness, as I am describing the intellect organ is entirely elusive but uniquely makes the attention energy compulsive in considering its presentation. The memories give a sense of identity and its continual re-enforcement; therefore once they are in display, the sense of identity is compelled to link.
In addition, the never ending display from the intellect organ is the main conduit for the attention energy to be directed towards. It is the connection to the world; it is all there is, including sense of reasoning. So the core-self has no other choice than to be subjected to the beatitudes or ghastliness offered through the intellect organ.
Patanjali’s proposal implies somehow disrupting this unshakable relationship between the core-self and the intellect organ. In that sense a photographic memory or any other pronounced sense act is in support of the same pursuit as that of other forms of memories and they create more of the same world, but cannot simultaneously be of importance as the core-self.
The attachment to memories and their impact is a direct reflection of the observant one’s attraction to life as appreciated from external reference, or as opposed to the inner psyche. It is only addressed in this context by allowing the attention to turn away from them, and towards the other side, naad or its default location.
For Patanjali’s proposal the yogi must then maintain naad connection; however such is only possible at very high levels of meditation practice. Previously they must forge a way that will clear and lighten the psyche, so that its environment or disposition is more stable or steady. And still, should the attention waver in any way from the source even in the slightest, it can as has been happening perpetually find itself on memory lane where the show is supposed to be an antidote to depression, boredom, isolation of self, etc.
Worse yet, one may not know how one came to be strolling there, or when that was decided, where one is and perhaps why. Well the buddhi organ just won another round! The memories are very useful to the buddhi organ, and it does a fantastic duty with them.
You may also listen to other perspectives on memory and sleep from this link:
¥ Where We GO After Death? # Mind Blow|| # Best Documentary 2015 | new Documentary 2015
