Book 1, Sutra 9: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Imagination or What We Make Up in Our Minds
The 5 Mind States or Vrittis are:
1. Pramana - Correct knowledge/perception which includes sense perception, logic and verbal testimony
2. Incorrect perception
3. Imagination
4. Sleep (passivity)
5. Memory
Book 1 Sutra 9 describes imagination and sometimes this is called ‘fancy’. The main idea around it is how we express truth and free ourselves from illusion. It essentially relates to what we make up in our minds - the thoughtforms we create in our mental bodies which are vitalised by our desire or willpower. Some of the things we think about or imagine have no basis in reality. However, in order to really understand this sutra we need to learn one of the basic principles of the Raja Yoga* system which is ‘energy follows thought.’ Another way of saying this is, ‘as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ This means we need to take care with our words and actions but also our thoughts.
There are three types of thoughts or thoughtforms that are classified under incorrect perception:
Thoughtforms which are not good or bad and which can be animated between a spectrum of high aspirations and low level inclinations. An example of this is when someone is in meditations and has a vision of a Master or Spiritual Teacher thinking they have actually been contacted by that person but actually it is a thoughtform of them on the astral/emotional plane.
Group thoughtforms – these can be the thoughtform of a country, organisation or group and they create part of the great ‘illusion’. The illusion referred to in the wisdom teachings is that which comes from any part of creation that is impermanent – physical, emotional or mental. The permanent or eternal part of ourselves is the soul or consciousness which never dies.
‘The Dweller on the Threshold’ – this represents the thoughtform created by the personality or ego and not the soul or higher self. It is built of past negative karma, fears, unresolved ego attachments and imprisons us and is held together by our lower energy and dissipates when there is nothing in us to keep the delusion alive. It disappears when we make the persistent effort to live from the higher self or soul which is truth.
*‘Raja Yoga. The true system of developing psychic and spiritual powers and union with one's higher self or the Ego [soul]. It involves the exercise, regulation, and concentration of thought.’
- Alice Bailey, Initiation Human and Solar
References
Patañjali, & Bailey, A. (2013). The light of the soul : its science and effect : a paraphrase of the Yoga sutras of Patañjali. London.
Bryant, E. F. (2015). The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. North Point Press.
Iyengar, S. (2012). Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. HarperCollins UK.
Paramhansa Yogananda. (2013). Demystifying Patanjali: The Yoga Sutras. Crystal Clarity Publishers.
Satyananda Saraswati, Swami. (2013). Four chapters on freedom : commentary on yoga sutras of Sage Patanjali. Yoga Publications Trust.
Sounds True. Second Initial. Michael Singer 2024-2025 The Michael Singer Podcast [Audio podcast]. Website. https://resources.soundstrue.com/michael-singer-podcast/