Prism and total internal reflection

In an article on समाधि samAdhi in the companion website the mind was likened to a prism that refracts Pure Consciousness as white light into the seven colors of the world.

There is an interesting connection between the scientific concept of total internal reflection  and meditation, in particular pratyAhara (withdrawal of sense organs from their sense objects) and the shAmbhavI mudrA (a mudrA described in Yoga and Tantric works).

In the scientific concept of total internal reflection, there is a critical angle of incidence (of light generally) with respect to the perpendicular direction of a boundary between two materials (such as air and the glass of a prism), such that if the angle of incident light is increased beyond this critical angle, the light wave does not pass through but is completely reflected!

This is a very excellent analogy for Consciousness operating through the prism of the mind when the practices of pratyAhara (withdrawal of sense organs from their sense objects) and the shAmbhavI mudrA (a mudrA described in Yoga and Tantric works) are employed.

By changing the angle of our thinking from a worldly one to a spiritual one, the angle of incidence of Consciousness on the prism of the mind is changed. It becomes less outgoing (refractive) and more ingoing (reflective).

The senses are the routes of the outgoing mind. In pratyAhara, the senses (karmendriyas and jnAnendriyas) are meditated on and restrained from going to their objects by turning the mind inwards towards a mantra or meditation on the Self. Initially this is done in meditation with the eyes closed until jnAna is attained.

Then the same practice must be brought into play even with the senses turned outwards, for as mentioned in the TripurA Rahasya, one cannot sit with eyes closed in meditation always. That is not the complete jnAna. One needs vijnAna, that is to see the Self or Atma or Brahman even in the jagat.

For this, the excellent shAmbhavI mudrA is to be practiced. This is undoubtedly a very hard mudrA, but it is related to a post on 'Seeing "not seeing"ly'. In this mudrA, the mind is turned inwards even though the senses are allowed to roam in the sense objects. This is a very advanced practice in the humble opinion of this author, but it is a very important practice (reference to verses in the Bhagavad GItA regarding this are also found in the same post).