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The Practice of Yoga and the Development and Use of Psychic Powers · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  When an individual undertakes tapasia, the concentration of
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  conscious force, in any manner, it is certain that the results
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  will bring about new powers for that individual, whether an
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  accentuation of powers that the individual already possessed and
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  exercised to some degree, or the development and expression of
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  new powers that were latent but not actively present for that
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  individual. The concentration may be in the
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  physical realm, the vital realm, the mental realm, the psychic
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  and spiritual realm, and the impact may manifest powers at
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  any level of the being. The focus need not fall upon the
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  rubric of yoga. When we see an athlete
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  practicing to improve his physical, vital and mental
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  conditioning, or we see an individual learning a new skill
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  or science, or an artist perfecting his ability to
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  observe and represent what he is observing, we are witnessing
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  such a concentration of conscious force and results
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  become obvious over time. The practice of yoga is a
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  focused effort that has as its basis the turning of the
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  individual concentration from pursuits that increase skills
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  for external action to the focusing of the attention on
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  spiritual growth and development.
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  In his Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes the 8 limbs of yoga
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  practice and points out that as a result of carrying out these
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  steps, various powers can and do manifest.
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  Traditional yoga teachings discourage the use of these
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  powers, as they tend to distract the seeker from the goal of
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  liberation, from the illusion of the outer world and the
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  attainment of oneness with the ultimate divine reality.
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  Yet we can see that in the very practice of the yoga, the seeker
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  is putting powers to work and concentrating on them, whether
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  through the use of physical asanas, specialized breathing
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  techniques, or use of powers of the mind to detach itself from
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  the flow of thought and concentrate. 1 Pointedly on a
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  specific subject or object. The evolution of consciousness
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  and its progressive manifestation in ever more
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  powerful forms implies that new powers of consciousness can and
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  will manifest. Yoga acts as a concentrator of
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  that evolutionary impetus. The development of new powers is
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  a natural outgrowth of this evolution.
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  Just as the mental power of the reasoning intellect manifested
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  with the advent of the true mental force in the evolutionary
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  cycle, so the next phase of evolution will clearly bring
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  forth new forms of knowing and acting.
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  The question then comes down to whether these powers act as a
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  distraction or as a fulfillment of the evolutionary purpose.
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  For those who see liberation or escape from the cycle of birth
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  and death as the purpose, taking up, perfecting, and utilizing
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  these powers is going to be seen as a distraction.
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  For those dedicated to the perfection of life and the
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  carrying out of the divine intention in the manifestation,
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  accepting and using new powers of consciousness that emerge is
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  part of the process. What needs to be avoided is the
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  sense of personal aggrandizement, the growth of
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  the ego and the development of any sense of personal ownership
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  in the evolutionary process that is occurring.
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  The powers need to be exercised, as with any power, at any level,
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  with insight, discretion and right use.
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  This is one of the messages delivered by Sri Krishna to
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  Arjuna in the Bhagwad Gita. Observing the right time, place,
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  circumstance and use of any power is part of the mastery
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  that is asked of the seeker, Dr. Dalal observes.
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  Quote In the East, most people have tended to consider
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  supernormal powers or cities perfections, as they are called
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  in India to be marks of spiritual attainment.
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  However, spiritual teachers of a high order have regarded occult
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  powers as inferior and unrelated to spiritual attainment.
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  One who seeks occult powers, remarked Ramakrishna, is like
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  someone who, being offered a boon by a king, asks for a
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  pumpkin. Some even hold that on the
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  spiritual path one must desist not only from seeking occult
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  powers but also from using them, if one has acquired them.
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  Regarding such an attitude, Sri Ovindo writes quote.
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  The idea that yogans do not or ought not to use these powers.
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  Having consciousness of things at a distance and intervening, I
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  regard as an ascetic superstition.
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  I believe that all Yogans who have these powers do use them
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  whenever they find that they are called from within to do so.
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  They may refrain if they think the use of a particular case is
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  contrary to the divine will, or see that preventing 1 evil may
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  be opening the door to a worse or for any other valid reason,
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  but not from any general prohibitory rule.
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  What is forbidden to everyone with a strong spiritual sense is
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  to be a miracle monger, performing extraordinary things
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  for show, for gain, for fame, out of vanity or pride.
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  End Quote. Reference Srioro Bindo and the
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  Mother Powers within Introduction pages Roman 11:00
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  to 12:00.