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The Reality of Subjective Visions and Objective Sight · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Modern society, influenced heavily by the scientific
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  technical focus of the West, puts a premium on the concept of
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  objectivity versus anything that can be considered subjective,
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  which is then treated with suspicion and largely dismissed.
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  This implies several things. First, it implies that the
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  objectivity is itself truly objective and not subject to the
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  influence of the observer. This, however, is being debunked
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  as we delve deeper into quantum mechanics and the research being
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  done in that field. Second, it implies that only the
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  external physical plane and its objects are real, and that
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  internal reality and other domains or planes of existence
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  are somehow less real and therefore of a lesser level of
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  credence and acceptance. It is interesting to note that
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  traditional understanding in other cultures, and certainly in
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  that of India with its long history in the field of
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  philosophy, yoga and spiritual science, actually treats the
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  physical object as the result of the action of more subtle
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  domains and thus less real than the originating planes and their
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  native action and power. The Titiria Upanishad in
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  particular takes us through the development of understanding of
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  a young disciple, Brugu, who undertakes to learn the cause
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  and nature of existence. He starts, as did Western
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  science, with the external physical reality, but soon comes
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  to understand that this is a result of a prior cause, the
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  vital level of existence, the prana of the universal energy.
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  With further reflection he recognizes mind as the causative
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  agent of the existence, but even this is not the conclusion.
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  He then moves to the formative causative power of the creation
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  and eventually concludes that Ananda or Bliss, which is Co
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  equal with sut existence and chit consciousness, is the
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  ultimate cause. We see a similar progression in
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  Western science now taking place before our eyes.
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  Scientists now claim that matter is a form of condensed energy
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  and by certain means they have shown they can liberate enormous
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  amounts of energy from limited amounts of matter.
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  Now they are moving to the next rung of the ladder of
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  understanding, and scientists are now recognizing more and
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  more that consciousness is actually the root cause of
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  energy and thus material substance.
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  Eventually, once we recognize the reality and the priority of
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  these more subtle domains of existence, we need to redefine
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  our sense of subjective versus objective, since objective facts
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  placed before the external senses are necessarily
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  derivative and not primary facts.
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  And it is the subjective reality of the realms of consciousness
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  that determine this external world we see around us and
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  respond with our external surface consciousness.
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  As consciousness continues to evolve and develop, we can
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  expect that things we cannot currently perceive with our
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  external senses will become sensible to us in other ways.
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  This is an ongoing process and some individuals may develop
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  these capacities earlier than others.
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  This does not mean that they are not real, it simply means that
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  not everyone will be able to validate them at the same time.
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  We need to adjust our view of these matters from a static,
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  fixed view to a more fluid, dynamic, evolving view.
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  Srioro Bindo notes quote Subjective visions can be as
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  real as objective sight. The only difference is that one
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  is of real things in material space while the others are of
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  real things belonging to other planes down to the subtle
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  physical. Even symbolic visions are real
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  in so far as they are symbols of realities.
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  Even dreams can have a reality in the subtle domain.
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  Visions are unreal only when these are merely imaginative
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  mental formations, not representing anything that is
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  true or was true or is going to be true.
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  This power of vision is sometimes inborn and habitual
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  even without any effort of development.
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  Sometimes it wakes up of itself and becomes abundant or needs
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  only a little practice to develop.
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  It is not necessarily a sign of spiritual attainment, but
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  usually when by practice of yoga one begins to go inside or live
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  within, the power of subtle vision awakes to a greater or
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  lesser extent. But this does not always happen
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  easily, especially if one has been habituated to live much in
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  the intellect or in an outward vital consciousness.
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  End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu and the Mother Powers within
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  Chapter 19. Occult Powers of the Subliminal,
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  page 151.