Intuitive Recognition and Sensory Perception

Divine Life Society Publication: The Meaning of Religion and the Spiritual Attitude in Life by Sri Swami Krishnananda

There is a difference between intuitive recognition and sensory perception. Whenever the senses operate in respect of a particular object or a group of objects, they cast the mind into a particular mould. Mental operation and sensory activities are practically inseparable. The mind acts in terms of the reports provided to it by the senses. The senses may be regarded as some sort of spectacles through which the mind begins to observe the objects. As we know, our observations depend to a large extent on the nature of the structure of the glasses that we put on.

The constitution of the senses, the structure of the instruments of perception, has much to do with the nature of our appreciation of the values outside, as well as objects in general. The object, whatever be its distance from the location of the senses, stirs the senses into activity, stimulates them in a particular manner, and transmits this stimulation of the senses to the mental faculty; then we perceive the object. What actually happens is that an impression is formed in our mind. The object does not come and physically impinge on the mind, as we know. There is not necessarily a physical contact between ourselves and the object of perception, but we are influenced by the presence of an object on account of an invisible, subtle undercurrent of activity that takes place during the process we call sensory perception.

One aspect of this perceptual process, for instance, is that light rays travel from the location of the object to the retina of our eyes and bring about a kind of physiological transformation in the structure of the eyes. This physiological change is communicated inwardly to the apparatus of perception in our brain through the nervous system utilising a very intricate and complicated relationship between the brain and the mind. While the lay outlook of life, without any scientific probe into it, may give us an impression that the brain cells are actually responsible for the perceptual activity, on a little investigation and analysis of the situation we will come to know that the brain cells themselves cannot perceive, because they are inert. The physical structure of the brain is a necessary instrument in the perceptual process, but nevertheless, it is only an instrument; it is not the actual perceiver, because an instrument by itself cannot perceive or act. It requires a motive force behind it.

Now, this motive force naturally has to be a consciously directed power. It is not a hodgepodge of organic activity that is taking place in our brain, but a very well-ordered, systematised, voluntary action. This shows that there is a principle involved in the process of perception, which we generally call intelligence or consciousness. Without this element of understanding – this inscrutable principle in us we call consciousness, etc. – perception would be blind. It would be like a blind man looking at an object, seeing nothing.

The conscious element in the perceptional process is a very, very important aspect of the activity of perception. Seeing an object is not a simple process. It is involved in a series of activities along chains with many links in it, the prominent among these being the distance of the object from the perceiver, the natural conditions contributory to the successful activity of perception, light rays intense enough to enable the perception of the object, the healthy condition of the retina and nerves of the eyes, and a very sane mind and healthy brain. All these are very essential elements in the perceptional process, but they would be null and void in their activity if the life-giving element behind them, namely, intelligence or consciousness, is absent. That is why while all these apparatuses are present when we are asleep, we do not see objects. Light rays may be there, objects may be there, we may be favourably placed in the location of the object, the brain also is there, the nerve currents are there, the retina is there, but we will not see anything even if the eyes are open, which means to say the final judge and determining factor of all perceptual processes is consciousness.

Excerpts from: Intuitive Recognition and Sensory Perception - The Meaning of Religion and the Spiritual Attitude in Life by Sri Swami Krishnananda