Energy levels and mind structure

The Five Levels

the individual is represented in terms of five different sheaths or levels that enclose the individual's self. These levels, shown in an ascending order, are:

The physical body (annamaya kosham)

Energy sheath (pranamaya kosham)

Mental sheath (manomaya kosham)

Intellect sheath (vijnanamaya kosham)

Emotion sheath (anandamaya kosham )

These sheaths are defined at increasingly finer levels. At the highest level, above the
emotion sheath, is the self. It is significant that emotion is placed higher than the intellect.

This is a recognition of the fact that eventually meaning is communicated by associations which are influenced by the emotional state.

The energy that underlies physical and mental processes is called pranan. One may look at an individual in three different levels. At the lowest level is the physical body, at the next higher level is the energy systems at work, and at the next higher level are the thoughts.

Since the three levels are interrelated, the energy situation may be changed by inputs either at the physical level or at the mental level. When the energy state is agitated and restless, it is characterized by raajasam; when it is dull and lethargic, it is characterized by tamo; the state of equilibrium and balance is termed sathuvam.

The key notion is that each higher level represents characteristics that are emergent
on the ground of the previous level. In this theory mind is an emergent entity, but this
emergence requires the presence of the self.

The Structure of the Mind

The Sankhya system takes the mind as consisting of five components: manam, ahankaram, chittam, buddhi,

Manam is the lower mind which collects sense impressions. Its perceptions shift from
moment to moment. This sensory-motor mind obtains its inputs from the senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell. Each of these senses may be taken to be governed by a separate agent.

Ahankaram is the sense of I-ness that associates some perceptions to a subjective and
personal experience.Once sensory impressions have been related to I-ness by ahankaram, their evaluation and resulting decisions are arrived at by buddhi, the intellect.

Manam, ahankaram, and buddhi are collectively called the internal instruments of the mind.

Next we come to chittam, which is the memory bank of the mind. These memories con-stitute the foundation on which the rest of the mind operates. But chittam is not merely a passive instrument. The organization of the new impressions throws up instinctual or primitive urges which creates different emotional states.

All this amounts to a brilliant analysis of the individual. The traditions of yoga and
tantra have been based on such analysis. No wonder, this model has continued to inspire people around the world to this day