Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 2. 1934 — 1935
Letter ID: 598
Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar
June 2, 1935
But why then did Nishikanta see that blessed vision? What in the name of Supramental Perplexity was its raison d’être? Is it then all a string of accidents or raisings of the subconscient fellow you are up against d’après Nirod? If so then why have people attached so much confounded importance to visions and experiences? Why do I eat my heart out in sorrow (from time to time – thank God, not all the time!) that I am not cut out for visions and experiences. Why do I envy Raihana1 for her seeing the Gopis dance and sing that lovely song? But then even granting all such visions are not even worthwhile discussing why does the sphinx of a Divine shower these on some while to others they are denied? If these visions have no value, if experiences don’t contribute to a change of nature or of the subconscient Enfant Terrible – then O why from times immemorial have the sadhaks and seekers marvelled and marvelled at these?
Visions and experiences (especially experiences) are all right; but you cannot expect every vision to translate itself in a corresponding physical fact. Some do, the majority don’t (I speak of visions only here), others belong to the supraphysical entirely and indicate realities, possibilities or tendencies that have their seat there. How far these will influence 
the life or realise themselves in it or whether they will do so at all depends upon the nature of the vision, the power in it, sometimes on the will or formative power of the seer. I don’t know what exactly was the nature of Nishikanta’s vision, whether it was of the suggestive or of the positive veridical kind. Farther there was nothing to indicate that it had to do with the answer about Raihana or could realise itself on the spot.
People value visions for one thing because they are one key (there are others) to contact with the other worlds or with the inner worlds and all that is there and these are regions of immense riches which far surpass the physical plane as it is at present. One enters into a larger freer self and a larger more plastic world – of course individual visions only give a contact, not an actual entrance, but the power of vision accompanied with the power of the other subtle senses (hearing, touch, etc.) as it expands does give this entrance. Even if Raihana had not received the song, yet the mere contact with the world of Krishna and the Gopis would have brought her or could at least a joy and an uplifting of the touch of Goloka or of some reproduction of it on the vital plane. These things have not the effect of a mere imagination (as a poet’s or artist’s, though that can be strong enough), but if fully followed out bring a constant growth of the being and the consciousness and its richness of experience and its scope.
People also value the power of vision for a greater reason than that: it can give a first contact with the Divine in his forms and powers2, it can be the opening of a communion with the Divine – of the hearing of the Voice that guides, of the Presence as well as the Image in the heart, of many other things that bring what man seeks through religion or Yoga.
Further, vision is of value because it is often a first key to inner planes of one’s own being (as distinguished from worlds, etc.) and of one’s consciousness. Yoga-experience 
often begins with some opening of the third eye in the forehead (the centre of vision in the brows) or with some kind of beginning and extension of subtle seeing which may seem unimportant at first, but is the vestibule to deeper experience. Even when it is not that, for one can go to experience directly, it can come in afterwards as a powerful aid to experience; it can be full of indications which help to self-knowledge or knowledge of things or knowledge of people; it can be veridical and lead to prevision, premonition and other things of less importance but very useful to a Yogi.
In short, vision is a great instrument though not absolutely indispensable.
But, as I have suggested, there are visions and visions, just as there are dreams and dreams, and one has to develop discrimination and a sense of values and kinds and know how to understand and make use of these things. But that is too big and intricate a matter to be pursued now.
1 Raihana Tyabji was born and brought up in an aristocratic, highly educated muslim family. At the age of 16 she had a profound spiritual experience which she narrated in a booklet: Heart of a Gopi. She was a powerful singer and used to sing Meera bhajans in love of Krishna. She passed away in 1976.
2 (Sri Aurobindo’s note:) Note Raihana’s contact with the Blue Radiance that was Krishna