Slip of tongue

Meditation is a gateway to the heavenly abode. An equanimous, serene and calm mind is a prerequisite for meditation. But to achieve this state of mind is not easy. Even Arjun tells Krishn in the Bhagwad Gita, 'Mind is very restless, turbulent and obstinate, more difficult to control than the wind.' We can understand the interplay of forces within much better if we know our personality structure well.

Vedantic literature describes human personality comprising our gross and subtle bodies. Organs of perception and action form our gross body; the subtle body is constituted of mind, intellect and causal body, where inherent seeds of our nature reside.

According to Sigmund Freud, father of psychoanalysis, human personality has three parts: id, ego and superego. Id operates at subconscious level and focuses on instinctual desires. The ego acts as a check on the id, whereas superego is responsible for moral and socially accepted norms of behaviour. Immaturity reflects an underdeveloped superego.


Mind, intellect, causal body, id and ego operate below the iceberg, whereas behaviour originating from superego forms the tip of the iceberg, hence visible.

All these dimensions of personality need to work in harmony, else it can result in deviant behaviour, conflicts within and mental fogging, derailing us from meditation.