The psychic being is the wire between the divine generator and the human lamp — and Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga cannot truly begin until this connection is felt. Dr. Alok Pandey, psychiatrist and Aurobindo scholar, explains why intellectual spirituality is merely a ticket to Pondicherry you never use.
Speaking at Shaktikumbh 2026 in Puri — a land he identifies as uniquely aligned with Sri Aurobindo — Dr. Pandey distinguishes clearly between book knowledge and the actual realisation of spiritual truths. He argues that most Indians mistake cultural familiarity with spirituality for genuine practice, quoting the Isha Upanishad: “He who thinks he knows, knows not.”
The session explores the psychic being as the seat of unconditional faith, intuitive discernment, and a love that cannot be snatched away by circumstances. It explains why Sri Aurobindo’s yoga begins where all other yogas end — and why Odisha, often dismissed as underdeveloped, carries a profound affinity for the most futuristic Rishi of the Indian tradition.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Alok Pandey is a psychiatrist, former Indian Air Force officer, and one of the foremost contemporary teachers and interpreters of Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga. A prolific speaker and author, he is widely known for making Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, psychology, and spiritual teachings accessible to contemporary audiences.