Vritti

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra categorizes Vritti into five types, each with its unique characteristics and effects on the mind.

• Right Cognition (Pramana): It refers to the ability to perceive information correctly based on our beliefs, experiences, and moral values.

• Misconception (Viparyaya): This vritti occurs when the mind incorrectly interprets sensory information.

• Imagination (Vikalpa): This vritti represents the mind’s ability to create mental images, fantasies, and daydreams.

• Sleep (Nidra): This vritti is more than just the absence of wakefulness. It’s an altered state of consciousness where the mind’s thought patterns are significantly reduced.

• Memory (Smriti): Smriti, or “memory,” involves the recollection of past sensations or emotions, both conscious and unconscious.

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Pramana

Within the realm of Pramana, the mind employs a diverse set of tools to determine the validity of information. These six types of Pramana Vritti are essential to our understanding of the world:

1. Direct Experience (Pratyaksha): This is the most straightforward form of Pramana, relying on sensory perception. What we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell directly informs our understanding of reality.

2. Inference (Anumana): Inference involves drawing conclusions based on observations. For example, if we see smoke, we infer the presence of fire.

3. Comparison (Upamana): Upamana Pramana relies on comparison. When we relate something new to something familiar, we gain insights. For instance, a new fruit is described as “like an apple.”

4. Postulation (Arthapatti): This form of Pramana helps us understand scenarios where direct evidence is lacking. For example, if a person never eats during the day but remains healthy, we postulate that they eat at night.

5. Non-apprehension (Anupalabdhi): Anupalabdhi is the perception of the absence of something. It’s the recognition that something we expected to see or experience is not present.

6. Verbal Testimony (Sabda): This involves gaining knowledge from credible sources, such as teachers, books, or experts. It’s an important Pramana as it enables us to access knowledge beyond our direct experiences.

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Viparyaya

Viparyaya, often referred to as “misconception,” represents one of the five Vrittis that shape our mental landscape. This Vritti occurs when the mind incorrectly interprets sensory information, leading to a distortion of reality. In the intricate tapestry of the mind’s fluctuations, Viparyaya can be likened to a mirage, where what we perceive may not align with the truth.

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Vikalpa

​Vikalpa, often associated with imagination, is a fascinating Vritti that explores the creative depths of the mind. This mental fluctuation allows us to conjure mental images, fantasies, and daydreams. While imagination can be a wellspring of inspiration and innovation, it also has the potential to lead the mind astray if left unchecked. Uncontrolled imagination (Vikalpa) can be likened to a wandering mind lost in fantasy. It often leads to daydreaming, doubt, and indecision. While brief moments of wandering imagination can be harmless, unchecked Vikalpa Vritti can become a source of distraction and mental turmoil.

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Nidra

Nidra, the Vritti of sleep, introduces us to an altered state of consciousness that is both mysterious and profound. In the landscape of mental fluctuations, Nidra represents a unique state where the mind’s thought patterns are significantly reduced. It’s a state where we experience rest and restoration, but it’s not merely the absence of wakefulness. Nidra is akin to the moments just before falling asleep or those right upon waking. It’s a state where the mind’s usual chatter subsides, and we find ourselves in a realm where thoughts are minimal, if not absent. It’s a transient state that holds great potential for self-discovery and transformation. Quality sleep is essential for our overall well-being, both physically and mentally. Nidra not only allows the body to rejuvenate but also offers the mind a reprieve from the incessant thought waves of the waking state. It’s during these moments of rest that we find a sense of inner peace and balance. Patanjali recognized the significance of experiencing peace of mind during deep sleep. In Yoga Sutra (1.38), he emphasizes the value of studying dreams and deep sleep states as a means to stabilize the mind.

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Smriti

Smriti, often referred to as “memory,” is a Vritti that takes us on a journey through the corridors of our past. It involves the recollection of lasting impressions, both conscious and unconscious, that have been imprinted on the canvas of our mind by past sensations and emotions.

Think of Smriti as the mental archive that stores our life’s experiences, both significant and mundane. It encompasses memories of joy, sorrow, love, and countless other emotions, each with its unique vibrancy and texture. These memories shape our perception of the world and influence our responses to present situations.

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​People are often not living in the present, trapped in the illusions of the past (memories based off various emotions) or the future (fear, anxiety or worry).

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To stop waves, we have to create waves, thus in the Yoga Sutras (1:5) there are five vritti hinderous and helpful.

These are:

1. Prāmana - literally "the measure of", it is the movement of thought when we experience something directly, or (by inference) infer what an experience is like, or we hear an account of what it is like that is not falsified when experienced.

2. Viparyaya - misapprehension of one thing for another, which is falsified when actually experienced.

3. Vikalpah - verbal abstraction or imagination without an objective experience

4. Nidrā - waking continuum from distraction to oblivion to full sleep without the support of cognition

5. Smrtayah - remembering both the material of experience and its cognition.