When there is a cold in the head, the thinking mind becomes passive and impressions and impulses come up from the subconscient, and the mechanical mind goes on.
What you describe happens very usually during a cold in the head, as ordinarily one depends upon the brain cells for transmission of the mental thought. When the mind is not so dependent on the brain cells, then the obscuration by the cold does not interfere with clear seeing and thinking and one is not thrown back in the mechanical mind.
Regarding detachment from the head: it is particularly difficult if not impossible, as the head is the centre of my sadhana.
You can do it by not identifying yourself with your head or any part of your body.
The cold has already entered my head! I wonder what made it do so?
Well, turn it out.
There is a cough, perhaps as a result of the cold. This cough has brought about a throat-pain, which has become so acute that it is difficult to swallow food. Such physical resistances are hindrances to my rising above. After some effort, once I did break through them and flew upwards. But the pressure of the pain pulled me down quickly.
These things are largely nervous suggestions to the physical vital which it accepts and materialises. You can never be free from these attacks if you do not learn to disbelieve and resist against these suggestions.
They must be repelled quite as much as the sex or ego suggestions.
During the intensity of the pain how to be free from such suggestions?
It is nothing more than what I told you — the suggestion of the adverse Force and a mechanical habit of response in the outer consciousness during the periods when it is not lifted up and exalted. Even in such intensity it must be able to reject these things.
The present cold appears to be of an abnormal type. It has not only prevented the sadhana, but created a disorder in the body. It has affected my head, stomach, eyes and caused a resistance in the throat, which means the physical mind. I want to get out from this mess immediately and prepare myself for the coming occasion (15th August Darshan).
Whatever it may be — the power of illness to prevent the sadhana ought not to exist. The Yogic Consciousness and its activities must be there whether there is health or illness.
The coming of the cold in the head has encouraged my outer consciousness to rise above! For, if it remains calm and concentrated above, the cold gets veiled. It appears again only when the consciousness comes down and is diffused.
It is the only final cure for the habit of illness, when the whole outer nature becomes part of the consciousness above.
How is it that in spite of my foresight I could not prevent the cold from getting in?
Something in the physical admitted it.
It seems several people caught the same cold suddenly yesterday evening. Was there then any general attack on the physical mind?
There may have been. Attacks are always going about and sometimes several people become susceptible to them at a time.
If several people together become sensitive to the same attack of cold at a time, has it anything to do with the inner working?
What inner working? Why should the cold have any connection with an inner working. A cold comes from an outer attack.
Why are all sorts of things coming into me? Can nothing be done?
If you shake off your sense of helplessness and call down the Force or let it pass, then something can be done.
