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{{About|zone in philosophy|the zone in the developing [[cerebral cortex]]|Intermediate zone of cortex}}

In [[Sri Aurobindo]]'s philosophy, the '''Intermediate zone''' refers to a dangerous and misleading transitional [[spirituality|spiritual]] state between the ordinary consciousness and true spiritual realisation.<ref name="intyoga.online.fr">[http://intyoga.online.fr/intzone.htm Sri Aurobindo's Letters on Yoga - The Intermediate Zone<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 

Similar notions can be found in mystical literature, such as "the astral plane" and "the hall of illusion."<ref>http://singingmountain.org/y2004jul15.html Paul Brunton on the Intermediate Zone - The Source of Psychic Delusion and the Subtle Ego</ref> The [[Theosophist]] [[William Quan Judge|W. Q. Judge]] used the similar notion of "astral intoxication".<ref name="Vernal Blooms by W.Q.Judge">{{Cite web |url=http://www.theosophical.ca/VernalBlooms.htm#astral |title=Vernal Blooms by W.Q.Judge<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011233928/http://theosophical.ca/VernalBlooms.htm#astral |archive-date=2007-10-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Aurobindo==

===Original use===
The Intermediate Zone is first described in a letter to a disciple in the early 1930s. It was then published in 1933 in ''[[The Riddle of this World]]'', a small booklet that includes several essays. The letter later appeared in ''[[Letters on Yoga]]''.<ref>Sri Aurobindo, ''Letters on Yoga'', Part 3, Section 3 "Experiences of the Inner and the Cosmic Consciousness", Subsection 5, Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram</ref> More recently, a number of copies have been posted on the [[Internet]].<ref name="intyoga.online.fr"/><ref name="greylodge.org">[http://www.greylodge.org/occultreview/glor_009/intermediate.htm Grey Lodge Occult Review :: Issue #9 :: The Intermediate Zone ::<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012141007/http://greylodge.org/occultreview/glor_009/intermediate.htm |date=2007-10-12}}</ref> A shorter but similar reference to a misleading intermediate consciousness, but without the distinguishing qualifier "zone", is also found in some of the later strata of ''[[The Synthesis of Yoga]]'' which dates to the early 1940s.<ref>Sri Aurobindo, ''The Synthesis of Yoga'', fifth edition, Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, {{ISBN|81-7058-615-1}} p.283 - "Another error that has to be guarded against is...to take some higher intermediate consciousness or even any kind of supernormal consciousness for the [[Supermind (Integral thought)|supermind]]. To reach supermind it is not enough to go above the ordinary movements of the human mind; it is not enough to receive a greater light, a greater power, a greater joy or to develop capacities of knowledge, sight, effective will that surpass the normal range of the [[human|human being]]. All light is not the light of the spirit, still less is all light the light of the supermind; the mind, the vital, the physical itself have lights of their own, as yet hidden, which can be very inspiring, exalting, informative, powerfully executive..." - for the date see "note on the text",  pp.915-6</ref>

=== Characteristics ===
Aurobindo asserted that spiritual aspirants may pass through an intermediate zone where experiences of force, inspiration, illumination, light, joy, expansion, power, and freedom from normal limits are possible. These can become associated with personal aspirations, ambitions, notions of spiritual fulfilment and yogic siddhi, and even be falsely interpreted as full spiritual realisation. One can pass through this zone, and the associated spiritual dangers, without harm by perceiving its real nature, and seeing through the misleading experiences. Those who go astray in it may end in a spiritual disaster, or may remain stuck there and adopt some half-truth as the whole truth, or become an instrument of lesser powers of these transitional planes. According to Aurobindo, this happens to many sadhaks and yogis.<ref name="intyoga.online.fr"/><ref name="greylodge.org"/>

==William Q. Judge - Astral intoxication==
In his posthumously published book, ''Vernal Blooms'', Theosophist [[William Quan Judge]] (1851-1896) describes the dangers of "astral intoxication". He asserts that the [[astral plane]], which is the same as that of our psychic senses, has endless powers of delusion. It has to be well understood before the student can stay there long without danger. He states that phenomena, such as astral lights, moments of peace and revelation, do not indicate spiritual advancement. To regard every picture seen in the [[astral light]] as a spiritual experience is like becoming drunk. Such indulgence only results in becoming satiated with a store of illusory appearances. True progress is dependent upon purity of motive, and conquest of known or ascertainable defects.<ref name="Vernal Blooms by W.Q.Judge"/>

The dangers of astral intoxication or delusion are greatest for the person who revolves selfishly around himself. This may happen when one lacks the support and company of other sincere seekers. One 
{{quote|...must first dispel the inner darkness before trying to see into the darkness without; we must know ourselves before knowing things extraneous to ourselves.<ref name="Vernal Blooms by W.Q.Judge"/>}}

==Paul Brunton==
[[Paul Brunton]] included Sri Aurobindo's term of the "Intermediate Zone" as a name for a psychological and immature mystical level of delusion and subtle ego.<ref>''The Notebooks of Paul Brunton'' (Published in 1989; 16 volumes) - Volume 11: THE SENSITIVES - ch.12. THE INTERMEDIATE ZONE - online text at {{cite web |url=http://wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/ |title=Notebooks of Paul Brunton |accessdate=2008-04-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317054907/http://wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/ |archivedate=2008-03-17}}</ref>

Brunton uses several terms, such as astral plane, the intermediate zone, the hall of illusion. Once there, egoism becomes stimulated by the subtle forces they have evoked, the emotional nature becomes more sensitive and more fluid, the imaginative power becomes more active and is less restrained. If a person then falls victim to spiritual error regarding this state, the result is swollen vanity, superstitious credulity, emotions run riot, and wild imagination. Brunton considered this a major factor in explaining the human wreckage found on the spiritual path.<ref>[http://wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/16/12 The Intermediate Zone – Notebooks of Paul Brunton<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720012809/http://wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/16/12 |date=2008-07-20}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Wikiquote|Intermediate zone}}
* [[Abyss (Thelema)]]
* [[Barzakh]], the intermediate zone in Islam.
* [[Spiritual bypass]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* Sri Aurobindo ''The Riddle of This World'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20080127135534/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/SWAR/Riddle.htm online]
* ----- ''Letters on Yoga'', Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry (pp 1039–1046 of the third edition 1971).
* Sri Aurobindo ''The Synthesis of Yoga'', fifth edition, Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1999, {{ISBN|81-7058-614-3}} (paperback) {{ISBN|81-7058-615-1}} (hardcover) [http://surasa.net/aurobindo/synthesis/ online]
* Paul Brunton, ''Notebooks of Paul Brunton'', 1989 [https://web.archive.org/web/20080720012809/http://wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/16/12 online]
* W. Q. Judge, ''Vernal Blooms'', Canadian Theosophical Association, Bombay India, 1946 [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011233928/http://theosophical.ca/VernalBlooms.htm#astral online]

==External links==
* [http://intyoga.online.fr/intzone.htm Sri Aurobindo's Letters on Yoga - The Intermediate Zone]
{{Integral Yoga|state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Intermediate Zone}}
[[Category:Sri Aurobindo]]
[[Category:Integral thought]]
[[Category:Theosophical philosophical concepts]]