134. 154 CHAPTER III

154 CHAPTER III

Abhinavagupta recognises to be similar to the level of "Isvara" which is characterised by the experience of universal "This" by universal "I" and which is presented in Sanskrit as "Aham Idam." At this level the "This" is the predominant element in the experience as a whole. Att he empirical level this type of subject-object relation is found in identification, in which the subject merges in the object, loses itself in the object, and becomes the object. This appearance of the universalised subject so related to the universalised object as to shine as the latter is the charac- teristic of æsthetic experience at the second level. Let us, therefore, find out how we ascend from the sense-level to this: what are the other levels through which we pass to this ? We have stated that Abhinavagupta recognises five levels :-

1. Sense,

2. Imagination, 3. Emotion,

3. Katharsis,

4. Transcendency. He psychologically explains how we rise from the empirical level to the æsthetic level as follows :-

I. ÆSTHETIC ATTITUDE.

The mental process, involved in the rise of æsthetic experience from a dramatic presentation, begins with the rise of the attitude of play at the time of determination to go to the theatre. This attitude differs from the practical attitude in ordinary life inasmuch as it is marked by total absence of expectation of being called upon to act in reality. It consists in the expectancy of a short life in the ideal world