Dear Reader,

    Nescience literally means the absence of knowledge. It refers to the covering around the soul consisting of nineteen components: the five subtle sense organs, the five subtle motor organs, the five vital energies, the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, intellect and ego. Together the soul and the nescience constitute the embodied soul (jiva).

    In a baby, while the motor movements, conscious mind and senses are not well-developed (and therefore are lesser impressions in the subconscious mind), the amount of impurity in terms of ego (consisting of the mind, intellect and feeling separate from God) depends on the individual's spiritual level. So, an individual born at an above-average spiritual level due to his spiritual practice during previous births, would have less ego and higher chances of experiencing Bliss compared to someone born at a lower spiritual level.