Question: Would you please explain the difference in some words you used: "Physically," "vitally," "mentally" and "psychically" ...I don't understand the difference between "vitally" and "physically."

Sri Chinmoy: You know that we have a body, this gross physical body. But inside the physical, we have a subtle physical body, which is the counterpart, on the subtler planes, of the physical body. Now inside or behind the subtle physical body is the vital sheath. Now where in our spiritual life does the vital come in? We know that when the soul comes to earth, it takes a physical form. We are inclined to think that this physical world is the only world. But there are many worlds. There are seven superior worlds and seven inferior worlds. The vital plane is one of these worlds. There is a mental world and there is a psychic or soul’s world. According to our Indian philosophy there are seven higher worlds and seven lower worlds. The vital world is inside or behind the physical world and it is from the vital world that we get this vital sheath. The vital sheath is responsible for our ordinary desires and human emotions. When I use the word “vitally” I refer to the dynamic, emotional part of our nature. When I speak of the “lower vital”, I am referring to the unillumined and untransformed parts of our desire nature. Often I refer directly to the physical sex-life when I say “lower vital”. The ordinary vital comprises those emotions and passions which are not touched by the divine light, such as ordinary joy and sorrow, anger, excitement, etc. The vital sheath came from the vital world and it will return to the vital world and be dissolved there when the soul leaves the body. Where will the mind go? It will go back to the mental world. It is from the vital world that we get the vital being. “Vitally” refers to the dynamic, emotional nature and “physically” of course refers to the physical nature.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Earth’s Cry Meets Heaven’s Smile, part 3, Aum Press, Puerto Rico, 1978
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ech_3