Sri Aurobindo's cosmic ascents refer to the spiritual journey of an individual or humanity moving through increasingly higher planes of consciousness, culminating in a descent of this higher consciousness to transform the material world. This process involves an ascension from the ordinary mind through planes like the Higher Mind, Illumined Mind, and Intuitive Mind, to the Supermind, and a subsequent descent of this transformed consciousness to the lower being. The ultimate goal is a complete transformation of the individual and the material world, leading to a "divine life" on Earth.