Mystical Experiences: Mystical Experiences during meditation

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Mystical Experiences

These are short explanations of various categories of mystical experiences that Sadhakas will experience in meditation.

Anahata Sounds: The Mystical Internal Sounds Heard During Meditation

Anahata sounds are the mystic sounds heard by the Yogi at the beginning stage of his meditation. This subject is termed Nada-Anusadhana, an enquiry into the mystic sounds. This is a sign of purification of the Nadis due to the practice of Pranayama.

The sounds can also be heard after the uttering of the Ajapa Gayatri Mantra, "Hamsah Soham', one hundred thousand times. The sounds are heard through the right ear with or without closing the ears.The sounds are distinct when heard through closed ears. The ears can be closed by introducing the thumbs in the ear through the process of Yoni-Mudra. Sit in Padma or Siddha Asana. Close the ears with right and left thumb and hear the sounds very attentively. Occasionally you can hear the sounds through the left ear also.

Practice to hear through the right ear only. Why you hear through the right ear only or hear distinctly through the right ear is because of the influence of the solar Nadi, Pingla. The anahata sound is also called Omkara Dhvani. It is due to the vibration of prana in the heart.

Movement of the Mind

After a short practice of meditation you will feel that the body gets lighter in a short time, say fifteen or thirty minutes after you have taken your seat on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana according to your taste and temperament. You may be semiconscious of the body and surroundings or you may become quite unconscious of the body.

There is a great deal of happiness owing to concentration. This is happiness resulting from concentration which is quite distinct from sensual pleasure. You must be able to differentiate these two pleasures through the intellect, rendered subtle by constant meditation. Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation) have a power to sharpen the intellect. A trained intellect can comprehend subtle, philosophical and abstruse problems beautifully well. A disciplined intellect that can carefully differentiate the happiness derived from concentration and that of sensual objects will naturally run daily to enjoy this kind of new happiness derived from concentration. Such a mind will loathe at sensual pleasures. There will be extreme detesting abhorrence and positive aversion to objects. It is but natural.

Because this kind of happiness is more lasting, sustained, self-contained and real as it emanates from the Atma (spirit soul). You can distinctly feel that the mind is moving, that it is leaving its seat in the heart, and that it is trying to go to its Yatha Sthana (original seat). You know that it has left its old groove and is now passing on a new avenue. As a result of meditation, new channels are formed in the brain, new thought-currents are generated, new brain cells are formed. There is a transformed psychology altogether. You have got a new brain, a new heart, new feelings, new sentiments, new emotions and new sensations.

Astral Journey and the Astral Body

You first separate yourself from the body; then you identify yourself with the mind, and then you function on the mental plane, with this fine body just as you do on this physical plane. Through concentration, you rise above the body-consciousness; through meditation, you rise above mind; and finally through Samadhi, you realize your spiritual nature. These are three important exercises of Antaranga Sadhana in the achievements of Kaivalya, the final beautitude.

You can, by mere willing alone, travel to any place you like with the astral body and there materialize by drawing the necessary elements either from Ahankara or the universal storehouse, the ocean of Tanmatras. The process is very, very simple to occultists and Yogis who know the rationale, the detailed technique of the various operations.

Thought reading and thought-transference too can be quite easily performed by those who can function with the astral body. Concentrated mental rays can penetrate opaque walls, just as X-rays pass through the opaque body. This is one of the Siddhis (mystical perfections). Siddhis are not the goal of life. Do not entangle yourself in these Siddhis which mar your further spiritual progress. Shun them entirely. Continue your Sadhana and stop not till you reach the goal.

Separation from the Physical Body

During the course of meditation, one day you will feel that you have separated yourself from the body. You will have immense joy mixed with fear; joy in the possession of a new light, astral body; and fear owing to the entry in a foreign, unknown plane. At the very outset, the new consciousness is very rudimentary in the new plane, just as in the case of a pup with newly opened eyes on the eighth or tenth day on the physical plane. You will feel that you have a light air body and perceive a rotating, vibratory, limited, astral atmosphere with illumination of golden lights, objects, beings, etc. You may feel that you are rotating or floating in the air and consequently there is fear of a fall.

You will never drop down, but the new experience of subtlety generates novel feeling and sensations in the beginning. How you leave the body, remains unknown at the outset. You are suddenly startled, when you have completely separated, and when you enter into the new plane, some times with a blue- colored sphere around, sometimes with partial illumination mixed with darkness, while at other times with extremely brilliant, golden, yellow, defused illumination. The new joy is inexpressible and indescribable in words. You will have to actually feel and experience it yourself (Anubhava). You are unaware of how you left the body, but you are fully conscious of your returning. You gently feel as if you enter smoothly, gently through a small hole or fine tube with an airy, ethereal feeling. Just as air enters through the crevices of a window, you enter with the new astral body back into the physical body.

I think I have expressed the idea lucidly. When you have returned. You can clearly differentiate the life in the gross and subtle planes. There is an intense craving to regain the new consciousness and to remain in the state always. You are not able to stay for a period of longer than five to ten minutes in the new region. Further, you can, in the beginning, hardly leave the body at will, through simple willing. By chance , through efforts, you are able to separate from the body once in a month in the course of Sadhana. If you plod on with patience, perseverance and firmness, you will be able to leave the body at will and stay in the new plane for longer period with the new subtle body. You are quite safe from identification with the body. You have made conquest of Deha-Adhyasa, only if you can leave the body at will and stay in the new region for a long time, say for two to three hours. Your position will be quite secure only then. The practice of mauna and steady regular meditation is absolutely necessary to achieve this end. After continuous hard practice, you will be able to separate yourself from the body very frequently. As soon as you silence the thoughts and calm the mind, the mental habit of sleeping from the physical body supervenes automatically. There will be no difficulty then.

Visions of Lights in Meditation

Various kinds of lights manifest during meditation owing to concentration. In the beginning, a bright, white light, the size of a pin's point will appear in the forehead in Trikuti which corresponds tentatively to the Ajna Chakra of the astral body. When the eyes are closed, you will notice different colored lights such as white, yellow, red, smoky, blue, green, mixed color, flashes like lightning, like fire, burning charcoal, fire-flies, the moon, the sun and stars. These lights appear in the mental space, Chidakasha. These are all Tanmatric lights.

Each Tanmatra has its own specific color. Prithvi (earth) Tanmatra has a yellow light; Apas (water) Tanmatra has a white light; Agni (fire) Tanmatra has a red light; Vayu (air) Tanmatra has a smoky light; and Akasha (ether) Tanmatra has a blue light. Yellow and white lights are very commonly seen. Red and blue lights are rarely noticeable. Frequently there is a combination of white and yellow lights. In the beginning, small balls of white light float about before your eyes. When you first observe this, be assured that the mind is be coming more steady and that you are progressing in concentration.

After some months the size of the light will increase and you will see a full blaze of white light, bigger than the sun. In the beginning these lights are not steady. They come and disappear immediately. They flash out from above the forehead and from the sides. They cause peculiar sensations of extreme joy and happiness and there is an intense desire for a vision of these lights. When you have steady and systematic practice for two or three hours of meditation at a stretch, these lights appear more frequently and remain steadily for a long time.

The vision of the lights is a great encouragement in Sadhana. It impels you to stick steadily to meditation. It gives you strong faith in superphysical matters. The appearance of the light denotes that you are transcending the physical consciousness. You are in a semiconscious state when the light appears. You are between the two planes. You must not shake the body when these lights manifest. You must be perfectly steady in the Asana. You must breathe very, very slowly.

One whose food is moderate, whose anger has been controlled, who has given up all love for society, who has subdued his passions, who has overcome all pairs of opposites (Dvandvas) and who has given up his egoism, gets a vision of a triangular light during meditation.

Sometimes during meditation you will see a brilliant dazzling light. You will find it difficult to gaze at this light. You will be compelled to withdraw your mental vision of this light. This dazzling light is the light emanating from the Sushumna.

You will see forms in the lights - either the lustrous forms of demigods (Devatas) or physical forms. You will se your Ishta Devata or chosen deity in handsome dress with four hands and weapons. Siddhas, Rishis and other Devatas appear before you to encourage you. You will find a huge collection of Devatas and celestial ladies (Apsaras) with various musical instruments in their hands. You will also see beautiful flower gardens, fine palatial buildings, rivers, mountains, golden temples, sceneries so lovely and picturesque as cannot be adequately described.

The experiences vary with different individuals. What one man experiences, may not be experienced by another man. Many erroneously believe that they have realized the self when they get these experiences, stop their Sadhana and try to move in the society to preach a new cult and religion in the name of Loka-sangraha. This is a serious blunder. This is not realization at all. These are simple encouragements from your Ishta Devata to convince you of a higher spiritual life and push you on in your steady, systematic and incessant practice of meditation with zeal and enthusiasm. You will have to ignore these things and drive them away. You must not care a bit for the vision of lights. You must fix your attention on the Lakshya, the goal, viz., Brahman. These visions appear in some persons within a few days, while in others within six or nine months. It depends upon the state of the mind and degree of concentration.

Dazzling Mystical Lights in Meditation

Sometimes, during meditation, you will get very powerful and dazzling lights, bigger than the sun. They are white in color. In the beginning, they come and disappear quickly. Later on, they are steady and they become fixed for ten to fifteen minutes according to the strength and degree of concentration. For those who concentrate at the Trikuti, the light appears in the forehead; while for others who concentrate at the Sahasra Chakra, the light manifests itself at the top of the head. The light is so powerful and dazzling sometimes that you have to withdraw yourself from looking at it and break the meditation.

Some people are afraid and do not know what to do and how to proceed further. They come to me for instructions. I tell them that this is a new sensation, which they have not hitherto experienced. By constant practice, the mind engaged in concentration will be used to it and the fear will vanish. I ask them to go on with the practice. Some people concentrate at the heart, some at Trikuti, and some at Sahasra Chakra. It is a question of personal taste. It is easy to control the mind by concentrating at the Trikuti. If you are used to fix at the Trikuti, stick to it always. Do not make frequent changes. Steadiness is very necessary.

The beings and objects with whom you are in touch with during the early period of meditation belong to the astral world. They are similar to human beings minus a physical overcoat. They have desires, cravings, love, hatred, etc., just as human beings have. They have a fine body. They can move about freely. They have powers of materialization, dematerialization, multiplying and clairvoyant vision of an inferior order. The lustrous forms are higher Devatas and encourage you.

Various Shaktis manifest themselves in lustrous forms. Do mental puja as soon as they give you darshana. Angels are beings of mental or higher planes. They also appear before your mindÕs eye. Sometimes, you will feel an invisible help, possibly from your Ishta Devata when you are actually pushed from the physical body into the new plane. That invisible power assists in your separating from the body and going above body consciousness. You will have to mark carefully all these operations.

Do not waste your time in looking at these visions. This is only a curiosity. These are all encouragements to convince you of the existence of super-physical, metaphysical realities and the solid existence of Brahman. Drive away these pictures. Fix your mind on the Lakshya, the goal. Advance. Proceed seriously and energetically with your meditation.

As soon as you retire for sleep, these lights manifest themselves without any exertion on your part. Just when you are going to transcend the physical consciousness, just when you are getting drowsy, these lights appear without your effort. In the morning, before you get up, in the transitional stage of half sleep, half waking, you will get again these lights by themselves without any attempt.

Sometimes during meditation, you will see an infinite, blue sky, ethereal space. You will see yourself in the blue space as a black dot. Sometimes your form will appear in the center of the light. Sometimes you will notice highly vibratory, rotating particles in the light. You will see physical forms, human beings, children, males, females, Rishis with beards, Siddhas and lustrous Tejomaya forms also. Visions are either subjective or objective, your own mental reactions or of realities on finer planes of matter. Universe consists of planes of matter of various grades of density. Rhythmical vibrations of Tanmatras in various degrees, give rise to the formation of various planes. Each plane has its beings and things. The visions may be of these things or beings, or they may be purely imaginary. They may be crystallization of your own intense thinking. You must discriminate in Yogic practice. Reason and common sense must be used all throughout.

Courtesy India Divine, for more articles, please visit www.indiadivine.org