A dictionary of Parapsycology. Please note that words in grey are hyperlinked to a corresponding archive with articles related to that particular topic.

consciousness: Chitta or chaitanya.

1)    A synonym for mind-stuff, chitta; or

2)    the condition or power of perception, awareness, apprehension.

There are myriad gradations of consciousness, from the simple sentience of inanimate matter to the consciousness of basic life forms, to the higher consciousness of human embodiment, to omniscient states of superconsciousness, leading to immersion in the One universal consciousness, Parashakti. Chaitanya and chitta can name both individual consciousness and universal consciousness.

Modifiers indicate the level of awareness, e.g.,

-       vyashti chaitanya, "individual consciousness;"

-       buddhi chitta, "intellectual consciousness;"

-       Sivachaitanya, "God consciousness."

Five classical "states" of awareness are discussed in scripture:

1)    wakefulness (jagrat),

2)    "dream" (svapna) or astral consciousness,

3)    "deep sleep" (sushupti) or subsuperconsciousness,

4)    the superconscious state beyond (turiya "fourth") and

5)    the utterly transcendent state called turiyatita ("beyond the fourth").

See: awareness, chitta, chaitanya, mind (all entries).

(See also: Consciousness , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

vama: (Sanskrit)  "Pleasant; beautiful; benignant; striving after" - as in Vamadeva, a name of Siva.  "Left; crooked; acting in the opposite way" - as in vama marga, the left-handed tantric path."

See: left-handed, tantrism.

(See also: Vama , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

WILL

Another word for persistence and maintained attention. Will is one of the two natural human powers for altering reality (the other is imagination). When faced with an insoluble problem or great odds against us, it is the Will alone that leads us through to solution and victory. As the imagination is the power of the mind through understanding and enlightenment, the Will is the way of material action. There is no will without physical effort of some kind exerted over physical phenomena.

Colin Wilson says of the will:

"Modern civilization induces an attitude of "passivity." When a  Stone Age hunter set out to trap wild animals, he was aware of his will as a  living force. When the prehistoric farmer scored the surface of the earth with  a crude plough, he knew that his family's survival through the winter depended  on his effort, and his will responded to the challenge. When a modern city dweller walks down a crowded thoroughfare, he feels no sense of challenge or  involvement. This city was built by other people; all these shops and offices  are owned by other people. He can get through an ordinary day's work in a  state approximating to sleep. Most of his routine tasks are carried out by the  'robot.' There is neither the need or the opportunity to use the will."

(See also:   , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

enlightenment: For Saiva monists, Self Realization, samadhi without seed (nirvikalpa samadhi); the ultimate attainment, sometimes referred to as Paramatma darshana, or as atma darshana, "Self vision" (a term which appears in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras).

Enlightenment is the experience-nonexperience resulting in the realization of one's transcendent Self-Parasiva -which exists beyond time, form and space. Each tradition has its own understanding of enlightenment, often indicated by unique terms.

See: God Realization, kundalini, nirvikalpa samadhi, Self Realization, jivanmukta, jnana..

(See also: Enlightenment , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

A Christian theological definition of   according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Nestorianism

See also:   , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A dream dictionary with dream-symbols and their meanings.

A spiritual view on dreams and the meaning of dreams by Sri Swami Sivananda, an authority in the vedic sciences and traditions.

REINCARNATION

Advanced minds seem to take reincarnation for granted: Plato, Emerson, Edison, Shaw, Jung -- even Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. All life transmigrates -- indeed, not just life, but everything "returns." Many find the latter idea hard to take -- as though there must be not only no mice in the Afterworld, but no machines! Yet, obviously, if one thing evolves, then everything evolves. Molecules of steel and granite cling tenaciously, as do we, to permanence and the spider chooses her life, even as we choose ours, because spiderdom is the acme of her aspirations. Where the will exists, there return exists.

Even if the evolution of life out of the inanimate does not indicate mind apart from brain, even if it demonstrates only the "accidental" fact that things must mutate "upward" or else dissolve downward into entropy, then "mind" or "purpose" is synonymous with or implicit in "accidence" itself. The one apodictic truth is that life and complexification have prevailed, whatever else has not, including the "content" of entropy.

The universe is mind, as we've pointed out elsewhere. The purpose of mind is to know itself, and knowing can succeed only through particularization.

One way to understand metempsychosis is to imagine our poor sublunary lives as pressings onto phonograph records, on the Akasha's etheric record. When the Atma particle, or Oversoul, incarnates, it shuffles off its generalized shell and starts to particularize. In so doing it may, under certain rare and privileged circumstances, find itself able to examine previous akashic recordings in which it formed similar particularizations. The Oversoul itself, however, is made up of all these countless recorded souls. With each experience it grows in metamorphic complexity. In the Oversoul the Whole is greater that its parts -- although when it separates individually the part is naturally greater than the Whole.

The Buddhists hold that there is no "immutable soul." Therefore reincarnation is simply a way of expressing the rebirth of unenlightened mind. Rebirth is then merely like the same sand pouring into different vessels: bucket, goblet, urn, etc. If death is the abandonment of personal self, then the dividing walls between us crumble and memory has access to all former lives. Most people tend to remember only the former lives of the more interesting or arresting personalities: kings, queens, martyrs, monsters, etc. That's why there are so many former Napoleons and Cleopatras and so few kitchenmaids and village idiots.

Finally, we must detach ourselves from the encapsulating Xtian belief in literal "Resurrection." We must understand that the "raising of the dead" is a metaphorical version, not of reincarnation, but of renewal within life. To be reborn of the flesh, of fire, of water and the spirit -- these are its tetramorphic aspects, to be sure, but resurrection, reincarnation and being "born again" are all symbols of the birth or rebirth of the spirit within the "dead" soul of materialistic greed. Rebirth begins before physical death and proceeds post-mortem into actual reincarnation. Reincarnation per se, however, is not acceptable to orthodox Xtianity in the slightest because it neutralizes Salvation.

(See also: REINCARNATION , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

A Christian theological definition of   according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Unitarianism

See also:   , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A Theosophical definition of Round :

Round

The doctrine concerning our planetary chain commonly called that of the seven rounds means that the life cycle or life-wave begins its evolutionary course on globe A, the first of the series of seven (or ten) globes; then, completing its cycles there, runs down to globe B, and then to globe C, and then to globe D, our earth; and then, on the ascending arc, to globe E, then to globe F, and then to globe G. These are the manifest seven globes of the planetary chain. This is one planetary round. After the planetary round there ensues a planetary or chain nirvana, until the second round begins in the same way, but in a more "advanced" degree of evolution than was the first round.

A globe round is one of the seven passages of a life-wave during its planetary round, on any one (and therefore on and through each) of the globes. When the life-wave has passed through globe D, for instance, and ends its cycles on globe D, this is the globe round of globe D for that particular planetary round; and so with all the globes respectively. Seven root-races make one globe round. There are seven globe rounds therefore (one globe round for each of the seven globes) in each planetary round.

Seven planetary rounds equal one kalpa or manvantara or Day of Brahma. When seven planetary rounds have been accomplished, which is as much as saying forty-nine globe rounds (or globe manvantaras), there ensues a still higher nirvana than that occurring between globes G and A after each planetary round. This higher nirvana is coincident with what is called a pralaya of that planetary chain, which pralaya lasts until the cycle again returns for a new planetary chain to form, containing the same hosts of living beings as on the preceding chain, and which are now destined to enter upon the new planetary chain, but on and in a higher series of planes or worlds than in the preceding one.

When seven such planetary chains with their various kalpas or manvantaras have passed away, this sevenfold grand cycle is one solar manvantara, and then the solar system sinks into the solar or cosmic pralaya.

There are outer rounds and inner rounds. An inner round comprises the passage of the life-wave in any one planetary chain from globe A to globe G once around, and this takes place seven times in a planetary manvantara.

The outer round comprises the passage of the entirety of a life-wave of a planetary chain along the circulations of the solar system, from one of the seven sacred planets to another; and this for seven (or ten) times.

There is another aspect of the teaching concerning the outer rounds which cannot be elucidated here.

See also: Round , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

A Christian theological definition of   according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Cosmological argument

See also:   , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

A Christian theological definition of   according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Cosmology

See also:   , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

KUNDALINI

Sex power (Hindu serpent). The goddess in the form of a fire-serpent, who lies sleeping at the base of the spine. It is the supreme power of magic in man.

(See also: KUNDALINI , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

‚handas Vedanga: (Sanskrit) Auxiliary Vedic texts on the metrical rules of poetic writing. ‚handa, meter, is among four linguistic skills taught for mastery of the Vedas and the rites of yajna. ‚handas means "desire; will; metrical science." The most important text on ‚handas is the ‚handa Shastra, ascribed to Pingala (ca 200 bce). See: Vedanga.

(See also: ‚handas Vedanga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Chela :

Chela

(Cela) An old Indian term. In archaic times more frequently spelled and pronounced cheta or cheda. The meaning is "servant," a personal disciple attached to the service of a teacher from whom he receives instruction. The idea is closely similar to the Anglo-Saxon term leorning-cneht, meaning "learning servant," a name given in Anglo-Saxon translations of the Christian New Testament to the disciples of Jesus, his "chelas." It is, therefore, a word used in old mystical scriptures for a disciple, a pupil, a learner or hearer. The relationship of teacher and disciple is infinitely more sacred even than that of parent and child; because, while the parents give the body to the incoming soul, the teacher brings forth that soul itself and teaches it to be and therefore to see, teaches it to know and to become what it is in its inmost being  - that is, a divine thing.

The chela life or chela path is a beautiful one, full of joy to its very end, but also it calls forth and needs everything noble and high in the learner or disciple; for the powers or faculties of the higher self must be brought into activity in order to attain and to hold those summits of intellectual and spiritual grandeur where the Masters themselves live. For that, masterhood, is the end of discipleship  - not, however, that this ideal should be set before us merely as an end to attain to as something of benefit for one's own self, because that very thought is a selfish one and therefore a stumbling in the path. It is for the individual's benefit, of course; yet the true idea is that everything and every faculty that is in the soul shall be brought out in the service of all humanity, for this is the royal road, the great royal thoroughfare, of self-conquest. The more mystical meanings attached to this term chela can be given only to those who have irrevocably pledged themselves to the esoteric life.

See also: Chela , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

paranormal healing: Field of metaphysical health-related practices.

It encompasses absent healing, Bach flower therapy, Bioplasmic healing, channeling, faith healing, the laying on of hands, LeShan psychic training, magnetic healing, psychic dentistry, psychic healing, psychic surgery, psychosynthesis, remote diagnosis, Seicho-No-Ie, self-healing, shamanism, the Simonton method, spirit healing, spirit surgery, spiritual healing, and Therapeutic Touch.

(See also: Paranormal healing , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

A dictionary with common spiritual words from Hinduism and Sanskrit. Also see these links: Hinduism, Spirituality, Enlightenment, Spiritual Dictionary and Hinduism Dictionary.

The Herbal Dictionary

A herbal dictionary with definitions.

Please note that all words in grey, like "yoga", "enlightenment" or "kundalini" are hyperlinked to archives further explaining the term. At the corresponding archive you will also find articles related to the term.

A Christian theological definition of Ark of the Covenant according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Ark of the Covenant

See also: Ark of the Covenant , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

olfactory aromatherapy: Direct or indirect inhalation of essential oils. Olfactory aromatherapy unlocks odor memories and encourages realignment of natural forces within the body.

(See also: Olfactory aromatherapy , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

spiritual healing: A form of channeling and energy medicine (vibrational medicine) that involves the transference (commonly through the hands) of healing energy from its spiritual source to one who needs help. Its theory posits a spiritual body.

(See also: Spiritual healing , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)