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Thread: Bhakti and hallucinations

  1. #11
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    Re: Bhakti and hallucinations

    Quote Originally Posted by JaiMaaDurga View Post
    Namaste Rudy,

    I am adding my voice here
    simply because I identified myself as an agnostic for a long time, before
    hearing Maa's call.

    JAI MATA DI
    I agree with JaiMaaDurga, as I was in the same situation as her before hearing Lord Shiva's calling.

    What brought me here are my dreams years ago about Lord Shiva. First it surprised me, then I wanted to know more about him, then I have read many sacred books and finally I began to worship and took the path of Sanatana Dharma.

    The Shiva in those dreams, was he just my imagination ? I don't know. Maybe it was just my brain. But the very force that have lead my life into Santana Dharma, that is what I call the encounter with Shiva. It's...difficult to explain and excuse me because english is not my native language but...For me Shiva is the path. He is not a giant man that appeared before me physically...He is the path that was before me all the time and that I never saw before, he is the very force that put me into Sanatana Dharma. I owe Shiva not visions, but whole experiences of learning, meeting and love in India and in my country.

    This is what a real "vision" is for me. it is the change that occurs in you. Lord Shiva is inside you and you feel him, you feel that you have learned something, that there is something new. It can be a very tiny thing, as well as a big change, it all depend on you ! Shiva is everywhere around.

    Aum~
    ~Aum Namah Shivaya~

  2. #12

    Re: Bhakti and hallucinations

    Namaste Rudy,

    You have some fantastic responses so far, if I might add another perspective for your consideration. I am going to be a little technical here as I feel that your initial question is shying somewhat, from the emotional mind.

    “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

    Albert Einstein


    To my mind there is no such thing as an overly sensitive brain, sensitivity is an eye with which we detect the world about us. If we have no understanding of the workings of this emotional function of our manas, we may become swept away by the torrents of information.

    Those who are less emotional may inform you that this is over emotionality when you try to describe that which you see/feel, one must developed the language and rational to express this, you may be told by those around you that you are hallucinating, when in fact it is they who have misunderstood your message, often due to lack of "insight". We must choose wisely, with whom we pass satsang.

    It is recommended by swami LakshmanJoo, to those on the path of Kashmir Shavism, that initially one focuses on Siva continually, and does not speak to others whilst going about ones business ...

    A hallucination is that; when we lack the dharma and understanding of the nature of reality, to express that which we see. The hallucination takes the form of images or reflections of your dharma powered by saMskAra, and there is always a message should we chose to listen. This is how the deepest knots are untied.

    Now vision in this respect is not about seeing, as with the eyes; to my mind this is an internal understanding of shakti, as she becomes apparent to us.

    We find that the world is full of Grace; the dance becomes apparent.

    praNAma

    mana

    Aum Namaḥ Śivāya
    Last edited by Mana; 16 April 2012 at 12:40 AM.

  3. #13
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    Re: Bhakti and hallucinations

    Quote Originally Posted by Rudy View Post
    How do we know if we are having a genuine vision of God, and not the misfiring of an overly emotional brain?
    Essentially, we cannot.

    For, George Bush believed he had a genuine vision of Jehovah asking him to invade Middle-Eastern lands.

    Mohammed believed he had a genuine vision of arch-angel Jebriel asking him to bring the whole world under the banner of Islam.

    Now, both of these cannot be true simultaneously. Both of them can be simultaneously false though.

  4. #14
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    Re: Bhakti and hallucinations

    Its a fact that overly emotional persons with lesser intelligence says lots about their suprasensory vision/darshans.even majority describe such things(false) to get attention and respect.the former cases may be either hallucination or may be true vision as extra-ordinary emotion brings extra-concentration too.

    But there is a general pattern in bhakti-meditation and vision of deity.

    Initially a bhakta is able to see a part of the deity he is meditating.after long practice,he may be able to see full picture.gradually the pictures start moving,start talking,start responding to bhakta"s thought,laughing etc.

    But till this point of time,the entire vision of the devotee is purely the mind"s projection.the form/image of deity,the response etc are according to the knowledge,aspiration of the devotee.the image is nowhere close to the true form of deity.whatever image we have created in our mind after seeing,listening about a deity will be reflected in our meditation.

    After long practice,suddenly the image of our dissapear and the image of the deity according to his wish will appear in our vision.That image may be either --tattva-mayee,may be bhava-mayee depending upon our dominant character/nature and is decided by deity.Then this image also starts to change with time and according to developement of our knowledge.

    But the image seen by highest sadhus/gopibhava siddha"s are true and real.the pictures we worshipping is according to our taste,just like south-indias" krishna,north"s and east"s krishna image varies widely.
    Last edited by anirvan; 16 April 2012 at 03:58 AM. Reason: add
    Man-naathah Shri Jagan-nathah Mat-guru-shri jagad-guruhu.
    Mad-atma sarva-bhutatma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.


    My Lord is the Lord of Universe; My teacher is the teacher of the
    entire universe; and my Self is the Self of all. My salutations at the lotus-feet
    of such a Guru, who has revealed such knowledge to me.

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