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Articles from santosh krinsky | Selfgrowth.com
- Out of Body Experiences - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2021 from santosh krinskyMost people, embedded in the physical body and its consciousness, find it difficult, if not impossible, to accept or validate the reality of the out of body experience. At the same time, there are countless anecdotes of people who have an out of body experience, or the related ‘near death ...
Views: 628 - Understanding and Avoiding the Lures and Dangers of the Vital Worlds - by Submitted on Aug 28, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe importance of preparation of the nature for the spiritual quest, the development of a solid and unshakable aspiration and devotion, and growth of both an understanding and the ability to distinguish what one is seeing and experiencing, cannot be overstated. As the seeker moves into the inner ...
Views: 645 - The Need to Maintain Balance Between Waking, Dream and Sleep Consciousness - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe operation of the Gunas of nature, Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas is noticeable in the spiritual quest as in everything else. The result is that when something new or exciting occurs, it tends to provoke the rising of Rajas and an attempt to grasp and enhance the ego-gratification of the event. ...
Views: 575 - Exploring the Nature of the Dream State - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2021 from santosh krinskyDreams have kept researchers awake for the entire history of mankind. Where do dreams come from? Of what substance are they made? What significance do they have? The ancient Greek culture had oracles who interpreted dreams. The Old Testament of the Bible recounts the rise of Joseph in the land ...
Views: 607 - Waking and Sleep, Day and Night - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2021 from santosh krinskyDuring daytime, we see the sun, the atmosphere and the world around us, and our thoughts and activities, for the most part, are focused on the life of the world. At night, we see the vast ranges of space and the myriad of stars, and can thereby recognise that our world is a small part of a much ...
Views: 560 - Issues in Understanding the Mechanism of Sleep and Dreams - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2021 from santosh krinskyWe spend a large percentage of our lives in the realm of sleep, and the dreams that accompany the sleep state. We have very little actual knowledge of what takes place during our period of sleep, although scientists do extensive studies on the electrical activity in the brain during sleep and ...
Views: 562 - Understanding the Various Causes of Visions of Deities, Saints and Sages - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe transcription of inner events and experiences into our mental framework will generally utilize symbols, images and personalities which fit into our background, education, and experience, so as to build a link and acceptance through use of familiar images. We frequently find recounted the ...
Views: 700 - How to Gain an Understanding of the Meaning of Inner Perceptions - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2021 from santosh krinskyAs the seeker begins to enter and experience the inner and higher realms of consciousness, he comes into contact with beings, forces, planes and worlds that transcribe experiences into his awareness, yet do not generally function under the same methods and laws that are operative in the normal ...
Views: 707 - Lights and Sounds Can Indicate Opening to Inner or Subtler Planes of Existence - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2021 from santosh krinskyEverything that exists in the universe has an energy signature or frequency which is manifested by light, colour and sound, whether perceived by our limited sense capabilities or outside their range. As the seeker begins to shift awareness inwards, he is no longer totally reliant on the external ...
Views: 644 - Distinguishing Various Types of Symbolic Visions - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2021 from santosh krinskyAs the seeker interacts more with the inner levels of consciousness, there are often various types of visions and symbols which are perceived. These visions, however, are not all from the same source, and do not all carry the same weight or significance. It is another element of the research and ...
Views: 643 - Developing the Power of Supraphysical Sight - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2021 from santosh krinskyIf we accept the idea that supraphysical sight is a latent power of humanity, and not some kind of illusion or otherwise some miraculous special power, then we can seek to understand the conditions under which this power manifests, and show, first, that it is something that is reproducible and ...
Views: 712 - The Development and Use of Occult Powers and the Spiritual Quest - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe lure of occult powers represents one of the temptations to be faced by the spiritual seeker who begins to access the inner and higher realms of consciousness. These powers may be developed through systematic efforts, following the protocols and laws of action under which these powers exist. ...
Views: 694 - The Source and Significance of Visions - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2021 from santosh krinskySeeking visions has been a part of what has been called a “spiritual journey” by countless individuals around the world throughout history and in all religious and spiritual traditions. The “vision quest” is a well known and accepted activity among seekers. Christian mystics, for instance, chose ...
Views: 627 - Supraphysical Sensory Experience: Latent Powers, Not Miracles or Delusions - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2021 from santosh krinskyIt is human nature to want to be able to explain away events, circumstances or experiences that are not understood. For much of human existence, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, the existence of the stars, the power of the oceans, the wind or the storms were described as actions of ...
Views: 676 - Occult Powers and the Secret Knowledge - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2021 from santosh krinskyThere are many who seek after various powers, and study occultism and mysticism with the purpose of achieving unique ‘super powers’. Traditional practices of yoga, while acknowledging that certain powers may result from the practices, make it clear that they are not the object and, indeed, ...
Views: 636 - Spirituality and Occultism - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe lure of occult powers and experiences can be a considerable obstacle for the spiritual seeker who becomes enmeshed in the idea of developing these capacities. There is a reason why traditional paths of spiritual development eschew the use of the occult powers that arise naturally as one goes ...
Views: 685 - Objective and Subjective Knowledge - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2021 from santosh krinskyWe see something with our eyes or hear something with our ears and we believe that we know that it is an external reality, which we all perceive and can agree upon. We put in a separate category those things that we perceive through forms of knowing that do not depend on sense perception, and ...
Views: 647 - The Intermediate Zone in the Development of Consciousness - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2021 from santosh krinskySri Aurobindo distinguishes between what he terms the ‘intermediate zone’ and a number of intermediate stages in the development of consciousness. The distinction is important. The intermediate zone is a transitional phase as the normal human mind-life-body begins to experience the influx of ...
Views: 620 - Preparing the Being for the Spiritual Quest - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe vital nature of the human being craves the type of excitement that comes with extraordinary experiences. True spiritual progress, however, requires that a balance be maintained between what the human instrument can hold effectively, and how much Force is brought to bear from the higher ...
Views: 652 - Safely Transitioning Between the External Physical Consciousness and the Mental, Vital and Subtle Physical Realms of Inner Experience - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2021 from santosh krinskyWhenever an individual enters into a new situation or circumstance, there is a period of disorientation, which may involve misinterpretation of what is being experienced, as well as failure to understand the rules, laws or protocols that may apply in that new situation. In society this may lead ...
Views: 616 - Cosmic Truth and Cosmic Ignorance: the Unity and the Multiplicity - by Submitted on Aug 09, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe Isha Upanishad describes the dual aspects of Reality, the Ignorance and the Knowledge: “Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the Ignorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to the Knowledge alone. Other, verily it is said, is that which comes by the ...
Views: 661 - Cosmic Consciousness and a Shift from the Ego-Standpoint to the Divine Standpoint - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2021 from santosh krinskyHow can anyone describe or comprehend an experience of consciousness so foreign to our normal human individual experience? Sages and seers have used many illustrative images to try to provide the mind some vague notion of the significance of the shift in standpoint that is represented by the ...
Views: 621 - Transition to a New Higher Standpoint of Consciousness Is the Basis of Achievement of the Cosmic Consciousness - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2021 from santosh krinskyMany people can identify the experience of suddenly receiving an intuition or inspired or illumined knowledge on occasion. Some experience such things relatively frequently. Where does this sudden illumination come from? How does it act upon us? Generally, the occasional intuition is recognised ...
Views: 593 - The Nature and Experience of Cosmic Consciousness - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2021 from santosh krinskyWithout experience, it is difficult to comprehend the difference between the normal human ego-consciousness and the cosmic consciousness. Those who have had the experience try to disclose the type and quality of their experience, but using human words that relate to our normal body-life-mind way ...
Views: 594 - What Is Cosmic Consciousness? - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2021 from santosh krinskyOur normal human consciousness revolves around the standpoint and awareness of our ego-personality. We look at things from our own viewpoint, and determine our relation to everything that takes place based on how we perceive these things to impact the ego. We tend to treat the universal creation ...
Views: 619 - Liberation Should Precede the Attainment of the Cosmic Consciousness - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe ego-personality actually can be a form of protection for the unprepared soul in the world, as it limits the range and power of action. If a person breaks out of the framework provided by the small ego-personality, and comes into contact with and active conscious interaction with the larger ...
Views: 664 - Distinguishing the Realisation of the Atman and the Higher Planes of Consciousness - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2021 from santosh krinskyWhen an individual begins the spiritual quest, there can be considerable confusion about different directions, objectives and methods of attainment. In many cases, divergent goals are lumped together, while in other instances, there can be confusion about the sequence of the steps. Sri Aurobindo ...
Views: 615 - The Need to Overcome Fear in the Realisation of the Atman - by Submitted on Aug 02, 2021 from santosh krinskyIn the external world, fear plays a role that can both hinder progress, and protect from impulsive or rash action that would result in injury, loss or death. If fear is excessive, it paralyzes the individual into inaction. If it is insufficient, he may rush into circumstances far beyond his ...
Views: 577 - What is the Atman? How Do We Experience the Self? - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2021 from santosh krinskyAs long as we are enmeshed in the ego-life, it is essentially impossible to conceive of the status or existence of the Atman. We relate to the physical world, we relate to other individuals as if we are just this limited human existence and being, we perceive and react to everything from our own ...
Views: 623 - The Self — the Atman and Individual Liberation - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2021 from santosh krinskyOne of the primary objectives of traditional paths of yoga has been the liberation from the bondage of the world of illusion, the phantasmagoria of the creation and the individual’s fixation on success and failure, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, happiness and despair that occurs as a result ...
Views: 676 - Understanding the Inner Being - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2021 from santosh krinskyAs long as we remain on the surface of our being, and rely entirely on the physical senses and the nervous system of the vital being and the mental processes focused on these outer sensations, actions and phenomena, the inner depths of our being remain hidden from us, occult, and not quite ...
Views: 599 - The Emergence of the Witness Purusha - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe recognition of the separation of the Purusha, the inner witness consciousness and the Prakriti, the active nature that operates in the mind, life and body, is an important step in the practice of yoga, whether for total abandonment of the outer world and liberation of the being, or as an ...
Views: 621 - The Transitional Stage of Shifting from the Outer Surface Consciousness to the Inner Consciousness - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2021 from santosh krinskyAt a certain stage of spiritual development, seekers tend to go through a phase where the world, its actions, objects, goals and results seem to be an illusion. The philosophical path of Mayavada resulted from just such an insight and experience. The seeker sees that everything is transitory and ...
Views: 508 - Understanding the Witness Consciousness — the Separation of Purusha and Prakriti - by Submitted on Jul 27, 2021 from santosh krinskyWe tend to identify with the perceptions, sensations, desires, feelings and thoughts we experience and through the ego-consciousness, we take ownership of them and believe that they are what makes up our unique individuality. When we sit quietly, and turn our attention away from the outer world, ...
Views: 628 - The Need to Open and Bring Forward the Inner Psychic Being - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2021 from santosh krinskyHumanity has tried countless ways to solve the existential questions and crises that we face living in the world around us and interacting with all other beings who share the space with us. Religion, law, social development, economic development, technology, and others have each had their chance ...
Views: 569 - Spiritual Experiences Are Real - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2021 from santosh krinskyFor the individual who has a spiritual experience, one of the most notable characteristics is the absolute and incontrovertible ‘reality’ of the experience. Yet, people who live primarily in the surface consciousness tend to treat such experiences, when related, as somehow less real or even ...
Views: 605 - Spiritual Experiences Are Real - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2021 from santosh krinskyFor the individual who has a spiritual experience, one of the most notable characteristics is the absolute and incontrovertible ‘reality’ of the experience. Yet, people who live primarily in the surface consciousness tend to treat such experiences, when related, as somehow less real or even ...
Views: 584 - Understanding and Bridging the Gap Between the Outer Surface Existence and the Inner Being - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe Upanishads describe an aspect of reality that is generally blocked from the external awareness of the body-life-mind complex. The Isha Upanishad states: “The face of Truth is covered with a brilliant golden lid; that do thou remove, O Fosterer, for the law of the Truth, for sight.” (Isha ...
Views: 558 - Results of Spiritual Development in the Consciousness - by Submitted on Jul 23, 2021 from santosh krinskyJust as we cannot see electricity, but we can observe its results, or we cannot see the mental process objectively (although one can indeed observe thoughts processing internally), but we can see its impact in the world, so with the spiritual development, which is more subtle than the mental ...
Views: 584 - Experience and Signs of Spiritual Development in the Consciousness - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2021 from santosh krinskyWhen we experience something in the physical body, it is a sensation that carries a nervous impulse to the brain, which interprets whether it is cold or hot, dry or wet, painful or pleasurable, etc. Similarly, vital reactions and emotions are experienced through the release of various hormones ...
Views: 588 - Becoming Aware of the Inner Being and Taking Up the Spiritual Life - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2021 from santosh krinskyFor most people, their lives are focused on their external relationships, their own individual self-satisfaction and their ability to manipulate their social and environmental reality to achieve objectives set by their ego-personality. Many do not have any meaningful relationship to any inner ...
Views: 605 - A Change of the Outer Nature Requires First a Change in the Inner Being - by Submitted on Jul 20, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe physical body (actually the entire material world) is subject to habits, and change tends to come slowly. Our being, however, is made up of a series of sheaths which progress from the subtle to the gross physical and thus, any attempt to make a change to the more outward sheaths, the ...
Views: 684 - Perception of the Divine Force Through the Inner Being - by Submitted on Jul 20, 2021 from santosh krinskyWhen we flip a light switch, we have faith that there is electricity flowing through the wires and the lights will turn on. We do not actually know or perceive the electricity, but we can see its effects in operation. Similarly, our surface being may see effects of the Divine Force at work in ...
Views: 538 - The Nature and Forms of Spiritual Experience - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2021 from santosh krinskyHow do we distinguish what is an actual spiritual experience? We have an inherent bias towards believing and accepting perceptions and reactions to outer stimuli, the objects of the senses, and the reactions that arise inwardly from those stimuli. When it comes to an inner feeling or experience, ...
Views: 541 - Spiritual Experiences and Spiritual Realisations - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2021 from santosh krinskyOur vital nature crazes ‘excitement’ and to gather ‘experiences’. It is no different for the spiritual aspirant than for the rest of humanity in this regard. Spiritual experiences tend to be extraordinary in the sense that they go beyond the everyday perceptions or sensations and tend to have a ...
Views: 541 - The Knowledge of the Mystics - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2021 from santosh krinskyWe generally rely on the information provided by our senses to understand the world we live in. This information, however, is subject to misperception and misinterpretation, leading us to vastly distort the truth of what we ‘know’. For countless years, most of humanity believed that the sun ...
Views: 654 - What Is Spirituality? - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2021 from santosh krinskySurveys done of young people today indicate a strong movement to reduce the role of the mainstream organised religions with people claiming to be “spiritual” not “religious”. What is spirituality and how does it differ from being religious? Religions tend to focus on a fixed belief system and ...
Views: 587 - An Integral Yoga involves Knowledge, Devotion, Works and Self-Perfection - by Submitted on Jul 14, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe integral yoga takes as its goal something far different than most of the individual yogic paths. The goal here is not liberation from the world, dissolution of the individual, or renunciation of action. Rather, the integral yoga calls for the liberation of the nature and the transformation ...
Views: 593 - The Needed Engagement That Enlivens the Outer Forms of Worship - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe inner life-force behind any action is more important than the outer form which it takes. Japa and Mantra can become habitual and repetitive, and if that happens, the outer shelf remains, but there is nothing alive within. Such japa sadhana has little value. The living energy needed is either ...
Views: 537 - Secrets for the Successful Use of Japa or Mantra for Spiritual Realisation and Daily Life - by Submitted on Jul 12, 2021 from santosh krinskyThere are tales of devotees reciting various mantras millions of times in order to achieve some boon or result in their spiritual progress. The mantra, or the recitation of a name of God, is the sound-body of the form or deity and thus, the theory goes, continued repetition of that name or sound ...
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