133 ReviewArticle RFPIndianJournalof MedicalPsychiatry Volume 1 Number 3, September ­ December 2018 YogicExperiencesDetailedintheIndicScriptures:ARationalView T.V.Gopal Abstract Modernsciencehasaddressedtheissuesconcernedwiththefunctioningofthehumanbraininthepersonal, socialandtoanextentintheglobalcontexts.Centuriesofeffortsinunderstandingthefunctioningofhuman brainhavemerelyprovidedabasicunderstandingofabout1%ofthehumanbrain.Moreimportantly,the ‘cosmiccontext’ofitsfunctioningthatisrichlydiscussedintheindicscripturesisneitherdefinednorexplored by the current day science.This aspect ofhuman experience, hithertocondemned asabnormal by modern science,mayprovidevitalcluesinunravelingthesecretsofhumanbrainanditsbehavior. ModernsciencepostulatesthatHumanbrainislikeanytypicalenginewithalimitedenergyatitsdisposal. Theentropyinherentinitsfunctioningleadstoirrevocablelossofenergythathastobereplenished.Theprocess ofreplenishmentcanbenaturalrest,forcedrestormedicationthatreducesorslowsdownthebrainfunctioning. Theindicscripturesprofessthatitispossibleforthehumanbraintoattainastatecalled“consciousness”wherein ithasanunlimitedenergyatitsdisposal.Anunderstandingofthis humanphenomenonhaseludedmany scientistsanditmaybetheunexpectedsciencetocomeinthenewmillennium. Severalmethodologiesvividlyportrayedintheindicscripturesenableanindividualtoattainthishighly covetedstateoffunctioningofthebrain.‘KundaliniYoga’isonesuchmethodology.Thepractitionerofthis yoga iscalled a ‘sadhaka’. Indicscriptures pertainingto this yoga providegraphic descriptionsof several ‘mysterious’experiencesthatcouldbeencounteredbythesadhaka.Lackofscientificbasiscoupledwithgross mis­interpretationandmisuseofthedescriptionsbyquackshascondemnedmanyaspectsofthisyogaintothe realmsof‘mysticism’andobnoxiouscults. Thisarticleisanattempttoprovidearationalviewforseveralmysteriousexperiencesofthepractitionersof ‘KundaliniYoga’.Someapproachestoinvestigatesuchexperiencesusingscientificmethodsarealsosuggested. Keywords:KundaliniYoga;Mysticism;CosmicContext;Mantra;Music. Introduction [7] Sleepisperhapsveryclosetoanunconsciousstate ofmind andcanbe tappedforuseful information.Routinechoreslikewalking,brushing “Man cannot persist long in a conscious state; he teeth,drivingandsoontendtobeperformedina mustthrowhimselfbackintotheunconscious,forhis subconscious state of mind. This is perhaps the root lives there” - Goethe firsttrace ofhealthytrance.Morepronounced formofthistranceisseeninsportsmenfocussed onthegameobliviousofeverythingelse.Inshort Itisperhapsforthisreasonsleepisvitalfor thisisaformofhighlyfocusseddeepthoughtora healthyliving.Sleepalsoprovidesthemost state of self­hypnosis. Trance hasbothered familar hallucinatory experiences called dreams. philosophersandmedicalpractitionersforseveral Author’s Affiliation: Co­Ordinator, Center for Applied Researchin Indic Technologies [CARIT] &Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, CEG Campus, AnnaUniversity, Chennai,Tamil Nadu 600025, India. Correspondence and Reprint Requests: T.V. Gopal, Co­Ordinator, Center for Applied Research in Indic Technologies [CARIT]&Professor,DepartmentofComputerScienceandEngineering,CEGCampus,AnnaUniversity,Chennai,Tamil Nadu600025,India. E­mail:[email protected];[email protected] RFP Indian Journal ofMedical Psychiatry / Volume1 Number 3 / September ­ December 2018 134 T. V.Gopal/YogicExperiencesDetailed intheIndicScriptures:ARationalView centuries. There is no cogent explanation of this acquired byskilfullyharnessingthephysicaland phenomenoneven today. mentaleffectsof theplanets.Interestingly,thisis Hallucinations­‘seeingthings’,‘hearingvoices’ thebasisforseveralformsofocculttechniquesof isconsideredtobeapathologicalsymptom. India. Mesmerism canproduce somnambulists Surprisingly, several eminent personalities such too.Thereareinstanceslikeinmagicshowswhere asGautamaBuddha,SaintPaul,Muhammed[20], themindcontrolisusedtomovephysicalobjects JoanofArc,Socratesreportedthattheyhavebeen aswell. inspiredbydivineformsandvoices.Infact,this Hypnotism temporarily induces certain isbelievedtobetheculminationofallpenances. patterns of networks within the brain of the In Hindu philosophy a controlled form of person(s)infrontofthehypnotist.Thepattern recognizingagodlyinductionisoftentheendgoal inducedis a functionof thehypnotists template ofapenance.Thisformisperhapsastateof network which is well­formed within his brain. mysticalecstasy.Thereisthusahugegreyarea Thispatterntemporarilydisplacesthe ‘self­ intheunderstandingofHallucinations. conscious’stateofthehypnotizedperson(s).This isamoreadvancedformofMesmerism.The Infact,betweenconsciousstateofmindandthe subjectoftheHypnotistcandowhateveristold unconsciousthereareseveralstatesthatdemand inasub­consciousstate.Thehinduyogicbeliefthat deeperresearchandseveralstatesprovingto mindcanalsocontrolobjectsincluding bodiesof eludeacoherentunderstanding.Istrancedivine otherhumanbeingsexternaltothebodyoftheyogi or diabolic? isakintothetheoryofhypnotictherapy. CertainSiberiantribesprofessedandpractised Decades of absolute materialism forced a form of quasi­religious ecstasy called researchersto confinethemselves to thephysical ‘Shamanism’.Itisbelievedtobeanastralor natureofBrain.Asaconsequence,trancerelated mentalunisonwithachosenspirit.Witch­doctors symptoms are attributed to abnormal chemical practicethismoreasabusiness.Theextremeform flows in the brain. All of us in a regular work ofthisexperienceiscalledconvulsionandthisis environment do have to get into a concentration diabolic.Whenthebeliefinthedevilwanedthis shellorself­hypnosisatsomepointortheother. statewascalledamaniaorepilepsy.Henry Theyogamethodologyprescribed intheIndic Sigeristarguedthatman’sinstinctispurerinless scriptures encompasses all theaspects discussed developed civilisations. Shamanism is a above andenables a smooth transition amongst temporarylossofinstinctattributedtoevilspirits. various states of mind. Indic scriptures vividly Anyindividualcancontrolandenterthisstate describe four principle states of mind namely ­ of trance at will with training. A benevolent wakingstate,dreamstate,deep­sleepstateand formofthisaspectispenanceforacquiring self­realized state. There are several other godlinessoryoga. advanced states such as ‘Turiya’, ‘Samadhi’ and Externalfearcaninduceepilepsyorfits.An soonarevividlydescribedinthescriptures.A individual tends to become hysterical. discussiononvariousstatesofmindisbeyondthe Unfortunately,thisdiseasealsogetstuckedaway scope of this article. Yoga effects the state in mysticism asit can be mimicked at will. An transitionsandtherebykindlesthelatentuntapped extremeformofhysterical fitsiscoma.Inthe energies within the body of the yogito produce eighteenthcenturyitwascalledexorcism.Massage startlingbehaviouralchangesanddemonstratable withouttouchingthebodywaspractisedby psychicpowers.However,untilrecentlymodern ‘strokers’. This wasa cure forcertainformsand sciencehasbeenreluctanteventoadmitthatyoga gradesofhystericalfits.Strokersrelyonthebelief couldenablesupra­normalbehavioursandpsychic thatcertainmagnetisablefluidsflowintothe powers. brain.Thisbeliefis alsothebasisformagnetic therapy. KundaliniYoga[6] JesusChristisbelievedtohaveachieved Theword‘yoga’seemstohavebeenderivedfrom phenomenal successby instilling faith in the theSanskritword‘Yuj’meaning‘tojoin’or‘toyoke’. individualsexhibitingdiabolictrancesymptoms. Thus‘yoga’meansjoiningoryokingtheindividual ItisimpossibletocorrectmindsbyMagic. soulorself­consciousstateofmindtotheUltimate Mesmerdemonstratedthat‘animalmagnetism’ orBrahmanalongthepathofSelf­realization.Hindu canbeinducedintoanyindividual.Mesmer philosophyprofessesthateveryonecanattainthe theorisedthatthisabilitytoinducecanbe Brahman. RFP Indian Journal ofMedical Psychiatry / Volume1 Number 3 / September ­ December 2018 T. V.Gopal/YogicExperiencesDetailed intheIndicScriptures:ARationalView 135 Avitalforceisbelievedtobeasleepatthebottom ‘Apana’.Theothervitalair‘prana’isseatedatthe of the Spinal Cord inevery human being. When AnahataChakra.Thetwoairspulleachotherand awakeneditisbelievedtomoveupwardtowards deathoccurswhenthisactivityceases. the soft spot in the skull or Sahasraaraalongthe Adifficultchakrarepresentingthe‘Isthadevatha’ Spinal cord.This vital forceiscalled ‘Kundalini’. (8petalledlotus)isbetweenAnahataChakraand It iscalled ‘Oordhwagaprana’in thefamous text ManipuraChakra.Onehastoshakeoffthereliance ‘YogaVaasistha’[14]asitindicatesanupward onthe‘Ishtadevatha’orfavouritegodorgoddessto movementofvitalforce.Itwasalsocalled crossthishurdle.A12­petalledlotuscalled ‘Udghata’insomecommentariesoftheYoga ‘Chandra­Loka’or‘Baindava­Sthana’justbelow sutrasbyVyasaandBhoja.‘KundaliniYoga’isthe the‘SahasraaraChakra’representsthesupreme rigorous practice of arousing the Kundalini and stateofconsciousnessoreternalbliss. controllingitsupwardanddownwardmovements alongtheSpinalcord.Thebodyviewprofessedby Therearedifferencesastothenumberofpetals thepractitionersof‘KundaliniYoga’isdiscussed across theUpanishads that detail this yoga [11]. below. TheYogaKundaliniUpanishadsuggests16petals insteadof12petalsintheAnaahataChakra.The a. Thereare14importantnerveseachwithan DhyanabinduUpanishad andthe Shandilya associated deity. Upanishadsuggest12petalsinsteadof10petals b. Thereare12importantorganseachwithan intheManipuraChakra.Anumberofworks associated deity. includingtheDhyanabinduUpanishadrefertoa c. Therearesevencharkas orpsychiccenters secondary chakra below theAnaahata Chakra. (termedlotusesinyogicparlance).Eachpsychic ManychakrasbetweentheAajnaChakraand