Blogger Reference Link http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science
Meeting Dr Sharma In London 1990.
Back in summer 1990, I met up with Dr Sharma also referred to as Manav Dayal a teacher of "Shabd Yoga" in the Faqir Chand tradition. I came across him via a contact, who claimed that it might be best to meet him at Heathrow Airport which was not far from where I lived at the time (ie Slough). This I did, and went to the correct arrival point for passengers. I had a sign with his name on it. The only pic I had of him was as a younger man, and it was not a particularly good reproduction. Anyway, I waited awhile as the passengers left the plane, and then I saw an Asian go towards a portly elderly man from the crowd of onlookers. He put a garland around the new arrival to Britain. This I knew to be a traditional gesture of respect to someone of importance, and I rightly guessed that it was Dr. Sharma being honoured. The Asian devotee though seemed taken aback by this as he could not understand how I could have known the identity of his guru....
Anyway, I talked briefly to Dr. Sharma, and for whatever reasons he mentioned something about psychic odours. Personally, I found this an odd subject compared with the high brow thinking of "Shabd Yoga", and Sant Mat. Indeed, I have to confess that I found Sharma to be somehow eccentric in manner.
After that, I drove down to Hammersmith, London to a certain address to meet him again for an interview I was doing for the magazine Yoga and Healing. Dr. Sharma was staying with some devotees, and I hardly got any questions out as he seemed to be intent in giving a long rambling intellectual discourse on Hindu mysticism. This was recorded ofcourse but unfortunately the tape was later lost. Anyway, he referred to Sant Mat as Sat Mat, or the Path of Truth, and regarded Beas Satsang as ".....being like an empire." He may well have got these two points from his own master Faqir Chand, and simply repeated them to me. He also gave the old traditional interpretation of the word Radha, and reversed it by repeating it as "Dhara, Dhara, Dhara,"......meaning spiritual current! At some point during the interview (or should I say discourse from Dr Sharma!) I thought I heard him say the following......"I do not know who is saying this. Some current is flowing through me.." or words to that effect. Again, I must stress the word "thought" of him saying this as I do not fully recall whether this actually appeared on the tape, or not! Maybe a trick of the mind........After all this, I had an informal chat with him. At one point, he left the room, and thereupon re-appeared, and said "I am your Satguru!" Later, we had a wonderful vegetarian lunch.
When I left to return to Slough in my car I had an extraordinary experience. I became aware of a power flowing through me. It was controlling me in the most NATURAL, and SPONTANEOUS manner. There was no fear of any sort involved. It was as if something truly wonderful had been re-discovered from ages past. This energy was incredibly subtle in a way that is difficult to describe. It was a super-tactile experience. No sounds, or lights, or anything similiar was had. It was a PROCESS of AWAKENING from the dream-like creation of the physical universe. Though I used the word "natural" just now in capitals it was somehow more than "natural". This experience went on for a long while. The following day after my encounter with Dr. Sharma I rang him about it. He commented to his surprise "......that it was happening already " (spontaneous initiation). However, I felt that this subtle energy seemed to be trying to "control" me too much, and I managed to break away from it. I would have loved the intensity of that experience to have continued but the problem was that I did not really take Dr. Sharma very seriously, and did not regard him as my real Satguru. Yet, as Jashan Vaswani once informed me that "THE REAL SATGURU IS WITHIN YOU" Oddly enough, this was what Faqir Chand claimed...that the physical master only acts as a catalyst for psycho-spiritual experiences. This was something I did not appreciate at the time.
Sadly, Dr. Sharma passed on several years ago, but the teachings continue through various lines of "masters".
Postscript. I should also said that at the interview Dr Sharma claimed that the Sound Om could be heard not just in the lower realm but also in the higher ones. A Sant Mat purist might well interpret this as indicative that his "version" of "Shabd Yoga"s did not lead beyond the planes of Kal, and Maya. Morever, it is not seen as the highest spiritual meditation, but seen as being one of many.
Meeting Sant Harjit Singh in Southall.
In January 2007 I made contact with Sant Harjit Singh. He is one of the recognized successors of Faqir Chand. Before actually visiting him in Southall I viewed his website, and on occasions listened to his mantric "music", or rather extracts of it to be more precise. It definitely carried a highly subtle energy, and helped to create a devotional "atmosphere" in me (ie. a heightening of conciousness).
What occured was a PROCESS largely identical to that experienced after visiting Dr. Sharma back in 1990. This could be suggestive that both teachers reached the same "highest", or "ultimate" level of superconciousness usually indicative of "God-Realization" though ofcourse there are an infinity of different "planes". The key features of the PROCESS OF AWAKENING are as follows.
i) An awareness that ones own inner lower self was being slowly transmuted into something else in the most NATURAL, and SPONTANEOUS manner. In other words, I was "dying" to gradually be reborn into a higher state of being......
ii) An awareness of being surrounded by the unseen energies of higher conciousness especially in the evening, and indeed, the morning.
iii) An awareness at times of being "possessed" in the most NATURAL, and SPONTANEOUS fashion by these extremely subtle "forces" without any sense of fear at all. Yet, there was something akin to awe by the growing onset of these experiences, and at times an overwhelming sense of gratitude. This was ones feeble response to the awakening process.
iv) An ability to spontaneously control, and dissolve any improper thoughts entering the mind.
v) A greater ability as never before to actually calm the mind without any mental chatter. In other words, I often became one-pointed with the repetition of the Five Holy Names in a wonderfully NATURAL way. I suspect the unseen energies were stilling my mind oftentimes to perform "real" meditation.
The above is all GRACE without which any kind of spiritual practice is virtually impossible. Infact, I am coming to the conclusion that a true Master of any degree should be able to successfully transmit such experienes irrespective of the evolution of the disciple. However, I suspect that it depends on ones sincerity for it to happen rather upon the amount of purity an individual soul may, or may not have.
Anyway, I met Sant Harjit Singh at his Southall home. Just before that, and earlier on at home in Slough I was acutely aware of energies of higher conciousness. When I arrived at Harjits home positive vibrations were virtually palpable, and inspiring. As I entered the front room I shook hands with him. He was dressed in orange, and wore a homemade turban if I recall correctly.
I explained I had some experiences before meeting him. I claimed that the higher conciousness which was trying to "posses" me in the most SUBTLE, NATURAL, AND SPONTANEOUS fashion was influencing my behaviour for the good. Submission to it was proving beneficial.
I mentioned being suddenly awoken in the bed when I felt a transmission of energy shoot right though me. This caused my body to jerk. Harjit claimed that this was something due to the (spiritual) heart though I did not fully understand what he meant by this.. I mentioned my contact with a certain Sound though this may well have been a trick of the mind.
Though I asked only a few questions, Harjit two, or three times asked "Can I go now?" as he was wanting to do some meditation upstairs. Admitedly, he did have some doubt about the genuiness of my experiences (though I did not fully describe them).
He also seemed to regard Dr. Sharma, the chief successor of Faqir Chand a little questionable too. This was evident in the way he spoke. Like many devotees of the latter Master the former was not liked particularly. However, Sharma did visit Harjit Singh on a certain occasion.
One thing that did clearly tanspire in the meeting was this. Harjit Singh clearly revealed that there was no set sequence of key planes as indicated in the Radhaswami literature. Indeed, such things were merely mental projections....nothing more.
Harjit Singh understandably wanted his exact address secret. The reason was that he wanted to make sure that whoever visited him was "genuine" in their desire for spiritual progress rather than someone who was merely interested in intellectual "games".
PS. Sometime before I met Harjit, and had the above experience a woman unknown to me used to say to me in the high street in Slough that "You will be reborn." At one point, I followed her into the mall, and asked for an explanation. It turned out that she was a Peruvian, and a spiritist. She believed to in reincarnation, and even suggested that I might have been her husband in one of her previous lives. What her strange statement of "You will be reborn" was probably a kind of prediction in which I would be reborn in the spiritual sense via my encounter with Harjit Singh.
Significantly, a link to my awakening process appeared on a yahoo forum. This was the forum connected with Harjit Singh which seemed to validate the genuiness of my experience. Morever, Mushin Schilling on his blog seemed to regard it as such, as it was probably like those of his group which had "awakenings".
Wednesday 4 August 2010
Brief Introduction to Key Indian Esoteric Societies by Robert Searle
Blogger Reference Link http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science
The following is a brief listing of 17 Indian esoteric societies. They represent the key ones which Westerners have come across, and have become influential to varying degrees. There are of course many other ones which are largely, or wholly unknown. Most of them do not have any formal organization at all, and as such we will probably hear nothing about them, or their "background".
This though for a truth-seeker is largely unimportant because the informal "societies" ( if such they can be called) largely teach types of meditation that are already known to the key ones in the 17 given below.
(editors comment: Where the gurus and teachings are already described in detail on Kheper net, I have added a link the appropriate page. In the case of those that aren't, I have included a link to the home page or home pages - MAK)
1. The Ramakrishna Mission.
Regarded as arguably being the first Indian society, or movement to seriously introduce mainstream yogic meditation practices, and Vedanta to the West. This occured through the pioneering work of Swami Vivekananda who succeeded Ramakrishna as the chief guru. He tried to present it as being like a "science" rather than purely as a faith in which the unseen spiritual universe could be proved directly to onself along with the superconcious realization of "God".
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission
2. The Divine Life Society.
This was started by the highly influential Swami Sivananda who wrote many authorative works on various types of yogic meditation. His chief successor was the noted Swami Chidananda who was a highly respected mystic of great influence. Ma Yogashakti, and Vishnu Devananda are a few notable teachers who drew their inspiration from the life and work of Swami Sivananda.
Divine Life Society
3. Ramana Maharshi.
He taught a form of yogic (jnana, or knowledge) meditation in which one could find ones Inner God, or "Higher Self" through a form of "self"-discrimination. His ideas became known in the West notably through the writings of Arthur Osborne. As with the other societies mentioned here there are a number of recognized, and unrecognized successors.
More
4. Sri Aurobindo Society.
Sri Aurobindo was a highly educated, and brilliant spiritual teacher who developed Integral Yoga via his published writings.It claims that one can become a channel for the Divine which can be experienced in the physical world, and at the same time help to spiritually transform it. His partner Mira Richard helped his movement to flourish, and was known respectively as the Mother. Auroville in Pondicherry, India is a large evolving "New Age" township of people concerned with putting Integral Yoga into action.
Among many other subjects, Sri Aurobindo himself also wrote some interesting ideas concerned with dream interpretation. He was also originally a political activist who wanted Self-Rule for India but his interest later turned to higher matters especially after some visionary experiences.
More
5. Siddha Yoga Dham.
This society was inspired by the controversial Swami Muktananda whose practices notably involve chanting mantras, or words of power as a way of awakening the psycho-spiritual energy known as kundalini. He also wrote a remarkable book in which he gave a highly detailed description of his inner experiences. It is called Play of Conciousness, and it has been claimed to initiate "awakenings" in people who are new to Siddha Yoga Dham.
Siddha Yoga
6. Sahaja Yoga.
This was founded by Mataji Nirmala Devi who is able to awaken the kundalini directly in people either "en masse," or on a one to one basis. She claims that this is experienced as a "psychic" wind rather than as "heat". The latter phenomenon it is claimed only happens to those gurus, and students who "misuse" the Kundalini which appears at first sight to contradict centuries of tradition, and understanding on the subject!
More
7. Ananda Marg.
This society was founded by the controversial Anandamurti who believed that the world could be seriously transformed with the aid of kundalini which could create something akin to a "super-race" existing in proposed "anti-capitalist" type communities. It has also has involved itself in politics, and has notably been "persecuted" by the Indian government.
Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha
8. The Brahma Kumaris, or BKs.
This large organization teaches "RajaYoga" meditation but is not the same as Patanjalis system, and claims to get messages en direct from Shiv Baba, or "God". Like some Christian sects it believes that its followers will be reborn into a Golden Age on earth after the world as we know it has been largely destroyed.
The BKs, or "Raj Yogis" have tried to do much good in the world, and have helped to raise the social status of women in India.
Brahma Kumaris International website
9. Shiva Yoga.
This form of meditation was notably expounded by Kumarswamiji, and has had some influence in the West. It involves meditating on the lingam ( in this instance an egg-shaped object, and symbol of Lord Shiva) which along with repetition of a mantra can arouse the kundalini into activity, and ultimately lead to "Enlightenement", or "God-Realization."
Shiva Yoga
10. Transcendental Meditation/TM.
This was introduced to the world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi notably with help from the Beatles. Essentially via a "mantra" ones thoughts can be ultimately traced back to their origin which is seen as the Ground of Being of Everything in Existence (ie. the "Absolute Reality," or "God"). This ofcourse is Transcendental Meditation, or TM the physical, and mental benefits of which have been studied scientifically. It along with its worldwide organization has drawn much public attention especially its "yogic flying" which is said to release positive collective spiritual energy to influence the world for the good (eg. reducing crime....).
Transcendental Meditation
11. International Society for Krishna Conciousness/ ISKCON.
Very well-known Indian society which claims that repeating the Holy Name of Krishna can link directly to the Supreme Personality of the Godhead. Unlike most Indian societies it does not believe that its recognized teaching "gurus" are the physical manifestations of God.
Sri Prabhupada in his seventies left India virtually penniless to start up ISKCON in America, and helped many of the youth to adopt a high ethical life free of drugs, and alcohol. He also wrote many interesting, but "simplistic" books on Krishna, and the ancient Vedic scriptures.
ISKCON
12. 3HO Yogi Bhajan.
It involves a wide variety of meditational, and physical exercises to awaken the kundalini into activity. The 3 HOs mean Healthy,Happy, and Holy Organization. Yogi Bhajan its original teacher was among other things responsible in helping to popularize genuine interest in Sikhism, and like ISKCON (and other "movements") helped to reform many young people.
3HO Foundation
13. Shivabalayogi.
After many years of austerity Shivabalayogi introduced to the world his dhyana, vibuhti, bhajan, bhava samadhi, or respectively his meditation, holy ash (said to have healing powers), spiritual songs, and divine trance. The last item can be facilitated by "energy" emitted from one of the successors of this tradition. During spiritual songs some, or indeed, many people can enter into a trance, and temporarily leave the body in a state of higher conciousness, and see their Ishta Dev, or Chosen Ideal (eg. Christ, Shiva, etc), and become "possessed" ecstatically by It.
Official Website
14. The Self-Realization Fellowship.
This society was originated by the "ageless", and "mythical" Mahavatar Babaji. The specific line of Masters in the Self-Realization Fellowship included the illustrious Sri Yukteswar whose chief successor was Paramahansa Yogananda. They taught Kriya Yoga which involves the awakening of kundalini via a series of initiations, or "grades" of development using a variety of meditation techniques... which tend to vary from one "sect" to another teaching the "same system" with the same name!
Yogananda took this teaching to the world to much acclaim, and authored the classic book on the subject "The Autobiography of a Yogi"
Self-Realization Fellowship
15. Osho Shree Rajneesh.
Controversial Osho Shree Rajneesh was a very prolific author of books especially concerned with mysticism.Essentially,he belived that "anthing goes" including sex. By indulging in it we could ultimately go beyond it, and attain "Enlightenment". In other words, a form of Tantra Yoga.Moreover, his ideas, and his meditational practices notably included "Western pop psychology" in which via certain forms of pent-up emotions (eg crying, wild laughing, etc) could be released in a structured manner (eg in Dynamic Meditation) so that they could no longer ultimately become a problem in life.
Osho International Foundation
16. The Meher Baba Association.
Meher Baba regarded himself as the "Highest of the High, the first Perfect Master, or Avatar. He went through several phases of his "Universal Work", and became well-known in India, and abroad. From July 10th 1925 he maintained silence, and communicated via an alphabet board, and special hand gestures.
More (pages in need of revision!)
17. The Radhasoami Faith / Sant Mat, or the Teachings of the Saints.
This believes that one can "die before death" in a meditation referred to as surat shabd yoga. It claims to have a "complete" understanding of the Spiritual Regions, and claims rightly, or wrongly to go beyond the reach of all other forms of eastern, and western meditation practices. This inner journey involves guidance from the Radiant Form of a Master, and utilizes the inner mystical Sound, and indeed, the inner Light as a means of visionary "ascension," or Mystic Transport.
The best known "movement" to spread surat shabd yoga especially in the West is the Radha Soami Satsang Beas notably via the classic book The Path of the Masters (1939) by Dr. Julian Johnson. Of course, other groups ofcourse exist each with their own teacher, or Satguru, or Perfect Master.
More
There are a number of other gurus/socieites which have been excluded for one reason or another. They include Guru Maharaj, Sathya Sai Baba, Jashan Vaswani, Amritanandamayi, Swami Ramdas, Gururaj Ananda Yogi, Shri Chinmoy, Brahmarishi Kumar Swami, et al..........
Kheper Home Gurus Main Page Topics Index New Search
images not loading? error messages? broken links? suggestions? criticism?
contact me
text copyright (c) Robert Searle 2009, html and editorial note page by M.Alan Kazlev page
The following is a brief listing of 17 Indian esoteric societies. They represent the key ones which Westerners have come across, and have become influential to varying degrees. There are of course many other ones which are largely, or wholly unknown. Most of them do not have any formal organization at all, and as such we will probably hear nothing about them, or their "background".
This though for a truth-seeker is largely unimportant because the informal "societies" ( if such they can be called) largely teach types of meditation that are already known to the key ones in the 17 given below.
(editors comment: Where the gurus and teachings are already described in detail on Kheper net, I have added a link the appropriate page. In the case of those that aren't, I have included a link to the home page or home pages - MAK)
1. The Ramakrishna Mission.
Regarded as arguably being the first Indian society, or movement to seriously introduce mainstream yogic meditation practices, and Vedanta to the West. This occured through the pioneering work of Swami Vivekananda who succeeded Ramakrishna as the chief guru. He tried to present it as being like a "science" rather than purely as a faith in which the unseen spiritual universe could be proved directly to onself along with the superconcious realization of "God".
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission
2. The Divine Life Society.
This was started by the highly influential Swami Sivananda who wrote many authorative works on various types of yogic meditation. His chief successor was the noted Swami Chidananda who was a highly respected mystic of great influence. Ma Yogashakti, and Vishnu Devananda are a few notable teachers who drew their inspiration from the life and work of Swami Sivananda.
Divine Life Society
3. Ramana Maharshi.
He taught a form of yogic (jnana, or knowledge) meditation in which one could find ones Inner God, or "Higher Self" through a form of "self"-discrimination. His ideas became known in the West notably through the writings of Arthur Osborne. As with the other societies mentioned here there are a number of recognized, and unrecognized successors.
More
4. Sri Aurobindo Society.
Sri Aurobindo was a highly educated, and brilliant spiritual teacher who developed Integral Yoga via his published writings.It claims that one can become a channel for the Divine which can be experienced in the physical world, and at the same time help to spiritually transform it. His partner Mira Richard helped his movement to flourish, and was known respectively as the Mother. Auroville in Pondicherry, India is a large evolving "New Age" township of people concerned with putting Integral Yoga into action.
Among many other subjects, Sri Aurobindo himself also wrote some interesting ideas concerned with dream interpretation. He was also originally a political activist who wanted Self-Rule for India but his interest later turned to higher matters especially after some visionary experiences.
More
5. Siddha Yoga Dham.
This society was inspired by the controversial Swami Muktananda whose practices notably involve chanting mantras, or words of power as a way of awakening the psycho-spiritual energy known as kundalini. He also wrote a remarkable book in which he gave a highly detailed description of his inner experiences. It is called Play of Conciousness, and it has been claimed to initiate "awakenings" in people who are new to Siddha Yoga Dham.
Siddha Yoga
6. Sahaja Yoga.
This was founded by Mataji Nirmala Devi who is able to awaken the kundalini directly in people either "en masse," or on a one to one basis. She claims that this is experienced as a "psychic" wind rather than as "heat". The latter phenomenon it is claimed only happens to those gurus, and students who "misuse" the Kundalini which appears at first sight to contradict centuries of tradition, and understanding on the subject!
More
7. Ananda Marg.
This society was founded by the controversial Anandamurti who believed that the world could be seriously transformed with the aid of kundalini which could create something akin to a "super-race" existing in proposed "anti-capitalist" type communities. It has also has involved itself in politics, and has notably been "persecuted" by the Indian government.
Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha
8. The Brahma Kumaris, or BKs.
This large organization teaches "RajaYoga" meditation but is not the same as Patanjalis system, and claims to get messages en direct from Shiv Baba, or "God". Like some Christian sects it believes that its followers will be reborn into a Golden Age on earth after the world as we know it has been largely destroyed.
The BKs, or "Raj Yogis" have tried to do much good in the world, and have helped to raise the social status of women in India.
Brahma Kumaris International website
9. Shiva Yoga.
This form of meditation was notably expounded by Kumarswamiji, and has had some influence in the West. It involves meditating on the lingam ( in this instance an egg-shaped object, and symbol of Lord Shiva) which along with repetition of a mantra can arouse the kundalini into activity, and ultimately lead to "Enlightenement", or "God-Realization."
Shiva Yoga
10. Transcendental Meditation/TM.
This was introduced to the world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi notably with help from the Beatles. Essentially via a "mantra" ones thoughts can be ultimately traced back to their origin which is seen as the Ground of Being of Everything in Existence (ie. the "Absolute Reality," or "God"). This ofcourse is Transcendental Meditation, or TM the physical, and mental benefits of which have been studied scientifically. It along with its worldwide organization has drawn much public attention especially its "yogic flying" which is said to release positive collective spiritual energy to influence the world for the good (eg. reducing crime....).
Transcendental Meditation
11. International Society for Krishna Conciousness/ ISKCON.
Very well-known Indian society which claims that repeating the Holy Name of Krishna can link directly to the Supreme Personality of the Godhead. Unlike most Indian societies it does not believe that its recognized teaching "gurus" are the physical manifestations of God.
Sri Prabhupada in his seventies left India virtually penniless to start up ISKCON in America, and helped many of the youth to adopt a high ethical life free of drugs, and alcohol. He also wrote many interesting, but "simplistic" books on Krishna, and the ancient Vedic scriptures.
ISKCON
12. 3HO Yogi Bhajan.
It involves a wide variety of meditational, and physical exercises to awaken the kundalini into activity. The 3 HOs mean Healthy,Happy, and Holy Organization. Yogi Bhajan its original teacher was among other things responsible in helping to popularize genuine interest in Sikhism, and like ISKCON (and other "movements") helped to reform many young people.
3HO Foundation
13. Shivabalayogi.
After many years of austerity Shivabalayogi introduced to the world his dhyana, vibuhti, bhajan, bhava samadhi, or respectively his meditation, holy ash (said to have healing powers), spiritual songs, and divine trance. The last item can be facilitated by "energy" emitted from one of the successors of this tradition. During spiritual songs some, or indeed, many people can enter into a trance, and temporarily leave the body in a state of higher conciousness, and see their Ishta Dev, or Chosen Ideal (eg. Christ, Shiva, etc), and become "possessed" ecstatically by It.
Official Website
14. The Self-Realization Fellowship.
This society was originated by the "ageless", and "mythical" Mahavatar Babaji. The specific line of Masters in the Self-Realization Fellowship included the illustrious Sri Yukteswar whose chief successor was Paramahansa Yogananda. They taught Kriya Yoga which involves the awakening of kundalini via a series of initiations, or "grades" of development using a variety of meditation techniques... which tend to vary from one "sect" to another teaching the "same system" with the same name!
Yogananda took this teaching to the world to much acclaim, and authored the classic book on the subject "The Autobiography of a Yogi"
Self-Realization Fellowship
15. Osho Shree Rajneesh.
Controversial Osho Shree Rajneesh was a very prolific author of books especially concerned with mysticism.Essentially,he belived that "anthing goes" including sex. By indulging in it we could ultimately go beyond it, and attain "Enlightenment". In other words, a form of Tantra Yoga.Moreover, his ideas, and his meditational practices notably included "Western pop psychology" in which via certain forms of pent-up emotions (eg crying, wild laughing, etc) could be released in a structured manner (eg in Dynamic Meditation) so that they could no longer ultimately become a problem in life.
Osho International Foundation
16. The Meher Baba Association.
Meher Baba regarded himself as the "Highest of the High, the first Perfect Master, or Avatar. He went through several phases of his "Universal Work", and became well-known in India, and abroad. From July 10th 1925 he maintained silence, and communicated via an alphabet board, and special hand gestures.
More (pages in need of revision!)
17. The Radhasoami Faith / Sant Mat, or the Teachings of the Saints.
This believes that one can "die before death" in a meditation referred to as surat shabd yoga. It claims to have a "complete" understanding of the Spiritual Regions, and claims rightly, or wrongly to go beyond the reach of all other forms of eastern, and western meditation practices. This inner journey involves guidance from the Radiant Form of a Master, and utilizes the inner mystical Sound, and indeed, the inner Light as a means of visionary "ascension," or Mystic Transport.
The best known "movement" to spread surat shabd yoga especially in the West is the Radha Soami Satsang Beas notably via the classic book The Path of the Masters (1939) by Dr. Julian Johnson. Of course, other groups ofcourse exist each with their own teacher, or Satguru, or Perfect Master.
More
There are a number of other gurus/socieites which have been excluded for one reason or another. They include Guru Maharaj, Sathya Sai Baba, Jashan Vaswani, Amritanandamayi, Swami Ramdas, Gururaj Ananda Yogi, Shri Chinmoy, Brahmarishi Kumar Swami, et al..........
Kheper Home Gurus Main Page Topics Index New Search
images not loading? error messages? broken links? suggestions? criticism?
contact me
text copyright (c) Robert Searle 2009, html and editorial note page by M.Alan Kazlev page
Monday 2 August 2010
The "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun".
Blogger Reference Link http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science
The following experience may be of interest....it is in connection with a "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun" back on August 12th 1977.
.... It was a timeless experience. It seemed to go on, and on, and yet at the same time (so to speak!) it seemed to be just a few minutes, or so.. Whether it can be exactly called a Vision, or "waking dream" is another matter. Let us assume that it is the former. It began when I was aware of darkness all around me. I was stumbling about until I suddenly opened a door, and lo, and behold I saw a spectacle which was most esoteric in significance.... What I saw, or I presumed I saw was the Sun with two outpourings of sparks whose soothing "sizzling" sound could be barely heard. This for some could be interpreted as the "I AM" presences or souls ...."descending", and "ascending". Indeed, these sparks could be what are known as nitzotzot of the Jewish Kabbalah. They issued from each side of the lower portion of the Sun which could be interpreted as being the Solar Logos, God, or the Higher Self. Yet, it was partly this peaceful experience that helped to inspire me to deeply explore the world of the esoteric. It was the start of my Truth-Seeking though this had also been triggered off so to say by a certain book by the researcher Guy Lyon Playfair. Anyway, there is also a further note to this. Shortly, after the above Vision I moved to Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, England. I went upstairs to what was to be my private sanctum (I was 16 at the time), and suddenly realized as I opened the door that this very same door was the one in the Vision. When it was fully ajar I saw infront of me my future desk, and chair, and the physical sun shinning its rays into the room...
PS. It should also have been said that the "Sun" did not "blind" me in a any way unlike the physical sun when perceived directly.
The following experience may be of interest....it is in connection with a "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun" back on August 12th 1977.
.... It was a timeless experience. It seemed to go on, and on, and yet at the same time (so to speak!) it seemed to be just a few minutes, or so.. Whether it can be exactly called a Vision, or "waking dream" is another matter. Let us assume that it is the former. It began when I was aware of darkness all around me. I was stumbling about until I suddenly opened a door, and lo, and behold I saw a spectacle which was most esoteric in significance.... What I saw, or I presumed I saw was the Sun with two outpourings of sparks whose soothing "sizzling" sound could be barely heard. This for some could be interpreted as the "I AM" presences or souls ...."descending", and "ascending". Indeed, these sparks could be what are known as nitzotzot of the Jewish Kabbalah. They issued from each side of the lower portion of the Sun which could be interpreted as being the Solar Logos, God, or the Higher Self. Yet, it was partly this peaceful experience that helped to inspire me to deeply explore the world of the esoteric. It was the start of my Truth-Seeking though this had also been triggered off so to say by a certain book by the researcher Guy Lyon Playfair. Anyway, there is also a further note to this. Shortly, after the above Vision I moved to Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, England. I went upstairs to what was to be my private sanctum (I was 16 at the time), and suddenly realized as I opened the door that this very same door was the one in the Vision. When it was fully ajar I saw infront of me my future desk, and chair, and the physical sun shinning its rays into the room...
PS. It should also have been said that the "Sun" did not "blind" me in a any way unlike the physical sun when perceived directly.
An Introduction to Robert Searle, the Blogger of "Thoughts, and Visions"..
Section I
The following biodata includes links in the second section of this page as well as articles in the third section
Robert Searle is an independent thinker, and researcher. He is the originator of two major paradigms known as Multi-Dimensional Science, and Transfinancial Economics which could have colossal implications for the world. He is also the proposer of the Universal Debating Project.
He was born on April 30th 1961 at Upton Hospital, Slough in England. His family were middle-class. His father who lives in Selsey is a structural/civil engineer who has been involved in a number of major jobs including those at Hampton Court, and St. Georges School, Windsor.
His mother was of Huguenot ancestry. She was a part-time antique dealer(specializing in Samplers, and Clarice Cliff),and a registered breeder of burmese cats. After she died in Oxford in 2005 his father re-married in 2008 to a former noted Russian ballet dancer by the name of Irina Ishmetova. She claims to have healing powers. Her very wealty son, and grandson have direct connections with the Russian Government.
Anyway, Searle was educated at the Royal Free, and at a private school in Windsor called the Tutorials. His main interests then were art, and history. He had a gift for drawing, and painting (notably "instant" portraiture). He also had a curious fascination for artistically re-creating historical scenes from the distant past using archaeological/iconographical material plus original written sources if available.
As a teenage he acted as an unofficial guide to the Curfew Tower at Windsor Castle (circa 1974-76). He also had the privilege of entering the large “secret” tunnel which the public were not allowed to see.
He was a keen photographer, and loved visiting other historical places in the UK, and abroad. Because of his interest in history he had a fascination for archaeology, and undertook practical work at the excavation site in Wraysbury near Windsor.
After attending the Tutorials he went onto College where he was studying French, Biology,and History. He was intending to study archaeology at the University of London but decided not to.
After he left College he took jobs as a clerical worker notably for Sony, and the Department of Health, and Social Security (or DHSS). He also later became a self-employed horticulturist (1980-96) working in the "stockbroker belt" of places like Gerrards Cross, Stoke Poges, Farnham Common,Iver, and elsewhere. In 1981, he was awarded the Royal Horticulture Certificate.
Incidently, one of his wealthy clients who also became one of his great friends, was Sir Michael Shersby who was the former Conservative MP for Uxbridge. He died suddenly, just after Tony Blair came to power in 1997.
Robert Searle had relatives on his fathers side who were the world experts on orchids.They were Brian, and Wilma Rittershausen who were a brother, and sister "team". Searle, and they were a part of the Austrian Von Rittershausen family. The word Rittershausen means the House of the Knight, and has a coat of arms with a latin motto meaning Iron Will. Its history can be traced a long way back, and consisted of a line of powerful barons who played an important role in the Habsburg Empire. In the early part of the 20th Century though due to the rise of the Nazis, the Rittershausens fled to England, and notably stayed in London.
Apart from being a horticulturist Robert Searle has also been a professional fundraiser (1996-2005). This involved the direct selling of charity tickets for two childrens charities, notably the Lee Sykes Centre in Sunderland before it closed down. A seller had to be registered to buy one, or more albums of tickets which were then sold onto the public. Part of the resulting profit was then used to buy up more ticket albums. This was how the charity got its money, and it was upto the trustees to decide what should be done with the resulting funds. His work notably involved direct selling door-to-door, and visits to shops, and offices of various businesses. To do all this he travelled around Southern England.
Searle though learned to hate this kind of charity work/business. He believes that there is far better way of helping charitable Non-Government Organizations, or NGOs which is discussed in his “working paper” on Transfinancial Economics. This can be found as an entry in the P2P Foundation website which was started by Michel Bauwens who is a noted pioneer of the internet in the global networking of individuals, and ideas. He is also a great populariser of mainly community based projects which notably put people, and planet first rather than profits. On this last subject, he has helped to create what is probably the most comprehensive, and respected resource of its kind on the internet (ie the P2P Foundation).
A Seeker After Truth.
As a child, and teenager, Searle had a number of psychic experiences which made him re-think his life, and purpose. In August 1977 serious intellectual interest was ignited (along with a “Vision” of the "Spiritual Sun") by a book entitled The Unknown Power by Guy Lyon Playfair.In around 1980, and with the aid of his friend, John Pyman who was a Cambridge educated homeopath, philosopher, and former intelligence officer, he became a member of the Society for Psychical Research, which was the earliest "scientific" society of its kind (1882).
He has been connected with other “groups.” These are of a far less scientific value such as the Theosophical Society, the Arcane School. and the College of Psychic Studies.
At the age of 16, and 17 he wrote a projected book on the paranormal plus a novel concerned with post mortem existence which was notably seen by the publisher Colin Smythe in nearby Gerrards Cross. Unfortunately, they did not go into print.The same occured with his paper in 1977 for the Galpin Society and was concerned with reviving ancient Etruscan Music. In it he used existing data (largely iconographical) along with, for the first time, the supposed incantations of Italian peasants who gave clear references to Etruscan (pre-roman) gods. The source of such references was a book entitled Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition (published in 1892) by the American folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland, and was borrowed from the London Library.
As an adult though he published a number of articles on eastern esoteric subjects in the late 1980s. Four appeared in a small but scholarly journal calledThe Pentacle which sadly folded. His work though has appeared in Yoga Today, and its successor Yoga, and Healing for which he also divised a few competitions. Some of his artwork was also published.Essentially, he wrote on Indian Mysticism.
In the 21st century, he has contributed largely seminal "essays" to the influential Kheper website dealing with the esoteric. It is run by Alan Kazlev, a Jewish esotericist living in Australia.
Besides his literary endeavours, Searle has met, and in certain cases interviewed a number of gurus visiting Britain. They included such people as Ma Yogashakti, Swami Chidananda Maharaj, Ravi Shankar, Mata Amritanandamayi, Shivabala Bala Yogi, S.A.A. Ramaiah, Kehar Singh, Mataji Nirmala Devi, and the like.
Transfinancial Economics (TFE) .
Around the start of the 21st century, Robert Searle became very interested in economics, and especially how money plays its role in society. He became very interested in what is termed monetary reform.
In London, he became involved with meetings of the Global Justice Movement(GJM). It is not to be confused with a Canadian based group of the same name. The GJM in the UK is "headed up" by Peter Challen(a former Canon), and Rodney Shakespeare, a worldwide authority on Binary Economics. These "meetings" tended to be very small, but informative. All the same the GJM did, and does attract a number of high calibre people such as a successful authoress, Ellen Brown, and a well-known American Senator, Dennis Kucinich.
Apart from this, Robert Searle used to attend the committee rooms at the Houses of Parliament where there were on occasion lectures on monetary reform. It was there that he met such people as James Robertson, and Stephen Zarlenga, the founder of the American Monetary Institute.
It was at such meetings, and talks that as a concerned citizen he was inspired to develop Transfinancial Economics, or TFE. Some of his feedback from critics about it came from the internet forum of the Global Justice Movement itself. Since August 2004 he contributed many posts to it, not all ofcourse dealing with his major paradigm.
Essentially, Transfinancial Economics, or TFE has been evolving on the internet from something which was relatively simplistic, and less informed to something which is more complex, and more informed. However, it was discovered later on that it was similiar to Modern Monetary Theory(MMT), and notably Social Credit(SOCRED) which was founded by Clifford Douglas.
Anyway, TFE believes that sufficient new unearned money can be gradually created which could in time make the need for taxation (as we presently understand it), and/or indeed, fundraising in many cases unnecessary.Inflation could be controlled directly, and electronically by super-flexible electronic "price controls".This approach would be far more powerful, and effective unlike the present raising of taxation, and interest rates to help reduce the money supply.Because of the super-flexible nature of the direct electronic controls the Free Market Price in the economy would largely be maintained. If inflation can be confidently controlled successfully it would mean that many socio-economic projects notably including climate change ones would become practical realities in the shortest possible time-scale. This is totally revolutionary, and furthermore,it may also be possible to build up a "map" of the entire economy in real-time.
A futuristic, but realistic political philosophy may also be developed. It would largely set in the basic framework of Open Democracy, and Universal Human Rights along with a high degree of technology.
As for TFE, it is hoped that in a few years time a book possibly entitled Towards Super Economics, Financial Revolution, and Global Justice could be published.It should be said here that a paper was actually accepted by a scholarly journal of high standing. After signing copyright clearance forms though Searle had a dispute with the editor/publisher, and withdrew it. At the time of writing, it has been sent elsewhere. TFE has also attracted interest from some economists including Professor Prem Sikka, and the noted autodidact, Hazel Henderson.
TFE was one of the key subjects presented at the scientific International Conference of Engineering, and Meta-Engineering in April 2010 which took place in the USA. In the same year, Searle attended a lecture at the London School of Economics (LSE)in which he claimed that economics as presently understood totally lacked imagination, and creativity. This caused uproar in the student theatre. In 2011 he caused a rumpus at a conference on banking in Oxford.
He has also set up a highly diverse, and informative, and influential blog entited The Economic Realms which draws its material from the internet. It has attracted thousands of hits.
Multi-Dimensional Science (MDS).
Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS (also referred to as the Multi-Dimensional Hypothesis) if true could (like TFE in economics) be seen as a major breakthrough in our understanding of psychic, and spiritual phenomena. It has also attracted some interest from a number of people including Elisabet Sahtouris, Stanley Krippner, Jean Houston, and Ron Pearson, the originator of Survival Physics.
MDS offers for the first time a methodology in which we can "objectively" understand how the non-physical spiritual, and the psychic could be proved (albeit indirectly in the main),and hence, how this could revolutionise physics, psychology, biology, psychiatry, and the like.Searle believes that ideas, and mathematics similiar to modern physics do have a huge relevance in the development of MDS even though some of the findings may be partly, or wholly ineffable.Moreover,he has suggested that some non-physical phenomena could be “accurately” described, and made “provable” by using symbolic type coding especially when it comes to mystical ascents into “higher worlds”. It is hoped that a book will result possibly entitled Towards Multi-Dimensional Science; The Emerging Psychic and Spiritual Paradigm. This project will take longer than TFE. Those with an academic background in the sciences, and to some extent in the arts would be necessary to help forward the evolutionary development of this new “science.” An Association for Multi-Dimensional Science (AMS) may be set up.
Searle is hoping to create a worldwide directory/database of well-known, and more importantly little-known esoteric societies whose mystical, and psychic knowledge may prove invaluable for the theoretical dimension of MDS. This project when completed, and published will probably be the most comprehensive ever produced. Simple codes may be used to reduce the amount of information given per entry of this projected directory/database.
He has also been developing a number of blogs notably Esoteric Other Worlds, and Thoughts, and Visions. They have attracted thousands of hits.
A Passion for Early Music, and Two Other Musical Interests.
Apart from many other forms of music, Searle is a notable lover of colourful, and interesting interpretations of Medieval, and Renaissance Music. As such, he has created the largest manually created audio-visual internet collection of its kind. It is intended to ideally interest, and inspire amateurs, professional musicians, and composers. It is known simply as Searle8.
Utilising the user name of "piedpiper" he has also contributed much material on his boyhood "hero," the musician David Munrow (1942-1976) on an internet forum which is part of a tribute site dedicated to him. The site itself is run by David Griffith who sells a dvd entitled Early Musical Instruments. It deals with such instruments as the crumhorn, the hurdy-gurdy, the rackett, the sackbutt, the harpsichord, and the like, and was written, and presented by David Munrow himself.
Searle is noted for his quality Musical Whistling, and has gained a "secret" following in his locality. He was surprised how many people who came upto him to say that they could not whistle musically like him, or indeed, not whistle at all... Also, he has an interest in what he calls Improvised Voice Instrumental Music (ie.vocal music) in which the voice tries to imitate musical instruments. Certain A Capella groups are known to undertake performances of this kind, and are becoming better known to the public.
Searle is intrigued by the possibility of recording quality solo performances of improvised music using the voice as if it were like an instrument combined with spontaneous singing, and quality musical whistling of a high order. Moreover, such improvised musical whistling can be turned into musical score with the right computer programme, and after the recording (or perhaps even during) sounds of musical instruments (computer generated) could be added to create "body" to the spontaneous whistle sounds. In other words, multi-tracking. This could open up a "new" area of music which could become mainstream.
Key Mystical Encounters
In 1993 Searle was initiated into Surat Shabd Yoga as taught by Radha Soami Satsang Beas(RSSB).For many years, he has been associated with this sect. He used to act as a doorman at their Satsangs, or Meetings. He came across a number of famous Satsangis, or followers of the sect,such as Judith Durham of the sixties pop group,The Seekers, Nick Jones, the actor, and Nigel North, the noted lutenist, who incidently did some work for David Munrow.
Apart from RSSB, Searle had two major spontaneous initiations, or super conscious spiritual awakenings from two gurus Dr. Sharma, and Sant Harjit Singh. Both traced their lineage to Baba Faqir Chand which in turn ultimately goes back to Shiv Dayal Singh, the founder of the Radhasoami Faith. He has also met many other Indian Gurus.
Other Interests
His other concerns apart from Mysticism include high brow art house movies (notably Peter Greenaway's Prosperos Books, his favourite film of all time), quality documentaries, Venetian masks, and costumes, Tuscany, and the Etruscans, Vegetarianism, Indian cuisine, Victorian Automata, Surreal Art (eg.Salvador Dali, and Renee Magritte), rummaging around second-hand bookstores, and charity shops, Radio 4, and the World Service, cats, witticisms, "power" walking, and the like. Infact, his concerns are "infinitely" wider than this, and he has been considered as being something of a polymath.
Among other things, Searle was witness to historical events at Windsor notably the Great Fire at Windsor Castle in 1992. This received huge worldwide news coverage.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Section II
Relevant Links to the above Biodata.
http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Transfinancial_Economics
http://p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science
http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Improvised_Voice_Instrumental_Music
I am connected with the Global Justice Movement. http://www.globaljusticemovement.net/ I have been a regular contributor to the Global Justice Movement discussion forum from around 2004-2011.
Another project of some importance is as follows.. http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Universal_Debating_Project
As mentioned in my biodata I came across Charles Leland's work connected with the Etruscans which I originally found in the London Library as a teenager. It now appears on the internet. http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/err/err00.htm
My grandfather on my father's side was a London Policeman called George Searle. He also became a news item in 1949 as the following reveals when he "..identified the whereabouts of the armed killer of PC Nathanael Edgar in Stockwell. Three other officers then burst in on him and arrested him." Searle was awarded the KPFSM Reference http://www.historybytheyard.co.uk/gallantry_list_1946-1954.htm . He later on became a guide in the Houses of Parliament, and met a number of notable politicians of the day. He once saw Churchill saying a few words backwards as he was having trouble with the lift...
Searle is an autodidact https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodidacticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_autodidacts
The following are my present blogs.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/
http://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.co.uk/
http://jewishmysticalrealms.blogspot.co.uk/
http://theindiangururealm.blogspot.co.uk/
http://buddhistdimensions.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thesufirealm.blogspot.co.uk/
http://paganreality.blogspot.co.uk/
http://theeconomicrealms.blogspot.co.uk/
http://gjmmovementcommunications.blogspot.co.uk/
http://somethoughtsandmemories.blogspot.co.uk/
My Youtube Site maybe of interest. http://www.youtube.com/user/Searle8
A tribute site to David Munrow.
http://www.davidmunrow.org/index.htm
The posts on the discussion group concerned with the above link are by myself using the user name of piedpiper.
http://www.davidmunrow.org/forum/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHxjJfH6O4U&feature=share (some of the audio-visual material may repeat itself in the following two other links from youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfXS59UQs4
Also, the following
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKxdCSbAtOE
And blog
http://earlymusiclegend.blogspot.co.uk/
There is a surprising amount of data on musical whistling on the internet plus a large number of audio-visual material on Youtube, and elsewhere. One site which is particularly informative, and indeed, authorative is Orawhistle.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Orawhistle/info
My Facebook site. http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Robert-Searle
The following is a listing of some articles on my blog,Thoughts, and Visions. These "articles" may require further editing when time, and interest prevail. Moreover, key ones have been reproduced onsite in Section III of this page. Furthermore, most of the blog consists of other posts from the internet by other people.
a)David Harrington, and his book.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/david-harrinton-and-his-book.html
b)The Anniversary of the Tempest
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/2011the-anniversary-of-tempest-by.html
c)An Encounter with the Subud Brotherhood
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/encounter-with-subud-brotherhood.html
d)More Light on the Two Inner Awakenings.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/more-light-on-two-inner-awakenings.html
e)The Two Inner Awakenings; A Personal Account
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/meeting-dr-sharma-in-london-1990.html (An onsite copy of the material of this link can be found on the Multi-Dimensional Science entry)
______________________________________________________________________________________
Section III
Articles Relevant to the above Biodata, and links.
IMPORTANT: Please note that none of the personal experiences recounted here mean that the experiencer (ie Searle) is in any way "special". Many Truth Seekers have had similar experiences of psychic, and spiritual happenings of one sort or another.
I.The "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun".
Ref Thought, and Visions Blog
The following experience may be of interest....it is in connection with a "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun" back on August 12th 1977.
.... It was a timeless experience. It seemed to go on, and on, and yet at the same time (so to speak!) it seemed to be just a few minutes, or so.. Whether it can be exactly called a Vision, or "waking dream" is another matter. Let us assume that it is the former. It began when I was aware of darkness all around me. I was stumbling about until I suddenly opened a door, and lo, and behold I saw a spectacle which was most esoteric in significance.... What I saw, or I presumed I saw was the Sun with two outpourings of sparks whose soothing "sizzling" sound could be barely heard. This for some could be interpreted as the "I AM" presences or souls ...."descending", and "ascending". Indeed, these sparks could be what are known as nitzotzot of the Jewish Kabbalah. They issued from each side of the lower portion of the Sun which could be interpreted as being the Solar Logos, God, or the Higher Self. Yet, it was partly this peaceful experience that helped to inspire me to deeply explore the world of the esoteric. It was the start of my Truth-Seeking though this had also been triggered off so to say by a certain book by the researcher Guy Lyon Playfair. Anyway, there is also a further note to this. Shortly, after the above Vision I moved to Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, England. I went upstairs to what was to be my private sanctum (I was 16 at the time), and suddenly realized as I opened the door that this very same door was the one in the Vision. When it was fully ajar I saw infront of me my future desk, and chair, and the physical sun shinning its rays into the room...
PS. It should also have been said that the "Sun" did not "blind" me in a any way unlike the physical sun when perceived directly.
II. The Realization of the Psychic....
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Some Personal Experiences
Sometimes, certain psychic realizations are had when people are in their childhood such as communicating with invisible "playmates", seeing auras, perceiving "spirit" lights, and dead people, et al. Quite often, such young persons may regard this as "normal" until they are told otherwise. As the child gets older the experiences may lessen, or usually vanish altogether in adulthood. For some though this can lead to an interest in some kind of "New Age," or psychic society.
Such psychic realizations can also occur in older people rather than in childhood. It might involve someone going to a healer, and later discovering that they, themselves have suddenly found the power to heal others. Certain UFO sightings along with alleged alien encounters can positively transform peoples lives for the good. Near-Death Experiences too, or NDEs can have a like influence on the individual.
Often, or not many ordinary folk have an anecdotal story to say about some "odd" happening in their lives. Yet, such occurrencies are often a one-off, and are soon forgotten.
However, such experiences would have at least made it known to the person concerned that life is far stranger than it appears. In this respect, they have much worth, and can lead onto the more important issues of spiritual evolution. In other words, a stepping stone towards higher things.In the following, I (the author) have described some of my own personal experiences. Short remarks are included. Some of it may seem a little bizarre, but it must be made abundantly clear that I have never ever taken illegal drugs, and/or psychiatric ones from a doctor. It should also be stated here that most people who may have had psychic experiences are quite often,or not compos mentis.
However, it is my belief that my own experiences were partly the outcome of birth trauma when I nearly died from suffocation. Indeed, the horror of such an event was "relived"in 1968 as a child as I was sleeping in the back seat of my parents car. This occured in Spain.
Apart from that, when I retired to bed, the sleeping "unconcious" mind would sometmes allow normally negative "buried" memories to re-emerge in some form, or other. Yet, this could include an unusual phenomena initially caused by the "re-enactment" of stiffling suffocation of the birth trauma, and its subnormal "subconcious" state of "being". This may have acted as a"gateway" for certain lowly "attuned" forces to interfere with my childhood. This notion may seem unorthodox to some, and as such it is not our intention here to go into the more "mainstream" ideas about such things. Anyway, this subnormal level of being below waking conciousness was a feature of many of my early psychic experiences. It is my belief that the latter has been responsible for a "small" amount of mental retardation.
1. Repeated Psychic "Assaults".
As a child when I was asleep I would on a few occasions become "aware" of my body at a subnormal level of conciousnes. I then experienced electricity around the back of my neck. Similiarly, the same energy could be had around the base of the heels. If I recall rightly in the book Shadow of Destiny by Alexander Cannon this was the start of what might be termed attempted "possession" but in my case it was technically speaking repeated psychic "assaults". Anyway, in the darkness I would feel something on top of me, and it was grabbing my throat, and strangled me. When this appalling experience reached its climax I lost "conciousness". Then,I would wake up in bed to my normal waking conciousness.
2. Past Lives?
The above may be a repeated repressed memory at the end of a previous life if we accept reincarnation. I believe that the following experience is an instance of another existence.It occured at a subnormal level of "conciousness" to some extent.
I was on a stoney beach in France, and I was a soldier. Troops were near me, and one had a bazooker. I could see the cliffs, and a pill box with a rifle sticking out, but pointing downwards. For some reason or other I moved foolishly away from the troops, and became an easy target. A shot was heard, and entered my stomach. I fell backwards clutching it.Interestingly, the full pain, and suffering of the experience seemed to be blocked by the mind. Yet, I awoke from this "memory" which was like a replay of some vague grainy black, and white film. It was more of a tactile experience rather than a clear visual phenomenon. Anyway,I was still clutching my belly, and writhing about in my pyjamas! I, also, felt myself several times being inside, and outside the body. In other words, an out-of-the-body (or OOBE) experience of which I had a number of spontaneous occurrences but again at a subnormal level of conciousness (eg.rolling in, and out of bed but not physically so!).
Strange as it may appear I discovered that the death trauma memory had in World War II ofcourse occured with other living individuals. It appears that many of those who died were reborn quickly so that they could be karmically "rewarded" by experiencing a "better" world presumably in the rich countries such as Britain, America, and Europe. Their "self-sacrifice" was not in vain...
...I believe I had an experience of seeing "myself" in a past life. I must stress this is only a theory, and could be completely wrong. It occured in a "lucid dream" (ie.I was aware I was I "dreaming"). I was in bed as a child, and next to me I saw a man lying by me. His eyes were wide with amazement, and he fearfully tried to touch my face with his hand....whereupon I blacked out, and returned to normal waking conciousness. What was extraordinary was his appearance. He had a wide ruddy face, and white dirty bedraggled hair. He had a fur collar band, and on his arm he had a blue (woad) design. Could this have been "me" in some far off incarnation, or was it someone, or something else? From the description he was probably an Ancient Briton even though I knew next to naught about that subject...but I did develop an intense interest in history later. Also, it should be added that I saw a strip of silver light (astral light of occultism?) along the side of his muscled frame. If I recall correctly Joan Forman mentions something similiar in her book in connection with "time-slips".
In another instance, at a rather lower level of subnormal conciousness than usual there was a "visitation" of a monk whose face I dared not look at. He had a wooden bowl in which he dipped his finger to make the sign of the cross on my forehead. I did not really understand the full significance of this at the time. Could this have been "me" in a previous incarnation as a medieval monk possibly? There is much in psychic literature about reincarnation.
3. The Windsor Apparition.
Ghosts have been reported all over the world. Evidence seems to suggest that most of them are probably replays of minor, or major happenings of the past. Usually, they are of a tragic nature. Strong negative emotions seem to impose themselves most easily onto the ether unlike positive uplifting ones.
My own personal experience occured in around 1968 in a house which had just been built in Windsor, Berkshire. I awoke one night, and felt an unnatural clammy coldness even though it was very still summer night. At the bottom of my bed I saw the form of a man dressed in Victorian garb (a "vagrant"). He looked perfectly solid. I froze with terror, and just stared at him. The "phantom" or whatever it was merely stood totally stationary for a short while. He was dressed in a large brown shabby overcoat that looked a bit dusty. He had a matching top-hat, and the shade of its rim covered his eyes. He seemed to have a scarf around his neck. Quite mechanically his large form turned around, and displayed a suprising array of different coloured patches on the back of his coat. At the same time,I could hear the crackle of electricity. This was a low sound but it was distinct. Slowly, but surely he moved towards the corner of the room. As he started to gently fade away into the night(quite literally!) I noted that parts of the furthest edge of his coat were vibrating furiously, and then, disappearing. Here, I stress the word "parts" as the whole form did not become a vibrating mass of energy... This, along with the crackling of electricity as he turned plus the initial clammy coldness indicated that such phenomenon have some kind of mechanics yet to be comprehended by science.
I have to admit too that on very rare occasions I sometimes saw the static outline of figures. Whether this was purely a trick of the mind is impossible to say with certainty. They seemed to be aborted materializations. In one instance of a similiar phenomenon, I saw the shadow silhouette of a profile of a mans face at the bottom of my bedroom door. It could have come from the light outside but there was no one there! Moreover, it was totally still for a very long time, and seemingly inexplicable. Ofcourse, none of this compares with the materialized phantom of the Windsor apparition I saw so many moons ago...Morever, that "phantom" was not some replay from the past but rather an "astral shell". In other words, there was no intelligent life in it as we would understand it.
There is a strange footnote to this spectral materialization. I experienced the same clammy coldness (acting as a warning?) twice just before I saw two fatal road accidents. The most horrendous of which was the one up in the mountains of the Pyrennees in Spain. In my parents car I saw a huge lorry which was about to tip over the edge of a cliff. A vehicle had rammed into it, and a man in a white shirt hung out of it covered in blood. A priest was present presumably giving the last rites. A woman who was pinned into the back seat next to the dead man was hysterical. A man in a suit lay on the road but no obvious trace of blood, and yet, somehow I knew he was dead. After I saw all that I stuck my head out of my parents car, and vomitted. No child, or adult should have to see something like that.
4. A Psychic "Lightning Bolt".
This experience such as it can be called is perhaps the most fantastical (1979). It commenced in a lucid dream in which I was aware of being next to a Church in Windsor. I saw in the seeming darkness around me a harp which was making discordant sounds due to "wind"(like an Aeolian harp). Then, I looked up, and could hear the peels of thunder, and lightning. Suddenly, I realized that that I had become the target for it. The ligtning bolt struck me, and I awoke in bed. I was lying on my side, and noticed a flame-like aura along my body. The bedroom was half lit up by the orange "lightning-flash".In seconds, it, and the aura (which did not surround my body but just the side of it!) disappeared leaving me astonished. What on earth was all this about? I believe that someone, or something was wanting to help me to experience certain future trials, and tribulations. In other words, it was a sudden transmission of healing energy to enable, and empower me to face serious problems. The orange aura is indicative of a force emanating from my vital (or health) body.I have to confess that on rare occasions in my early childhood I sometimes experienced energy quickly shoot through my "physical" body. On occasions, I would jolt up in the air. Apparently, it has been claimed that this may be caused by the astral body returning to the physical body rather quickly!
5. Psychic Healing.
It is said that everyone is able to develop psychic healing if they wish. I recall once taking a friend to the house of a famous medium on the Isle of Wight(1979). I remember the whole room was saturated with energy, and as I concentrated my mind on the Third Eye the power also centred itself "there!"
However, I, myself had a healing which came quite unbidden. I was seated with two Sikh friends who belonged to Eckankar which drew its inspiration mainly from Surat Shabd Yoga but mixed it up with other techniques.
I was in a very relaxed state of mind, and I felt myself going into a light waking trance. At the same time, I, and my companions were listening to a tape by the controversial Paul Twitchell who was talking about healing, and being healed! I also became aware of what might best be termed very subtle energies going through me in a most gentle manner. After a short while I came out of this trance, and I looked at one of my Sikh friends who thereupon said "You should say thank you." Clearly, he knew what had happened.
Though not related to healing I also had an experience of the Eck Master Darwin Gross. I recall seeing a photo of him printed in a book produced by Eckankar. As I concentrated on it I could feel distinct vibrations! Whether this was a trick of the mind, or not is an open question.
6.Synchronicity.
Many people have experienced synchronicity, or meaningful coincidences. I have two interesting examples though I have had many others of a less "extraordinary" nature. Odd as it may seem they were both connected with where I was living(1977-1990)which was Stoke Poges, a very posh area just outside Slough.
In around 1989 I was making enquiries about possibly interviewing Ma Yogashakti, a female guru for Yoga, and Healing magazine (which was later published with photographic material). My contact was with someone who worked at the School of Oriental, and African Studies at the University of London. She supplied me with much useful information, and asked me where I lived. I said Stoke Poges, and she claimed she used to live in Chesham which was fairly nearby. However, it also transpired that she actually had relatives at the Orchard (built in the Edwardian age) which was the house I was living in on Park Road with mater, and pater! Apparently, as a child she used to stay (or possibly lived there on, and off if my memory serves me well!) there, and as proof of these claims she presented some photocopies of old photographs from her family albums. This showed the Orchard as it was in the early part of the 20th century. She made the claim that this big house was also originally the place for high ranking military people from British India to stay temporarily when on leave.
The other "meaningful" coincidence involved a telephone conversation with someone from a metaphysical society based in Hastings. He claimed he could hear inner psychic sounds at a distance, and they reminded him of the poem by Thomas Grey known as the Elegy. I was amazed by this because he did not know that I was calling from Stoke Poges which was the place where it was actually written! Indeed, there is an actual monument to the Elegy near to the Church where Thomas Grey is buried.
Such experiences are common especially in case of those concerned with the search for Truth, or some other pressing matter of importance to the individual. They appear to clearly show that the universe at some level is interconnected into a Whole, and that we, ourselves ofcourse are a part of It. Indeed, they also suggest that there is something guiding our lives.In the world of the psychic, and infact, the spiritual there are various "guides" of one sort, or another.
I remember a long time ago waking up, and just recalled in a "dream" a mist which seemed to be vertically flattened in part to allow strange writing to magically appear by itself. The script may have been Hebrew but it is not possible to say for certain. I heard a voice from the right of me saying that bad actions are good because they could lead to good ones, or words to that effect! In other words, learning via experience which we all do. This may have been some kind of contact with a guide of some degree, or possibly a trick of the mind. However, this experience seemed real enough, and happened very quickly as I got the impression that I was not meant to be conciously aware of it.
7. Psychic "Vision?"
I once attended a meeting concerned with Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga. One of the participants so to speak was seatted near me in the gloom of the room. I noticed what appeared to be a "cloud" (a form of ectoplasm?).In it, I was able to discern what appeared to be a horrific car crash. I later asked the person about it, and he was shocked especially when I gave him the colours of the two vehicles involved. He had somewhile ago just survived a horrific crash in which the vehicles were horribly mangled. He still suffered from the pains of this appalling experience.............
The above experiences in this essay are just examples which appear to suggest that there is something more to life. Yet, no doubt, there are many who may read this who may have had far more interesting, and extraordinary happenings. Such material appears in internet forums, specialist magazines, and/or goes into biographies, and autobiographies of mediums, and other "psychic" notables such as Derek Acorah, and Uri Geller. It is hard to see how sceptics continue to pooh pooh such anecdotal evidence, and its commonality when it should be clear to anyone that "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy...." to use the classic Shakespearean line.
III. Encountering the Brahma Kumaris, and "Raja Yoga".
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
My first encounter with Indian mysticism proper was with the devotees of Brahma Kumaris. They teach a system referred to as Raja Yoga, but it is not the same as the Patanjali version which they would probably regard as being a later corruption. Anyway, I first discoverd the BKs back in 1980, or thereabouts. I saw an add in the local rag claiming that someone was teaching hypnosis, or something very much like it. I got into contact with the advertiser who happened to be a certain Brother Julius Larsen. He was a pleasant enough person, and seemed more interested in making me aware of the BKs. I had to confess this supplanted my initial interest in discussing hypnosis. Yet, the more I learned about its philosophy the more doubts it engendered. Ofcourse, apart from Julius the devotees were very pleasant. Unfortunately though, the former appeared to have blind faith in it altogether. It was if his critical mental faculties were totally suspended which was a shame, and this caused undue stress in his family life.
BK philosophy is fine as far as it goes...the Raja Yoga as it is propounded by them is positive, and uplifting. It uses visualization, and auto-suggestion in which one imagines oneself being a point of light at the Third Eye, and one mentally repeats that "I am a point of light"..et cetera . The aim of this is to become "bodiless", and at the same time imagine being bathed in the reddish light of God, or Shiv Baba residing in the Silent Ocean of Bliss in Brahmloka. Yet, official communication from the "Supreme Being" comes in the form of "mediumistic" sourced teachings (or Murlis, meaning the flute of Krishna). Baba made the following claims to his "sweet children."
1) He has stated that God is not omnipresent, and that no guru, or incarnation is manifestation of the Supreme Power in human form
2)There are only a certain number of souls who are meant to follow Shiv Baba. They are the ones which are meant to start the Golden Age at the beginning of the so-called Five Thousand Year Cycle (made up of the Four Ages). This Cycle is repeated again,and again EXACTLY IN EVERY DETAIL. At the present time, we are living in what is called the Iron Age which is soon to come to an end. Those souls who do not follow Shiv Baba are born in in one of the Four Ages of the Five Thousand Year Cycle. This whole process is called Drama. Shiv Baba claimed that "No one can question Drama" even though it is clearly nonsensical...and the traditional Hindu Swastika sign is used in their illustrations of this "evolutionary" process.
3) The BKs believe that Sat Yuga, or the Golden Age would be a world of wonders. The life expectancy of the reborn BKs would be extremely long, and healthy. Special vimanas, or "aircraft" would be able to take them to various destinations at the speed of thought. Buildings would be built like palaces, and if one recalls rightly crystals would be used as special energy rather like electricity.
4) The BKs try not to mention anything about the above claims concerning "doomsday", and the succeeding Golden Age. This is deliberate as to not alarm newcomers into their sect. This is arguably dishonest of them.
5) Ofcourse, the BKs claim that religions are based on subconcious memories of the Golden Age when concious knowledge of the Five Thousand Year Cycle was known about but later forgotten.
6) It has been claimed that at the end (ie.doomsday)of the Iron Age (ie. our present time) the magnetic fields of the earth could be altered leading in part to repitilians suddenly growing in size, and becoming dinosaurs. This is an explanation for the prehistoric remains of such creatures! This though is not something suggested by Shiv Baba himself as far as I know...
Also, I made Brother Julius (mentioned earlier) aware of a certain section(s) in the book Treastise on Cosmic Fire by Alice Bailey which seem to predict the emergence of the Brahma Kumaris. This was something which was recognized by Benjamin Creme (a noted esotericist) when I phoned him. In Sant Mat, the reddish sky or "Brahm Element" in which Shiv Baba resides is usually associated with Kal, or Universal Mind Power which is concerned with the continuation of the physical creation.....
IV. Meeting the Gurus in Britain.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
In the past, I met a number of gurus. The one that impressed me most was probably Swami Chidananda the recognized successor of the great Swami Sivananda. I recall going to interview him for Yoga and Health magazine. He was staying at a devotees home in Sutton (London area). He was a charming, and self-effacing man. I asked him a whole number of questions, and the interview lasted for over two hours....much to the amazement of the devotees as this was a rare thing for him to do! Ofcourse, the editor of Yoga, and Health magazine had to reduce the length of the transcript of my meeting with him. It appeared in published form in December 1989. It revealed some fascinating light about himself, and the workings so to say of his Divine Life Society. Unfortunately, the original tape recording of the interview went amiss.
Apart from him, I also came across Jashan Vaswani (whose voice was reminiscent to that of a Dalek!), Shivabalayogi (who called his meditation "mind-control" a term which has negative connotations in Western society!), Pandit Ravishankar (who had a strange effeminate voice, and not be confused ofcourse with the famous late Indian musician!) S.A.A Ramaiah (who was a somewhat "severe" sharp-minded intellectual guru who did not cut his finger, and toe nails as he claimed that this was because it made him more sensitive to "energies"), Mataji Nirmala Devi, Mata Amritanandamayi (who in one of her "love-ins" put her finger on my forehead, and whereupon I received an instantaneous injection of energy which was meant to send me into higher conciousness!) Shyam Ma, et cetera..
........One individual I met in Slough appeared to be a guru of sorts. Though he was clearly of Asian descent he used the Jewish name Moses for himself. He advertized his "Occult Group" in a local free-ads paper. I rang him, and he claimed that alot of people who phoned him thought he was into magic....or possibly black magic involving ritualism, and nudity! I informed him that he was wrong to use the word "occult" in his advert as this has a negative connotation to many, and thus, he had been attracting the wrong kind of public.
Anyway, I went to his flat in Langley, and there was only one other "devotee" with him. It transpired that he taught a form of Christian meditation involving the Kabbalah. Personally, I did not like him particularly, and he became somewhat defensive when I asked him whether he could give me any references of people who might have benefited via his meditation.He claimed that I was testing him.....which was not my intention. He also asked me whether I knew about the power of Silent Command (or so-called Telecult Power notably popularised by Reese Dubin) to which I said yes......When I left his flat, and walked home I could feel his energy but it soon wore off. Clearly, he had some degree of power, but how genuine he was is another matter.
Another guru I came across was via an advert in Yoga Today in about 1987. He had also published an article therein on Ajapa Yoga, and inner Sound. I contacted him as he was interested in starting a group on the subject. His name was Marjan J. Ebert who was German, and he travelled to England to meet me.
One thing he taught me was something very worldly. In a pure vegetarian restaurant he explained how Thali (a mixture of Asian curries in little metal containers along with nam bread, samosas, et al) is eaten correctly in India. Apparently, all the little food containers are turned upside down along with everything else making a "mess" on the large metal plate they were on! A grand nosh if ever there was one!
Marjan J. Ebert complained that in his meditation groups in Germany he would ask for donations to help forward his Ajapa Yoga. But this did not generally work out so he had decided on a fixed charge... However, he would give his meditation free if the person concerned happened to be Prince Charles!
Another guru I met was Kehar Singh. He was billed as being a Sant Satguru of Surat Shabd Yoga. In the early 1990s I was waiting to get initiated into Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and I came across Tarn Taran Satsang. This latter group was for many decades recognized by the former as being bona fide. However, when Kehar Singh "came to power" (so to speak!) Maharaj Charan Singh of the Beas Satsang tried to publicly avoid him unlike his predecessor, or so the story goes.
Anyway, I thought I would pay a visit on Kehar Singh who was staying with some devotee in Slough. We shook hands both uttering a lusty resounding Radhasoami as a greeting.I mentioned Maharaj Gurinder Singh to him, and he did not react negatively, but merely referred to him as Mr. rather than Maharaj, his honorific title.
Amongst the small band of people I was with at the time one Beas Satsangi was staring disconcertingly at me "trance-like". It was claimed that he had reached Sach Khand, and was greatly respected. It is not clear why he was present. Maybe he recognized Kehar Singh as being the genuine article. This would ofcourse contradict the stance held by Beas Satsang! As with all these things it suggests to me that subjective dynamics play a big part in all this.Unfortunately though, things went little awry with Kehar Singh in Slough as it emerged that he was becoming impatient in trying to raise funds for his organization as well as certain other matters.Yet, he did manage to get his picture in the local newspapers with some notables! So his trip to Britain was not totally wasted. Ofcourse, none of this means that he is an imperfect "Sant" .
Gurus are after regarded in the main as incarnations of the Absolute Power of the Universe, and can do anything even if it contradicts the mores of society itself which if they occur are seen as tests of faith.....Finally, I hardly if at all had any kind of "spiritual" experiences with any of the above with the exception of two Teachers. They were Dr. Sharma (aka Manav Dayal), and Harjit Singh both drawing their inspiration from Baba Faqir Chand.
V. Encountering Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
A BASIC INTRODUCTION.
The Radhaswami, or the Radha Soami Faith, or Satsang teaches the Ancient Wisdom of Sant Mat (The Teachings of the Saints), and Surat Shabd Yoga (Union of the Soul with the Sound Current of Spirit). Essentially, it involves an advanced form of astral projection at the time of meditation in which the soul "dies daily" by ascending to "Spiritual Regions." The Power to achieve this is the Sound Current, or Audible Life Stream which is traced to the "Highest Region" where "God-Realization" occurs.
On the journey "upwards" the soul meets the inner Radiant Form of the outer physical Master, or Sant Satguru. Such a Teacher would have connected the disciple to the Sound Current at Initiation. This Power cannot be contacted by ones own effort. Only the Master can connect the aspirant to It, and It has a special magnetic pull which helps one ascend "easily" to the "Higher Regions." There are said to be Five Key Sounds, or Shabds connected with Five Key "Regions" taught at initiation. These have to be contacted one by one in order to reach the Goal. Many lesser Sounds, and Visions may be experienced on the "upward" Path towards "God-Realization". Indeed, it should be added that there are an infinite number of intermediate "Regions" or planes, or sub-planes before the "highest" one is reached by means of merging into the Sound Current.
More controversially, Sant Mat claims that unlike nearly all Religions, and indeed, Mystical Traditions such as Sufism, Western Paganism, Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Hinduism (The RS Faith is a Sikh sect, not a Hindu one) it has the "complete secret" of how to achieve real "God-Realization".
Originally, I was interested in Eckankar, and "by chance" I came across a movement called Radha Soami Satsang Beas in 1980. A friend of mine happened upon a booklet he found on his parents table. It was called the Inner Voice by Colonel Sanders which gave a basic introduction to Sant Mat. It was fascinating....and I was determined to find out more. I noticed that the owner of the booklet had left his address inside so I went to him to enquire more. His name was Jit Johal, and I spent a few occasions visiting him. He informed me that I should really go to Satsang in London which I duly did. It was there that I met a number of interesting people including some notables such as Nigel North, and Judith Durham of the Seekers who I use to tower over. She called me Sir, on a number of occasions rather than my first,or last name. Another well-known follower, or Satsangi was Martin Shaw, the actor.
Anyway, I was also suprised to find how much had been printed on Sant Mat, and I studied this stuff avidly. Every Sunday I started to regularly attend Satsangs, and I felt at times imbued with a highly subtle energy of bliss....I also acted as a sevadar too. This took the shape of myself being a "doorman" at the Satsang Hall (now demolished but used to be fairly close to Paddington station).
Near the end of 1980, I wrote a long letter to Maharaj Charan Singh Ji who was the Present Living Master of Radha Soami Satsang Beas. His reply was remarkably comprehensive considering his busy time schedule. He notably complimented me on being a genuine Truth Seeker who was not just interested in intellectual "gymnastics". This was true even though I came across as something of an "intellectual" to some people.
However, I was suffering from an obssession. Apart from being a determined Seeker After Truth I had a morbid complex about a possible early physical demise before getting initiated into Surat Shabd Yoga by Maharaj Charan Singh Ji. At times, this obssession was driving me mad. I wrote to him about my concern, and he claimed that I should leave everything in Gods hands. Moreover, he made the claim that "....the Master (ie. himself) was only responsible for particular souls assigned to him by God."
All this lead to a bizarre twist of events. For many years I was due to parental pressure not being able to go fully vegetarian, and hence, become an initiate, or Satsangi. Yet, nothing remains the same forever.
For a time I lost contact with the London Satsang, and in 1990 I was free to "do my own thing". In effect, I had just left my parents home as they had moved onto Oxford. I rang up a Satsangi friend, and she informed me that Maharaj Charan Singh had just passed on...! I was amazed. Charan was right. I was not meant to be initiated by him.. It was to be his successor Baba Gurinder Singh .
PS. There is one thing I would like to add. When I was visting Jit Johal I saw a large photo of Maharaj Charan Singh laughing. Anyway, whilst I was doing some outdoor work at a golf club I was feeling very devotional, and had the sensation of doing everything for the Master as if he were physically present. This seva, or service can raise the conciousness to a high level which it did in my case. The upshot of this was an unexpected "telepathic" flash of the photographic image of Maharaji which shot by me. I rang Mrs."Chip" Wood who was the extremely knowledgeable, and experienced British representative of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and appeared to confirm the genuineness of what happened to me. She described it as dhristi, or a "glance" of Grace from the Master.
...............................................................................................
..............In 1990 Gurinder Singh was made head of Radha Soami Satsang. I first saw him in the flesh at the huge Satsangs in Birmingham when he was visiting England. This took place in the National Exhibtion Centre, or NEC. Security was high there too with police, and plain clothed detectives keeping an eye on things as the Sikh terrorism was still very much a problem.
Gurinder, or more respectfully Babaji gave a number of discourses plus questions, and answers with his booming voice. In the latter sessions l asked him when he was going to start initiation, and whether he would initiate me. Instead of hearing what he actually said I heard something else (ie a bizarre trick of the mind). He said that he would initiate me but ofcourse he did not actually say that....... The reason for all this was that I was going through a strange phase in life that I had become so obssessed with wanting to get initiation that it was starting to drive me "insane". I was also unnaturally concerned about the possibility of an early death (as mentioned earlier). This would ofcourse mean that I would not get initiated...
Quite often at Satsang in London, or at the charming local home groups someone I knew, or not know would say that "I was going to die!" The imitation voice was just like that of the speaker...virtually indistinguishable. I should point out that I have never taken drugs, or psychiatric medecine. I believe what happened above was a "by-product" of a certain experience with Eckankar possibly during a "healing" session (see Realization of the Psychic). Ofcourse, esoterically the meaning of "you are going to die" implies not physical death but spiritual rebirth in the material body. Apparently, in withcraft the mental phenomenon of a voice imitating someone else, and tricking someone into believing what he, or she is saying is for "real(!)" is not entirely unknown..
Anyway, in 1993 I, along with a batch of people went to recieve Nam under the new Master Babaji (though physically not present) at Haynes Park near Bedford. This was the new UK headquarters of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas. Mrs. "Chip" Wood presided over the initiation, and later everyone was put into circular groups, and taught how to repeat, and pronounce the Five Holy Names. On another occasion, I actually saw Babaji at Haynes Park itself. Some people including myself possibly saw his face changing to that of his previous Master Baba Charan Singh.
I recall once being in the London Satsang, and Babaji suddenly appeared out of the blue, and gave a discourse. This has happened since apparently. He likes now, and again to give unofficial appearances presumably to inspire truth seekers, and satsangis.I felt very devotional during my "honey moon" period before initiation. But I was disappointed after initiation as the power, and aspiration suddenly "disappeared." I felt betrayed, and disheartened. I have come to the conclusion that a real Master must be able to give an initiate before, and AFTER initiation (be it Shabd Yoga, or whatever) "something to work on". In other words, an awareness at least of some kind of Power working for ones good. It is then that the initiate increases its Grace via spiritual practice. Without some kind of inner support meditation can be incredibly difficult. It is vital to have some internal "drive", and "inspiration" to continue practice as we are such weak souls.............Many people have complained about this. Some Beas Satsangis have understandably gone to one of the Sant Kirpal Singh groups which claim that one can have "something to work on" in the spiritual sense. This is VITAL!!
As I was starting to move away from Radha Soami Satsang a bizarre number of synchronicities occured with chance meetings with "devotees". The first of these though was in Newbury which I had never been to before. A lady called Iris I recognized from the London Satsang was spotted, and I went upto her, and she comfirmed that she was the very same person. She was suprised to see me. As indicated there were other similiar "chance" meetings which are hard to explain rationally. Yet, it does indicate that somehow we are all interconnected in this Cosmic Drama of Life.....
The most recent one occured in Windsor in 2007. I was sitting next to an elderly Asian tourist who was looking at his young granddaughter . Some of his relatives were around visiting Windsor, and its famous castle. For some reason, or other we talked, and the topic of reincarnation, and gurus cropped up. I said I had an interest in both subjects especially the latter. He asked me whether I had a Master. I said I had been initiated into Radha Soami Satsang Beas. He was astonished as he claimed that he was an initiate too of one of the previous Masters! He said that I was very lucky to have been initiated by Gurinder Singh as not everyone is. Apparently, he claimed to be a retired chief of border control in India,(his name may have been Dhawan but I do not have the exact details with me at the time of writing) and knew Mr. Mann who was the "top man" in the organization of Radha Soami Satsang. Anyway, he gave me his name, and number including that of the latter, and said if I ever I wanted to stay at his home I would be welcome to do so. Will wonders ever cease? Who knows? But synchronicity has played an important part in my life, and not just those instances connected with Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
PS..
Back in 2005, I recall once sitting on a bench in Langley near Slough. An Asian suddenly appeared from behind me, and said, "Your Master is sitting next to you!" I replied that I could see no one in the non-physical sense. I did though just about recognize the Asian from a very long time ago. He was an initiate of the Radha Soami Satsang.......
.........Also, before I became deeply involved in Shabd Yoga, an Indian claimed that it was a dangerous practice. Yet, I, never came across anybody suffering from any serious problems. However, one woman at the Beas Satsang claimed that she woke up one morning to find a "being" grabbing her throat. She then chased it out of the bedroom, and into the garden. It was claimed that this "being" was merely a projection of her mind.
In Sant Mat the intiate is given a special mantra which is charged by the Master which is meant to protect the disciple in meditation from evil influences. It is also used to test to see whether the inner Master is genuine, or not. However, if any negative experience is had at all like the woman mentioned above it can be rationalised as being a mental projection of ones mind. Ofcourse, this would not be somekind of "being" in the normal objective sense in which the special mantra would have helped protect against....
If one has a powerful connection with a Guru this should be sufficient protection....irresepective of whether a special mantra was given to the aspirant, or not....
VI.Religare, Gurinder, and Beas Satsang, (Part Two.)
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
The Bloggers comments on the two articles by Brian Hines................
http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/04/the-big-money-surrounding-radha-soami-satsang-beas.html
http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/04/rssbs-ties-to-religare-mix-money-and-spirituality.html
Sometime after my initiation into the Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or RSSB someone said to be an English teacher who worked in Spain came out with a claim. He revealed that Gurinder (shortly before Charan passed on) had done some kind of business "mistake," but the Dera Management sent a message insisting that he was a Perfect Master. Hence, he could do no wrong. The English teacher then asked me what sort of power we were dealing with? This was somewhat disturbing at the time as I did have some doubts about Gurinder which unfortunately are now bourne out by the revelations at Brian Hines Blog.
Indeed, when he became the new Satguru for RSSB he reportedly asked a certain question a few times. "How do you know that I am not a fraud?" My Satsangi, and Non-Satsangi friends found that amusing..
Another "red flag" was raised. When I was with friends at a home Satsang in which there was mention about the construction for a runway of sorts at Haynes Park so that Gurinder could land his aircraft! However, this came to nothing....probably due to the bureaucratic local planning authorities!! Admitedly, I did not think much of this...and everyone seemed to regard it as amusing. But is a "runway" a best way of using money....possbily money which originated from the Satsang itself...?
The question which I am concerned here is this. Does it all matter? In one sense, it does as revealed in Brian Hines two articles. But it must be remembered that the physical Master like many incarnations in India is seen as the physical manifestation of God. What I present here are three ways of looking at this subject with an open mind. Admitedly, I am a bit of a Radhasoami apologist because I feel there is more than meets the eye ....
KEY CLAIM I.
Whether Gurinder is perfect, or not probably does not necessarily matter as the following extract reveals, and is believed to have been said by Sawan Singh..
“....If the Guru himself has not reached Satlok, but his Guru is perfect or, like Swami Ji Maharaj, has come straight from Anami(the Nameless Region, the "highest" of all Regions),he will take his disciples up to the stage he has attained himself, and beyond that his Guru, or his Gurus Guru, or Swami Ji Maharaj Himself will take them. There should be no worry about this.”
Ref With the Three Masters, by Munshi Ram page 68, 2001 edition (minor editing)
But the question is this? Why should an "imperfect" Master exist? The answer may be that the Mauj (or Divine Will) of God wants to "wind up" RSSB for reasons best known to Itself. Indeed, the whole organization has become absurdly big, and "bloated". It does need to radically reduce its size. Ideally, Gurinder should step down from his position of Master, and possibly have set up a number of "Satgurus" who would be elected by advanced Satsangis. Such spiritual elections have already notably happened in Dayalbagh. However, this is unlikely to happen unless there is a serious power struggle at the top....
Furthermore, many people have complained that nothing is experienced in meditation after many years of practice. What is required is a database on which to draw upon made up of anonymous Satsangis who could give attempted descriptions of their experiences. This could act as an "encouragement".
KEY CLAIM II.
In RSSB the the physical Satguru is meant to be omnisicient....but there is plenty of evidence on the contrary though a disciple would simply regard this as as test of faith, and/or come out with some kind of rationalization......
........Just after Maharaj Charan Singh former head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas died in 1990 a book appeared on him, and his discourses entitled Treasure Beyond Measure. In it he discussed his own experiences about the utter suprise that he was appointed Sant Satguru in 1951 by the previous deceased incumbent Maharaj Jagat Singh Ji. He regarded the whole matter as a cruel trick of fate. To a Satsangi, or devotee this shows his utter humility! He was pretending that he was not a real Master!! However, what perhaps was Maharaj Charan Singh really saying without giving the game away? He was arguably indicating to those "in the know" that he was telling the truth pure, and simple as far as he could understand it at the time.
To understand what follows it is best to examine a mystic called Faqir Chand. He, like Maharaj Charan Singh was regarded as a much respected teacher of shabd yoga. But Chand claimed that though he was regarded as the physical manifestation of God he was not omniscient. He did not know anything about the miracles that his devotees expressed to him in which his Radiant Form would appear in the outer, or inner worlds of matter, or spirit. He found this same unawareness with other masters of the Shabd Yoga tradition, and this is borne out by evidence. He concluded that it was the BELIEF AND FAITH of the devotees which generated the phenomena of inner visions, and miracles due to their devotional love for him. However, this did not imply necessarily that they were merely hallucinations, but in many, perhaps most cases that it was their Higher Self (ie ones Personal God) which appeared in a Radiant Form that looked like him! Thus, Maharaj Charan Singh may be indicating the "truth" indirectly of the above phenomenon. It should be added that for the Chandian Effect to be "genuine" in the guru world one, or more of a line of Masters should be bona fide in the spiritual sense.
A rather odd thing occured in connection with myself. This is not a meditation experience per se but happened quite naturally, and spontaneously as I was walking. An image of Gurinder Singh appeared in the area of my Third Eye in a "circle" shape. He was dressed with his turban, and a white suit....the one which I wore at initiation back in 1993! The image changed but with the same suit. Perhaps this "mind trick" was suggesting in a crude manner that the Master was myself which is rediculous! However, my present Lower Self entangled in mind, and matter is ofcourse NOT the same as my pure Higher Self which is what Chand was really on about. But it was an odd "mind trick".
However, I do believe rightly, or wrongly that "God-Realised" Masters exist who are to a high degree "omniscient". Yet, most are probably not. Moreover, I suspect that Gurinder(or should I say Babaji?) probably fits into the "non-omniscient" catergory. It may well be that this process of unfoldment (ie.a degree(s) of "omniscience") may be "gradually" developed either before, or after a person becomes a Master. This is a big subject, and appears to have something to do with the mechanics of higher conciousness.
KEY CLAIM III.
Depending on ones sensitivity when I have attended Satsang at Southall there is an intense concentration of the subtle energies of higher conciousness. This awareness I believe has been increased after my experiences with Sant Harjit Singh. What is significant is that this "sea" of higher energies does NOT come from the Satsangis alone. In other words, it may well have a divine source, or sources. I recall feeling this Power descending from the ceiling of the Satsang Hall in a most gentle, and spontaneous manner. Sometimes ofcourse, one can see a white glow in some of the Satsangis themselves which is extremely subtle.
When I leave the Southall Satsang this higher energy of conciousness can be experienced in the wonderful park nearby. I also recall Sant Harjit Singhs energy not only in his house but also outside...and beyond ofcourse. This is a matter of personal experience, and I cannot prove it unfortunately...
Naturally enough, critics would say that the above is experienced in places like football matches, and pop music festivals...when the atmosphere becomes electric!! However, what I experience (along with many others) is something far more than this. It is A POWER unlike anything of this world...
In other words, RSSB is still a living faith par excellence....................
VII. Anyone Can Feel Energies.
Back in 1994, or thereabouts Gurinder Singh, the head of Radhsoami Satsang Beas made a surprise visit to the London Satsang. At the end of his talk he asked whether anyone had any questions. I stood up, and claimed that during my spiritual search I had experienced "energies" from some gurus, or words to that effect. Gurinder rightly said that "Anyone can feel energies". There is nothing in the way of real spiritual advancement about it.
Anyway, in April 2011 I was at a famous yearly Sikh Festival in which a number of temporary free food stalls were set up on certain streets in Slough. These marked the procession of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, and their actual living Guru. Just before the open canopied float in which it was placed along with the priests appeared, I was wistfully thinking about the energies of higher conciousness experienced at Haynes Park where I was at a Radhasoami meeting. I did not feel anything like that at the Slough Sikh Festival. However, much to my amazement as I came close to the actual float, and indeed, the Guru Granth Sahib itself I experienced the intensity of higher energies, and as such bowed to it with a respectful Namaste...However, no visual data was registered as the energies could have come from one of the priests rather than from the Granth itself in the open canopied float.
As mentioned in an early post in Esoteric Miscellany,(from Thoughts, and Visions Blog) I was struck by a ray from the Guru Granth Sahib itself as I paid my obeissance to it....! Whether this was a trick of the imagination, or not is impossible to say. Anyway, drawn by this energy I joined the procession of mainly sweaty, and at times smelly (!!)ladies who followed the float. Much to my surprise I saw in the crowd Fiona McTaggert, the MP for Slough who recognized me. She had an scarf over her head, and was dressed like an Indian Sikh lady if I recalled correctly. Thankfully, she did not give her usual Cheshire cat-like smile!
Apart from the above, I was once sitting at a public computer terminal doing my usual tapping on the keys when someone next to me passed me a note. On it was the word psychic....but without the question mark. It transpired that the person next to me claimed he could feel my "energies" and was wondering whether I was psychic, or not. I said that I was possibly. He also revealed he could pick up different energies from different people but like me usually received no visual data. He rightly pointed out that this was a natural phenomena...........
VIII.Some Futher Details on Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.
What follows is a pro Shabd Yoga, and Sant Mat article, but one which also includes some basic controversies in connection with the modern day Radhasoami Movement.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions blog/Kheper
The word "Radhasoami" is a "phonetic misspell" of Radhaswami which is the correct way of pronouncing it. Essentially, it can be translated as meaning the Lord of the Soul, or God. It has many adherents all over the world. It teaches Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.
A. The Soamibagh Satsang. A Brief Historical "Overview" Of The Radhasoami Faith.
The Radhasoami Faith was founded in 1861 by Shiv Dayal Singh who was a banker at Agra. He was as his Will indicates "born almighty" in the sense that he had no guru who initiated him into the science of Surat Shabd Yoga. His teachings are contained in Sar Bachan meaning True Words, and it is believed that they were dictated by him to his chief disciple Rai Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj who succeeded him.
Strange as it may seem it was him, and not Dayal Singh who introduced the name Radhaswami. Huzur Maharaj claimed that this word was like the Sound reverberating in the highest Spiritual Region. Thus, it was to be treated as something extremely sacred. Moreover,it was an innovation in the Medieval Sant Tradition which advocated Shabd Yoga. Huzur Maharaj claimed that the old Indian saints or Satgurus who taught contact with the Sound Current only reached the fifth Spiritual Region. He disclosed that there was an even higher one where God in its purest manifestation existed. Indeed, the Holy Name of Radhaswami was used as a means of concentration during Simran (repetition) in meditation.
Huzur Maharaj was highly respected, and was a post-master general who was honoured by the British. He is credited with what might be termed the systemization of the Faith, and wrote a number of classic books. After his death Brahma Sankar Misra, or Maharaj Saheb became the next Satguru. He notably wrote a book in which he tried to compare the teachings of Radhasoami with the physics of the day.
Maharaj Sahebs claim to fame is the introduction of the Central Administrative Council which seeked to try to avoid splits within the Faith. Unfortunately, due to its "strict" rulings it had the opposite effect. The last "official" Satguru of this "parent rock" of the Radhasoami Faith was Babuji Maharaj. After his passing a period of interregnum occured in which no "official" successor was recognised. This line of Masters made up the Soamibagh Satsang, Agra.
B. Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or RSSB.
Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or more simply RSSB was the first group to break away from the Central Administrative Council. It was headed by Baba Jaimal Singh who had been initiated by Shiv Dayal Singh. He was a "soldier saint", and during his retirement became recognised as a Satguru. He did not ultimately accept the Holy Name Radhaswami, and instead used the Five Holy Names of the earlier Medieval Sants claiming that this was Dayal Singhs original mantra for repetition, or Simran. This appears to be true.
Anyway, it was a good enough excuse for a split to occur between Soamibagh, and his group later known ofcourse as RSSB. The Central Administrative Council decided to "excommunicate" him, and he died shortly afterwards in 1903. It was claimed that his disciples, or Satsangis only reached the fifth Spiritual Region known to previous Medieval Saints, and not the higher one above known as Radhasoami Dham, or the Abode of the Lord with the Name resounding in it. RSSB believes that the ultimate Sound, or Shabd of the Universe is actually inexpressible, and cannot be put into the language of the world in any way.
This rift in the interpretation of the RS Faith has caused much heartache.In the Beas edition of Sar Bachan reference to Radhaswami as understood by Soamibagh has been edited out. Moreover, something else is also introduced into the text. It concerns successorship. The Beas Sar Bachan claims that when the Satguru dies those initiated by him must continually have faith in him. In other words, his Radiant Form must manifest within during Shabd Yoga, and not that of his living successor. The latter though can act as the outer guide to help Satsangis. The Soamibagh edition of Sar Bachan (as dictated to Huzur Maharaj) makes it clear that the present living Satguru must manifest itself as the inner Guide instead of the deceased predescessor. RSSB claims to this day that their edition of Sar Bachan is the "unedited" version as originally intended by Shiv Dayal Singh. Huzur Maharaj simply edited it to present the importance of the Name, and ofcourse, the question of successorship. But, Dayal Singh's Will seems to clearly state that there are two Shabd Yoga Path one started by himself (ie.Sant Mat), and the other by Huzur Maharaj (ie. Radhaswami Mat). Both of them basically teach the same thing.
Anyway, RSSB is arguably the most influential organisation of the Radhasoami Faith. It was the first to introduce the teachings to the West notably through a book entitled The Path of the Masters by Dr. Julian Johnson in 1939. The present head of RSSB is Gurinder Singh.
C. Some Other Radhasoami Organisations.
There are many "splits", or rather branches of the Radhasoami Faith each having its own living Satguru.Dayalbagh Satsang is perhaps the most famous one for those in the know. It broke away from the Central Administrative Council, and like RSSB set up its own Colony in which a degree of industrialization took place. Unlike RSSB it appears that certain successors to the guru gaddi (or throne) have been chosen by spiritual election rather than by written Will.
Sadly, Dayalbagh has for many years contested in the Courts the property rights of Soamibagh Satsang whose authority it does not recognize. It also believes in the Holy Name of Radhasoami which it also uses in Shabd Yoga.
When the Great Master Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji of RSSB died in 1948 he wrote a Will in which he ordered that Jagat Singh should succeed him. However, Sant Kirpal Singh who was highly regarded formed his own breakaway group. This was the Ruhani Satsang. However, when he died his son Darshan Singh formed another organisation called the Sawan-Kirpal Mission now headed by Rajinder Singh.
An interesting aspect of the above is it believes that the new seeker into Shabd Yoga can receive some kind of inner experience of some description at the time of initiation. Yet, RSSB has claimed that this is just a "trick". However, a real Teacher should be able to give a disciple "something to work on" irrespective of how unadvanced he, or she might be. This acts as a vital inspiration to continue on the Path.
It is also fascinating to note that Sant Kirpal Singh mentioned earlier on kept a secret coded diary which claimed that there were certain "sights" before one reached the true "highest" Spiritual Region of Sach Khand. Here, he indicated that apart from "subjective" interactions there were also essentially objective dynamics "largely" at work in the upward visionary ascent of Surat Shabd Yoga.
Apart from inner experiences, there is to some extent a "suspicious" tendency for a line of gurus to be physically related to each other. For example, Rajinder Singh was the eldest son of Darshan Singh (son of Sant Kirpal Singh). When Shiv Dayal Singh died he actually nominated his wife Radha Ji to become the Satguru but she insisted that Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj should replace her as the living guide. Infact, there is a sect in which a certain highly respected academic, Agam Prasad Mathur is directly related to Saligram himself. He is the author notably of The Radhasoami Faith; A Historical Study (1974).
Incidently, another more important source for Radhaswami history are the writings of S.D. Maheshwari of Soamibagh Satsang who wrote much on the subject. Lastly, Professor Mark Juergensmeyer wrote Radhasoami Reality; The Logic of a Modern Faith which gives some understanding of this subject. He was notably helped by the research undertaken by David Christopher Lane who is a Professor of Philosophy, and Sociology in the USA. He is still interested in the subject. Lane is also among other things famed for his investigative research on Eckankar which drew its inspiration from Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga. There are a number of organizations which have partly, or largely changed the teachings altogether. Yet, they still trace their origins to the Radhasoami Faith. One such is headed by Shree, Shree Mentu Maharaj which uses the Holy Name for meditation but without apparently the Sound initiation known to Surat Shabd Yoga.
D. The Esoteric Importance Of The Radhasoami Spiritual Cosmology.
Though the Kheper article on the subject concerned gives some details about the spiritual cosmology of the Radhasoami Faith, it is not complete (http://www.kheper.net/topics/Sant_Mat/cosmology.html ) For that we have to turn to the writings of L.R. Puri an academic who notably wrote Mysticism, the Spiritual Path Vol II, and The Radhaswami Teachings all published by RSSB. Shiv Dayals basic details concerning the "road-map" to God appear in Sar Bachan. They present a more fuller "depiction" of the Spiritual Regions than can be found in the writings of the Medieval Sants.In Discourses on Sant Mat there is a collection of Sawan Singhs talks at Satsangs, or meetings. He gives a few interesting examples in which he shows simple symbolism of the Medieval Sants as being "corroborative", and thus, possibly suggestive of their "objective" reality.
Interestingly, many Indian teachers of any spiritual tradition tend to regard inner experiences of "higher worlds" as being essentially unimportant, or even partly, or wholly illusionary, and as such should be ignored. In Sant Mat this is also true to a certain degree, and emphasis is placed on ones full attention on the Radiant Form of the Satguru during Shabd Yoga. The aim here is to avoid the Satsangi from being sidetracked into lower planes, and by beings who would hold up his, or her progress to the "highest" Region of "God-Realization".
Dr. Alfonso Caycedo, a Spanish psychiatrist wrote back in the sixties a fascinating work on gurus, and inner experiences entitled India of Yogis. Dr. Ranade a renowned mystic, and academic authored the Pathway to God volumes in which he examines in detail the writings of the Medieval Shabd Mystics, and to some extent their internal experiences.
The point of all this comment on Radhasoami Spiritual Cosmology is to make people aware that it may arguably have the simplest, and most authentic, and "complete" understanding of the "higher Regions" .....
E. Surat Shabd Yoga Is Not The Same As Kundalini Yoga.
Sadly, there is a certain amount of "misinformation" of the teachings of Surat Shabd Yoga, and Sant Mat.
It has been claimed for instance that Shabd Yoga is the same as Kundalini Yoga (though ofcourse the inner experiences of both systems may seem similiar to a certain extent). This is incorrect for the following reasons:-
i) The origin of the above seems to largely come from the claim that at the first initiation into the Self-Realization Fellowship (which teaches Kriya Yoga involving Kundalini)contains in full, or in part the exact knowledge of the Sant Mat Sound sequence. Whether this is true, or false is actually "immaterial" because replicas of the key sights, or "lights", and sounds can be found in the lower "Regions" as well as in the higher "Spiritual Regions"!
ii) Shabd Yoga does not involve special breathing practice, or deliberate arousal of the Kundalini, or concentration on the lower centres, or chakras of the subtle body with the exception of the one at the Third Eye. Moreover, there are said to be certain "secret" centres in the grey matter of brain which may be unknown to Kundalini Yogis.
iii) Unlike mainstream Yogic thought, Shabd Yoga does not require the Kundalini to be raised in the traditional manner for Enlightenment. It is a far safer, and natural system of meditation. It should not be confused with astral travel which just deals with the lower psychic realms. Rather it is more accurate to say that conciousness is withdrawn to the Eye Centre, and like a "mental radio" it can contact specific key Sounds. With increasing concentration occuring naturally (ie.not forced) its power to "ascend" or communicate with higher states of conciousness becomes progressively possible. This is a process of "dying daily" via meditation.
iv) It is true that Shabd Yoga borrows some terms from Kundalini Yoga but this does not mean that it is the same thing. Misleadingly, Kriya Yoga master Sri Yukteswar is said to have written a book entitled Surat-Shabda-Yoga.
However, since it revealed too much esoteric information about the Shabd Yoga in connection with Kundalini, and was apparently withdrawn from circulation... (The author would welcome a copy of it for his work into the research, and development of Multi-Dimensional Science).Incidently, the term Shabd, Shabad,or Shabda can mean inner, and indeed, outer Sound, or Music depending on context.
v)There is yet the claim that the Guru Granth Sahib the Sikh "Bible" has many references to Kundalini as being possibly the same as Shabd Yoga. This is more "incorrect thinking". Infact, the Granth Sahib is a massive work, and there are virtually no references to the Kundalini itself...
vi)Finally, Surat Shabd Yoga is NOT to be confused with Nada Yoga. The latter is the old Vedic system of contacting inner Sounds but these relate to the lower ones of the intermediate planes of the Astral Region. In Shabd Yoga there are five major Sounds. These pertain to the Five Major Regions.
F.The "Problem" With Scandals In The Radhasoami Faith.
On the internet especially there have been a number of claimed "scandals" concerning certain "Satgurus" (and indeed, gurus of other traditions) of the Radhasoami Faith. Much of this is questionable, and may have little, or no independent corroboration from witnesses. Moreover, the further back in time we go there are less records if any on any "Satguru".
Some of these "records" can be found in India Office Library and Records in London. Jaimal Singh is for example listed as being in the army there, and reference can be found to Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj being honoured by the British. Furthermore, it is possible to trace pamphlets (some proscribed), and books about the early attempts to denigrate the Radhasoami Faith, and its Satgurus. Most if not all published information had to be registered under a specific Act of Parliament
Nowadays, it is possible to quickly find out anything about anybody "illegally" via detective agencies especially on the internet where they can hack into government, and commercial computers. Privacy has become a problem on the web for sometime.
Anyhow, the following are certain key examples of certain "Satgurus" who have fallen from grace. For legal reasons, indentifying names, and places have been omitted:-
1. One "Satguru" sexually abused women now, and again. Actual witnesses statements exist.
2. A writer on the Radhasoami Faith published the claim that a certain "Satguru" sexually interferred with young girls.
3. A certain "Satguru" possibly used disciples to illegally smuggle in presents from other countries.
4. One "Satguru" has collected computers for the Satsang and some of these may belong to the restricted technology listing, and it would thus be illegal for them to have been imported into India.
5. Another "Satguru" had a mistress. To his credit, he admitted that this was true...
Such revelations are excellent gun-fodder for sceptics.
However, I (the author) believe that in certain cases these may be a test of faith, or psychic tricks (or riddhis, or illusions, or visual psychic tricks which could involve an advanced form of mass hallucination, or "magic") to fool people.Some "Satgurus" may well be initiators acting purely on the behalf of their predescessor with whom they probably have inner contact. This implies they may not necessarily have reached the highest planes of "perfection", and that their character may not also be perfect in the spiritual sense. Thus, they may do things which may be wrong, or even criminal on "rare" occasions. Yet, they still have the authority to initiate new seekers into Surat Shabd Yoga because their line of "Satgurus" has at least one Perfect Master with full spiritual power. As to why this could well be is still subject to speculation.
To find out more light on this the reader can go if desired to my article on Multi-Dimensional Science on the kheper website where there is a section which deals in part with this very "problem". Reference is also made to the teaching of Faqir Chand who was a respected Shabd Yoga Mystic, and seemed to believe that its ones Higher Self which acted as the real inner Satguru (ie the Radiant Form of the Teacher) during Shabd Yoga, or any other similiar practice, and that the outer Master irrespective of his, or her actions only acted as a catalyst.
Sawan Singh though seemed to claim that at initiation he actually created the Shabd Form in each of his Satsangis. Whenever there was a serious crisis one of these Forms would telepathically transmit its message to the physical master who would thereby make a decision. It is quite clear that we have more to learn about the actual modus operandi operating between disciple, and master.
Yet, Chands ideas in the main are still valid, and relevant as far as they go. Moreover, what matters in Surat Shabd Yoga is the need to practice, and reform oneself. It is claimed that Sawan Singh said in the book entitled With the Three Great Masters by Munshi Ram that there should be no worry about whether a Shabd Yoga Master is Perfect, or not as one, or more of his predecessors may appear within to help the the disciple to ascend the "Higher Regions". In other words, the Light of Truth reveals Itself via inner experience.
As already suggested but expressed differently, the Higher Self (in the Chandian context) which is ultimately our real Satguru may even manifest ItSelf as a replica of the imperfect outer Master of Shabd Yoga. Whether something like this actually happens or not probably depends on spiritual background, and other factors. Yet, this "replica," or rather the Radiant Form may well be able to take the disciple to the "highest plane" of spiritual liberation (or as Sawan Singh is said to have alternatively suggested a genuine previous Master could appear "inside" to replace the "imperfect" Master to take the soul upwards). Yet, the outer manifestation of this "Guide" can do no such thing in the inner journey...
In keeping with most Indian mystical movements the Radhasoami Faith does not believe in the development of psychic power. Yet, the late Dr. Puri in Liverpool (UK) tried to use Shabd Yoga as a means of healing certain ailments.
G. Non-Absolutionist Sant Mat...?
As mentioned Faqir Chand was a Shabd Yoga Master but his view about Sant Mat can be regarded as being non-absolutist. In keeping with mystical Hinduism he believed that different types of Yoga appealed to different kinds of people. They ultimately lead to the Supreme Source of Creation. In other words, Surat Shabd Yoga is just one of many many Paths leading to "ultimate" Samadhi in contradiction to what we have been saying in this essay. Thus, in the Radhaswami Teachings the Sound, or Shabd is not the only means of spiritual liberation. Instead, powerful degrees of "natural" concentration can achieve It.
Surprisingly, in the Radhasoami Faith there have been rare references to the point that one can achieve the "Highest" State of Consciousness, or "God-Realization" without the Sound, or indeed, without being aware of any inner "journey". It all depends ultimately depends on Grace.
Anyway, to return to Chand. He was very open, and honest about his inner experiences in Shabd Yoga. He even admitted that he was not necessarily right, and even had doubts about whether he reached the "Highest" State of Conciousness. This may be a display of pure humility, or perhaps a degree of ignorance.
One of his recognized successors was Sant Harjit Singh. It is claimed that he uses a mantra, or mantras with a specific "charge". When practised it allows the listener to go deeper, and deeper into the Sound, and Light until a blissful, and peaceful state of "no-thought" is reached which lies beyond supersensory phenomena.
A number of people who practice "pure" Surat Shabd Yoga come to him for help. Interestingly, like Faqir Chand, Harjit Singh though does not believe that the inner stages "described" in the writings of Dayal Singh, and other Satgurus "exist". They are regarded as projections of the Mind. Harjit Singh has pointed out that most gurus, and yogis are totally unknown to the public. As usual there is the claim too that Surat Shabd Yoga evolved from the Siddha Tradition, the Udasi branch of Sikhism, and other sources.
Apart from the Radhasoami Faith proper there are other virtually unknown groups which believe inner Sound, or the Word is the "sole" means of achieving the Truth. One headed by the "Satguru" Santsevi springs to mind..
In an infinite spiritual universe anything is possible, and it is important to retain an open mind. As the Masters say...the Truth ultimately lies within.......
IX. An Esoteric Miscellany
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
A. Meeting Dr. Douglas Baker.
7th, 2009 by
Dr. Douglas Baker is somewhat well-known in esoteric circles. Here is a link to him, and his site.
http://www.douglasbaker.com/
It is claimed that he has written over 100 books on esoteric subjects. Having seen some of them they appear to be often, or not short, and "shallow". Moreover, from what I have found so far there is no obvious reference to his use of Theosophy, and the Alice Bailey Teachings. He should by rights give direct indications of his source materials otherwise it gives the false impression that he is an innovator.
Anyway, back in the early eighties I used to meet a plump well-dressed Indian astrologer who was called Matthew. He claimed that he was jeweller, and emanated from Brighton. On occasion, I met him at a hotel that used to exist opposite Slough train station. We often talked about esoteric subjects, and once I said that I believed I had been killed in the last world war. In response, he said that he had been a saint in India in another incarnation..For whatever reasons, Matthew seemed impressed by the writings of Dr. Douglas Baker. He recommended them to me but I was not overly excited.
However, I did go to see Baker at the former workings mens club in Slough where he was giving a talk on astral projection. Among other things, he mentioned his friend Peter Sellars, and his heart attack in which he had out-of-body experience (though if I recall correctly there was more than one instance of this). At the end of this ofcourse came the book signing session. I used this as an opportunity to ask him why he had not replied to me on a letter concerning greater information on surat shabd yoga, and the Radhaswami Faith. At this, he said nothing, and gave me a sssh! with one finger over his mouth. He seem to realize the huge esoteric importance of the subject, and clearly was not willing to discuss it. However, apart from this I was not impressed overall by him as a person, or indeed, his books...
I am sure Dr. Baker means well in his own right along with his Claregate College on esoteric studies but I just feel that perhaps the genuine motivations for it all were somehow lacking. However, whether true, or not he has played an important in popularising the subject for which we should be thankful.
PS. Since the above was written Dr Baker passed away in 2011.
B. A "Kabbalah" Mystery?
Nov 26th, 2009
I would be grateful to know whether anyone knows the possible meaning of this Kabbalistic symbol. It is drawn on a public wall with a black felt tip pen by a person, or persons unknown as I enter, and depart from a block of flats in which I live. Essentially, it appears as a trident (bowled shaped like the Jewish Menorah)without the pronged endings. Two magan davids are to be seen both sides of it save the central "column" so to speak. At the base of the latter there is one more magan david. There also appears here to be a little "flame" on one of the apexes of the two triangles. The same is true of the one on the top left of the "trident". These may have no significance at all along with where they are placed exactly. The question is this? Is this a genuine Kabbalistic symbol possibly? Or is it just something made up by someone who has an interest in magic? Could it be a symbol of good luck, or bad luck, or indeed, nothing at all of note?I may sometime post a drawing, or photo of it but the detail in the first paragraph should be clear enough to its possible "identification," and "significance".
PS. An occult symbol in chalk was found on the wall(circa 2011)of an underpass very near the Masonic Lodge in Slough. If I recall correctly, it was a triangle in a circle, and appeared to contain astrological symbols. It has since been erased.
C. Who are the Eloists?
Sep 28th, 2009
Sometime ago, I had a black and white dream. I could only recall the fag end of it. It was like an old grainy film being played. In it, someone looking like some Old Testament Prophet strolled along towards me with a staff in a stoney scenery. All of a sudden the words ELOIST appeared. I had never come across the word before, and so I had to go to the internet to find out what it meant. The following comes from the GG dictionary
.....E*lo"hist (?), n. The writer, or one of the writers, of the passages of the Old Testament, notably those of the Pentateuch, which are characterized by the use of Elohim instead of Jehovah, as the name of the Supreme Being; -- distinguished from Jehovist. S. Davidson. - Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Elohist, a name given by the critics to the presumed author of the earlier part of the Pentateuch, whose work in it they allege is distinguished by the use of the word Elohim for God; he is to be distinguished from the Jehovist, the presumed author of the later portions, from his use, on the other hand, of the word Jehovah for God.More light was forthcoming in the following "revelation" if such it could be called......Here, reference is made to a publication entitled Radiance which is connected with Oahspe an esoteric society which has been around for sometime...
Within Radiance flows the spirit of the Eloists. It is an expression of Light, and speaks with the Voice of the Living Spirit as It has come to be known through the Eloist family. 'Eloist' means a 'doer of the Creator's will.' The objective of Radiance is not so much to educate as it is to strike a keynote or set a tone that will help the reader to become attuned to 'the realm of thought in which angels dwell,' and in that harmony to learn how to rise in spirit to embrace a higher purpose.
Radiance, a publication of The Eloists, a religious non-profit organization, incorporated in 1918.....
PS. As Alan Kazlev pointed out I could have seen the the word Eloist before but completely forgot it until I had this "dream" experience..
D. The Guru Granth Experience..?
Nov 27th, 2009
Sometimes I have langar, or free food at the local Sikh temple, or gurdwara in Slough (near Montem). I have the greatest respect for Sikhism. It ofcourse does not have a Living Master as their guide but their holy book the Guru Granth Sahib acts as their Teacher instead, and is worshipped,and respected as if it were a highly esteemed "human being".I once had four copies of this marvellously inspired mystical work. I bought them at a Radha Soami Satsang Beas meeting in London!
I have to admit that I did find it difficult to accept a book rather than a living spiritual master as a guide. But my views have changed. It is possible,and feasible. The reason for this change of heart is when I, notably saw the Guru Granth Sahib being taken out of a car covered in cloth. This happened just outside the gurdwara. Some people nearby paid a respectful namaste, or greeting to it. I did likewise, and much to my surprise a ray of light shot from it at me. Whether this was a trick of the mind, or something else is difficult to know. However, I have seen pictures of the Guru Granth Sahib with spiritual energies depicted around it. This indicates that it is more than just a book......
PS. I was surprised to hear that the Hindu Temple in Slough was the first purpose built Hindu place of worship in Britain. It is very close to where I live in Chalvey,and found out about this when a group inspired by the Guru Ravi Shankar (not the musician ofcourse!) was making a presentation of their yogic teachings in December 2008.This group incidently claimed that it was the largest voluntary organization in the world. I do not know how true this claim is but I like to keep an open mind.
E. Recalling John Garland..
Nov 26th, 2009
In the late 1970s I recall meeting John Garland, the noted astrologer. He used to work for a time as a teacher at the Tutorials, a private school at Windsor where I used to go to. It was run by Mr. Blundell (a rather Dickensian sounding name IMHO).Anyway, John Garland was a charming fellow with a boyish visage, and ruddy complexion. If I recall correctly he had ginger, or blond hair. It is nice now to see him doing so well with his work in astrology as the following biodata reveals from Astrology Enterprises found on the net along with other "psychics", and astrologers
..."One of Britain's most respected and well established astrologers, John Garland's work has featured in the most diverse range of media over a highly successful, 24 year long career. John also has a unique distinction amongst other astrologers - in terms of understanding the needs of the media, for he worked as a journalist, leader writer and an editor, before the clarion call of astrology become too strong and led to his full-time profession. John writes traditional Western astrology but also has an avid interest and deep knowledge of Chinese astrology, a specialisation, and he has written extensively for Horoscope and Prediction Magazines'. In fact John was the first astrologer to introduce Chinese astrology to the west in the 1980's - strongly influenced by his Grandfather, who lived in China for many years, and who was imbued in Daoism and a great admirer of Confucius. From this John acquired a considerable knowledge of Chinese spiritual culture, including the "I Ching". Over his career, John has written for many of the most established Women's titles, has had much work published and his specialisation is in providing sparkling, either bespoke or regular content, with an almost lyrical and enchanting dimension. His is a rare voice of true authority in the astral and divination firmament."
In around 1983 I came across him again. He used to live in Upton Park, Slough in a basement flat. I got to know him pretty well as he had an easy charm about him. Often, or not the subjects we discussed were to do with psychic, and spiritual topics notably my growing fascination in gurus. He, himself seemed at the time to be much taken by the Western pagan tradition notably the celts, and their culture. Indeed, he even produced his own magazine aptly entitled CELT in capitals. I wrote an article on the mysticism of Inner Sound for his second, or third issue. This appeared on the front cover along with the drawing of a weeping willow if I recall correctly. He described my writing as being "scholarly" which I took to be a compliment.
Anyway,John Garland is among other things an artist. He showed me a number of his unusual "psychic" paintings. Indeed, I even saw per chance an exhibition of them at some fair in London.
He apparently claimed to have written, and published a book entitled The Mire. Brian Edgar who was one of my teachers at the Tutorials contacted me after 30 years via the "miracle" of the internet, and I was amazed to receive his email. He, also, remembered John Garland, and recalled reading The Mire
The next time I came to know of John, and his work was in printed form. It was in the Maidenhead local paper in which he appears to have a syndicated column on his his artful, and insightful column on astrology. It is good to see that he has been doing well, and I wish him future good luck! Maybe we will meet again..or maybe not....but ofcourse that is all in the stars!
X. Mental Illness, Psychic Self-Deception...and Danger!
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Over the years I have come across a few people who appear to suffer, or have suffered some form of "mental illness," and/or self-deception in connection with psychic, and spiritual matters. One person I knew used to wander at the dead of night proclaiming all manner of occult "wonders" including the belief of being the Messiah, and having his Third Eye fully opened.
One elderly individual called Ralph who died in April 2007 was well known in Slough as he used to bicycle about in his shorts in all climes! He was by his own admission a bit eccentric, and claimed that when he was young he was struck by a Tesla (a word he used to describe a thunderbolt which I had never come across before, but is ofcourse, named after the great inventor, Nikola Tesla who was fascinated in electricity). He survived it, and claimed that this enhanced his health, and well-being.
When I used to see him Ralph often, or not talked about his late brother George who appeared to have been suffereing (if that is the right word in this context) from the delusion of being someone special to the Royal Family at nearby Windsor Castle even though he was a humble electrician by trade... Apparently, it was claimed among other things that:-
i) He had saved King George, et al from a bomb attack at Windsor during World War II.
ii) He had been developing a number of advanced technologies (including an ant-gravity device) but the government was not interested because it would cost too much money .
iii) George, and some other "experts" managed to teleport some creature, or object from England to America, or vice versa but it caused Battersea Station to shut down!
iv) He knew Lord Mountbatten well along with other notables often being privy to special meetings, and social occasions.
v) He claimed that he appeared in two places at once!
vi) He said that there were two, or more places in Windsor through which one could travel back to the past by crossing over a line of light.
Indeed, one story featured him taking a Medieval cup, and burying it in its own time by a pub, and later in the present time dug it up. Obviously, it had deterioted somewhat through the passage of time..
Ralph seemed to have lapped all this up, and was suprised that the Royal family had not sent a message of condolences when George sadly died! It seemed that he had being living a kind of Walter Mitty like existence, and I came across this before from someone who seemed to imagine himself being some kind of James Bond figure working in the military!
One person I came across, and who happened to be a Satsangi of RSSB claimed to have seen certain people turn into "reptilians" (shades of David Icke to put it very mildly!), and that he believed in some kind of hidden government of the world. He also feared staring up at helicopters (invisible ones!) as they would shoot a beam of light at him, and he would suddenly freeze!
However, such "delusions" can be dangerous, and I include here the following account in which I was actually attacked by a "nutter". In order to protect myself I have not given out the name of this individual, and use instead the pseudonym of X. This person who regards himself as a "low standard" Sikh is a somewhat chummy, and chubby. X was interested, and totally gullible in many aspects of the occult/paranormal, and was especially interested in dealing with "Voodo witch doctors," and Indian psychic helpers who sometime advertized themselves in Asian papers, and mags.In the latter case, one of them had examined his hand in which he could see Xs chakras, and claimed that they were out of line..! This could be seen perhaps as an indication of his long history of depression which he fully admited to me.
It was claimed by someone that X had attacked someone called Kevin from behind at the local day centre. This individual had been a friend of his for many years apparently. Xs assault on him was stopped by a support worker who along with Kevin it transpired (from another source)were threatened with death! The reason for the above was because X whenever he was befriended by anyone over a period of time he developed a dangerous paranoia complex. In other words, he became increasingly suspicious, and believed that his "friend" was passing on information about him to the "enemies" as he called them for money. This ofcourse is absurd as he is essentially nobody. I asked him what he meant exactly by the word "enemies". But I never really got a clear answer.
It was baffling...especially when he had such a deep interest in Sikhism, and regularly did the meditation practices prescribed by that religion (though he still drank alcohol, and was non-vegetarian). Quite often, he would discuss deep spritual philosphy, and I mentioned Harjit Singh a spiritual teacher already discussed to some extent. X expressed some interest in him but I never gave him his full address, or phone number for obvious reasons.
It is a great shame that X had this deep psychiatric problem with paranoia, and its delusions.Indeed, he used to think that whenever Kevin went to phone up someone in the public booth he imagined that he was passing on information about him to his enemies for money!
As such X had become obssessed in somehow protecting himself from his "enemies" notably his desire to get special rings made which would protect him. He also wanted to leave town altogether after he received enough money from his alleged Court Case. He intended to "disappear" to India where he claimed he could live off his newly acquired money invested in one, or more of the state banks there.
As time went by X became suspicious of me, and asked whether I was passing information about him to the enemies for money! This ofcourse I denied as it was patently absurd....and made no sense at all.
Things came to ahead outside the library when he chuckled at the notion that the Queen was possibly a shape-shifting repitilian (David Icke again!). He then went onto to reveal that he was going to do a sort of psychic name check on me undertaken by some Indian psychic in London. It was his way of trying to determine whether I was genuinely his friend, or not.. X also revealed that I would soon experience unusual dreams in which the psychic would probe my mind. Needless to say nothing of the sort happened. Vainly, I tried to explain to X that I was a genuine friend of his but it was becoming clear that he did not really believe it and that it would be a waste of time trying to convince him. He then went on to say how bad it was that anyone could betray him to the "enemies" by passing on information about him for money, and said that if the psychic name checked proved positive it would bring bad luck for the rest of my life.
Furthermore, X claimed that a café opposite the library was the actual place where I passed information on him to the "enemies" for money. When he first "realized" this he laughed at the absurdity of the notion (!) as he had been wondering why I often went to this specific café other than just eat, and drink ofcourse.... It was now all clear to him... By now, The whole thing had by now become absurd in extremis. So, I parted with him.
Anyway, on the day in question (August 28th 2008) I entered the café (which X had mentioned), and had a plate of saag(spinach), and rice. A little later X himself entered, and saw me. He muttered "You are doing it again. Will you ever learn!" whereupon he headed straight towards me at the table, and rained down a whole load of punches. I lifted my hands, and arms to protect my face, and head. I fell off the chair, and there was short pause before he started to assault me again but this time I used my shoulder bag to protect me. He then left as if nothing had happened, and there was stunned silence in the café. No one ofcourse lifted a finger to help me. No suprise there! Also, the saag, and rice I had been eating coated the wall, and the plate was smashed to pieces. My nose started to bleed, and was in part broken.
The police were called but I decided not to have X arrested, and charged even though the whole thing was probably recorded on camera. He got away scott free but if he were to do something like that again I would have no choice but to make sure he serves time, and ideally, be committed to a mental institution so that he cannot be a risk to the public with his paranoid delusions.
However, he did though attack me one more time but not as seriously as the last incident. As I was going down some steps he gave me a kick from behind, and I turned around to confront him, and uttered my anger at him whereupon he threatened me with death or words to that affect...Now, ofcourse, I try to avoid him like the plague. It is clear that the mind can be misled, and distorted.
Illicit drugs can also cause mental problem ofcourse. One example was a Muslim I used to know, on, and off. He claimed that he, and some friends had seen me commit a crime which was utterly false. He also said the same kind of thing (ie. false accusation based on an imaginary experience)to someone else I knew. It transpired that ofcourse he had taken certain drugs which could give rise to powerful delusions about people. He was also a member of the Sheikh Nazeem sect based in Cyprus. This is a Sufi organization.
I once asked him about his inner experiences, and he was amazed to find that I knew about certain basic details concerned about his initial meditation experiences which were similiar to Shabd Yoga,and other types of practices. Ofcourse, drugs especially LSD can lead to "mystical" or rather psychic type experiences, and these can be similiar if not seemingly identical to "genuine" ones had through non-drug induced meditations.
The person I notably mentioned right at the start of this article also had drug problems, and clearly it contributed to his delusions of being something spiritually special, and extraordinary. Infact, he revealed that he had a bad premature experience with the controversial Guru Maharaj who was known for opening the third eye to inner Sound, and inner Light. Anyway, as far as I know X did not do drugs save alcohol which can arguably be regarded as being something similiar.As I mentioned in the article The Realization of the Psychic I have never ever taken drugs, or indeed, legal psychiatric ones. Moreover, I hate alcohol, and never drink the stuff, and I am ofcourse a vegetarian.
PS. Since the above was written I have had some experiences with two other people who claim to have been affected by "black magic." One of them is a Sri Lankan. He claimed to see "spirits," and was on occasions seen speaking to "them" in Slough High Street. He tried to overcome this problem by contacting "witch doctors" but to no avail. He went to psychiatric hospital for treatment several times, but to no avail. As he pointed out he was suffering from a "spiritual problem."
However, he did have a liking for alcohol, and smoking. He claimed that the "spirits" made him adopt these habits, and even, claimed that he felt sometimes "possessed" by a large number of them. On one occasion, he could not stay in his own digs. Instead, he became homeless temporarily to avoid them! He claimed too that the "spirits" would occcasionally appear in benevolent form, and then "shapeshift" into something less pleasant...
Apart from the Sri Lankan in question, I came across an intelligent African lady who experienced a variety of "illusions." that disturbed her daily life. However, she claimed that praying to God helped her. Yet, she still seems to be on the search for somekind of permanent cure. Hopefully, this will happen to her..
Though not directly related to the above as such I once met an African gentlemen. He had visited the Radha Soami Satsang in London, and I went with him with some friends to his plush flat. It was there that he wanted us to see his collection of Hogarth prints...but when we inspected them we noted that the faces of the characters depicted were erased presumably by him for reasons unknown, and we dared not ask why. He was clearly suffering from some kind of mental problem....
XI. Psychic Encounters of a Friend
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Since 1980, or thereabouts I used to know an Australian friend. I will call him by his first name,Chris. He is somewhat eccentric. He used to, and still does collect rubbish. He is a great believer in "recycling" where possible.
Anyway, when I first met him he was well-dressed, and had a thin elderly Indian friend who referred to himself as the Universalist. The latter claimed he could not see in one eye due to an operation by a "fake doctor" as he put it. He lived with some Muslims which he did not like, as he recalled the appalling smell of spiced meat ascending from their kitchen (An unpleasant experience which I had as I, like him am vegetarian, and the way the meat smelt was frankly horrible!). He also like Chris used to give me free things notably food. He was a very kind soul, and I expect he no longer physically exists.
To return to Chris per se. Back in July 1997 he had an "extraordinary" experience. It occured very late at night. He was in Langley Memorial Park, and was staring at what might be termed a "UFO". It was erractically circling anti-clockwise a "star", or "planet" which was gradually moving across the sky. Chris described the "craft" as being red, and triangular with a flashing light on it. He stood transfixed by it for sometime. Then, the "UFO" slowly descended towards him, and then, shone a light at him. This "light" seemed to make Chris very peaceful, and unafraid. It was also trying to make him fall asleep as it was now very early morning. As the "light" and "craft" descended more, and more towards him, he suddenly took fright, and dashed off to his friends house which was nearby.He feared that he might be abducted...
I questioned Chris on a number of times about the above, and he always came up with the same story without any elaboration. Attempts were even made to try, and trace independent witnesses who may have seen the same thing, but to no avail.
A week, or so after all this I had my own personal "UFO" experience. I saw something late at night which was suprising. Whether it was something genuine is quite another matter. Anyway, I saw two "UFOs" going around the moon! Then, they both went off in different directions, and were seen no more. Their appearance tallied with the description given by Chris.
In the late 1990s, I was for whatever reason fascinated by the alleged UFO phenomena. Most sightings ofcourse turn out to have a rational explanation. At this time there were a number of glossy magazines on the subject, and one of them I came across mentioned the experience of electricity in the air when a "sighting," and attempted "abduction" was being made. This apparently was the case with Chris. Personally, I do not believe that his experience was objectively real in the "physical" sense. It was simply an "opening" into a psychic reality which only Chris could experience. The same I feel is true about my own experience. Ofcourse, critics would dismiss this all as merely a form of hallucination. In a sense, this is true at a deeper level of understanding.
What "amused" me further was that Chris came up with another "story". He said that one night he was walking in Tescos car park...and was being followed by a "UFO" up in the sky. Every time he stopped to look round the "craft" would suddenly stop as if it were "reading" his mind at a distance! As I explained to Chris most "UFOs" are really psychic phenomena as the evidence clearly indicates. For example, so-called alien abuductions can involve people being taken through the walls of their home suggesting that it is form of lucid dreaming, or out-of-body experience.
Among other things, Chris had an interest in spiritualism. He once told me that he went to a seance in Langley. The use of Quija Board was the order of the day...or rather the night!! In it, he mentioned how he felt a power move the glass to spell out a message from the "Spirit World". Nothing as far I know went seriously untoward, even though I recall listening to a phone-in programme in which hundreds of people complained about their experiences with the Quija Board.
Chris used to, or still has a married lady friend called B. He stayed with her at her mother's home in Norfolk. There, they both experienced mild forms of poltergeist activity. It was claimed that Bs late brother was trying to attract attention so to speak! Apparently, he was very attached to his mother. However, when she died the poltergeist activity suddenly stopped. The late brother was at last reunited with his late mother!
Another lady friend of Chris was someone who was into vampires. She even tried to draw blood from him with a knife so that she could suck it out!
In many respects, Chris is not the ideal witness of alleged phenomena. But that does not mean he is exagerating, or fibbing. On the contrary, he comes across as someone who is very pleasant,trusting,totally transparent, but "gullible". For example, he seems to naively regard everything about the "power" of "magic rituals" found in books such as those published by Finbarr as "gospel truth"..........need we say more.
XII. Early Days
When I was in my teenage years, and probably a little earlier I was fascinated in psychical research, or parapsychology as it is more popularly known. This in the main was due to my childhood experiences which are narrated in The Realization of the Psychic.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2010/08/realization-of-psychic.html
About 16 years of age, or so I wrote two manuscripts. One was a fiction piece concerned with post-mortem existence, and another one which had the rediculously pompous title of Explanations for Paranormal Events. Colin Symthe a publisher (notably published The Link by Matthew Manning) lived in Gerrards Cross, and not far from Stoke Poges where I was living. He turned it down with a polite, and encouraging rejection letter. As for the long fiction work which included direct speech it too met a similiar fate from some publishing house in London.
None of this though quenched my thirst for a better understanding of the psychic, and spiritual. For reasons best known to myself I believed at the time that parapsychology offered the best basis on which the spiritual, and the mystical could be taken more seriously as being real "objective" phenomena... rather than tricks, and deceptions of reality, and the mind.
In 1977, I was presented by an advert from my mater about some researcher who was advertizing in The Times about collecting anecdotal "stories" for a book on psychic experiences from various people. I sent him my past "encounters" including the visitation of a Victorian ghost in Windsor which is described in The Realization of the Psychic.
My contact was called John Pyman. He turned out to be a part-time homeopath. He seemed impressed by my psychic experiences, and I had the honour of meeting him in his basement flat in Gwendwr Road, Kensington, London. He claimed that he had a philosophy degree from Cambridge, and had been an intelligence officer in World War II.
His basement flat was cramped, as it was filled with piles of books. He also had a few "ornaments" connected with Ancient Egypt.If I recall correctly he believed that he may have had a past life in that time. He also revealed that he had published a book on philosophy for American students which apparently did very well.
It was through John Pyman that I came to know something about the Society for Psychical Research. Indeed, he gave me a good reference to help me join it.
I recall him referring to the secretary of the Society as that "bird-like woman". The name of the lady concerned was Eleanor O' Keefe, and she had a very sharp mind. She was clearly highly efficient, and was a wealth of information on anything to do with parapsychology. On quite a number of occasions, her name appears in the acknowledgements of many books on parapsychology. She was apparently a friend of the late Colin Wilson, the well-known writer.
Anyway, John Pyman passed on an unpublished article I wrote on physics, and parapsychology to friend of his who happened to be a physicist...and who incidently gave me an interesting reply.
Pyman was an interesting individual, and confided in me about having received a mathematical puzzle which he could not solve. I had a go at it myself but without success. However, a friend of mine also called John seemed to be interested in cracking the mathematical puzzle. So, I passed it on to him.
John X met John Pyman in London. Apart from the puzzle the former admitted that he wanted to throw his father out of the window! Though I did not know it at the time John X was suffering from serious mental problems, but when I used to meet him he seemed perfectly "normal". Then, I remembered something. He told me that he had been studying at Cambridge, but was unable to finish his course because of a mental breakdown. I am not a psychiatrist, and I do know what kind of condition he was suffering.Fortunately, John X did not meet up with Pyman again...and probably just as well!
On a number of occasions, I used to travel down to London to visit the Society of Psychical Research library. Often, I would take back to Stoke Poges(where I used to live) a whole host of books. Apart from the SPR, another of my haunts was the Theosophical Society, the Arcane School, and the College of Psychic Studies.
..I have to admit that SPR seemed to be more interesting than the other places I visited...It had some quite fascinating, and obscure literature. It was there that I discovered certain cases of children having out-of-body experiences/near-death experiences in which they "spontaneously" used Inner Sounds to "levitate". This was exactly what happens in Shabd Yoga....! A small piece of corroborative evidence by..children! Unfortunately, I did not take note of the reference, but I hope to retrace it.
The librarian of the SPR then (in the 1980s) was Nicholas Clarke-Lowes who had a degree in chemistry if I recall correctly. He was a charming fellow, and I was impressed to learn that he had come across The Path of the Masters by Dr. Julian Johnson. In those days the internet was not available unlike now. As such, it was also incredibly difficult to find any "objective" information about the background of the Radhasoami Movement, and Shabd Yoga.
When I first joined the SPR I had been interested in Eckankar, and I was suprised to get an expose about it from Leslie Price who was with Eleanor O' Keefe when I phoned. He kindly sent me copy of his information which was a journal called the Spiritual Counterfeits Project . It drew virtually all its research from a certain academic, David Christopher Lane who is now a well-known authority on the subject of the Radhasoami Faith. I later contacted him, and managed to get a free copy of his book on Eckankar which went into its controversial background in greater detail than the Spiritual Counterfeits Project Journal.
I only went to three lectures at the SPR. One was by Matthew Manning (who left me cold), the second one by Francis Hitching, and the third one by Susan Blackmore. These lectures took place at Kensington Library, and before going to one of them I remember on one occasion being in the Society's library with an interesting assortment of "veteran" parapyschologists...Eric Dingwell (or Ding!), Renee Haynes, Manfred Cassirer, and a certain Guy Lyon Playfair. I thanked the last named individual because it was through his book The Unknown Power that I was seriously drawn into the study, and research of parapsychology. However, I did not find Playfair very friendly, and he seemed to be closeted up in his own little world.
Anyway, it was through the above experiences, and indeed, the "Vision" of the Spiritual "Sun" in 1977 that empowered me to try, and find out whether there could be a revolutionary new approach in which science, mysticism, and parapsychology could come together to create a major paradigm...that paradigm ofcourse was Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS..............
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2010/08/vision-of-spiritual-sun.html
XIII. Psychic Trickery, or What?
On the internet there is a video at the time of writing in which the "aura" can be seen in 5 minutes via a specific procedure. Is this a psychic trick? In my case I thought it was, even though I did not undertake the process of "seeing" it.
What startled me was that the speaker on the video referred to the aura as having patterns similar to "heatwaves." This was exactly the experience I had back in 2006. It may just be coincidence ofcourse. I recall seeing someone passing by whom I did not like. What I saw was not only his physical form but "heatwave" like patterns around parts of his body. The following day I was informed at a day centre that the person in question had died! He was only young, and it is believed he may have had an overdose of drugs, or possibly deliberately received ones of very poor quality. Anyway, I entered the day centre after finding out, and felt a presence possibly of him, and also, some vertical "heatwave-like energies" sans body..I must stress that these experiences were not very distinctive, and ofcourse, temporary.
I should also state that the "aura" indicated in the video concerned was not polychromatic (ie. many coloured as we would normally understand it) It was probably the "lowest" sub-plane manifestation of it, and hence, "easily" detectable assuming that it is a real "psychic phenomena" in the first place. Esoterically speaking ofcourse, the "aura" exists as a whole series of energy fields around the subtle bodies of people existing simultaneously in different planes.
There are quite a few examples of instant psychic "tricks" which may be "psychically real", or alternatively, somekind of physical "phenomenon". One is reminded here of the Divine Light Mission, and the instant experience of the "Knowledge" which could involve instant "Inner Sound", and " Inner Light" transmissions. Staring at the Mother Mera, a respected lady Guru can lead to spontaneous inner experiences (Mouna Upadesa, or Silent "Initiation") which are arguably similar to that had by Neil Slade, and his stimulation exercises of the amgydala. Yet, whether any of this is genuine, or not is largely immaterial. They are from the esoteric POV phenonmena "energies" mainly limited to the "lowest" psychic "planes," or "sub-planes" rather. They are "unimportant". But for some they could be psychologically damaging in rare cases, or indeed, they could act as spur to explore more spiritual paths, rather than psychic ones .
Whether one has been involved in a psychic occurence, or not the possible relevant "psychic energies" involved should ideally be distinctive rather than just cloudy, or vague like the "heatwaves" I experienced above. An instance of a "non-distinctive" phenomena occurred sometime ago. I had the man who checked the gas appliances in my flat. He was a friendly Sikh I knew, and he was dressed in a blue boiler suit. As I watched him working with his back facing me, I noticed something like "water" in a "circle" at the base of his spinal area. It may be that the colour blue of his boiler suit triggered off somekind of imaginary connection with water, and rivers. However, several months later, and much to my horror he was reported as having drowned in a local river. It is believed that he had committed suicide. Did I experience some sort of coincidence, or was it some type of "premonition?"
XIV. The Muslim Fortune Teller
Thoughts, and Visions, 2015
A Muslim fortune teller has over the years taken some interest in me in Slough. However, it was to be sometime before we met properly, and talked face to face. That happened in early 2014. He claimed to have come from a line of fortune tellers in Pakistan.
He seemed to regard me as being "100% good". But I said I was no saint, and neither was I totally good in a spiritual sense. It would be nice if it were so.
Anyway, I was invited to see him at his home. He gave a colourful description of his past, and it transpired that he was wanting me to raise money to help poor people in Pakistan. Yet, I politely said no to this.
More amusingly, he seemed to want me to stay the night, but I declined. As I was about to leave he insisted that he loved me more than a brother! I suspected, he had homosexual leanings, and left. Yet I allowed him to kiss my hand which he did profusely......
It was quite a time before I met him again for a chat. In April 2015 I was in Slough High Street. I brought up the point as to whether he gave some form of initiation. He said yes, and suggested that I should make an appointment with him. He said it would be best to have the initiation outside, and in a quiet spot . However, I did not ring to fix an appointment, but met him again in Slough where he undertook an impromptu "initiation" in an area near the library.
For legal reasons, I have not given out his name.......Let us just call him S.
......To begin with S wrote some Arabic letters, and some numerological numbers as well as some odd "magic symbols," plus two "crude drawings". He suggested to me that I had brothers..this was incorrect. S seemed to think I had children...again incorrect...S said I did not get on with my step mother...incorrect...His so-called fortune telling was a whole series of misses rather than hits!! I could not take him seriously. Among other things, he indicated that I should create a special vegetable soup for health, and claimed that I would die at a certain age!
Lastly, he explained that a woman I knew had cast a black magic spell on me. But I knew of no woman who would hate me that much to do something so "silly". S said that this "curse" or whatever it was, would be lifted in 21 days time!!
After this, came something very surprising. S told me to shut my eyes, and banged me on the top of my head for three, or four times. With each hit, if I recall rightly he made a strange "Schoooo, Scchhooo," sound as if he was trying to imitate the sound of "psychic energy" being transmitted into my head.
When I opened my eyes with a temporarily sore head I pretended that nothing happened. S asked me to grip his very strong hand in a certain manner. Again, he came out quick with "Schooo, Sccchhhooo" sounds. Again, it seemed to me he was trying to transmit "psychic energy" to me, but admittedly, I felt nothing of the sort.
Just before we parted S again told me to shut my eyes. He then thumped me three, or four times on the right arm. Once more, the "Schoo, Scchhhooo," sound was repeated....I played along as if nothing serious had happened (ie. another assault). I opened my eyes, and he held out his hand to shake goodbye. I took it, and then, he left heading towards the library.
I have never experienced an "initiation" quite like this......especially the assaults on my head, and arm. I did think of reporting him to the police, or even getting him charged. But I presumed that this was all part of his "show," so to speak. He was not well-educated as he admitted. Maybe the assaults I experienced would be more acceptable in Pakistan, but not in Britain......................
XV The Man Who Never Was.....
Thoughts, and Visions, September 2015
The other day I met a man who had published poetry in a number of books. I will refer to him as EK. I had spoken to him almost two years before.However, this time he discussed something which he found "spooky", and indeed, "out of this world". He told me about his experience in Goa, India.
Now, I must stress here I am going by memory. All the same it is still worth recounting, and he did repeat his "tale" more than once, and was evidently, baffled, and amazed, even though it had happened many moons ago. He also knew next to nothing about Eastern Mysticism.
Anyway, to cut to the chase. He was walking along a very busy street in Goa, and came across a crippled "vagrant" sitting on a tin can...and nobody else seemed to be noticing him. For some reason, or other EK felt compelled to go towards him, and noticed that he was begging. In response, he "bowed down" to the "vagrant", and gave him some money. As he looked at him he felt that this "vagrant" was radiating something very positive, and said to EK that whatever he laid his hand upon in the world he would be successful. In other words, a prediction. Suddenly, EK stood bolt upright as if he was "hit" by some kind of energy. He looked down, and the "vagrant" had disappeared into a "cloud of smoke"!
He tried to find out what had happened to him. He even talked to a taxi man, and other people about it, and gave a description. But to no avail. However, the taxi man suggested that the "vagrant" was actually a holy man, and he had blessed EK with what is sometimes referred to in the East as Shaktipat. In other words, initiation by transmission of spiritual energy that could help him in terms of self-development.
Indeed, EK discovered that he had a "remarkable" gift for poetry. This he believed was due wholly, or partly from the energy transmission from the "holy man". Infact, he revealed that his experience had changed his life even though he did not undertake any meditation as far as I know...and as I said early on "...knew next to nothing about Eastern Mysticism."
It has to be confessed that I have on very rare occasions come across the "phenomena" recounted above from a number of printed sources. All the same it is pretty rare...
Will wonders ever cease?
PS. The energy transmission seemed to have awakened the Kundalini to some extent. I recall him mentioning "heat" in his body, and in his dreams he would on occasion see snakes, or nagas as they are called in the East. Red was quite a common colour too. This suggest that there is some "awakening" or disturbance in connection with sex, and sexuality. Kundalini Yoga itself recognizes the power of sex, and the need to convert this energy into something creative, and positive. Hence, the need for the right kind of meditative techniques to achieve this aim.
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Section I
The following biodata includes links in the second section of this page as well as articles in the third section
Robert Searle is an autodidact. He is the originator of two major paradigms known as Multi-Dimensional Science, and Transfinancial Economics which could have colossal implications for the world. He is also notably concerned with the Universal Debating Project.
He was born on April 30th 1961 at Upton Hospital, Slough in England. His family were middle-class. His father who lives in Selsey is a structural/civil engineer who has been involved in a number of major jobs including those at Hampton Court, and St. Georges School, Windsor.
His mother was of Huguenot ancestry. She was a part-time antique dealer(specializing in Samplers, and Clarice Cliff),and a registered breeder of burmese cats. After she died in Oxford in 2005 his father re-married in 2008 to a former noted Russian ballet dancer by the name of Irina Ishmetova. She claims to have healing powers. Her son, and grandson have connections with the Russian Government.
Anyway, Searle was educated at the Royal Free, and at a private school in Windsor called the Tutorials. His main interests then were art, and history. He had a gift for drawing, and painting. He also had a curious fascination for artistically re-creating historical pictures of events, and scenes from the distant past using archaeological/iconographical material along with original written sources if available.
As a teenage he acted as an unofficial guide to the Curfew Tower at Windsor Castle (circa 1974-76). He also had the privilege of entering the large “secret” tunnel which the public were not allowed to see.
He was a keen photographer, and loved visiting other historical places in the UK, and abroad. Because of his interest in history he had a fascination for archaeology, and undertook practical work at the excavation site in Wraysbury near Windsor.
After attending the Tutorials he went onto College where he was studying French, Biology,and History. He was intending to study archaeology at the University of London but decided not to.
After he left College he took jobs as a clerical worker notably for Sony, and the Department of Health, and Social Security (or DHSS). He also later became a self-employed horticulturist (1980-96) working in the "stockbroker belt" of places like Gerrards Cross, Stoke Poges, Farnham Common,Iver, and elsewhere. In 1981, he was awarded the Royal Horticulture Certificate.
Incidently, one of his wealthy clients who also became one of his great friends, was Sir Michael Shersby who was the former Conservative MP for Uxbridge. He died suddenly, just after Tony Blair came to power in 1997.
Robert Searle had relatives on his fathers side who were the world experts on orchids.They were Brian, and Wilma Rittershausen who were a brother, and sister "team". Searle, and they were a part of the Austrian Von Rittershausen family. The word Rittershausen means the House of the Knight, and has a coat of arms with a latin motto meaning Iron Will. Its history can be traced a long way back, and consisted of a line of powerful barons who played an important role in the Habsburg Empire. In the early part of the 20th Century though due to the rise of the Nazis, the Rittershausens fled to England, and notably stayed in London.
Apart from being a horticulturist Robert Searle has also been a professional fundraiser (1996-2005). This involved the direct selling of charity tickets for two childrens charities, notably the Lee Sykes Centre in Sunderland before it closed down. A seller had to be registered to buy one, or more albums of tickets which were then sold onto the public. Part of the resulting profit was then used to buy up more ticket albums. This was how the charity got its money, and it was upto the trustees to decide what should be done with the resulting funds. His work notably involved direct selling door-to-door, and visits to shops, and offices of various businesses. To do all this he travelled around Southern England.
Searle though learned to hate this kind of charity work/business. He believes that there is far better way of helping charitable Non-Government Organizations, or NGOs which is discussed in his “working paper” on Transfinancial Economics. This can be found as an entry in the P2P Foundation website which was started by Michel Bauwens who is a noted pioneer, and populariser of the importance of the internet in the global networking of people, and ideas.
A Seeker After Truth.
As a child, and teenager, Searle had a number of psychic experiences which made him re-think his life, and purpose. In August 1977 serious intellectual interest was ignited (along with a “Vision” of the "Spiritual Sun") by a book entitled The Unknown Power by Guy Lyon Playfair.In around 1980, and with the aid of his friend, John Pyman who was a Cambridge educated homeopath, philosopher, and former intelligence officer, he became a member of the Society for Psychical Research, which was the earliest "scientific" society of its kind (1882).
He has been connected with other “groups.” These are of a far less scientific value such as the Theosophical Society, the Arcane School. and the College of Psychic Studies.
At the age of 16, and 17 he wrote a projected book on the paranormal plus a novel concerned with post mortem existence which was notably seen by the publisher Colin Smythe in nearby Gerrards Cross. Unfortunately, they did not go into print.The same occured with his paper in 1977 for the Galpin Society and was concerned with reviving ancient Etruscan Music. In it he used existing data (largely iconographical) along with, for the first time, the supposed incantations of Italian peasants who gave clear references to Etruscan (pre-roman) gods. The source of such references was a book entitled Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition (published in 1892) by the American folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland, and was borrowed from the London Library.
As an adult though he published a number of articles on eastern esoteric subjects in the late 1980s. Four appeared in a small but scholarly journal calledThe Pentacle which sadly folded. His work though has appeared in Yoga Today, and its successor Yoga, and Healing for which he also divised a few competitions. Some of his artwork was also published.Essentially, he wrote on Indian Mysticism.
In the 21st century, he has contributed largely seminal "essays" to the influential Kheper website dealing with the esoteric. It is run by Alan Kazlev, a Jewish esotericist living in Australia.
Besides his literary endeavours, Searle has met, and in certain cases interviewed a number of gurus visiting Britain. They included such people as Ma Yogashakti, Swami Chidananda Maharaj, Ravi Shankar, Mata Amritanandamayi, Shivabala Bala Yogi, S.A.A. Ramaiah, Kehar Singh, Mataji Nirmala Devi, and the like.
Transfinancial Economics (TFE) .
Around the start of the 21st century, Robert Searle became very interested in economics, and especially how money plays its role in society. He became very interested in what is termed monetary reform.
In London, he became involved with meetings of the Global Justice Movement(GJM). It is not to be confused with a Canadian based group of the same name. The GJM in the UK is "headed up" by Peter Challen(a former Canon), and Rodney Shakespeare, a worldwide authority on Binary Economics. These "meetings" tended to be very small, but informative. All the same the GJM did, and does attract a number of high calibre people such as a successful authoress, Ellen Brown, and a well-known American Senator, Dennis Kucinich.
Apart from this, Robert Searle used to attend the committee rooms at the Houses of Parliament where there were on occasion lectures on monetary reform. It was there that he met such people as James Robertson, and Stephen Zarlenga, the founder of the American Monetary Institute.
It was at such meetings, and talks that as a concerned citizen he was inspired to develop Transfinancial Economics, or TFE. Some of his feedback from critics about it came from the internet forum of the Global Justice Movement itself. Since August 2004 he contributed many posts to it, not all ofcourse dealing with his major paradigm.
Essentially, Transfinancial Economics, or TFE has been evolving on the internet from something which was relatively simplistic, and less informed to something which is more complex, and more informed. However, it was discovered later on that it was similiar to Modern Monetary Theory(MMT), and notably Social Credit(SOCRED) which was founded by Clifford Douglas.
Anyway, TFE believes that sufficient new unearned money can be gradually created which could in time make the need for taxation (as we presently understand it), and/or indeed, fundraising in many cases unnecessary.Inflation could be controlled directly, and electronically by super-flexible electronic "price controls".This approach would be far more powerful, and effective unlike the present raising of taxation, and interest rates to help reduce the money supply.Because of the super-flexible nature of the direct electronic controls the Free Market Price in the economy would largely be maintained. If inflation can be confidently controlled successfully it would mean that many socio-economic projects notably including climate change ones would become practical realities in the shortest possible time-scale. This is totally revolutionary, and furthermore,it may also be possible to build up a "map" of the entire economy in real-time.
A futuristic, but realistic political philosophy may also be developed. It would largely be influenced by Technocracy set in the basic framework of Open Democracy, and Universal Human Rights.
As for TFE, it is hoped that in a few years time a book possibly entitled Towards Super Economics, Financial Revolution, and Global Justice could be published.It should be said here that a paper was actually accepted by a scholarly journal of high standing. After signing copyright clearance forms though Searle had a dispute with the editor/publisher, and withdrew it. At the time of writing, it has been sent elsewhere. TFE has also attracted interest from some economists including Professor Prem Sikka, and the noted autodidact, Hazel Henderson.
TFE was one of the key subjects presented at the scientific International Conference of Engineering, and Meta-Engineering in April 2010 which took place in the USA. In the same year, Searle attended a lecture at the London School of Economics (LSE)in which he claimed that economics as presently understood totally lacked imagination, and creativity. This caused uproar in the student theatre. In 2011 he caused a rumpus at a conference on banking in Oxford.
He has also set up a highly diverse, and informative, and influential blog entited The Economic Realms which draws its material from the internet. It has attracted thousands of hits.
Multi-Dimensional Science (MDS).
Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS (also referred to as the Multi-Dimensional Hypothesis) if true could (like TFE in economics) be seen as a major breakthrough in our understanding of psychic, and spiritual phenomena. It has also attracted some interest from a number of people including Elisabet Sahtouris, Stanley Krippner, Jean Houston, and Ron Pearson, the originator of Survival Physics.
MDS offers for the first time a methodology in which we can "objectively" understand how the non-physical spiritual, and the psychic could be proved (albeit indirectly in the main),and hence, how this could revolutionise physics, psychology, biology, psychiatry, and the like.Searle believes that ideas, and mathematics similiar to modern physics do have a huge relevance in the development of MDS even though some of the findings may be partly, or wholly ineffable.Moreover,he has suggested that some non-physical phenomena could be “accurately” described, and made “provable” by using symbolic type coding especially when it comes to mystical ascents into “higher worlds”. It is hoped that a book will result possibly entitled Towards Multi-Dimensional Science; The Emerging Psychic and Spiritual Paradigm. This project will take longer than TFE. Those with an academic background in the sciences, and to some extent in the arts would be necessary to help forward the evolutionary development of this new “science.” An Association for Multi-Dimensional Science (AMS) may be set up.
Searle is hoping to create a worldwide directory/database of well-known, and more importantly little-known esoteric societies whose mystical, and psychic knowledge may prove invaluable for the theoretical dimension of MDS. This project when completed, and published will probably be the most comprehensive ever produced. Simple codes may be used to reduce the amount of information given per entry of this projected directory/database.
He has also been developing a number of blogs notably Esoteric Other Worlds, and Thoughts, and Visions. They have attracted thousands of hits.
A Passion for Early Music, and Two Other Musical Interests.
Apart from many other forms of music, Searle is a notable lover of colourful, and interesting interpretations of Medieval, and Renaissance Music. As such, he has created the largest audio-visual internet collection of its kind. It is intended to ideally interest, and inspire amateurs, professional musicians, and composers. It is known simply as Searle8.
Utilising the user name of "piedpiper" he has also contributed much material on his boyhood "hero," the musician David Munrow (1942-1976) on an internet forum which is part of a tribute site dedicated to him. The site itself is run by David Griffith who sells a dvd entitled Early Musical Instruments. It deals with such instruments as the crumhorn, the hurdy-gurdy, the rackett, the sackbutt, the harpsichord, and the like, and was written, and presented by David Munrow himself.
Searle is noted for his quality Musical Whistling, and has gained a "secret" following in his locality. He was surprised how many people who came upto him to say that they could not whistle musically like him, or indeed, not whistle at all... Also, he has an interest in what he calls improvised voice instrumental music (ie. vocal music) in which the voice tries to imitate musical instruments. Certain A Capella groups are known to undertake performances of this kind, and are becoming better known to the public.
Searle is intrigued by the possibility of recording quality solo performances of improvised music using the voice as if it were like an instrument combined with spontaneous singing, and musical whistling of a high order. Moreover, quality improvised musical whistling can be turned into musical score with the right computer programme, and after the recording (or perhaps even during) sounds of musical instruments (computer generated) could be added to create "body" to the spontaneous whistle piece. In other words, multi-tracking. This could open up a "new" area of music which could become mainstream.
Key Spiritual, and Mystical Encounters
In 1993 Searle was initiated into Surat Shabd Yoga as taught by Radha Soami Satsang Beas(RSSB).For many years, he has been associated with this sect. He used to act as a doorman at their Satsangs, or Meetings. He came across a number of famous Satsangis, or followers of the sect,such as Judith Durham of the sixties pop group,The Seekers, Nick Jones, the actor, and Nigel North, the noted lutenist, who incidently did some work for David Munrow.
Apart from RSSB, Searle had two major spontaneous initiations, or super conscious spiritual awakenings from two gurus Dr. Sharma, and Sant Harjit Singh. Both traced their lineage to Baba Faqir Chand which in turn ultimately goes back to Shiv Dayal Singh, the founder of the Radhasoami Faith. He has also met many other Indian Gurus.
Other Interests
His other concerns apart from Mysticism include high brow Art Movies (notably Peter Greenaway's Prosperos Books, his favourite film of all time), quality documentaries, Venetian masks, and costumes, Tuscany,and the Etruscans, Vegetarianism, Indian cuisine, Victorian Automata, Surreal Art (eg.Salvador Dali, and Renee Magritte), cats, Radio 4, and the World Service, "power" walking, and the like. Infact, his concerns are "infinitely" wider than this, and he has been considered as being something of a polymath.
Among other things, Searle was witness to historical events at Windsor notably the Great Fire at Windsor Castle in 1992. This received huge worldwide news coverage.
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Section II
Relevant Links to the above Biodata.
http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Transfinancial_Economics
http://p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science
http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Improvised_Voice_Instrumental_Music
I am connected with the Global Justice Movement. http://www.globaljusticemovement.net/ I have been a regular contributor to the Global Justice Movement discussion forum from around 2004-2011.
Another project of some importance is as follows.. http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Universal_Debating_Project
As mentioned in my biodata I came across Charles Leland's work connected with the Etruscans which I originally found in the London Library as a teenager. It now appears on the internet. http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/err/err00.htm
A copy of my old 1975 article (published as a typescript plus pics)for Young Rescue appeared on the following site which published a letter from myself. In the second part of the article the word "Wellingford" should ofcourse read Wallingford! http://www.britarch.ac.uk/yac/YA147.html
My grandfather on my father's side was a London Policeman called George Searle. He also became a news item in 1949 as the following reveals when he "..identified the whereabouts of the armed killer of PC Nathanael Edgar in Stockwell. Three other officers then burst in on him and arrested him." Searle was awarded the KPFSM Reference http://www.historybytheyard.co.uk/gallantry_list_1946-1954.htm . He later on became a guide in the Houses of Parliament, and met a number of notable politicians of the day. He once saw Churchill saying a few words backwards as he was having trouble with the lift...
The following are my present blogs.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/
http://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.co.uk/
http://jewishmysticalrealms.blogspot.co.uk/
http://theindiangururealm.blogspot.co.uk/
http://buddhistdimensions.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thesufirealm.blogspot.co.uk/
http://paganreality.blogspot.co.uk/
http://theeconomicrealms.blogspot.co.uk/
http://gjmmovementcommunications.blogspot.co.uk/
http://somethoughtsandmemories.blogspot.co.uk/
My Youtube Site maybe of interest. http://www.youtube.com/user/Searle8
A tribute site to David Munrow.
http://www.davidmunrow.org/index.htm
The posts on the discussion group concerned with the above link are by myself using the user name of piedpiper.
http://www.davidmunrow.org/forum/
A brief clip of David Munrow introducing the Rackett...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfXS59UQs4
Also, the following
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKxdCSbAtOE
And blog
http://earlymusiclegend.blogspot.co.uk/
There is a surprising amount of data on musical whistling on the internet plus a large number of audio-visual material on Youtube, and elsewhere. One site which is particularly informative, and indeed, authorative is Orawhistle.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Orawhistle/info
My Facebook site. http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Robert-Searle
The following is a listing of some articles on my blog,Thoughts, and Visions. These "articles" may require further editing when time, and interest prevail. Moreover, key ones have been reproduced onsite in Section III of this page. Furthermore, most of the blog consists of other posts from the internet by other people.
a)David Harrington, and his book.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/david-harrinton-and-his-book.html
b)The Anniversary of the Tempest
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/2011the-anniversary-of-tempest-by.html
c)An Encounter with the Subud Brotherhood
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/encounter-with-subud-brotherhood.html
d)More Light on the Two Inner Awakenings.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/more-light-on-two-inner-awakenings.html
e)The Two Inner Awakenings; A Personal Account
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/meeting-dr-sharma-in-london-1990.html (An onsite copy of the material of this link can be found on the Multi-Dimensional Science entry)
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Section III
Articles Relevant to the above Biodata, and links.
I.The "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun".
Ref Thought, and Visions Blog
The following experience may be of interest....it is in connection with a "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun" back on August 12th 1977.
.... It was a timeless experience. It seemed to go on, and on, and yet at the same time (so to speak!) it seemed to be just a few minutes, or so.. Whether it can be exactly called a Vision, or "waking dream" is another matter. Let us assume that it is the former. It began when I was aware of darkness all around me. I was stumbling about until I suddenly opened a door, and lo, and behold I saw a spectacle which was most esoteric in significance.... What I saw, or I presumed I saw was the Sun with two outpourings of sparks whose soothing "sizzling" sound could be barely heard. This for some could be interpreted as the "I AM" presences or souls ...."descending", and "ascending". Indeed, these sparks could be what are known as nitzotzot of the Jewish Kabbalah. They issued from each side of the lower portion of the Sun which could be interpreted as being the Solar Logos, God, or the Higher Self. Yet, it was partly this peaceful experience that helped to inspire me to deeply explore the world of the esoteric. It was the start of my Truth-Seeking though this had also been triggered off so to say by a certain book by the researcher Guy Lyon Playfair. Anyway, there is also a further note to this. Shortly, after the above Vision I moved to Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, England. I went upstairs to what was to be my private sanctum (I was 16 at the time), and suddenly realized as I opened the door that this very same door was the one in the Vision. When it was fully ajar I saw infront of me my future desk, and chair, and the physical sun shinning its rays into the room...
PS. It should also have been said that the "Sun" did not "blind" me in a any way unlike the physical sun when perceived directly.
II. The Realization of the Psychic....
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Psychic Realizations, and Some Personal Experiences.
Sometimes, certain psychic realizations are had when people are in their childhood such as communicating with invisible "playmates", seeing auras, perceiving "spirit"lights, and dead people, et al. Quite often, such young persons may regard this as "normal" until they are told otherwise. As the child gets older the experiences may lessen, or usually vanish altogether in adulthood. For some though this can lead to a "career", or an intense interest in some kind of "New Age," or psychic society.
Such psychic realizations can also occur in older people rather than in childhood. It might involve someone going to a healer, and later discovering that they, themselves have suddenly found the power to heal others. Certain UFO sightings along with alleged alien encounters can transform peoples lives. They feel somehow re-charged, and may even gain "temporary" psychic "powers" such as telepathy, and healing. Near-Death Experiences too, or NDEs can have a like influence on the individual. Ofcourse, this can result with certain people deceiving themselves into thinking that they do have psychic powers, and/or a special mission in life.Many ordinary folk have a story to say about some "odd" happening in their lives. Yet, such occurrencies are often a one-off, and are soon forgot.
However, such experiences would have at least made it known to the person concerned that life is far stranger than it appears. In this respect, they have much worth, and can lead onto the more important issues of spiritual evolution. In other words, a stepping stone towards higher things.In the following, I (the author) have described some of my own personal experiences. Short remarks are included. Some of it may seem a little bizarre but it must be made abundantly clear that I have never ever taken illegal drugs, and/or psychiatric ones from a doctor. It should also be stated here that most people who may have had psychic experiences are quite often,or not compos mentis.
However, it is my belief that my own experiences were partly the outcome of birth trauma when I nearly died from suffocation. Indeed, the horror of such an event was "relived"in 1968 as a child as I was sleeping in the back seat of my parents car. This occured in Spain.
Apart from that, when I retired to bed, the sleeping "unconcious" mind would on occasion allow normally negative "buried" memories to re-emerge in some form, or other. Yet, this could include on occasion unusual phenomena initially caused by the "re-enactment" of stiffling suffocation of the birth trauma, and its subnormal "subconcious" state of "being". This may have acted as a"gateway" for certain lowly "attuned" forces to interfere with my childhood. This notion may seem unorthodox to some, and as such it is not our intention here to go into the more "mainstream" ideas about such things. Anyway, this subnormal level of being below waking conciousness was a feature of many of my early psychic experiences. It is my belief that the latter has been responsible for a "small" amount of mental retardation, but nothing serious unlike those who have cerebral palsy for example.
1. Repeated Psychic "Assaults".
As a child when I was asleep I would on a few occasions become "aware" of my body at a subnormal level of conciousnes. I then experienced electricity around the back of my neck. Similiarly, the same energy could be had around the base of the heels. If I recall rightly in the book Shadow of Destiny by Alexander Cannon this was the start of what might be termed attempted "possession" but in my case it was technically speaking repeated psychic "assaults". Anyway, in the darkness I would feel something on top of me, and it was grabbing my throat, and strangled me. When this appalling experience reached its climax I lost "conciousness". Then,I would wake up in bed to my normal waking conciousness.
2. Past Lives?
The above may be a repeated repressed memory at the end of a previous life if we accept reincarnation. I believe that the following experience is an instance of another existence.It occured at a subnormal level of "conciousness" to some extent.
I was on a stoney beach in France, and I was a soldier. Troops were near me, and one had a bazooker. I could see the cliffs, and a pill box with a rifle sticking out, but pointing downwards. For some reason or other I moved foolishly away from the troops, and became an easy target. A shot was heard, and entered my stomach. I fell backwards clutching it.Interestingly, the full pain, and suffering of the experience seemed to be blocked by the mind. Yet, I awoke from this "memory" which was like a replay of some vague grainy black, and white film. It was more of a tactile experience rather than a clear visual phenomenon. Anyway,I was still clutching my belly, and writhing about in my pyjamas! I, also, felt myself several times being inside, and outside the body. In other words, an out-of-the-body (or OOBE) experience of which I had a number of spontaneous occurrences but again at a subnormal level of conciousness (eg.rolling in, and out of bed but not physically so!).
Strange as it may appear I discovered that the death trauma memory had in World War II ofcourse occured with other living individuals. It appears that many of those who died were reborn quickly so that they could be karmically "rewarded" by experiencing a "better" world presumably in the rich countries such as Britain, America, and Europe. Their "self-sacrifice" was not in vain...
...I believe I had an experience of seeing "myself" in a past life. I must stress this is only a theory, and could be completely wrong. It occured in a "lucid dream" (ie.I was aware I was I "dreaming"). I was in bed as a child, and next to me I saw a man lying by me. His eyes were wide with amazement, and he fearfully tried to touch my face with his hand....whereupon I blacked out, and returned to normal waking conciousness. What was extraordinary was his appearance. He had a wide ruddy face, and white dirty bedraggled hair. He had a fur collar band, and on his arm he had a blue (woad) design. Could this have been "me" in some far off incarnation, or was it someone, or something else? From the description he was probably an Ancient Briton even though I knew next to naught about that subject...but I did develop an intense interest in history later. Also, it should be added that I saw a strip of silver light (astral light of occultism?) along the side of his muscled frame. If I recall correctly Joan Forman mentions something similiar in her book in connection with "time-slips".
In another instance, at a rather lower level of subnormal conciousness than usual there was a "visitation" of a monk whose face I dared not look at. He had a wooden bowl in which he dipped his finger to make the sign of the cross on my forehead. I did not really understand the full significance of this at the time. Could this have been "me" in a previous incarnation as a medieval monk possibly? There is much in psychic literature about reincarnation.
3. The Windsor Apparition.
Ghosts have been reported all over the world. Evidence seems to suggest that most of them are probably replays of minor, or major happenings of the past. Usually, they are of a tragic nature. Strong negative emotions seem to impose themselves most easily onto the ether unlike positive uplifting ones.
My own personal experience occured in around 1968 in a house which had just been built in Windsor, Berkshire. I awoke one night, and felt an unnatural clammy coldness even though it was very still summer night. At the bottom of my bed I saw the form of a man dressed in Victorian garb (a "vagrant"). He looked perfectly solid. I froze with terror, and just stared at him. The "phantom" or whatever it was merely stood totally stationary for a short while. He was dressed in a large brown shabby overcoat that looked a bit dusty. He had a matching top-hat, and the shade of its rim covered his eyes. He seemed to have a scarf around his neck. Quite mechanically his large form turned around, and displayed a suprising array of different coloured patches on the back of his coat. At the same time,I could hear the crackle of electricity. This was a low sound but it was distinct. Slowly, but surely he moved towards the corner of the room. As he started to gently fade away into the night(quite literally!) I noted that parts of the furthest edge of his coat were vibrating furiously, and then, disappearing. Here, I stress the word "parts" as the whole form did not become a vibrating mass of energy... This, along with the crackling of electricity as he turned plus the initial clammy coldness indicated that such phenomenon have some kind of mechanics yet to be comprehended by science.
I have to admit too that on very rare occasions I sometimes saw the static outline of figures. Whether this was purely a trick of the mind is impossible to say with certainty. They seemed to be aborted materializations. In one instance of a similiar phenomenon, I saw the shadow silhouette of a profile of a mans face at the bottom of my bedroom door. It could have come from the light outside but there was no one there! Moreover, it was totally still for a very long time, and seemingly inexplicable. Ofcourse, none of this compares with the materialized phantom of the Windsor apparition I saw so many moons ago...Morever, that "phantom" was not some replay from the past but rather an "astral shell". In other words, there was no intelligent life in it as we would understand it.
There is a strange footnote to this spectral materialization. I experienced the same clammy coldness (acting as a warning?) twice just before I saw two fatal road accidents. The most horrendous of which was the one up in the mountains of the Pyrennees in Spain. In my parents car I saw a huge lorry which was about to tip over the edge of a cliff. A vehicle had rammed into it, and a man in a white shirt hung out of it covered in blood. A priest was present presumably giving the last rites. A woman who was pinned into the back seat next to the dead man was hysterical. A man in a suit lay on the road but no obvious trace of blood, and yet, somehow I knew he was dead. After I saw all that I stuck my head out of my parents car, and vomitted. No child, or adult should have to see something like that.
4. A Psychic "Lightning Bolt".
This experience such as it can be called is perhaps the most fantastical (1979). It commenced in a lucid dream in which I was aware of being next to a Church in Windsor. I saw in the seeming darkness around me a harp which was making discordant sounds due to "wind"(like an Aeolian harp). Then, I looked up, and could hear the peels of thunder, and lightning. Suddenly, I realized that that I had become the target for it. The ligtning bolt struck me, and I awoke in bed. I was lying on my side, and noticed a flame-like aura along my body. The bedroom was half lit up by the orange "lightning-flash".In seconds, it, and the aura (which did not surround my body but just the side of it!) disappeared leaving me astonished. What on earth was all this about? I believe that someone, or something was wanting to help me to experience certain future trials, and tribulations. In other words, it was a sudden transmission of healing energy to enable, and empower me to face serious problems. The orange aura is indicative of a force emanating from my vital (or health) body.I have to confess that on rare occasions in my early childhood I sometimes experienced energy quickly shoot through my "physical" body. On occasions, I would jolt up in the air. Apparently, it has been claimed that this may be caused by the astral body returning to the physical body rather quickly!
5. Psychic Healing.
It is said that everyone is able to develop psychic healing if they wish. I recall once taking a friend to the house of a famous medium on the Isle of Wight(1979). I remember the whole room was saturated with energy, and as I concentrated my mind on the Third Eye the power also centred itself "there!"
However, I, myself had a healing which came quite unbidden. I was seated with two Sikh friends who belonged to Eckankar which drew its inspiration mainly from Surat Shabd Yoga but mixed it up with other techniques.
I was in a very relaxed state of mind, and I felt myself going into a light waking trance. At the same time, I, and my companions were listening to a tape by the controversial Paul Twitchell who was talking about healing, and being healed! I also became aware of what might best be termed very subtle energies going through me in a most gentle manner. After a short while I came out of this trance, and I looked at one of my Sikh friends who thereupon said "You should say thank you." Clearly, he knew what had happened.
Though not related to healing I also had an experience of the Eck Master Darwin Gross. I recall seeing a photo of him printed in a book produced by Eckankar. As I concentrated on it I could feel distinct vibrations! Whether this was a trick of the mind, or not is an open question.
6.Synchronicity.
Many people have experienced synchronicity, or meaningful coincidences. I have two interesting examples though I have had many others of a less "extraordinary" nature. Odd as it may seem they were both connected with where I was living(1977-1990)which was Stoke Poges, a very posh area just outside Slough.
In around 1989 I was making enquiries about possibly interviewing Ma Yogashakti, a female guru for Yoga, and Healing magazine (which was later published with photographic material). My contact was with someone who worked at the School of Oriental, and African Studies at the University of London. She supplied me with much useful information, and asked me where I lived. I said Stoke Poges, and she claimed she used to live in Chesham which was fairly nearby. However, it also transpired that she actually had relatives at the Orchard (built in the Edwardian age) which was the house I was living in on Park Road with mater, and pater! Apparently, as a child she used to stay (or possibly lived there on, and off if my memory serves me well!) there, and as proof of these claims she presented some photocopies of old photographs from her family albums. This showed the Orchard as it was in the early part of the 20th century. She made the claim that this big house was also originally the place for high ranking military people from British India to stay temporarily when on leave.
The other "meaningful" coincidence involved a telephone conversation with someone from a metaphysical society based in Hastings. He claimed he could hear inner psychic sounds at a distance, and they reminded him of the poem by Thomas Grey known as the Elegy. I was amazed by this because he did not know that I was calling from Stoke Poges which was the place where it was actually written! Indeed, there is an actual monument to the Elegy near to the Church where Thomas Grey is buried.
Such experiences are common especially in case of those concerned with the search for Truth, or some other pressing matter of importance to the individual. They appear to clearly show that the universe at some level is interconnected into a Whole, and that we, ourselves ofcourse are a part of It. Indeed, they also suggest that there is something guiding our lives.In the world of the psychic, and infact, the spiritual there are various "guides" of one sort, or another.
I remember a long time ago waking up, and just recalled in a "dream" a mist which seemed to be vertically flattened in part to allow strange writing to magically appear by itself. The script may have been Hebrew but it is not possible to say for certain. I heard a voice from the right of me saying that bad actions are good because they could lead to good ones, or words to that effect! In other words, learning via experience which we all do. This may have been some kind of contact with a guide of some degree, or possibly a trick of the mind. However, this experience seemed real enough, and happened very quickly as I got the impression that I was not meant to be conciously aware of it.
7. Psychic "Vision?"
I once attended a meeting concerned with Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga. One of the participants so to speak was seatted near me in the gloom of the room. I noticed what appeared to be a "cloud" (a form of ectoplasm?).In it, I was able to discern what appeared to be a horrific car crash. I later asked the person about it, and he was shocked especially when I gave him the colours of the two vehicles involved. He had somewhile ago just survived a horrific crash in which the vehicles were horribly mangled. He still suffered from the pains of this appalling experience.............
The above experiences in this essay are just examples which appear to suggest that there is something more to life. Yet, no doubt, there are many who may read this who may have had far more interesting, and extraordinary happenings. Such material appears in internet forums, specialist magazines, and/or goes into biographies, and autobiographies of mediums, and other "psychic" notables such as Derek Acorah, and Uri Geller. It is hard to see how sceptics continue to pooh pooh such annecdotal evidence, and its commonality when it should be clear to anyone that "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy...." to use the classic Shakespearean line.
III. Encountering the Brahma Kumaris, and "Raja Yoga".
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
My first encounter with Indian mysticism proper was with the devotees of Brahma Kumaris. They teach a system referred to as Raja Yoga, but it is not the same as the Patanjali version which they would probably regard as being a later corruption. Anyway, I first discoverd the BKs back in 1980, or thereabouts. I saw an add in the local rag claiming that someone was teaching hypnosis, or something very much like it. I got into contact with the advertiser who happened to be a certain Brother Julius Larsen. He was a pleasant enough person, and seemed more interested in making me aware of the BKs. I had to confess this supplanted my initial interest in discussing hypnosis. Yet, the more I learned about its philosophy the more doubts it engendered. Ofcourse, apart from Julius the devotees were very pleasant. Unfortunately though, the former appeared to have blind faith in it altogether. It was if his critical mental faculties were totally suspended which was a shame, and this caused undue stress in his family life.
BK philosophy is fine as far as it goes...the Raja Yoga as it is propounded by them is positive, and uplifting. It uses visualization, and auto-suggestion in which one imagines oneself being a point of light at the Third Eye, and one mentally repeats that "I am a point of light"..et cetera . The aim of this is to become "bodiless", and at the same imagine being bathed in the reddish light of God, or Shiv Baba residing in the Silent Ocean of Bliss in Brahmloka. Yet, official communication from the "Supreme Being" comes in the form of "mediumistic" sourced teachings (or Murlis, meaning the flute of Krishna). Baba made the following claims to his "sweet children."
1) He has stated that God is not omnipresent, and that no guru, or incarnation is manifestation of the Supreme Power in human form
2)There are only a certain number of souls who are meant to follow Shiv Baba. They are the ones which are meant to start the Golden Age at the beginning of the so-called Five Thousand Year Cycle (made up of the Four Ages). This Cycle is repeated again,and again EXACTLY IN EVERY DETAIL. At the present time, we are living in what is called the Iron Age which is soon to come to an end. Those souls who do not follow Shiv Baba are born in in one of the Four Ages of the Five Thousand Year Cycle. This whole process is called Drama. Shiv Baba claimed that "No one can question Drama" even though it is clearly nonsensical...and the traditional Hindu Swastika sign is used in their illustrations of this "evolutionary" process.
3) The BKs believe that Sat Yuga, or the Golden Age would be a world of wonders. The life expectancy of the reborn BKs would be extremely long, and healthy. Special vimanas, or "aircraft" would be able to take them to various destinations at the speed of thought. Buildings would be built like palaces, and if one recalls rightly crystals would be used as special energy rather like electricity.
4) The BKs try not to mention anything about the above claims concerning "doomsday", and the succeeding Golden Age. This is deliberate as to not alarm newcomers into their sect. This is arguably dishonest of them.
5) Ofcourse, the BKs claim that religions are based on subconcious memories of the Golden Age when concious knowledge of the Five Thousand Year Cycle was known about but later forgotten.
6) It has been claimed that at the end (ie.doomsday)of the Iron Age (ie. our present time) the magnetic fields of the earth could be altered leading in part to repitilians suddenly growing in size, and becoming dinosaurs. This is an explanation for the prehistoric remains of such creatures! This though is not something suggested by Shiv Baba himself as far as I know...
Also, I made Brother Julius (mentioned earlier) aware of a certain section(s) in the book Treastise on Cosmic Fire by Alice Bailey which seem to predict the emergence of the Brahma Kumaris. This was something which was recognized by Benjamin Creme (a noted esotericist) when I phoned him. In Sant Mat, the reddish sky or "Brahm Element" in which Shiv Baba resides is usually associated with Kal, or Universal Mind Power which is concerned with the continuation of the physical creation.....
IV. Meeting the Gurus in Britain.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
In the past, I met a number of gurus. The one that impressed me most was probably Swami Chidananda the recognized successor of the great Swami Sivananda. I recall going to interview him for Yoga and Health magazine. He was staying at a devotees home in Sutton (London area). He was a charming, and self-effacing man. I asked him a whole number of questions, and the interview lasted for over two hours....much to the amazement of the devotees as this was a rare thing for him to do! Ofcourse, the editor of Yoga, and Health magazine had to reduce the length of the transcript of my meeting with him. It appeared in published form in December 1989. It revealed some fascinating light about himself, and the workings so to say of his Divine Life Society. Unfortunately, the original tape recording of the interview went amiss.
Apart from him, I also came across Jashan Vaswani (whose voice was reminiscent to that of a Dalek!), Shivabalayogi (who called his meditation "mind-control" a term which has negative connotations in Western society!), Pandit Ravishankar (who had a strange effeminate voice, and not be confused ofcourse with the famous late Indian musician!) S.A.A Ramaiah (who was a somewhat "severe" sharp-minded intellectual guru who did not cut his finger, and toe nails as he claimed that this was because it made him more sensitive to "energies"), Mataji Nirmala Devi, Mata Amritanandamayi (who in one of her "love-ins" put her finger on my forehead, and whereupon I received an instantaneous injection of energy which was meant to send me into higher conciousness!) Shyam Ma, et cetera..
........One individual I met in Slough appeared to be a guru of sorts. Though he was clearly of Asian descent he used the Jewish name Moses for himself. He advertized his "Occult Group" in a local free-ads paper. I rang him, and he claimed that alot of people who phoned him thought he was into magic....or possibly black magic involving ritualism, and nudity! I informed him that he was wrong to use the word "occult" in his advert as this has a negative connotation to many, and thus, he had been attracting the wrong kind of public.
Anyway, I went to his flat in Langley, and there was only one other "devotee" with him. It transpired that he taught a form of Christian meditation involving the Kabbalah. Personally, I did not like him particularly, and he became somewhat defensive when I asked him whether he could give me any references of people who might have benefited via his meditation.He claimed that I was testing him.....which was not my intention. He also asked me whether I knew about the power of Silent Command (or so-called Telecult Power notably popularised by Reese Dubin) to which I said yes......When I left his flat, and walked home I could feel his energy but it soon wore off. Clearly, he had some degree of power, but how genuine he was is another matter.
Another guru I came across was via an advert in Yoga Today in about 1987. He had also published an article therein on Ajapa Yoga, and inner Sound. I contacted him as he was interested in starting a group on the subject. His name was Marjan J. Ebert who was German, and he travelled to England to meet me.
One thing he taught me was something very worldly. In a pure vegetarian restaurant he explained how Thali (a mixture of Asian curries in little metal containers along with nam bread, samosas, et al) is eaten correctly in India. Apparently, all the little food containers are turned upside down along with everything else making a "mess" on the large metal plate they were on! A grand nosh if ever there was one!
Marjan J. Ebert complained that in his meditation groups in Germany he would ask for donations to help forward his Ajapa Yoga. But this did not generally work out so he had decided on a fixed charge... However, he would give his meditation free if the person concerned happened to be Prince Charles!
Another guru I met was Kehar Singh. He was billed as being a Sant Satguru of Surat Shabd Yoga. In the early 1990s I was waiting to get initiated into Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and I came across Tarn Taran Satsang. This latter group was for many decades recognized by the former as being bona fide. However, when Kehar Singh "came to power" (so to speak!) Maharaj Charan Singh of the Beas Satsang tried to publicly avoid him unlike his predecessor, or so the story goes.
Anyway, I thought I would pay a visit on Kehar Singh who was staying with some devotee in Slough. We shook hands both uttering a lusty resounding Radhasoami as a greeting.I mentioned Maharaj Gurinder Singh to him, and he did not react negatively, but merely referred to him as Mr. rather than Maharaj, his honorific title.
Amongst the small band of people I was with at the time one Beas Satsangi was staring disconcertingly at me "trance-like". It was claimed that he had reached Sach Khand, and was greatly respected. It is not clear why he was present. Maybe he recognized Kehar Singh as being the genuine article. This would ofcourse contradict the stance held by Beas Satsang! As with all these things it suggests to me that subjective dynamics play a big part in all this.Unfortunately though, things went little awry with Kehar Singh in Slough as it emerged that he was becoming impatient in trying to raise funds for his organization as well as certain other matters.Yet, he did manage to get his picture in the local newspapers with some notables! So his trip to Britain was not totally wasted. Ofcourse, none of this means that he is an imperfect "Sant" .
Gurus are after regarded in the main as incarnations of the Absolute Power of the Universe, and can do anything even if it contradicts the mores of society itself which if they occur are seen as tests of faith.....Finally, I hardly if at all had any kind of "spiritual" experiences with any of the above with the exception of two Teachers. They were Dr. Sharma (aka Manav Dayal), and Harjit Singh both drawing their inspiration from Baba Faqir Chand.
V. Encountering Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
A BASIC INTRODUCTION.
The Radhaswami, or the Radha Soami Faith, or Satsang teaches the Ancient Wisdom of Sant Mat (The Teachings of the Saints), and Surat Shabd Yoga (Union of the Soul with the Sound Current of Spirit). Essentially, it involves an advanced form of astral projection at the time of meditation in which the soul "dies daily" by ascending to "Spiritual Regions." The Power to achieve this is the Sound Current, or Audible Life Stream which is traced to the "Highest Region" where "God-Realization" occurs.
On the journey "upwards" the soul meets the inner Radiant Form of the outer physical Master, or Sant Satguru. Such a Teacher would have connected the disciple to the Sound Current at Initiation. This Power cannot be contacted by ones own effort. Only the Master can connect the aspirant to It, and It has a special magnetic pull which helps one ascend "easily" to the "Higher Regions." There are said to be Five Key Sounds, or Shabds connected with Five Key "Regions" taught at initiation. These have to be contacted one by one in order to reach the Goal. Many lesser Sounds, and Visions may be experienced on the "upward" Path towards "God-Realization". Indeed, it should be added that there are an infinite number of intermediate "Regions" or planes, or sub-planes before the "highest" one is reached by means of merging into the Sound Current.
Originally, I was interested in Eckankar, and "by chance" I came across a movement called Radha Soami Satsang Beas in 1980. A friend of mine happened upon a booklet he found on his parents table. It was called the Inner Voice by Colonel Sanders which gave a basic introduction to Sant Mat. It was fascinating....and I was determined to find out more. I noticed that the owner of the booklet had left his address inside so I went to him to enquire more. His name was Jit Johal, and I spent a few occasions visiting him. He informed me that I should really go to Satsang in London which I duly did. It was there that I met a number of interesting people including some notables such as Nigel North, and Judith Durham of the Seekers who I use to tower over. She called me Sir, on a number of occasions rather than my first,or last name. Another well-known follower, or Satsangi was Martin Shaw, the actor.
Anyway, I was also suprised to find how much had been printed on Sant Mat, and I studied this stuff avidly. Every Sunday I started to regularly attend Satsangs, and I felt at times imbued with a highly subtle energy of bliss....I also acted as a sevadar too. This took the shape of myself being a "doorman" at the Satsang Hall (now demolished but used to be fairly close to Paddington station).
Near the end of 1980, I wrote a long letter to Maharaj Charan Singh Ji who was the Present Living Master of Radha Soami Satsang Beas. His reply was remarkably comprehensive considering his busy time schedule. He notably complimented me on being a genuine Truth Seeker who was not just interested in intellectual "gymnastics". This was true even though I came across as something of an "intellectual" to some people.
However, I was suffering from an obssession. Apart from being a determined Seeker After Truth I had a morbid complex about a possible early physical demise before getting initiated into Surat Shabd Yoga by Maharaj Charan Singh Ji. At times, this obssession was driving me mad. I wrote to him about my concern, and he claimed that I should leave everything in Gods hands. Moreover, he made the claim that "....the Master (ie. himself) was only responsible for particular souls assigned to him by God."
All this lead to a bizarre twist of events. For many years I was due to parental pressure not being able to go fully vegetarian, and hence, become an initiate, or Satsangi. Yet, nothing remains the same forever.
For a time I lost contact with the London Satsang, and in 1990 I was free to "do my own thing". In effect, I had just left my parents home as they had moved onto Oxford. I rang up a Satsangi friend, and she informed me that Maharaj Charan Singh had just passed on...! I was amazed. Charan was right. I was not meant to be initiated by him.. It was to be his successor Baba Gurinder Singh .
PS. There is one thing I would like to add. When I was visting Jit Johal I saw a large photo of Maharaj Charan Singh laughing. Anyway, whilst I was doing some outdoor work at a golf club I was feeling very devotional, and had the sensation of doing everything for the Master as if he were physically present. This seva, or service can raise the conciousness to a high level which it did in my case. The upshot of this was an unexpected "telepathic" flash of the photographic image of Maharaji which shot by me. I rang Mrs."Chip" Wood who was the extremely knowledgeable, and experienced British representative of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and appeared to confirm the genuineness of what happened to me. She described it as dhristi, or a "glance" of Grace from the Master.
...............................................................................................
..............In 1990 Gurinder Singh was made head of Radha Soami Satsang. I first saw him in the flesh at the huge Satsangs in Birmingham when he was visiting England. This took place in the National Exhibtion Centre, or NEC. Security was high there too with police, and plain clothed detectives keeping an eye on things as the Sikh terrorism was still very much a problem.
Gurinder, or more respectfully Babaji gave a number of discourses plus questions, and answers with his booming voice. In the latter sessions l asked him when he was going to start initiation, and whether he would initiate me. Instead of hearing what he actually said I heard something else (ie a bizarre trick of the mind). He said that he would initiate me but ofcourse he did not actually say that....... The reason for all this was that I was going through a strange phase in life that I had become so obssessed with wanting to get initiation that it was starting to drive me "insane". I was also unnaturally concerned about the possibility of an early death (as mentioned earlier). This would ofcourse mean that I would not get initiated...
Quite often at Satsang in London, or at the charming local home groups someone I knew, or not know would say that "I was going to die!" The imitation voice was just like that of the speaker...virtually indistinguishable. I should point out that I have never taken drugs, or psychiatric medecine. I believe what happened above was a "by-product" of a certain experience with Eckankar possibly during a "healing" session (see Realization of the Psychic). Ofcourse, esoterically the meaning of "you are going to die" implies not physical death but spiritual rebirth in the material body. Apparently, in withcraft the mental phenomenon of a voice imitating someone else, and tricking someone into believing what he, or she is saying is for "real(!)" is not entirely unknown..
Anyway, in 1993 I, along with a batch of people went to recieve Nam under the new Master Babaji (though physically not present) at Haynes Park near Bedford. This was the new UK headquarters of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas. Mrs. "Chip" Wood presided over the initiation, and later everyone was put into circular groups, and taught how to repeat, and pronounce the Five Holy Names. On another occasion, I actually saw Babaji at Haynes Park itself. Some people including myself possibly saw his face changing to that of his previous Master Baba Charan Singh.
I recall once being in the London Satsang, and Babaji suddenly appeared out of the blue, and gave a discourse. This has happened since apparently. He likes now, and again to give unofficial appearances presumably to inspire truth seekers, and satsangis.I felt very devotional during my "honey moon" period before initiation. But I was disappointed after initiation as the power, and aspiration suddenly "disappeared." I felt betrayed, and disheartened. I have come to the conclusion that a real Master must be able to give an initiate before, and AFTER initiation (be it Shabd Yoga, or whatever) "something to work on". In other words, an awareness at least of some kind of Power working for ones good. It is then that the initiate increases its Grace via spiritual practice. Without some kind of inner support meditation can be incredibly difficult. It is vital to have some internal "drive", and "inspiration" to continue practice as we are such weak souls.............Many people have complained about this. Some Beas Satsangis have understandably gone to one of the Sant Kirpal Singh groups which claim that one can have "something to work on" in the spiritual sense. This is VITAL!!
As I was starting to move away from Radha Soami Satsang a bizarre number of synchronicities occured with chance meetings with "devotees". The first of these though was in Newbury which I had never been to before. A lady called Iris I recognized from the London Satsang was spotted, and I went upto her, and she comfirmed that she was the very same person. She was suprised to see me. As indicated there were other similiar "chance" meetings which are hard to explain rationally. Yet, it does indicate that somehow we are all interconnected in this Cosmic Drama of Life.....
The most recent one occured in Windsor in 2007. I was sitting next to an elderly Asian tourist who was looking at his young granddaughter . Some of his relatives were around visiting Windsor, and its famous castle. For some reason, or other we talked, and the topic of reincarnation, and gurus cropped up. I said I had an interest in both subjects especially the latter. He asked me whether I had a Master. I said I had been initiated into Radha Soami Satsang Beas. He was astonished as he claimed that he was an initiate too of one of the previous Masters! He said that I was very lucky to have been initiated by Gurinder Singh as not everyone is. Apparently, he claimed to be a retired chief of border control in India,(his name may have been Dhawan but I do not have the exact details with me at the time of writing) and knew Mr. Mann who was the "top man" in the organization of Radha Soami Satsang. Anyway, he gave me his name, and number including that of the latter, and said if I ever I wanted to stay at his home I would be welcome to do so. Will wonders ever cease? Who knows? But synchronicity has played an important part in my life, and not just those instances connected with Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
PS..
Back in 2005, I recall once sitting on a bench in Langley near Slough. An Asian suddenly appeared from behind me, and said, "Your Master is sitting next to you!" I replied that I could see no one in the non-physical sense. I did though just about recognize the Asian from a very long time ago. He was an initiate of the Radha Soami Satsang.......
.........Also, before I became deeply involved in Shabd Yoga, an Indian claimed that it was a dangerous practice. Yet, I, never came across anybody suffering from any serious problems. However, one woman at the Beas Satsang claimed that she woke up one morning to find a "being" grabbing her throat. She then chased it out of the bedroom, and into the garden. It was claimed that this "being" was merely a projection of her mind.
In Sant Mat the intiate is given a special mantra which is charged by the Master which is meant to protect the disciple in meditation from evil influences. It is also used to test to see whether the inner Master is genuine, or not. However, if any negative experience is had at all like the woman mentioned above it can be rationalised as being a mental projection of ones mind. Ofcourse, this would not be somekind of "being" in the normal objective sense in which the special mantra would have helped protect against....
If one has a powerful connection with a Guru this should be sufficient protection....irresepective of whether a special mantra was given to the aspirant, or disciple....
VI.Religare, Gurinder, and Beas Satsang, (Part Two.)
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
The Bloggers comments on the two articles by Brian Hines................
http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/04/the-big-money-surrounding-radha-soami-satsang-beas.html
http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/04/rssbs-ties-to-religare-mix-money-and-spirituality.html
Sometime after my initiation into the Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or RSSB someone said to be an English teacher who worked in Spain came out with a claim. He revealed that Gurinder (shortly before Charan passed on) had done some kind of business "mistake," but the Dera Management sent a message insisting that he was a Perfect Master. Hence, he could do no wrong. The English teacher then asked me what sort of power we were dealing with? This was somewhat disturbing at the time as I did have some doubts about Gurinder which unfortunately are now bourne out by the revelations at Brian Hines Blog.
Indeed, when he became the new Satguru for RSSB he reportedly asked a certain question a few times. "How do you know that I am not a fraud?" My Satsangi, and Non-Satsangi friends found that amusing..
Another "red flag" was raised. When I was with friends at a home Satsang in which there was mention about the construction for a runway of sorts at Haynes Park so that Gurinder could land his aircraft! However, this came to nothing....probably due to the bureaucratic local planning authorities!! Admitedly, I did not think much of this...and everyone seemed to regard it as amusing. But is a "runway" a best way of using money....possbily money which originated from the Satsang itself...?
The question which I am concerned here is this. Does it all matter? In one sense, it does as revealed in Brian Hines two articles. But it must be remembered that the physical Master like many incarnations in India is seen as the physical manifestation of God. What I present here are three ways of looking at this subject with an open mind. Admitedly, I am a bit of a Radhasoami apologist because I feel there is more than meets the eye ....
KEY CLAIM I.
Whether Gurinder is perfect, or not probably does not necessarily matter as the following extract reveals, and is believed to have been said by Sawan Singh..
“....If the Guru himself has not reached Satlok, but his Guru is perfect or, like Swami Ji Maharaj, has come straight from Anami(the Nameless Region, the "highest" of all Regions),he will take his disciples up to the stage he has attained himself, and beyond that his Guru, or his Gurus Guru, or Swami Ji Maharaj Himself will take them. There should be no worry about this.”
Ref With the Three Masters, by Munshi Ram page 68, 2001 edition (minor editing)
But the question is this? Why should an "imperfect" Master exist? The answer may be that the Mauj (or Divine Will) of God wants to "wind up" RSSB for reasons best known to Itself. Indeed, the whole organization has become absurdly big, and "bloated". It does need to radically reduce its size. Ideally, Gurinder should step down from his position of Master, and possibly have set up a number of "Satgurus" who would be elected by advanced Satsangis. Such spiritual elections have already notably happened in Dayalbagh. However, this is unlikely to happen unless there is a serious power struggle at the top....
Furthermore, many people have complained that nothing is experienced in meditation after many years of practice. What is required is a database on which to draw upon made up of anonymous Satsangis who could give attempted descriptions of their experiences. This could act as an "encouragement".
KEY CLAIM II.
In RSSB the the physical Satguru is meant to be omnisicient....but there is plenty of evidence on the contrary though a disciple would simply regard this as as test of faith, and/or come out with some kind of rationalization......
........Just after Maharaj Charan Singh former head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas died in 1990 a book appeared on him, and his discourses entitled Treasure Beyond Measure. In it he discussed his own experiences about the utter suprise that he was appointed Sant Satguru in 1951 by the previous deceased incumbent Maharaj Jagat Singh Ji. He regarded the whole matter as a cruel trick of fate. To a Satsangi, or devotee this shows his utter humility! He was pretending that he was not a real Master!! However, what perhaps was Maharaj Charan Singh really saying without giving the game away? He was arguably indicating to those "in the know" that he was telling the truth pure, and simple as far as he could understand it at the time.
To understand what follows it is best to examine a mystic called Faqir Chand. He, like Maharaj Charan Singh was regarded as a much respected teacher of shabd yoga. But Chand claimed that though he was regarded as the physical manifestation of God he was not omniscient. He did not know anything about the miracles that his devotees expressed to him in which his Radiant Form would appear in the outer, or inner worlds of matter, or spirit. He found this same unawareness with other masters of the Shabd Yoga tradition, and this is borne out by evidence. He concluded that it was the BELIEF AND FAITH of the devotees which generated the phenomena of inner visions, and miracles due to their devotional love for him. However, this did not imply necessarily that they were merely hallucinations, but in many, perhaps most cases that it was their Higher Self (ie ones Personal God) which appeared in a Radiant Form that looked like him! Thus, Maharaj Charan Singh may be indicating the "truth" indirectly of the above phenomenon. It should be added that for the Chandian Effect to be "genuine" in the guru world one, or more of a line of Masters should be bona fide in the spiritual sense.
A rather odd thing occured in connection with myself. This is not a meditation experience per se but happened quite naturally, and spontaneously as I was walking. An image of Gurinder Singh appeared in the area of my Third Eye in a "circle" shape. He was dressed with his turban, and a white suit....the one which I wore at initiation back in 1993! The image changed but with the same suit. Perhaps this "mind trick" was suggesting in a crude manner that the Master was myself which is rediculous! However, my present Lower Self entangled in mind, and matter is ofcourse NOT the same as my pure Higher Self which is what Chand was really on about. But it was an odd "mind trick".
However, I do believe rightly, or wrongly that "God-Realised" Masters exist who are to a high degree "omniscient". Yet, most are probably not. Moreover, I suspect that Gurinder(or should I say Babaji?) probably fits into the "non-omniscient" catergory. It may well be that this process of unfoldment (ie.a degree(s) of "omniscience") may be "gradually" developed either before, or after a person becomes a Master. This is a big subject, and appears to have something to do with the mechanics of higher conciousness.
KEY CLAIM III.
Depending on ones sensitivity when I have attended Satsang at Southall there is an intense concentration of the subtle energies of higher conciousness. This awareness I believe has been increased after my experiences with Sant Harjit Singh. What is significant is that this "sea" of higher energies does NOT come from the Satsangis alone. In other words, it may well have a divine source, or sources. I recall feeling this Power descending from the ceiling of the Satsang Hall in a most gentle, and spontaneous manner. Sometimes ofcourse, one can see a white glow in some of the Satsangis themselves which is extremely subtle.
When I leave the Southall Satsang this higher energy of conciousness can be experienced in the wonderful park nearby. I also recall Sant Harjit Singhs energy not only in his house but also outside...and beyond ofcourse. This is a matter of personal experience, and I cannot prove it unfortunately...
Naturally enough, critics would say that the above is experienced in places like football matches, and pop music festivals...when the atmosphere becomes electric!! However, what I experience (along with many others) is something far more than this. It is A POWER unlike anything of this world...
In other words, RSSB is still a living faith par excellence....................
VII. Anyone Can Feel Energies.
Back in 1994, or thereabouts Gurinder Singh, the head of Radhsoami Satsang Beas made a surprise visit to the London Satsang. At the end of his talk he asked whether anyone had any questions. I stood up, and claimed that during my spiritual search I had experienced "energies" from some gurus, or words to that effect. Gurinder rightly said that "Anyone can feel energies". There is nothing in the way of real spiritual advancement about it.
Anyway, in April 2011 I was at a famous yearly Sikh Festival in which a number of temporary free food stalls were set up on certain streets in Slough. These marked the procession of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, and their actual living Guru. Just before the open canopied float in which it was placed along with the priests appeared, I was wistfully thinking about the energies of higher conciousness experienced at Haynes Park where I was at a Radhasoami meeting. I did not feel anything like that at the Slough Sikh Festival. However, much to my amazement as I came close to the actual float, and indeed, the Guru Granth Sahib itself I experienced the intensity of higher energies, and as such bowed to it with a respectful Namaste...However,no visual data was registered as the energies could have come from one of the priests rather than from the Granth itself in the open canopied float.
As mentioned in an early post in Esoteric Miscellany,(from Thoughts, and Visions Blog) I was struck by a ray from the Guru Granth Sahib itself as I paid my obeissance to it....! Whether this was a trick of the imagination, or not is impossible to say. Anyway, drawn by this energy I joined the procession of mainly sweaty, and at times smelly (!!)ladies who followed the float. Much to my surprise I saw in the crowd Fiona McTaggert, the MP for Slough who recognized me. She had an scarf over her head, and was dressed like an Indian Sikh lady if I recalled correctly. Thankfully, she did not give her usual Cheshire cat-like smile!
Apart from the above,I was once sitting at a public computer terminal doing my usual tapping on the keys when someone next to me passed me a note. On it was the word psychic....but without the question mark. It transpired that the person next to me claimed he could feel my "energies" and was wondering whether I was psychic, or not. I said that I was possibly. He also revealed he could pick up different energies from different people but like me usually received no visual data. He rightly pointed out that this was a natural phenomena...........
VIII.Some Futher Details on Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.
What follows is a pro Shabd Yoga, and Sant Mat article, but one which also includes some basic controversies in connection with the modern day Radhasoami Movement.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions blog/Kheper
The word "Radhasoami" is a "phonetic misspell" of Radhaswami which is the correct way of pronouncing it. Essentially, it can be translated as meaning the Lord of the Soul, or God. It has many adherents all over the world. It teaches Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.
A. The Soamibagh Satsang. A Brief Historical "Overview" Of The Radhasoami Faith.
The Radhasoami Faith was founded in 1861 by Shiv Dayal Singh who was a banker at Agra. He was as his Will indicates "born almighty" in the sense that he had no guru who initiated him into the science of Surat Shabd Yoga. His teachings are contained in Sar Bachan meaning True Words, and it is believed that they were dictated by him to his chief disciple Rai Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj who succeeded him.
Strange as it may seem it was him, and not Dayal Singh who introduced the name Radhaswami. Huzur Maharaj claimed that this word was like the Sound reverberating in the highest Spiritual Region. Thus, it was to be treated as something extremely sacred. Moreover,it was an innovation in the Medieval Sant Tradition which advocated Shabd Yoga. Huzur Maharaj claimed that the old Indian saints or Satgurus who taught contact with the Sound Current only reached the fifth Spiritual Region. He disclosed that there was an even higher one where God in its purest manifestation existed. Indeed, the Holy Name of Radhaswami was used as a means of concentration during Simran (repetition) in meditation.
Huzur Maharaj was highly respected, and was a post-master general who was honoured by the British. He is credited with what might be termed the systemization of the Faith, and wrote a number of classic books. After his death Brahma Sankar Misra, or Maharaj Saheb became the next Satguru. He notably wrote a book in which he tried to compare the teachings of Radhasoami with the physics of the day.
Maharaj Sahebs claim to fame is the introduction of the Central Administrative Council which seeked to try to avoid splits within the Faith. Unfortunately, due to its "strict" rulings it had the opposite effect. The last "official" Satguru of this "parent rock" of the Radhasoami Faith was Babuji Maharaj. After his passing a period of interregnum occured in which no "official" successor was recognised. This line of Masters made up the Soamibagh Satsang, Agra.
B. Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or RSSB.
Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or more simply RSSB was the first group to break away from the Central Administrative Council. It was headed by Baba Jaimal Singh who had been initiated by Shiv Dayal Singh. He was a "soldier saint", and during his retirement became recognised as a Satguru. He did not ultimately accept the Holy Name Radhaswami, and instead used the Five Holy Names of the earlier Medieval Sants claiming that this was Dayal Singhs original mantra for repetition, or Simran. This appears to be true.
Anyway, it was a good enough excuse for a split to occur between Soamibagh, and his group later known ofcourse as RSSB. The Central Administrative Council decided to "excommunicate" him, and he died shortly afterwards in 1903. It was claimed that his disciples, or Satsangis only reached the fifth Spiritual Region known to previous Medieval Saints, and not the higher one above known as Radhasoami Dham, or the Abode of the Lord with the Name resounding in it. RSSB believes that the ultimate Sound, or Shabd of the Universe is actually inexpressible, and cannot be put into the language of the world in any way.
This rift in the interpretation of the RS Faith has caused much heartache.In the Beas edition of Sar Bachan reference to Radhaswami as understood by Soamibagh has been edited out. Moreover, something else is also introduced into the text. It concerns successorship. The Beas Sar Bachan claims that when the Satguru dies those initiated by him must continually have faith in him. In other words, his Radiant Form must manifest within during Shabd Yoga, and not that of his living successor. The latter though can act as the outer guide to help Satsangis. The Soamibagh edition of Sar Bachan (as dictated to Huzur Maharaj) makes it clear that the present living Satguru must manifest itself as the inner Guide instead of the deceased predescessor. RSSB claims to this day that their edition of Sar Bachan is the "unedited" version as originally intended by Shiv Dayal Singh. Huzur Maharaj simply edited it to present the importance of the Name, and ofcourse, the question of successorship. But, Dayal Singh's Will seems to clearly state that there are two Shabd Yoga Path one started by himself (ie.Sant Mat), and the other by Huzur Maharaj (ie. Radhaswami Mat). Both of them basically teach the same thing.
Anyway, RSSB is arguably the most influential organisation of the Radhasoami Faith. It was the first to introduce the teachings to the West notably through a book entitled The Path of the Masters by Dr. Julian Johnson in 1939. The present head of RSSB is Gurinder Singh.
C. Some Other Radhasoami Organisations.
There are many "splits", or rather branches of the Radhasoami Faith each having its own living Satguru.Dayalbagh Satsang is perhaps the most famous one for those in the know. It broke away from the Central Administrative Council, and like RSSB set up its own Colony in which a degree of industrialization took place. Unlike RSSB it appears that certain successors to the guru gaddi (or throne) have been chosen by spiritual election rather than by written Will.
Sadly, Dayalbagh has for many years contested in the Courts the property rights of Soamibagh Satsang whose authority it does not recognize. It also believes in the Holy Name of Radhasoami which it also uses in Shabd Yoga.
When the Great Master Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji of RSSB died in 1948 he wrote a Will in which he ordered that Jagat Singh should succeed him. However, Sant Kirpal Singh who was highly regarded formed his own breakaway group. This was the Ruhani Satsang. However, when he died his son Darshan Singh formed another organisation called the Sawan-Kirpal Mission now headed by Rajinder Singh.
An interesting aspect of the above is it believes that the new seeker into Shabd Yoga can receive some kind of inner experience of some description at the time of initiation. Yet, RSSB has claimed that this is just a "trick". However, a real Teacher should be able to give a disciple "something to work on" irrespective of how unadvanced he, or she might be. This acts as a vital inspiration to continue on the Path.
It is also fascinating to note that Sant Kirpal Singh mentioned earlier on kept a secret coded diary which claimed that there were certain "sights" before one reached the true "highest" Spiritual Region of Sach Khand. Here, he indicated that apart from "subjective" interactions there were also essentially objective dynamics "largely" at work in the upward visionary ascent of Surat Shabd Yoga.
Apart from inner experiences, there is to some extent a "suspicious" tendency for a line of gurus to be physically related to one each other. For example, Rajinder Singh was the eldest son of Darshan Singh (son of Sant Kirpal Singh). When Shiv Dayal Singh died he actually nominated his wife Radha Ji to become the Satguru but she insisted that Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj should replace her as the living guide. Infact, there is a sect in which a certain highly respected academic, Agam Prasad Mathur is directly related to Saligram himself. He is the author notably of The Radhasoami Faith; A Historical Study (1974).
Incidently, another more important source for Radhaswami history are the writings of S.D. Maheshwari of Soamibagh Satsang who wrote much on the subject.Lastly, Professor Mark Juergensmeyer wrote Radhasoami Reality; The Logic of a Modern Faith which gives some understanding of this subject. He was notably helped by the research undertaken by David Christopher Lane who is a Professor of Philosophy, and Sociology in the USA. He is still interested in the subject. Lane is also among other things famed for his investigative research on Eckankar which drew its inspiration from Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.There are a number of organizations which have partly, or largely changed the teachings altogether. Yet, they still trace their origins to the Radhasoami Faith. One such is headed by Shree, Shree Mentu Maharaj which uses the Holy Name for meditation but without apparently the Sound initiation known to Surat Shabd Yoga.
D. The Esoteric Importance Of The Radhasoami Spiritual Cosmology.
Though the Kheper article on the subject concerned gives some details about the spiritual cosmology of the Radhasoami Faith, it is not complete (http://www.kheper.net/topics/Sant_Mat/cosmology.html ) For that we have to turn to the writings of L.R. Puri an academic who notably wrote Mysticism, the Spiritual Path Vol II, and The Radhaswami Teachings all published by RSSB. Shiv Dayals basic details concerning the "road-map" to God appear in Sar Bachan. They present a more fuller "depiction" of the Spiritual Regions than can be found in the writings of the Medieval Sants.In Discourses on Sant Mat there is a collection of Sawan Singhs talks at Satsangs, or meetings. He gives a few interesting examples in which he shows simple symbolism of the Medieval Sants as being "corroborative", and thus, possibly suggestive of their "objective" reality.
Interestingly, many Indian teachers of any spiritual tradition tend to regard inner experiences of "higher worlds" as being essentially unimportant, or even partly, or wholly illusionary, and as such should be ignored. In Sant Mat this is also true to a certain degree, and emphasis is placed on ones full attention on the Radiant Form of the Satguru during Shabd Yoga. The aim here is to avoid the Satsangi from being sidetracked into lower planes, and by beings who would hold up his, or her progress to the "highest" Region of"God-Realization".
Dr. Alfonso Caycedo, a Spanish psychiatrist wrote back in the sixties a fascinating work on gurus, and inner experiences entitled India of Yogis. Dr. Ranade a renowned mystic, and academic authored the Pathway to God volumes in which he examines in detail the writings of the Medieval Shabd Mystics, and to some extent their internal experiences.
The point of all this comment on Radhasoami Spiritual Cosmology is to make people aware that it may arguably have the simplest, and most authentic, and "complete" understanding of the "higher Regions" .....
E. Surat Shabd Yoga Is Not The Same As Kundalini Yoga.
Sadly, there is a certain amount of "misinformation" of the teachings of Surat Shabd Yoga, and Sant Mat.
It has been claimed for instance that Shabd Yoga is the same as Kundalini Yoga (though ofcourse the inner experiences of both systems may seem similiar to a certain extent). This is incorrect for the following reasons:-
i) The origin of the above seems to largely come from the claim that at the first initiation into the Self-Realization Fellowship (which teaches Kriya Yoga involving Kundalini)contains in full, or in part the exact knowledge of the Sant Mat Sound sequence. Whether this is true, or false is actually "immaterial" because replicas of the key sights, or "lights", and sounds can be found in the lower "Regions" as well as in the higher "Spiritual Regions"!
ii) Shabd Yoga does not involve special breathing practice, or deliberate arousal of the Kundalini, or concentration on the lower centres, or chakras of the subtle body with the exception of the one at the Third Eye. Moreover, there are said to be certain "secret" centres in the grey matter of brain which may be unknown to Kundalini Yogis.
iii) Unlike mainstream Yogic thought, Shabd Yoga does not require the Kundalini to be raised in the traditional manner for Enlightenment. It is a far safer, and natural system of meditation. It should not be confused with astral travel which just deals with the lower psychic realms. Rather it is more accurate to say that conciousness is withdrawn to the Eye Centre, and like a "mental radio" it can contact specific key Sounds. With increasing concentration occuring naturally (ie.not forced) its power to "ascend" or communicate with higher states of conciousness becomes progressively possible. This is a process of "dying daily" via meditation.
iv) It is true that Shabd Yoga borrows some terms from Kundalini Yoga but this does not mean that it is the same thing. Misleadingly, Kriya Yoga master Sri Yukteswar is said to have written a book entitled Surat-Shabda-Yoga.
However, since it revealed too much esoteric information about the Shabd Yoga in connection with Kundalini, and was apparently withdrawn from circulation... (The author would welcome a copy of it for his work into the research, and development of Multi-Dimensional Science).Incidently, the term Shabd, Shabad,or Shabda can mean inner, and indeed,outer Sound, or Music depending on context.
v)There is yet the claim that the Guru Granth Sahib the Sikh "Bible" has many references to Kundalini as being possibly the same as Shabd Yoga. This is more "incorrect thinking". Infact, the Granth Sahib is a massive work, and there are virtually no references to the Kundalini itself...
vi)Finally, Surat Shabd Yoga is NOT to be confused with Nada Yoga. The latter is the old Vedic system of contacting inner Sounds but these relate to the lower ones of the intermediate planes of the Astral Region. In Shabd Yoga there are five major Sounds. These pertain to the Five Major Regions.
F.The "Problem" With Scandals In The Radhasoami Faith.
On the internet especially there have been a number of possible "scandals" concerning certain "Satgurus" (and indeed, gurus of other traditions) of the Radhasoami Faith. Much of this is questionable, and usually has little, or no independent corroboration from other witnesses. Moreover, the further back in time we go there are less records if any on any "Satguru".
Some of these "records" can be found in India Office Library and Records in London. Jaimal Singh is for example listed as being in the army there, and reference can be found to Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj being honoured by the British. Furthermore, it is possible to trace pamphlets (some proscribed), and books about the early attempts to denigrate the Radhasoami Faith, and its Satgurus. Most if not all published information had to be registered under a specific Act of Parliament
Nowadays, it is possible to quickly find out anything about anybody "illegally" via detective agencies especially on the internet where they can hack into government, and commercial computers. Privacy has become a problem on the web for sometime.
Anyhow, the following are certain key examples of certain "Satgurus" who have fallen from grace. For legal reasons, indentifying names, and places have been omitted:-
1. One "Satguru" sexually abused women now, and again. Actual witnesses statements exist.
2. A writer on the Radhasoami Faith published the claim that a certain "Satguru" sexually interferred with young girls.
3. A certain "Satguru" possibly used disciples to illegally smuggle in presents from other countries.
4. One "Satguru" has collected computers for the Satsang and some of these may belong to the restricted technology listing, and it would thus be illegal for them to have been imported into India.
5. Another "Satguru" had a mistress. To his credit, he admitted that this was true...
Such revelations are excellent gun-fodder for sceptics.
However, I (the author) believe that in certain cases these may be a test of faith, or psychic tricks (or riddhis, or illusions, or visual psychic tricks which could involve an advanced form of mass hallucination, or "magic") to fool people.Some "Satgurus" may well be initiators acting purely on the behalf of their predescessor with whom they probably have inner contact. This implies they may not necessarily have reached the highest planes of "perfection", and that their character may not also be perfect in the spiritual sense. Thus, they may do things which may be wrong, or even criminal on "rare" occasions. Yet, they still have the authority to initiate new seekers into Surat Shabd Yoga because their line of "Satgurus" has at least one Perfect Master with full spiritual power. As to why this could well be is still subject to speculation.
To find out more light on this the reader can go if desired to my article on Multi-Dimensional Science on the kheper website where there is a section which deals in part with this very "problem". Reference is also made to the teaching of Faqir Chand who was a respected Shabd Yoga Mystic, and seemed to believe that its ones Higher Self which acted as the real inner Satguru (ie the Radiant Form of the Teacher) during Shabd Yoga, or any other similiar practice, and that the outer Master irrespective of his, or her actions only acted as a catalyst.
Sawan Singh though seemed to claim that at initiation he actually created the Shabd Form in each of his Satsangis. Whenever there was a serious crisis one of these Forms would telepathically transmit its message to the physical master who would thereby make a decision. It is quite clear that we have more to learn about the actual modus operandi operating between disciple, and master.
Yet, Chands ideas in the main are still valid, and relevant as far as they go. Moreover, what matters in Surat Shabd Yoga is the need to practice, and reform oneself. It is claimed that Sawan Singh said in the book entitled With the Three Great Masters by Munshi Ram that there should be no worry about whether a Shabd Yoga Master is Perfect, or not as one, or more of his predecessors may appear within to help the the disciple to ascend the "Higher Regions". In other words, the Light of Truth reveals Itself via inner experience.
As already suggested but expressed differently, the Higher Self (in the Chandian context) which is ultimately our real Satguru may even manifest ItSelf as a replica of the imperfect outer Master of Shabd Yoga. Whether something like this actually happens or not probably depends on spiritual background, and other factors. Yet, this "replica," or rather the Radiant Form may well be able to take the disciple to the "highest plane" of spiritual liberation (or as Sawan Singh is said to have alternatively suggested a genuine previous Master could appear "inside" to replace the "imperfect" Master to take the soul upwards). Yet, the outer manifestation of this "Guide" can do no such thing in the inner journey...
In keeping with most Indian mystical movements the Radhasoami Faith does not believe in the development of psychic power. Yet, the late Dr. Puri in Liverpool (UK) tried to use Shabd Yoga as a means of healing certain ailments.
G. Non-Absolutionist Sant Mat...?
As mentioned Faqir Chand was a Shabd Yoga Master but his view about Sant Mat can be regarded as being non-absolutist. In keeping with mystical Hinduism he believed that different types of Yoga appealed to different kinds of people. They ultimately lead to the Supreme Source of Creation. In other words, Surat Shabd Yoga is just one of many many Paths leading to "ultimate" Samadhi in contradiction to what we have been saying in this essay. Thus, in the Radhaswami Teachings the Sound, or Shabd is not the only means of spiritual liberation. Instead, powerful degrees of "natural" concentration can achieve It.
Chand was very open, and honest about his inner experiences in Shabd Yoga. He even admitted that he was not necessarily right, and even had doubts about whether he reached the "highest" state of conciousness. This may be a display of pure humility, or perhaps a degree of ignorance. One of his recognized successors was Sant Harjit Singh. It is claimed that he uses a mantra, or mantras with a specific "charge". When practised it allows the listener to go deeper, and deeper into the Sound, and Light until a blissful, and peaceful state of "no-thought" is reached which lies beyond supersensory phenomena.
A number of people who practice "pure" Surat Shabd Yoga come to him for help. Interestingly, like Faqir Chand, Harjit Singh though does not believe that the inner stages "described" in the writings of Dayal Singh, and other Satgurus "exist". They are regarded as projections of the Mind. Harjit Singh has pointed out that most gurus, and yogis are totally unknown to the public. As usual there is the claim too that Surat Shabd Yoga evolved from the Siddha Tradition, the Udasi branch of Sikhism, and other sources.
Apart from the Radhasoami Faith proper there are other virtually unknown groups which believe inner Sound, or the Word is the "sole" means of achieving the Truth. One headed by the "Satguru" Santsevi springs to mind..
In an infinite spiritual universe anything is possible, and it is important to retain an open mind. As the Masters say...the Truth ultimately lies within.......
IX. An Esoteric Miscellany
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
A. Meeting Dr. Douglas Baker.
7th, 2009 by
Dr. Douglas Baker is somewhat well-known in esoteric circles. Here is a link to him, and his site.
http://www.douglasbaker.com/
It is claimed that he has written over 100 books on esoteric subjects. Having seen some of them they appear to be often, or not short, and "shallow". Moreover, from what I have found so far there is no obvious reference to his use of Theosophy, and the Alice Bailey Teachings. He should by rights give direct indications of his source materials otherwise it gives the false impression that he is an innovator.
Anyway, back in the early eighties I used to meet a plump well-dressed Indian astrologer who was called Matthew. He claimed that he was jeweller, and emanated from Brighton. On occasion, I met him at a hotel that used to exist opposite Slough train station. We often talked about esoteric subjects, and once I said that I believed I had been killed in the last world war. In response, he said that he had been a saint in India in another incarnation..For whatever reasons, Matthew seemed impressed by the writings of Dr. Douglas Baker. He recommended them to me but I was not overly excited.
However, I did go to see Baker at the former workings mens club in Slough where he was giving a talk on astral projection. Among other things, he mentioned his friend Peter Sellars, and his heart attack in which he had out-of-body experience (though if I recall correctly there was more than one instance of this). At the end of this ofcourse came the book signing session. I used this as an opportunity to ask him why he had not replied to me on a letter concerning greater information on surat shabd yoga, and the Radhaswami Faith. At this, he said nothing, and gave me a sssh! with one finger over his mouth. He seem to realize the huge esoteric importance of the subject, and clearly was not willing to discuss it. However, apart from this I was not impressed overall by him as a person, or indeed, his books...
I am sure Dr. Baker means well in his own right along with his Claregate College on esoteric studies but I just feel that perhaps the genuine motivations for it all were somehow lacking. However, whether true, or not he has played an important in popularising the subject for which we should be thankful.
PS. Since the above was written Dr Baker passed away in 2011.
B. A "Kabbalah" Mystery?
Nov 26th, 2009
I would be grateful to know whether anyone knows the possible meaning of this Kabbalistic symbol. It is drawn on a public wall with a black felt tip pen by a person, or persons unknown as I enter, and depart from a block of flats in which I live. Essentially, it appears as a trident (bowled shaped like the Jewish Menorah)without the pronged endings. Two magan davids are to be seen both sides of it save the central "column" so to speak. At the base of the latter there is one more magan david. There also appears here to be a little "flame" on one of the apexes of the two triangles. The same is true of the one on the top left of the "trident". These may have no significance at all along with where they are placed exactly. The question is this? Is this a genuine Kabbalistic symbol possibly? Or is it just something made up by someone who has an interest in magic? Could it be a symbol of good luck, or bad luck, or indeed, nothing at all of note?I may sometime post a drawing, or photo of it but the detail in the first paragraph should be clear enough to its possible "identification," and "significance".
PS. An occult symbol in chalk was found on the wall(circa 2011)of an underpass very near the Masonic Lodge in Slough. If I recall correctly, it was a triangle in a circle, and appeared to contain astrological symbols. It has since been erased.
C. Who are the Eloists?
Sep 28th, 2009
Sometime ago, I had a black and white dream. I could only recall the fag end of it. It was like an old grainy film being played. In it, someone looking like some Old Testament Prophet strolled along towards me with a staff in a stoney scenery. All of a sudden the words ELOIST appeared. I had never come across the word before, and so I had to go to the internet to find out what it meant. The following comes from the GG dictionary
.....E*lo"hist (?), n. The writer, or one of the writers, of the passages of the Old Testament, notably those of the Pentateuch, which are characterized by the use of Elohim instead of Jehovah, as the name of the Supreme Being; -- distinguished from Jehovist. S. Davidson. - Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Elohist, a name given by the critics to the presumed author of the earlier part of the Pentateuch, whose work in it they allege is distinguished by the use of the word Elohim for God; he is to be distinguished from the Jehovist, the presumed author of the later portions, from his use, on the other hand, of the word Jehovah for God.More light was forthcoming in the following "revelation" if such it could be called......Here, reference is made to a publication entitled Radiance which is connected with Oahspe an esoteric society which has been around for sometime...
Within Radiance flows the spirit of the Eloists. It is an expression of Light, and speaks with the Voice of the Living Spirit as It has come to be known through the Eloist family. 'Eloist' means a 'doer of the Creator's will.' The objective of Radiance is not so much to educate as it is to strike a keynote or set a tone that will help the reader to become attuned to 'the realm of thought in which angels dwell,' and in that harmony to learn how to rise in spirit to embrace a higher purpose.
Radiance, a publication of The Eloists, a religious non-profit organization, incorporated in 1918.....
PS. As Alan Kazlev pointed out I could have seen the the word Eloist before but completely forgot it until I had this "dream" experience..
D. The Guru Granth Experience..?
Nov 27th, 2009
Sometimes I have langar, or free food at the local Sikh temple, or gurdwara in Slough (near Montem). I have the greatest respect for Sikhism. It ofcourse does not have a Living Master as their guide but their holy book the Guru Granth Sahib acts as their Teacher instead, and is worshipped,and respected as if it were a highly esteemed "human being".I once had four copies of this marvellously inspired mystical work. I bought them at a Radha Soami Satsang Beas meeting in London!
I have to admit that I did find it difficult to accept a book rather than a living spiritual master as a guide. But my views have changed. It is possible,and feasible. The reason for this change of heart is when I, notably saw the Guru Granth Sahib being taken out of a car covered in cloth. This happened just outside the gurdwara. Some people nearby paid a respectful namaste, or greeting to it. I did likewise, and much to my surprise a ray of light shot from it at me. Whether this was a trick of the mind, or something else is difficult to know. However, I have seen pictures of the Guru Granth Sahib with spiritual energies depicted around it. This indicates that it is more than just a book......
PS. I was surprised to hear that the Hindu Temple in Slough was the first purpose built Hindu place of worship in Britain. It is very close to where I live in Chalvey,and found out about this when a group inspired by the Guru Ravi Shankar (not the musician ofcourse!) was making a presentation of their yogic teachings in December 2008.This group incidently claimed that it was the largest voluntary organization in the world. I do not know how true this claim is but I like to keep an open mind.
E. Recalling John Garland..
Nov 26th, 2009
In the late 1970s I recall meeting John Garland, the noted astrologer. He used to work for a time as a teacher at the Tutorials, a private school at Windsor where I used to go to. It was run by Mr. Blundell (a rather Dickensian sounding name IMHO).Anyway, John Garland was a charming fellow with a boyish visage, and ruddy complexion. If I recall correctly he had ginger, or blond hair. It is nice now to see him doing so well with his work in astrology as the following biodata reveals from Astrology Enterprises found on the net along with other "psychics", and astrologers
..."One of Britain's most respected and well established astrologers, John Garland's work has featured in the most diverse range of media over a highly successful, 24 year long career. John also has a unique distinction amongst other astrologers - in terms of understanding the needs of the media, for he worked as a journalist, leader writer and an editor, before the clarion call of astrology become too strong and led to his full-time profession. John writes traditional Western astrology but also has an avid interest and deep knowledge of Chinese astrology, a specialisation, and he has written extensively for Horoscope and Prediction Magazines'. In fact John was the first astrologer to introduce Chinese astrology to the west in the 1980's - strongly influenced by his Grandfather, who lived in China for many years, and who was imbued in Daoism and a great admirer of Confucius. From this John acquired a considerable knowledge of Chinese spiritual culture, including the "I Ching". Over his career, John has written for many of the most established Women's titles, has had much work published and his specialisation is in providing sparkling, either bespoke or regular content, with an almost lyrical and enchanting dimension. His is a rare voice of true authority in the astral and divination firmament."
In around 1983 I came across him again. He used to live in Upton Park, Slough in a basement flat. I got to know him pretty well as he had an easy charm about him. Often, or not the subjects we discussed were to do with psychic, and spiritual topics notably my growing fascination in gurus. He, himself seemed at the time to be much taken by the Western pagan tradition notably the celts, and their culture. Indeed, he even produced his own magazine aptly entitled CELT in capitals. I wrote an article on the mysticism of Inner Sound for his second, or third issue. This appeared on the front cover along with the drawing of a weeping willow if I recall correctly. He described my writing as being "scholarly" which I took to be a compliment.
Anyway,John Garland is among other things an artist. He showed me a number of his unusual "psychic" paintings. Indeed, I even saw per chance an exhibition of them at some fair in London.
He apparently claimed to have written, and published a book entitled The Mire. Brian Edgar who was one of my teachers at the Tutorials contacted me after 30 years via the "miracle" of the internet, and I was amazed to receive his email. He, also, remembered John Garland, and recalled reading The Mire
The next time I came to know of John, and his work was in printed form. It was in the Maidenhead local paper in which he appears to have a syndicated column on his his artful, and insightful column on astrology. It is good to see that he has been doing well, and I wish him future good luck! Maybe we will meet again..or maybe not....but ofcourse that is all in the stars!
X. Mental Illness, Psychic Self-Deception...and Danger!
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Over the years I have come across a few people who appear to suffer, or have suffered some form of "mental illness," and/or self-deception in connection with psychic, and spiritual matters. One person I knew used to wander at the dead of night proclaiming all manner of occult "wonders" including the belief of being the Messiah, and having his Third Eye fully opened.
One elderly individual called Ralph who died in April 2007 was well known in Slough as he used to bicycle about in his shorts in all climes! He was by his own admission a bit eccentric, and claimed that when he was young he was struck by a Tesla (a word he used to describe a thunderbolt which I had never come across before, but is ofcourse, named after the great inventor, Nikola Tesla who was fascinated in electricity). He survived it, and claimed that this enhanced his health, and well-being possibly giving him inner heat for him to peddle about Slough, and its environs in his shorts whenever it was freezing!
When I used to see him Ralph often, or not talked about his late brother George who appeared to have been suffereing (if that is the right word in this context) from the delusion of being someone special to the Royal Family at nearby Windsor Castle even though he was a humble electrician by trade... Apparently, it was claimed among other things that:-
i) He had saved King George, et al from a bomb attack at Windsor during World War II.
ii) He had been developing a number of advanced technologies (including an ant-gravity device) but the government was not interested because it would cost too much money .
iii) George, and some other "experts" managed to teleport some creature, or object from England to America, or vice versa but it caused Battersea Station to shut down!
iv) He knew Lord Mountbatten well along with other notables often being privy to special meetings, and social occasions.
v) He claimed that he appeared in two places at once!
vi) He said that there were two, or more places in Windsor through which one could travel back to the past by crossing over a line of light.
Indeed, one story featured him taking a Medieval cup, and burying it in its own time by a pub, and later in the present time dug it up. Obviously, it had deterioted somewhat through the passage of time..
Ralph seemed to have lapped all this up, and was suprised that the Royal family had not sent a message of condolences when George sadly died! It seemed that he had being living a kind of Walter Mitty like existence, and I came across this before from someone who seemed to imagine himself being some kind of James Bond figure working in the military!
One person I came across, and who happened to be a Satsangi of RSSB claimed to have seen certain people turn into "reptilians" (shades of David Icke to put it very mildly!), and that he believed in some kind of hidden government of the world. He also feared staring up at helicopters (invisible ones!) as they would shoot a beam of light at him, and he would suddenly freeze!
However, such "delusions" can be dangerous, and I include here the following account in which I was actually attacked by a "nutter". In order to protect myself I have not given out the name of this individual, and use instead the pseudonym of X. This person who regards himself as a "low standard" Sikh is a somewhat chummy, and chubby. X was interested, and totally gullible in many aspects of the occult/paranormal, and was especially interested in dealing with "Voodo witch doctors," and Indian psychic helpers who sometime advertized themselves in Asian papers, and mags.In the latter case, one of them had examined his hand in which he could see Xs chakras, and claimed that they were out of line..! This could be seen perhaps as an indication of his long history of depression which he fully admited to me.
It was claimed by someone that X had attacked someone called Kevin from behind at the local day centre. This individual had been a friend of his for many years apparently. Xs assault on him was stopped by a support worker who along with Kevin it transpired (from another source)were threatened with death! The reason for the above was because X whenever he was befriended by anyone over a period of time he developed a dangerous paranoia complex. In other words, he became increasingly suspicious, and believed that his "friend" was passing on information about him to the "enemies" as he called them for money. This ofcourse is absurd as he is essentially nobody. I asked him what he meant exactly by the word "enemies". But I never really got a clear answer.
It was baffling...especially when he had such a deep interest in Sikhism, and regularly did the meditation practices prescribed by that religion (though he still drank alcohol, and was non-vegetarian). Quite often, he would discuss deep spritual philosphy, and I mentioned Harjit Singh a spiritual teacher already discussed to some extent. X expressed some interest in him but I never gave him his full address, or phone number for obvious reasons.
It is a great shame that X had this deep psychiatric problem with paranoia, and its delusions.Indeed, he used to think that whenever Kevin went to phone up someone in the public booth he imagined that he was passing on information about him to his enemies for money!
As such X had become obssessed in somehow protecting himself from his "enemies" notably his desire to get special rings made which would protect him. He also wanted to leave town altogether after he received enough money from his alleged Court Case. He intended to "disappear" to India where he claimed he could live off his newly acquired money invested in one, or more of the state banks there.
As time went by X became suspicious of me, and asked whether I was passing information about him to the enemies for money! This ofcourse I denied as it was patently absurd....and made no sense at all.
Things came to ahead outside the library when he chuckled at the notion that the Queen was possibly a shape-shifting repitilian (David Icke again!). He then went onto to reveal that he was going to do a sort of psychic name check on me undertaken by some Indian psychic in London. It was his way of trying to determine whether I was genuinely his friend, or not.. X also revealed that I would soon experience unusual dreams in which the psychic would probe my mind. Needless to say nothing of the sort happened. Vainly, I tried to explain to X that I was a genuine friend of his but it was becoming clear that he did not really believe it and that it would be a waste of time trying to convince him. He then went on to say how bad it was that anyone could betray him to the "enemies" by passing on information about him for money, and said that if the psychic name checked proved positive it would bring bad luck for the rest of my life.
Furthermore, X claimed that a café opposite the library was the actual place where I passed information on him to the "enemies" for money. When he first "realized" this he laughed at the absurdity of the notion (!) as he had been wondering why I often went to this specific café other than just eat, and drink ofcourse.... It was now all clear to him... By now, The whole thing had by now become absurd in extremis. So, I parted with him.
Anyway, on the day in question (August 28th 2008) I entered the café (which X had mentioned), and had a plate of saag(spinach), and rice. A little later X himself entered, and saw me. He muttered "You are doing it again. Will you ever learn!" whereupon he headed straight towards me at the table, and rained down a whole load of punches. I lifted my hands, and arms to protect my face, and head. I fell off the chair, and there was short pause before he started to assault me again but this time I used my shoulder bag to protect me. He then left as if nothing had happened, and there was stunned silence in the café. No one ofcourse lifted a finger to help me. No suprise there! Also, the saag, and rice I had been eating coated the wall, and the plate was smashed to pieces. My nose started to bleed, and was in part broken.
The police were called but I decided not to have X arrested, and charged even though the whole thing was probably recorded on camera. He got away scott free but if he were to do something like that again I would have no choice but to make sure he serves time, and ideally, be committed to a mental institution so that he cannot be a risk to the public with his paranoid delusions.
However, he did though attack me one more time but not as seriously as the last incident. As I was going down some steps he gave me a kick from behind, and I turned around to confront him, and uttered my anger at him whereupon he threatened me with death or words to that affect...Now, ofcourse, I try to avoid him like the plague. It is clear that the mind can be misled, and distorted.
Illicit drugs can also cause mental problem ofcourse. One example was a Muslim I used to know, on, and off. He claimed that he, and some friends had seen me commit a crime which was utterly false. He also said the same kind of thing (ie. false accusation based on an imaginary experience)to someone else I knew. It transpired that ofcourse he had taken certain drugs which could give rise to powerful delusions about people. He was also a member of the Sheikh Nazeem sect based in Cyprus. This is a Sufi organization.
I once asked him about his inner experiences, and he was amazed to find that I knew about certain basic details concerned about his initial meditation experiences which were similiar to Shabd Yoga,and other types of practices. Ofcourse, drugs especially LSD can lead to "mystical" or rather psychic type experiences, and these can be similiar if not seemingly identical to "genuine" ones had through non-drug induced meditations.
The person I notably mentioned right at the start of this article also had drug problems, and clearly it contributed to his delusions of being something spiritually special, and extraordinary. Infact, he revealed that he had a bad premature experience with the controversial Guru Maharaj who was known for opening the third eye to inner Sound, and inner Light. Anyway, as far as I know X did not do drugs save alcohol which can arguably be regarded as being something similiar.As I mentioned in the article The Realization of the Psychic I have never ever taken drugs, or indeed, legal psychiatric ones. Moreover, I hate alcohol, and never drink the stuff, and I am ofcourse a vegetarian.
PS. Since the above was written I have had some experiences with two other people who claim to have been affected by "black magic." One of them is a Sri Lankan. He claimed to see "spirits," and was on occasions seen speaking to "them" in Slough High Street. He tried to overcome this problem by contacting "whitch doctors" but to no avail. He went to psychiatric hospital for treatment several times, but to no avail. As he pointed out he was suffering from a "spiritual problem."
However, he did have a liking for alcohol, and smoking. He claimed that the "spirits" made him adopt these habits, and even, claimed that he felt sometimes "possessed" by a large number of them. On one occasion, he could not stay in his own digs. Instead, he became homeless temporarily to avoid them! He claimed too that the "spirits" would occcasionally appear in benevolent form, and then "shapeshift" into something less pleasant...
Apart from the Sri Lankan in question, I came across an intelligent African lady who experienced a variety of "illusions." that disturbed her daily life. However, she claimed that praying to God helped her. Yet, she still seems to be on the search for somekind of permanent cure. Hopefully, this will happen to her..
Though not directly related to the above as such I once met an African gentlemen. He had visited the Radha Soami Satsang in London, and I went with him with some friends to his plush flat. It was there that he wanted us to see his collection of Hogarth prints...but when we inspected them we noted that the faces of the characters depicted were erased presumably by him for reasons unknown, and we dared not ask why. He was clearly suffering from some kind of mental problem....
XI. Psychic Encounters of a Friend
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Since 1980, or thereabouts I used to know an Australian friend. I will call him by his first name,Chris. He is somewhat eccentric. He used to, and still does collect rubbish. He is a great believer in "recycling" where possible.
Anyway, when I first met him he was well-dressed, and had a thin elderly Indian friend who referred to himself as the Universalist. The latter claimed he could not see in one eye due to an operation by a "fake doctor" as he put it. He lived with some Muslims which he did not like, as he recalled the appalling smell of spiced meat ascending from their kitchen (An unpleasant experience which I had as I, like him am vegetarian, and the way the meat smelt was frankly horrible!). He also like Chris used to give me free things notably food. He was a very kind soul, and I expect he no longer physically exists.
To return to Chris per se. Back in July 1997 he had an "extraordinary" experience. It occured very late at night. He was in Langley Memorial Park, and was staring at what might be termed a "UFO". It was erractically circling anti-clockwise a "star", or "planet" which was gradually moving across the sky. Chris described the "craft" as being red, and triangular with a flashing light on it. He stood transfixed by it for sometime. Then, the "UFO" slowly descended towards him, and then, shone a light at him. This "light" seemed to make Chris very peaceful, and unafraid. It was also trying to make him fall asleep as it was now very early morning. As the "light" and "craft" descended more, and more towards him, he suddenly took fright, and dashed off to his friends house which was nearby.He feared that he might be abducted...
I questioned Chris on a number of times about the above, and he always came up with the same story without any elaboration. Attempts were even made to try, and trace independent witnesses who may have seen the same thing, but to no avail.
A week, or so after all this I had my own personal "UFO" experience. I saw something late at night which was suprising. Whether it was something genuine is quite another matter. Anyway, I saw two "UFOs" going around the moon! Then, they both went off in different directions, and were seen no more. Their appearance tallied with the description given by Chris.
In the late 1990s, I was for whatever reason fascinated by the alleged UFO phenomena. Most sightings ofcourse turn out to have a rational explanation. At this time there were a number of glossy magazines on the subject, and one of them I came across mentioned the experience of electricity in the air when a "sighting," and attempted "abduction" was being made. This apparently was the case with Chris. Personally, I do not believe that his experience was objectively real in the "physical" sense. It was simply an "opening" into a psychic reality which only Chris could experience. The same I feel is true about my own experience. Ofcourse, critics would dismiss this all as merely a form of hallucination. In a sense, this is true at a deeper level of understanding.
What "amused" me further was that Chris came up with another "story". He said that one night he was walking in Tescos car park...and was being followed by a "UFO" up in the sky. Every time he stopped to look round the "craft" would suddenly stop as if it were "reading" his mind at a distance! As I explained to Chris most "UFOs" are really psychic phenomena as the evidence clearly indicates. For example, so-called alien abuductions can involve people being taken through the walls of their home suggesting that it is form of lucid dreaming, or out-of-body experience.
Among other things, Chris had an interest in spiritualism. He once told me that he went to a seance in Langley. The use of Quija Board was the order of the day...or rather the night!! In it, he mentioned how he felt a power move the glass to spell out a message from the "Spirit World". Nothing as far I know went seriously untoward, even though I recall listening to a phone-in programme in which hundreds of people complained about their experiences with the Quija Board.
Chris used to, or still has a married lady friend called B. He stayed with her at her mother's home in Norfolk. There, they both experienced mild forms of poltergeist activity. It was claimed that Bs late brother was trying to attract attention so to speak! Apparently, he was very attached to his mother. However, when she died the poltergeist activity suddenly stopped. The late brother was at last reunited with his late mother!
Another lady friend of Chris was someone who was into vampires. She even tried to draw blood from him with a knife so that she could suck it out!
In many respects, Chris is not the ideal witness of alleged phenomena. But that does not mean he is exagerating, or fibbing. On the contrary, he comes across as someone who is very pleasant,trusting,totally transparent, but "gullible". For example, he seems to naively regard everything about the "power" of "magic rituals" found in books such as those published by Finbarr as "gospel truth"
XII. Early Days
When I was in my teenage years, and probably a little earlier I was fascinated in psychical research, or parapsychology as it is more popularly known. This in the main was due to my childhood experiences which are narrated in The Realization of the Psychic.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2010/08/realization-of-psychic.html
About 16 years of age, or so I wrote two manuscripts. One was a fiction piece concerned with post-mortem existence, and another one which had the rediculously pompous title of Explanations for Paranormal Events. Colin Symthe a publisher (notably published The Link by Matthew Manning) lived in Gerrards Cross, and not far from Stoke Poges where I was living. He turned it down with a polite, and encouraging rejection letter. As for the long fiction work which included direct speech it too met a similiar fate from some publishing house in London.
None of this though quenched my thirst for a better understanding of the psychic, and spiritual. For reasons best known to myself I believed at the time that parapsychology offered the best basis on which the spiritual, and the mystical could be taken more seriously as being real "objective" phenomena... rather than tricks, and deceptions of reality, and the mind.
In 1977, I was presented by an advert from my mater about some researcher who was advertizing in The Times about collecting anecdotal "stories" for a book on psychic experiences from various people. I sent him my past "encounters" including the visitation of a Victorian ghost in Windsor which is described in The Realization of the Psychic.
My contact was called John Pyman. He turned out to be a part-time homeopath. He seemed impressed by my psychic experiences, and I had the honour of meeting him in his basement flat in Gwendwr Road, Kensington, London. He claimed that he had a philosophy degree from Cambridge, and had been an intelligence officer in World War II.
His basement flat was cramped, as it was filled with piles of books. He also had a few "ornaments" connected with Ancient Egypt.If I recall correctly he believed that he may have had a past life in that time. He also revealed that he had published a book on philosophy for American students which apparently did very well.
It was through John Pyman that I came to know something about the Society for Psychical Research. Indeed, he gave me a good reference to help me join it.
I recall him referring to the secretary of the Society as that "bird-like woman". The name of the lady concerned was Eleanor O' Keefe, and she had a very sharp mind. She was clearly highly efficient, and was a wealth of information on anything to do with parapsychology. On quite a number of occasions, her name appears in the acknowledgements of many books on parapsychology. She was apparently a friend of the late Colin Wilson, the well-known writer.
Anyway, John Pyman passed on an unpublished article I wrote about on physics, and parapsychology to friend of his who happened to be a physicist...and who incidently gave me an interesting reply.
Pyman was an interesting individual, and confided in me about having received a mathematical puzzle which he could not solve. I had a go at it myself but without success. However, a friend of mine also called John seemed to be interested in cracking the mathematical puzzle. So, I passed it on to him.
John X met John Pyman in London. Apart from the puzzle the former admitted that he wanted to throw his father out of the window! Though I did not know it at the time John X was suffering from serious mental problems, but when I used to meet him he seemed perfectly "normal". Then, I remembered something. He told me that he had been studying at Cambridge, but was unable to finish his course because of a mental breakdown. I am not a psychiatrist, and I do know what kind of condition he was suffering.Fortunately, John X did not meet up with Pyman again...and probably just as well!
On a number of occasions, I used to travel down to London to visit the Society of Psychical Research library. Often, I would take back to Stoke Poges(where I used to live) a whole host of books. Apart from the SPR, another of my haunts was the Theosophical Society, the Arcane School, and the College of Psychic Studies.
..I have to admit that SPR seemed to be more interesting than the other places I visited...It had some quite fascinating, and obscure literature. It was there that I discovered certain cases of children having out-of-body experiences/near-death experiences in which they "spontaneously" used Inner Sounds to "levitate". This was exactly what happens in Shabd Yoga....! A small piece of corroborative evidence by..children! Unfortunately, I did not take note of the reference, but I hope to retrace it.
The librarian of the SPR then (in the 1980s) was Nicholas Clarke-Lowes who had a degree in chemistry if I recall correctly. He was a charming fellow, and I was impressed to learn that he had come across The Path of the Masters by Dr. Julian Johnson. In those days the internet was not available unlike now. As such, it was also incredibly difficult to find any "objective" information about the background of the Radhasoami Movement, and Shabd Yoga.
When I first joined the SPR I had been interested in Eckankar, and I was suprised to get an expose about it from Leslie Price who was with Eleanor O' Keefe when I phoned. He kindly sent me copy of his information which was a journal called the Spiritual Counterfeits Project . It drew virtually all its research from a certain academic, David Christopher Lane who is now a well-known authority on the subject of the Radhasoami Faith. I later contacted him, and managed to get a free copy of his book on Eckankar which went into its controversial background in greater detail than the Spiritual Counterfeits Project Journal.
I only went to three lectures at the SPR. One was by Matthew Manning (who left me cold), the second one by Francis Hitching, and the third one by Susan Blackmore. These lectures took place at Kensington Library, and before going to one of them I remember on one occasion being in the Society's library with an interesting assortment of "veteran" parapyschologists...Eric Dingwell (or Ding!), Renee Haynes, Manfred Cassirer, and a certain Guy Lyon Playfair. I thanked the last named individual because it was through his book The Unknown Power that I was seriously drawn into the study, and research of parapsychology. However, I did not find Playfair very friendly, and he seemed to be closeted up in his own little world.
Anyway, it was through the above experiences, and indeed, the "Vision" of the Spiritual "Sun" in 1977 that empowered me to try, and find out whether there could be a revolutionary new approach in which science, mysticism, and parapsychology could come together to create a major paradigm...that paradigm ofcourse was Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS..............
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2010/08/vision-of-spiritual-sun.html
XIII. Psychic Trickery, or What?
On the internet there is a video at the time of writing in which the "aura" can be seen in 5 minutes via a specific procedure. Is this a psychic trick? In my case I thought it was, even though I did not undertake the process of "seeing" it.
What startled me was that the speaker on the video referred to the aura as having patterns similar to "heatwaves." This was exactly the experience I had back in 2006. It may just be coincidence ofcourse. I recall seeing someone passing by whom I did not like. What I saw was not only his physical form but "heatwave" like patterns around parts of his body. The following day I was informed at a day centre that the person in question had died! He was only young, and it is believed he may have had an overdose of drugs, or possibly deliberately received ones of very poor quality. Anyway, I entered the day centre after finding out, and felt a presence possibly of him, and also, some vertical "heatwave-like energies" sans body..I must stress that these experiences were not very distinctive, and ofcourse, temporary.
I should also state that the "aura" indicated in the video concerned was not polychromatic (ie. many coloured as we would normally understand it) It was probably the "lowest" sub-plane manifestation of it, and hence, "easily" detectable assuming that it is a real "psychic phenomena" in the first place. Esoterically speaking ofcourse, the "aura" exists as a whole series of energy fields around the subtle bodies of people existing simultaneously in different planes.
There are quite a few examples of instant psychic "tricks" which may be "psychically real", or alternatively, somekind of physical "phenomenon". One is reminded here of the Divine Light Mission, and the instant experience of the "Knowledge" which could involve instant "Inner Sound", and " Inner Light" transmissions. Staring at the Mother Mera, a respected lady Guru can lead to spontaneous inner experiences (Mouna Upadesa, or Silent "Initiation") which are arguably similar to that had by Neil Slade, and his stimulation exercises of the amgydala. Yet, whether any of this is genuine, or not is largely immaterial. They are from the esoteric POV phenonmena which are mainly limited to the "lowest" psychic "planes," or "sub-planes" rather. They are "unimportant". But for some they could be psychologically damaging in rare cases, or indeed, they could act as spur to explore more spiritual paths, rather than psychic ones .
Whether one has been involved in a psychic occurence, or not the possible relevant "psychic energies" involved should ideally be distinctive rather than just cloudy, or vague like the "heatwaves" I experienced above. An instance of a "non-distinctive" phenomena occurred sometime ago. I had the man who checked the gas appliances in my flat. He was a friendly Sikh I knew, and he was dressed in a blue boiler suit. As I watched him working with his back facing me, I noticed something like "water" in a "circle" at the base of his spinal area. It may be that the colour blue of his boiler suit triggered off somekind of imaginary connection with water, and rivers. However, several months later, and much to my horror he was reported as having drowned in a local river. It is believed that he had committed suicide. Did I experience some sort of coincidence, or was it some type of "premonition?"
XIV. The Muslim Fortune Teller
A Muslim fortune teller has over the years taken some interest in me in Slough. However, it was to be sometime before we met properly, and talked face to face. That happened in early 2014. He claimed to have come from a line of fortune tellers in Pakistan.
He seemed to regard me as being "100% good". But I said I was no saint, and neither was I totally good in a spiritual sense. It would be nice if it were so.
Anyway, I was invited to see him at his home. He gave a colourful description of his past, and it transpired that he was wanting me to raise money to help poor people in Pakistan. Yet, I politely said no to this.
More amusingly, he seemed to want me to stay the night, but I declined. As I was about to leave he insisted that he loved me more than a brother! I suspected, he had homosexual leanings, and left. Yet I allowed him to kiss my hand which he did profusely......
It was quite a time before I met him again for a chat. In April 2015 I was in Slough High Street. I brought up the point as to whether he gave some form of initiation. He said yes, and suggested that I should make an appointment with him. He said it would be best to have the initiation outside, and in a quiet spot . However, I did not ring to fix an appointment, but met him again in Slough where he undertook an impromptu "initiation" in an area near the library.
For legal reasons, I have not given out his name.......Let us just call him S.
......To begin with S wrote some Arabic letters, and some numerological numbers as well as some odd "magic symbols," plus two "crude drawings". He suggested to me that I had brothers..this was incorrect. S seemed to think I had children...again incorrect...S said I did not get on with my step mother...incorrect...His so-called fortune telling was a whole series of misses rather than hits!! I could not take him seriously. Among other things, he indicated that I should create a special vegetable soup for health, and claimed that I would die at a certain age!
Lastly, he explained that a woman I knew had cast a black magic spell on me. But I knew of no woman who would hate me that much to do something so "silly". S said that this "curse" or whatever it was, would be lifted in 21 days time!!
After this, came something very surprising. S told me to shut my eyes, and banged me on the top of my head for three, or four times. With each hit, if I recall rightly he made a strange "Schoooo, Scchhooo," sound as if he was trying to imitate the sound of "psychic energy" being transmitted into my head.
When I opened my eyes with a temporarily sore head I pretended that nothing happened. S asked me to grip his very strong hand in a certain manner. Again, he came out quick with "Schooo, Sccchhhooo" sounds. It seemed to me he was trying to transmit "psychic energy" to me, but admittedly, I felt nothing of the sort.
Just before we parted S again told me to shut my eyes. He then thumped me three, or four times on the right arm. Once more, the "Schoo, Scchhhooo," sound was repeated....I played along as if nothing serious had happened (ie. another assault). I opened my eyes, and he held out his hand to shake goodbye. I took it, and then, he left heading towards the library.
I have never experienced an "initiation" quite like this......especially the assaults on my head, and arm. I did think of reporting him to the police, or even getting him charged. But I presumed that this was all part of his "show," so to speak. He was not well-educated as he admitted. Maybe the assaults I experienced would be more acceptable in Pakistan, but not in Britain......................
XV The Man Who Never Was.....
Thoughts, and Visions, September 2015
The other day I met a man who had published poetry in a number of books. I will refer to him as EK. I had spoken to him almost two years before.However, this time he discussed something which he found "spooky", and indeed, "out of this world". He told me about his experience in Goa, India.
Now, I must stress here I am going by memory. All the same it is still worth recounting, and he did repeat his "tale" more than once, and was evidently, baffled, and amazed, even though it had happened many moons ago. He also knew next to nothing about Eastern Mysticism.
Anyway, to cut to the chase. He was walking along a very busy street in Goa, and came across a crippled "vagrant" sitting on a tin can...and nobody else seemed to be noticing him. For some reason, or other EK felt compelled to go towards him, and noticed that he was begging. In response, he "bowed down" to the "vagrant", and gave him some money. As he looked at him he felt that this "vagrant" was radiating something very positive, and said to EK that whatever he laid his hand upon in the world he would be successful. In other words, a prediction. Suddenly, EK stood bolt upright as if he was "hit" by some kind of energy. He looked down, and the "vagrant" had disappeared into a "cloud of smoke"!
He tried to find out what had happened to him. He even talked to a taxi man, and other people about it, and gave a description. But to no avail. However, the taxi man suggested that the "vagrant" was actually a holy man, and he had blessed EK with what is sometimes referred to in the East as Shaktipat. In other words, initiation by transmission of spiritual energy that could help him in terms of self-development.
Indeed, EK discovered that he had a "remarkable" gift for poetry. This he believed was due wholly, or partly from the energy transmission from the "holy man". Infact, he revealed that his experience had changed his life even though he did not undertake any meditation as far as I know...and as I said early on "...knew next to nothing about Eastern Mysticism."
It has to be confessed that I have on very rare occasions come across the "phenomena" recounted above from a number of printed sources. All the same it is pretty rare...
Will wonders ever cease?
PS. The energy transmission seemed to have awakened the Kundalini to some extent. I recall him mentioning "heat" in his body, and in his dreams he would on occasion see snakes, or nagas as they are called in the East. Red was quite a common colour too. This suggest that there is some "awakening" or disturbance in connection with sex, and sexuality. Kundalini Yoga itself recognizes the power of sex, and the need to convert this energy into something creative, and positive. Hence, the need for the right kind of meditative techniques to achieve this aim.
The following biodata includes links in the second section of this page as well as articles in the third section
Robert Searle is an autodidact. He is the originator of two major paradigms known as Multi-Dimensional Science, and Transfinancial Economics which could have colossal implications for the world. He is also notably concerned with the Universal Debating Project.
He was born on April 30th 1961 at Upton Hospital, Slough in England. His family were middle-class. His father who lives in Selsey is a structural/civil engineer who has been involved in a number of major jobs including those at Hampton Court, and St. Georges School, Windsor.
His mother was of Huguenot ancestry. She was a part-time antique dealer(specializing in Samplers, and Clarice Cliff),and a registered breeder of burmese cats. After she died in Oxford in 2005 his father re-married in 2008 to a former noted Russian ballet dancer by the name of Irina Ishmetova. She claims to have healing powers. Her son, and grandson have connections with the Russian Government.
Anyway, Searle was educated at the Royal Free, and at a private school in Windsor called the Tutorials. His main interests then were art, and history. He had a gift for drawing, and painting. He also had a curious fascination for artistically re-creating historical pictures of events, and scenes from the distant past using archaeological/iconographical material along with original written sources if available.
As a teenage he acted as an unofficial guide to the Curfew Tower at Windsor Castle (circa 1974-76). He also had the privilege of entering the large “secret” tunnel which the public were not allowed to see.
He was a keen photographer, and loved visiting other historical places in the UK, and abroad. Because of his interest in history he had a fascination for archaeology, and undertook practical work at the excavation site in Wraysbury near Windsor.
After attending the Tutorials he went onto College where he was studying French, Biology,and History. He was intending to study archaeology at the University of London but decided not to.
After he left College he took jobs as a clerical worker notably for Sony, and the Department of Health, and Social Security (or DHSS). He also later became a self-employed horticulturist (1980-96) working in the "stockbroker belt" of places like Gerrards Cross, Stoke Poges, Farnham Common,Iver, and elsewhere. In 1981, he was awarded the Royal Horticulture Certificate.
Incidently, one of his wealthy clients who also became one of his great friends, was Sir Michael Shersby who was the former Conservative MP for Uxbridge. He died suddenly, just after Tony Blair came to power in 1997.
Robert Searle had relatives on his fathers side who were the world experts on orchids.They were Brian, and Wilma Rittershausen who were a brother, and sister "team". Searle, and they were a part of the Austrian Von Rittershausen family. The word Rittershausen means the House of the Knight, and has a coat of arms with a latin motto meaning Iron Will. Its history can be traced a long way back, and consisted of a line of powerful barons who played an important role in the Habsburg Empire. In the early part of the 20th Century though due to the rise of the Nazis, the Rittershausens fled to England, and notably stayed in London.
Apart from being a horticulturist Robert Searle has also been a professional fundraiser (1996-2005). This involved the direct selling of charity tickets for two childrens charities, notably the Lee Sykes Centre in Sunderland before it closed down. A seller had to be registered to buy one, or more albums of tickets which were then sold onto the public. Part of the resulting profit was then used to buy up more ticket albums. This was how the charity got its money, and it was upto the trustees to decide what should be done with the resulting funds. His work notably involved direct selling door-to-door, and visits to shops, and offices of various businesses. To do all this he travelled around Southern England.
Searle though learned to hate this kind of charity work/business. He believes that there is far better way of helping charitable Non-Government Organizations, or NGOs which is discussed in his “working paper” on Transfinancial Economics. This can be found as an entry in the P2P Foundation website which was started by Michel Bauwens who is a noted pioneer, and populariser of the importance of the internet in the global networking of people, and ideas.
A Seeker After Truth.
As a child, and teenager, Searle had a number of psychic experiences which made him re-think his life, and purpose. In August 1977 serious intellectual interest was ignited (along with a “Vision” of the "Spiritual Sun") by a book entitled The Unknown Power by Guy Lyon Playfair.In around 1980, and with the aid of his friend, John Pyman who was a Cambridge educated homeopath, philosopher, and former intelligence officer, he became a member of the Society for Psychical Research, which was the earliest "scientific" society of its kind (1882).
He has been connected with other “groups.” These are of a far less scientific value such as the Theosophical Society, the Arcane School. and the College of Psychic Studies.
At the age of 16, and 17 he wrote a projected book on the paranormal plus a novel concerned with post mortem existence which was notably seen by the publisher Colin Smythe in nearby Gerrards Cross. Unfortunately, they did not go into print.The same occured with his paper in 1977 for the Galpin Society and was concerned with reviving ancient Etruscan Music. In it he used existing data (largely iconographical) along with, for the first time, the supposed incantations of Italian peasants who gave clear references to Etruscan (pre-roman) gods. The source of such references was a book entitled Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition (published in 1892) by the American folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland, and was borrowed from the London Library.
As an adult though he published a number of articles on eastern esoteric subjects in the late 1980s. Four appeared in a small but scholarly journal calledThe Pentacle which sadly folded. His work though has appeared in Yoga Today, and its successor Yoga, and Healing for which he also divised a few competitions. Some of his artwork was also published.Essentially, he wrote on Indian Mysticism.
In the 21st century, he has contributed largely seminal "essays" to the influential Kheper website dealing with the esoteric. It is run by Alan Kazlev, a Jewish esotericist living in Australia.
Besides his literary endeavours, Searle has met, and in certain cases interviewed a number of gurus visiting Britain. They included such people as Ma Yogashakti, Swami Chidananda Maharaj, Ravi Shankar, Mata Amritanandamayi, Shivabala Bala Yogi, S.A.A. Ramaiah, Kehar Singh, Mataji Nirmala Devi, and the like.
Transfinancial Economics (TFE) .
Around the start of the 21st century, Robert Searle became very interested in economics, and especially how money plays its role in society. He became very interested in what is termed monetary reform.
In London, he became involved with meetings of the Global Justice Movement(GJM). It is not to be confused with a Canadian based group of the same name. The GJM in the UK is "headed up" by Peter Challen(a former Canon), and Rodney Shakespeare, a worldwide authority on Binary Economics. These "meetings" tended to be very small, but informative. All the same the GJM did, and does attract a number of high calibre people such as a successful authoress, Ellen Brown, and a well-known American Senator, Dennis Kucinich.
Apart from this, Robert Searle used to attend the committee rooms at the Houses of Parliament where there were on occasion lectures on monetary reform. It was there that he met such people as James Robertson, and Stephen Zarlenga, the founder of the American Monetary Institute.
It was at such meetings, and talks that as a concerned citizen he was inspired to develop Transfinancial Economics, or TFE. Some of his feedback from critics about it came from the internet forum of the Global Justice Movement itself. Since August 2004 he contributed many posts to it, not all ofcourse dealing with his major paradigm.
Essentially, Transfinancial Economics, or TFE has been evolving on the internet from something which was relatively simplistic, and less informed to something which is more complex, and more informed. However, it was discovered later on that it was similiar to Modern Monetary Theory(MMT), and notably Social Credit(SOCRED) which was founded by Clifford Douglas.
Anyway, TFE believes that sufficient new unearned money can be gradually created which could in time make the need for taxation (as we presently understand it), and/or indeed, fundraising in many cases unnecessary.Inflation could be controlled directly, and electronically by super-flexible electronic "price controls".This approach would be far more powerful, and effective unlike the present raising of taxation, and interest rates to help reduce the money supply.Because of the super-flexible nature of the direct electronic controls the Free Market Price in the economy would largely be maintained. If inflation can be confidently controlled successfully it would mean that many socio-economic projects notably including climate change ones would become practical realities in the shortest possible time-scale. This is totally revolutionary, and furthermore,it may also be possible to build up a "map" of the entire economy in real-time.
A futuristic, but realistic political philosophy may also be developed. It would largely be influenced by Technocracy set in the basic framework of Open Democracy, and Universal Human Rights.
As for TFE, it is hoped that in a few years time a book possibly entitled Towards Super Economics, Financial Revolution, and Global Justice could be published.It should be said here that a paper was actually accepted by a scholarly journal of high standing. After signing copyright clearance forms though Searle had a dispute with the editor/publisher, and withdrew it. At the time of writing, it has been sent elsewhere. TFE has also attracted interest from some economists including Professor Prem Sikka, and the noted autodidact, Hazel Henderson.
TFE was one of the key subjects presented at the scientific International Conference of Engineering, and Meta-Engineering in April 2010 which took place in the USA. In the same year, Searle attended a lecture at the London School of Economics (LSE)in which he claimed that economics as presently understood totally lacked imagination, and creativity. This caused uproar in the student theatre. In 2011 he caused a rumpus at a conference on banking in Oxford.
He has also set up a highly diverse, and informative, and influential blog entited The Economic Realms which draws its material from the internet. It has attracted thousands of hits.
Multi-Dimensional Science (MDS).
Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS (also referred to as the Multi-Dimensional Hypothesis) if true could (like TFE in economics) be seen as a major breakthrough in our understanding of psychic, and spiritual phenomena. It has also attracted some interest from a number of people including Elisabet Sahtouris, Stanley Krippner, Jean Houston, and Ron Pearson, the originator of Survival Physics.
MDS offers for the first time a methodology in which we can "objectively" understand how the non-physical spiritual, and the psychic could be proved (albeit indirectly in the main),and hence, how this could revolutionise physics, psychology, biology, psychiatry, and the like.Searle believes that ideas, and mathematics similiar to modern physics do have a huge relevance in the development of MDS even though some of the findings may be partly, or wholly ineffable.Moreover,he has suggested that some non-physical phenomena could be “accurately” described, and made “provable” by using symbolic type coding especially when it comes to mystical ascents into “higher worlds”. It is hoped that a book will result possibly entitled Towards Multi-Dimensional Science; The Emerging Psychic and Spiritual Paradigm. This project will take longer than TFE. Those with an academic background in the sciences, and to some extent in the arts would be necessary to help forward the evolutionary development of this new “science.” An Association for Multi-Dimensional Science (AMS) may be set up.
Searle is hoping to create a worldwide directory/database of well-known, and more importantly little-known esoteric societies whose mystical, and psychic knowledge may prove invaluable for the theoretical dimension of MDS. This project when completed, and published will probably be the most comprehensive ever produced. Simple codes may be used to reduce the amount of information given per entry of this projected directory/database.
He has also been developing a number of blogs notably Esoteric Other Worlds, and Thoughts, and Visions. They have attracted thousands of hits.
A Passion for Early Music, and Two Other Musical Interests.
Apart from many other forms of music, Searle is a notable lover of colourful, and interesting interpretations of Medieval, and Renaissance Music. As such, he has created the largest audio-visual internet collection of its kind. It is intended to ideally interest, and inspire amateurs, professional musicians, and composers. It is known simply as Searle8.
Utilising the user name of "piedpiper" he has also contributed much material on his boyhood "hero," the musician David Munrow (1942-1976) on an internet forum which is part of a tribute site dedicated to him. The site itself is run by David Griffith who sells a dvd entitled Early Musical Instruments. It deals with such instruments as the crumhorn, the hurdy-gurdy, the rackett, the sackbutt, the harpsichord, and the like, and was written, and presented by David Munrow himself.
Searle is noted for his quality Musical Whistling, and has gained a "secret" following in his locality. He was surprised how many people who came upto him to say that they could not whistle musically like him, or indeed, not whistle at all... Also, he has an interest in what he calls improvised voice instrumental music (ie. vocal music) in which the voice tries to imitate musical instruments. Certain A Capella groups are known to undertake performances of this kind, and are becoming better known to the public.
Searle is intrigued by the possibility of recording quality solo performances of improvised music using the voice as if it were like an instrument combined with spontaneous singing, and musical whistling of a high order. Moreover, quality improvised musical whistling can be turned into musical score with the right computer programme, and after the recording (or perhaps even during) sounds of musical instruments (computer generated) could be added to create "body" to the spontaneous whistle piece. In other words, multi-tracking. This could open up a "new" area of music which could become mainstream.
Key Spiritual, and Mystical Encounters
In 1993 Searle was initiated into Surat Shabd Yoga as taught by Radha Soami Satsang Beas(RSSB).For many years, he has been associated with this sect. He used to act as a doorman at their Satsangs, or Meetings. He came across a number of famous Satsangis, or followers of the sect,such as Judith Durham of the sixties pop group,The Seekers, Nick Jones, the actor, and Nigel North, the noted lutenist, who incidently did some work for David Munrow.
Apart from RSSB, Searle had two major spontaneous initiations, or super conscious spiritual awakenings from two gurus Dr. Sharma, and Sant Harjit Singh. Both traced their lineage to Baba Faqir Chand which in turn ultimately goes back to Shiv Dayal Singh, the founder of the Radhasoami Faith. He has also met many other Indian Gurus.
Other Interests
His other concerns apart from Mysticism include high brow Art Movies (notably Peter Greenaway's Prosperos Books, his favourite film of all time), quality documentaries, Venetian masks, and costumes, Tuscany,and the Etruscans, Vegetarianism, Indian cuisine, Victorian Automata, Surreal Art (eg.Salvador Dali, and Renee Magritte), cats, Radio 4, and the World Service, "power" walking, and the like. Infact, his concerns are "infinitely" wider than this, and he has been considered as being something of a polymath.
Among other things, Searle was witness to historical events at Windsor notably the Great Fire at Windsor Castle in 1992. This received huge worldwide news coverage.
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Section II
Relevant Links to the above Biodata.
http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Transfinancial_Economics
http://p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science
http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Improvised_Voice_Instrumental_Music
I am connected with the Global Justice Movement. http://www.globaljusticemovement.net/ I have been a regular contributor to the Global Justice Movement discussion forum from around 2004-2011.
Another project of some importance is as follows.. http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Universal_Debating_Project
As mentioned in my biodata I came across Charles Leland's work connected with the Etruscans which I originally found in the London Library as a teenager. It now appears on the internet. http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/err/err00.htm
A copy of my old 1975 article (published as a typescript plus pics)for Young Rescue appeared on the following site which published a letter from myself. In the second part of the article the word "Wellingford" should ofcourse read Wallingford! http://www.britarch.ac.uk/yac/YA147.html
My grandfather on my father's side was a London Policeman called George Searle. He also became a news item in 1949 as the following reveals when he "..identified the whereabouts of the armed killer of PC Nathanael Edgar in Stockwell. Three other officers then burst in on him and arrested him." Searle was awarded the KPFSM Reference http://www.historybytheyard.co.uk/gallantry_list_1946-1954.htm . He later on became a guide in the Houses of Parliament, and met a number of notable politicians of the day. He once saw Churchill saying a few words backwards as he was having trouble with the lift...
The following are my present blogs.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/
http://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.co.uk/
http://jewishmysticalrealms.blogspot.co.uk/
http://theindiangururealm.blogspot.co.uk/
http://buddhistdimensions.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thesufirealm.blogspot.co.uk/
http://paganreality.blogspot.co.uk/
http://theeconomicrealms.blogspot.co.uk/
http://gjmmovementcommunications.blogspot.co.uk/
http://somethoughtsandmemories.blogspot.co.uk/
My Youtube Site maybe of interest. http://www.youtube.com/user/Searle8
A tribute site to David Munrow.
http://www.davidmunrow.org/index.htm
The posts on the discussion group concerned with the above link are by myself using the user name of piedpiper.
http://www.davidmunrow.org/forum/
A brief clip of David Munrow introducing the Rackett...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfXS59UQs4
Also, the following
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKxdCSbAtOE
And blog
http://earlymusiclegend.blogspot.co.uk/
There is a surprising amount of data on musical whistling on the internet plus a large number of audio-visual material on Youtube, and elsewhere. One site which is particularly informative, and indeed, authorative is Orawhistle.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Orawhistle/info
My Facebook site. http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Robert-Searle
The following is a listing of some articles on my blog,Thoughts, and Visions. These "articles" may require further editing when time, and interest prevail. Moreover, key ones have been reproduced onsite in Section III of this page. Furthermore, most of the blog consists of other posts from the internet by other people.
a)David Harrington, and his book.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/david-harrinton-and-his-book.html
b)The Anniversary of the Tempest
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/2011the-anniversary-of-tempest-by.html
c)An Encounter with the Subud Brotherhood
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/encounter-with-subud-brotherhood.html
d)More Light on the Two Inner Awakenings.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/more-light-on-two-inner-awakenings.html
e)The Two Inner Awakenings; A Personal Account
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/meeting-dr-sharma-in-london-1990.html (An onsite copy of the material of this link can be found on the Multi-Dimensional Science entry)
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Section III
Articles Relevant to the above Biodata, and links.
I.The "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun".
Ref Thought, and Visions Blog
The following experience may be of interest....it is in connection with a "Vision" of the "Spiritual Sun" back on August 12th 1977.
.... It was a timeless experience. It seemed to go on, and on, and yet at the same time (so to speak!) it seemed to be just a few minutes, or so.. Whether it can be exactly called a Vision, or "waking dream" is another matter. Let us assume that it is the former. It began when I was aware of darkness all around me. I was stumbling about until I suddenly opened a door, and lo, and behold I saw a spectacle which was most esoteric in significance.... What I saw, or I presumed I saw was the Sun with two outpourings of sparks whose soothing "sizzling" sound could be barely heard. This for some could be interpreted as the "I AM" presences or souls ...."descending", and "ascending". Indeed, these sparks could be what are known as nitzotzot of the Jewish Kabbalah. They issued from each side of the lower portion of the Sun which could be interpreted as being the Solar Logos, God, or the Higher Self. Yet, it was partly this peaceful experience that helped to inspire me to deeply explore the world of the esoteric. It was the start of my Truth-Seeking though this had also been triggered off so to say by a certain book by the researcher Guy Lyon Playfair. Anyway, there is also a further note to this. Shortly, after the above Vision I moved to Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, England. I went upstairs to what was to be my private sanctum (I was 16 at the time), and suddenly realized as I opened the door that this very same door was the one in the Vision. When it was fully ajar I saw infront of me my future desk, and chair, and the physical sun shinning its rays into the room...
PS. It should also have been said that the "Sun" did not "blind" me in a any way unlike the physical sun when perceived directly.
II. The Realization of the Psychic....
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Psychic Realizations, and Some Personal Experiences.
Sometimes, certain psychic realizations are had when people are in their childhood such as communicating with invisible "playmates", seeing auras, perceiving "spirit"lights, and dead people, et al. Quite often, such young persons may regard this as "normal" until they are told otherwise. As the child gets older the experiences may lessen, or usually vanish altogether in adulthood. For some though this can lead to a "career", or an intense interest in some kind of "New Age," or psychic society.
Such psychic realizations can also occur in older people rather than in childhood. It might involve someone going to a healer, and later discovering that they, themselves have suddenly found the power to heal others. Certain UFO sightings along with alleged alien encounters can transform peoples lives. They feel somehow re-charged, and may even gain "temporary" psychic "powers" such as telepathy, and healing. Near-Death Experiences too, or NDEs can have a like influence on the individual. Ofcourse, this can result with certain people deceiving themselves into thinking that they do have psychic powers, and/or a special mission in life.Many ordinary folk have a story to say about some "odd" happening in their lives. Yet, such occurrencies are often a one-off, and are soon forgot.
However, such experiences would have at least made it known to the person concerned that life is far stranger than it appears. In this respect, they have much worth, and can lead onto the more important issues of spiritual evolution. In other words, a stepping stone towards higher things.In the following, I (the author) have described some of my own personal experiences. Short remarks are included. Some of it may seem a little bizarre but it must be made abundantly clear that I have never ever taken illegal drugs, and/or psychiatric ones from a doctor. It should also be stated here that most people who may have had psychic experiences are quite often,or not compos mentis.
However, it is my belief that my own experiences were partly the outcome of birth trauma when I nearly died from suffocation. Indeed, the horror of such an event was "relived"in 1968 as a child as I was sleeping in the back seat of my parents car. This occured in Spain.
Apart from that, when I retired to bed, the sleeping "unconcious" mind would on occasion allow normally negative "buried" memories to re-emerge in some form, or other. Yet, this could include on occasion unusual phenomena initially caused by the "re-enactment" of stiffling suffocation of the birth trauma, and its subnormal "subconcious" state of "being". This may have acted as a"gateway" for certain lowly "attuned" forces to interfere with my childhood. This notion may seem unorthodox to some, and as such it is not our intention here to go into the more "mainstream" ideas about such things. Anyway, this subnormal level of being below waking conciousness was a feature of many of my early psychic experiences. It is my belief that the latter has been responsible for a "small" amount of mental retardation, but nothing serious unlike those who have cerebral palsy for example.
1. Repeated Psychic "Assaults".
As a child when I was asleep I would on a few occasions become "aware" of my body at a subnormal level of conciousnes. I then experienced electricity around the back of my neck. Similiarly, the same energy could be had around the base of the heels. If I recall rightly in the book Shadow of Destiny by Alexander Cannon this was the start of what might be termed attempted "possession" but in my case it was technically speaking repeated psychic "assaults". Anyway, in the darkness I would feel something on top of me, and it was grabbing my throat, and strangled me. When this appalling experience reached its climax I lost "conciousness". Then,I would wake up in bed to my normal waking conciousness.
2. Past Lives?
The above may be a repeated repressed memory at the end of a previous life if we accept reincarnation. I believe that the following experience is an instance of another existence.It occured at a subnormal level of "conciousness" to some extent.
I was on a stoney beach in France, and I was a soldier. Troops were near me, and one had a bazooker. I could see the cliffs, and a pill box with a rifle sticking out, but pointing downwards. For some reason or other I moved foolishly away from the troops, and became an easy target. A shot was heard, and entered my stomach. I fell backwards clutching it.Interestingly, the full pain, and suffering of the experience seemed to be blocked by the mind. Yet, I awoke from this "memory" which was like a replay of some vague grainy black, and white film. It was more of a tactile experience rather than a clear visual phenomenon. Anyway,I was still clutching my belly, and writhing about in my pyjamas! I, also, felt myself several times being inside, and outside the body. In other words, an out-of-the-body (or OOBE) experience of which I had a number of spontaneous occurrences but again at a subnormal level of conciousness (eg.rolling in, and out of bed but not physically so!).
Strange as it may appear I discovered that the death trauma memory had in World War II ofcourse occured with other living individuals. It appears that many of those who died were reborn quickly so that they could be karmically "rewarded" by experiencing a "better" world presumably in the rich countries such as Britain, America, and Europe. Their "self-sacrifice" was not in vain...
...I believe I had an experience of seeing "myself" in a past life. I must stress this is only a theory, and could be completely wrong. It occured in a "lucid dream" (ie.I was aware I was I "dreaming"). I was in bed as a child, and next to me I saw a man lying by me. His eyes were wide with amazement, and he fearfully tried to touch my face with his hand....whereupon I blacked out, and returned to normal waking conciousness. What was extraordinary was his appearance. He had a wide ruddy face, and white dirty bedraggled hair. He had a fur collar band, and on his arm he had a blue (woad) design. Could this have been "me" in some far off incarnation, or was it someone, or something else? From the description he was probably an Ancient Briton even though I knew next to naught about that subject...but I did develop an intense interest in history later. Also, it should be added that I saw a strip of silver light (astral light of occultism?) along the side of his muscled frame. If I recall correctly Joan Forman mentions something similiar in her book in connection with "time-slips".
In another instance, at a rather lower level of subnormal conciousness than usual there was a "visitation" of a monk whose face I dared not look at. He had a wooden bowl in which he dipped his finger to make the sign of the cross on my forehead. I did not really understand the full significance of this at the time. Could this have been "me" in a previous incarnation as a medieval monk possibly? There is much in psychic literature about reincarnation.
3. The Windsor Apparition.
Ghosts have been reported all over the world. Evidence seems to suggest that most of them are probably replays of minor, or major happenings of the past. Usually, they are of a tragic nature. Strong negative emotions seem to impose themselves most easily onto the ether unlike positive uplifting ones.
My own personal experience occured in around 1968 in a house which had just been built in Windsor, Berkshire. I awoke one night, and felt an unnatural clammy coldness even though it was very still summer night. At the bottom of my bed I saw the form of a man dressed in Victorian garb (a "vagrant"). He looked perfectly solid. I froze with terror, and just stared at him. The "phantom" or whatever it was merely stood totally stationary for a short while. He was dressed in a large brown shabby overcoat that looked a bit dusty. He had a matching top-hat, and the shade of its rim covered his eyes. He seemed to have a scarf around his neck. Quite mechanically his large form turned around, and displayed a suprising array of different coloured patches on the back of his coat. At the same time,I could hear the crackle of electricity. This was a low sound but it was distinct. Slowly, but surely he moved towards the corner of the room. As he started to gently fade away into the night(quite literally!) I noted that parts of the furthest edge of his coat were vibrating furiously, and then, disappearing. Here, I stress the word "parts" as the whole form did not become a vibrating mass of energy... This, along with the crackling of electricity as he turned plus the initial clammy coldness indicated that such phenomenon have some kind of mechanics yet to be comprehended by science.
I have to admit too that on very rare occasions I sometimes saw the static outline of figures. Whether this was purely a trick of the mind is impossible to say with certainty. They seemed to be aborted materializations. In one instance of a similiar phenomenon, I saw the shadow silhouette of a profile of a mans face at the bottom of my bedroom door. It could have come from the light outside but there was no one there! Moreover, it was totally still for a very long time, and seemingly inexplicable. Ofcourse, none of this compares with the materialized phantom of the Windsor apparition I saw so many moons ago...Morever, that "phantom" was not some replay from the past but rather an "astral shell". In other words, there was no intelligent life in it as we would understand it.
There is a strange footnote to this spectral materialization. I experienced the same clammy coldness (acting as a warning?) twice just before I saw two fatal road accidents. The most horrendous of which was the one up in the mountains of the Pyrennees in Spain. In my parents car I saw a huge lorry which was about to tip over the edge of a cliff. A vehicle had rammed into it, and a man in a white shirt hung out of it covered in blood. A priest was present presumably giving the last rites. A woman who was pinned into the back seat next to the dead man was hysterical. A man in a suit lay on the road but no obvious trace of blood, and yet, somehow I knew he was dead. After I saw all that I stuck my head out of my parents car, and vomitted. No child, or adult should have to see something like that.
4. A Psychic "Lightning Bolt".
This experience such as it can be called is perhaps the most fantastical (1979). It commenced in a lucid dream in which I was aware of being next to a Church in Windsor. I saw in the seeming darkness around me a harp which was making discordant sounds due to "wind"(like an Aeolian harp). Then, I looked up, and could hear the peels of thunder, and lightning. Suddenly, I realized that that I had become the target for it. The ligtning bolt struck me, and I awoke in bed. I was lying on my side, and noticed a flame-like aura along my body. The bedroom was half lit up by the orange "lightning-flash".In seconds, it, and the aura (which did not surround my body but just the side of it!) disappeared leaving me astonished. What on earth was all this about? I believe that someone, or something was wanting to help me to experience certain future trials, and tribulations. In other words, it was a sudden transmission of healing energy to enable, and empower me to face serious problems. The orange aura is indicative of a force emanating from my vital (or health) body.I have to confess that on rare occasions in my early childhood I sometimes experienced energy quickly shoot through my "physical" body. On occasions, I would jolt up in the air. Apparently, it has been claimed that this may be caused by the astral body returning to the physical body rather quickly!
5. Psychic Healing.
It is said that everyone is able to develop psychic healing if they wish. I recall once taking a friend to the house of a famous medium on the Isle of Wight(1979). I remember the whole room was saturated with energy, and as I concentrated my mind on the Third Eye the power also centred itself "there!"
However, I, myself had a healing which came quite unbidden. I was seated with two Sikh friends who belonged to Eckankar which drew its inspiration mainly from Surat Shabd Yoga but mixed it up with other techniques.
I was in a very relaxed state of mind, and I felt myself going into a light waking trance. At the same time, I, and my companions were listening to a tape by the controversial Paul Twitchell who was talking about healing, and being healed! I also became aware of what might best be termed very subtle energies going through me in a most gentle manner. After a short while I came out of this trance, and I looked at one of my Sikh friends who thereupon said "You should say thank you." Clearly, he knew what had happened.
Though not related to healing I also had an experience of the Eck Master Darwin Gross. I recall seeing a photo of him printed in a book produced by Eckankar. As I concentrated on it I could feel distinct vibrations! Whether this was a trick of the mind, or not is an open question.
6.Synchronicity.
Many people have experienced synchronicity, or meaningful coincidences. I have two interesting examples though I have had many others of a less "extraordinary" nature. Odd as it may seem they were both connected with where I was living(1977-1990)which was Stoke Poges, a very posh area just outside Slough.
In around 1989 I was making enquiries about possibly interviewing Ma Yogashakti, a female guru for Yoga, and Healing magazine (which was later published with photographic material). My contact was with someone who worked at the School of Oriental, and African Studies at the University of London. She supplied me with much useful information, and asked me where I lived. I said Stoke Poges, and she claimed she used to live in Chesham which was fairly nearby. However, it also transpired that she actually had relatives at the Orchard (built in the Edwardian age) which was the house I was living in on Park Road with mater, and pater! Apparently, as a child she used to stay (or possibly lived there on, and off if my memory serves me well!) there, and as proof of these claims she presented some photocopies of old photographs from her family albums. This showed the Orchard as it was in the early part of the 20th century. She made the claim that this big house was also originally the place for high ranking military people from British India to stay temporarily when on leave.
The other "meaningful" coincidence involved a telephone conversation with someone from a metaphysical society based in Hastings. He claimed he could hear inner psychic sounds at a distance, and they reminded him of the poem by Thomas Grey known as the Elegy. I was amazed by this because he did not know that I was calling from Stoke Poges which was the place where it was actually written! Indeed, there is an actual monument to the Elegy near to the Church where Thomas Grey is buried.
Such experiences are common especially in case of those concerned with the search for Truth, or some other pressing matter of importance to the individual. They appear to clearly show that the universe at some level is interconnected into a Whole, and that we, ourselves ofcourse are a part of It. Indeed, they also suggest that there is something guiding our lives.In the world of the psychic, and infact, the spiritual there are various "guides" of one sort, or another.
I remember a long time ago waking up, and just recalled in a "dream" a mist which seemed to be vertically flattened in part to allow strange writing to magically appear by itself. The script may have been Hebrew but it is not possible to say for certain. I heard a voice from the right of me saying that bad actions are good because they could lead to good ones, or words to that effect! In other words, learning via experience which we all do. This may have been some kind of contact with a guide of some degree, or possibly a trick of the mind. However, this experience seemed real enough, and happened very quickly as I got the impression that I was not meant to be conciously aware of it.
7. Psychic "Vision?"
I once attended a meeting concerned with Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga. One of the participants so to speak was seatted near me in the gloom of the room. I noticed what appeared to be a "cloud" (a form of ectoplasm?).In it, I was able to discern what appeared to be a horrific car crash. I later asked the person about it, and he was shocked especially when I gave him the colours of the two vehicles involved. He had somewhile ago just survived a horrific crash in which the vehicles were horribly mangled. He still suffered from the pains of this appalling experience.............
The above experiences in this essay are just examples which appear to suggest that there is something more to life. Yet, no doubt, there are many who may read this who may have had far more interesting, and extraordinary happenings. Such material appears in internet forums, specialist magazines, and/or goes into biographies, and autobiographies of mediums, and other "psychic" notables such as Derek Acorah, and Uri Geller. It is hard to see how sceptics continue to pooh pooh such annecdotal evidence, and its commonality when it should be clear to anyone that "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy...." to use the classic Shakespearean line.
III. Encountering the Brahma Kumaris, and "Raja Yoga".
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
My first encounter with Indian mysticism proper was with the devotees of Brahma Kumaris. They teach a system referred to as Raja Yoga, but it is not the same as the Patanjali version which they would probably regard as being a later corruption. Anyway, I first discoverd the BKs back in 1980, or thereabouts. I saw an add in the local rag claiming that someone was teaching hypnosis, or something very much like it. I got into contact with the advertiser who happened to be a certain Brother Julius Larsen. He was a pleasant enough person, and seemed more interested in making me aware of the BKs. I had to confess this supplanted my initial interest in discussing hypnosis. Yet, the more I learned about its philosophy the more doubts it engendered. Ofcourse, apart from Julius the devotees were very pleasant. Unfortunately though, the former appeared to have blind faith in it altogether. It was if his critical mental faculties were totally suspended which was a shame, and this caused undue stress in his family life.
BK philosophy is fine as far as it goes...the Raja Yoga as it is propounded by them is positive, and uplifting. It uses visualization, and auto-suggestion in which one imagines oneself being a point of light at the Third Eye, and one mentally repeats that "I am a point of light"..et cetera . The aim of this is to become "bodiless", and at the same imagine being bathed in the reddish light of God, or Shiv Baba residing in the Silent Ocean of Bliss in Brahmloka. Yet, official communication from the "Supreme Being" comes in the form of "mediumistic" sourced teachings (or Murlis, meaning the flute of Krishna). Baba made the following claims to his "sweet children."
1) He has stated that God is not omnipresent, and that no guru, or incarnation is manifestation of the Supreme Power in human form
2)There are only a certain number of souls who are meant to follow Shiv Baba. They are the ones which are meant to start the Golden Age at the beginning of the so-called Five Thousand Year Cycle (made up of the Four Ages). This Cycle is repeated again,and again EXACTLY IN EVERY DETAIL. At the present time, we are living in what is called the Iron Age which is soon to come to an end. Those souls who do not follow Shiv Baba are born in in one of the Four Ages of the Five Thousand Year Cycle. This whole process is called Drama. Shiv Baba claimed that "No one can question Drama" even though it is clearly nonsensical...and the traditional Hindu Swastika sign is used in their illustrations of this "evolutionary" process.
3) The BKs believe that Sat Yuga, or the Golden Age would be a world of wonders. The life expectancy of the reborn BKs would be extremely long, and healthy. Special vimanas, or "aircraft" would be able to take them to various destinations at the speed of thought. Buildings would be built like palaces, and if one recalls rightly crystals would be used as special energy rather like electricity.
4) The BKs try not to mention anything about the above claims concerning "doomsday", and the succeeding Golden Age. This is deliberate as to not alarm newcomers into their sect. This is arguably dishonest of them.
5) Ofcourse, the BKs claim that religions are based on subconcious memories of the Golden Age when concious knowledge of the Five Thousand Year Cycle was known about but later forgotten.
6) It has been claimed that at the end (ie.doomsday)of the Iron Age (ie. our present time) the magnetic fields of the earth could be altered leading in part to repitilians suddenly growing in size, and becoming dinosaurs. This is an explanation for the prehistoric remains of such creatures! This though is not something suggested by Shiv Baba himself as far as I know...
Also, I made Brother Julius (mentioned earlier) aware of a certain section(s) in the book Treastise on Cosmic Fire by Alice Bailey which seem to predict the emergence of the Brahma Kumaris. This was something which was recognized by Benjamin Creme (a noted esotericist) when I phoned him. In Sant Mat, the reddish sky or "Brahm Element" in which Shiv Baba resides is usually associated with Kal, or Universal Mind Power which is concerned with the continuation of the physical creation.....
IV. Meeting the Gurus in Britain.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
In the past, I met a number of gurus. The one that impressed me most was probably Swami Chidananda the recognized successor of the great Swami Sivananda. I recall going to interview him for Yoga and Health magazine. He was staying at a devotees home in Sutton (London area). He was a charming, and self-effacing man. I asked him a whole number of questions, and the interview lasted for over two hours....much to the amazement of the devotees as this was a rare thing for him to do! Ofcourse, the editor of Yoga, and Health magazine had to reduce the length of the transcript of my meeting with him. It appeared in published form in December 1989. It revealed some fascinating light about himself, and the workings so to say of his Divine Life Society. Unfortunately, the original tape recording of the interview went amiss.
Apart from him, I also came across Jashan Vaswani (whose voice was reminiscent to that of a Dalek!), Shivabalayogi (who called his meditation "mind-control" a term which has negative connotations in Western society!), Pandit Ravishankar (who had a strange effeminate voice, and not be confused ofcourse with the famous late Indian musician!) S.A.A Ramaiah (who was a somewhat "severe" sharp-minded intellectual guru who did not cut his finger, and toe nails as he claimed that this was because it made him more sensitive to "energies"), Mataji Nirmala Devi, Mata Amritanandamayi (who in one of her "love-ins" put her finger on my forehead, and whereupon I received an instantaneous injection of energy which was meant to send me into higher conciousness!) Shyam Ma, et cetera..
........One individual I met in Slough appeared to be a guru of sorts. Though he was clearly of Asian descent he used the Jewish name Moses for himself. He advertized his "Occult Group" in a local free-ads paper. I rang him, and he claimed that alot of people who phoned him thought he was into magic....or possibly black magic involving ritualism, and nudity! I informed him that he was wrong to use the word "occult" in his advert as this has a negative connotation to many, and thus, he had been attracting the wrong kind of public.
Anyway, I went to his flat in Langley, and there was only one other "devotee" with him. It transpired that he taught a form of Christian meditation involving the Kabbalah. Personally, I did not like him particularly, and he became somewhat defensive when I asked him whether he could give me any references of people who might have benefited via his meditation.He claimed that I was testing him.....which was not my intention. He also asked me whether I knew about the power of Silent Command (or so-called Telecult Power notably popularised by Reese Dubin) to which I said yes......When I left his flat, and walked home I could feel his energy but it soon wore off. Clearly, he had some degree of power, but how genuine he was is another matter.
Another guru I came across was via an advert in Yoga Today in about 1987. He had also published an article therein on Ajapa Yoga, and inner Sound. I contacted him as he was interested in starting a group on the subject. His name was Marjan J. Ebert who was German, and he travelled to England to meet me.
One thing he taught me was something very worldly. In a pure vegetarian restaurant he explained how Thali (a mixture of Asian curries in little metal containers along with nam bread, samosas, et al) is eaten correctly in India. Apparently, all the little food containers are turned upside down along with everything else making a "mess" on the large metal plate they were on! A grand nosh if ever there was one!
Marjan J. Ebert complained that in his meditation groups in Germany he would ask for donations to help forward his Ajapa Yoga. But this did not generally work out so he had decided on a fixed charge... However, he would give his meditation free if the person concerned happened to be Prince Charles!
Another guru I met was Kehar Singh. He was billed as being a Sant Satguru of Surat Shabd Yoga. In the early 1990s I was waiting to get initiated into Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and I came across Tarn Taran Satsang. This latter group was for many decades recognized by the former as being bona fide. However, when Kehar Singh "came to power" (so to speak!) Maharaj Charan Singh of the Beas Satsang tried to publicly avoid him unlike his predecessor, or so the story goes.
Anyway, I thought I would pay a visit on Kehar Singh who was staying with some devotee in Slough. We shook hands both uttering a lusty resounding Radhasoami as a greeting.I mentioned Maharaj Gurinder Singh to him, and he did not react negatively, but merely referred to him as Mr. rather than Maharaj, his honorific title.
Amongst the small band of people I was with at the time one Beas Satsangi was staring disconcertingly at me "trance-like". It was claimed that he had reached Sach Khand, and was greatly respected. It is not clear why he was present. Maybe he recognized Kehar Singh as being the genuine article. This would ofcourse contradict the stance held by Beas Satsang! As with all these things it suggests to me that subjective dynamics play a big part in all this.Unfortunately though, things went little awry with Kehar Singh in Slough as it emerged that he was becoming impatient in trying to raise funds for his organization as well as certain other matters.Yet, he did manage to get his picture in the local newspapers with some notables! So his trip to Britain was not totally wasted. Ofcourse, none of this means that he is an imperfect "Sant" .
Gurus are after regarded in the main as incarnations of the Absolute Power of the Universe, and can do anything even if it contradicts the mores of society itself which if they occur are seen as tests of faith.....Finally, I hardly if at all had any kind of "spiritual" experiences with any of the above with the exception of two Teachers. They were Dr. Sharma (aka Manav Dayal), and Harjit Singh both drawing their inspiration from Baba Faqir Chand.
V. Encountering Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
A BASIC INTRODUCTION.
The Radhaswami, or the Radha Soami Faith, or Satsang teaches the Ancient Wisdom of Sant Mat (The Teachings of the Saints), and Surat Shabd Yoga (Union of the Soul with the Sound Current of Spirit). Essentially, it involves an advanced form of astral projection at the time of meditation in which the soul "dies daily" by ascending to "Spiritual Regions." The Power to achieve this is the Sound Current, or Audible Life Stream which is traced to the "Highest Region" where "God-Realization" occurs.
On the journey "upwards" the soul meets the inner Radiant Form of the outer physical Master, or Sant Satguru. Such a Teacher would have connected the disciple to the Sound Current at Initiation. This Power cannot be contacted by ones own effort. Only the Master can connect the aspirant to It, and It has a special magnetic pull which helps one ascend "easily" to the "Higher Regions." There are said to be Five Key Sounds, or Shabds connected with Five Key "Regions" taught at initiation. These have to be contacted one by one in order to reach the Goal. Many lesser Sounds, and Visions may be experienced on the "upward" Path towards "God-Realization". Indeed, it should be added that there are an infinite number of intermediate "Regions" or planes, or sub-planes before the "highest" one is reached by means of merging into the Sound Current.
Originally, I was interested in Eckankar, and "by chance" I came across a movement called Radha Soami Satsang Beas in 1980. A friend of mine happened upon a booklet he found on his parents table. It was called the Inner Voice by Colonel Sanders which gave a basic introduction to Sant Mat. It was fascinating....and I was determined to find out more. I noticed that the owner of the booklet had left his address inside so I went to him to enquire more. His name was Jit Johal, and I spent a few occasions visiting him. He informed me that I should really go to Satsang in London which I duly did. It was there that I met a number of interesting people including some notables such as Nigel North, and Judith Durham of the Seekers who I use to tower over. She called me Sir, on a number of occasions rather than my first,or last name. Another well-known follower, or Satsangi was Martin Shaw, the actor.
Anyway, I was also suprised to find how much had been printed on Sant Mat, and I studied this stuff avidly. Every Sunday I started to regularly attend Satsangs, and I felt at times imbued with a highly subtle energy of bliss....I also acted as a sevadar too. This took the shape of myself being a "doorman" at the Satsang Hall (now demolished but used to be fairly close to Paddington station).
Near the end of 1980, I wrote a long letter to Maharaj Charan Singh Ji who was the Present Living Master of Radha Soami Satsang Beas. His reply was remarkably comprehensive considering his busy time schedule. He notably complimented me on being a genuine Truth Seeker who was not just interested in intellectual "gymnastics". This was true even though I came across as something of an "intellectual" to some people.
However, I was suffering from an obssession. Apart from being a determined Seeker After Truth I had a morbid complex about a possible early physical demise before getting initiated into Surat Shabd Yoga by Maharaj Charan Singh Ji. At times, this obssession was driving me mad. I wrote to him about my concern, and he claimed that I should leave everything in Gods hands. Moreover, he made the claim that "....the Master (ie. himself) was only responsible for particular souls assigned to him by God."
All this lead to a bizarre twist of events. For many years I was due to parental pressure not being able to go fully vegetarian, and hence, become an initiate, or Satsangi. Yet, nothing remains the same forever.
For a time I lost contact with the London Satsang, and in 1990 I was free to "do my own thing". In effect, I had just left my parents home as they had moved onto Oxford. I rang up a Satsangi friend, and she informed me that Maharaj Charan Singh had just passed on...! I was amazed. Charan was right. I was not meant to be initiated by him.. It was to be his successor Baba Gurinder Singh .
PS. There is one thing I would like to add. When I was visting Jit Johal I saw a large photo of Maharaj Charan Singh laughing. Anyway, whilst I was doing some outdoor work at a golf club I was feeling very devotional, and had the sensation of doing everything for the Master as if he were physically present. This seva, or service can raise the conciousness to a high level which it did in my case. The upshot of this was an unexpected "telepathic" flash of the photographic image of Maharaji which shot by me. I rang Mrs."Chip" Wood who was the extremely knowledgeable, and experienced British representative of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and appeared to confirm the genuineness of what happened to me. She described it as dhristi, or a "glance" of Grace from the Master.
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..............In 1990 Gurinder Singh was made head of Radha Soami Satsang. I first saw him in the flesh at the huge Satsangs in Birmingham when he was visiting England. This took place in the National Exhibtion Centre, or NEC. Security was high there too with police, and plain clothed detectives keeping an eye on things as the Sikh terrorism was still very much a problem.
Gurinder, or more respectfully Babaji gave a number of discourses plus questions, and answers with his booming voice. In the latter sessions l asked him when he was going to start initiation, and whether he would initiate me. Instead of hearing what he actually said I heard something else (ie a bizarre trick of the mind). He said that he would initiate me but ofcourse he did not actually say that....... The reason for all this was that I was going through a strange phase in life that I had become so obssessed with wanting to get initiation that it was starting to drive me "insane". I was also unnaturally concerned about the possibility of an early death (as mentioned earlier). This would ofcourse mean that I would not get initiated...
Quite often at Satsang in London, or at the charming local home groups someone I knew, or not know would say that "I was going to die!" The imitation voice was just like that of the speaker...virtually indistinguishable. I should point out that I have never taken drugs, or psychiatric medecine. I believe what happened above was a "by-product" of a certain experience with Eckankar possibly during a "healing" session (see Realization of the Psychic). Ofcourse, esoterically the meaning of "you are going to die" implies not physical death but spiritual rebirth in the material body. Apparently, in withcraft the mental phenomenon of a voice imitating someone else, and tricking someone into believing what he, or she is saying is for "real(!)" is not entirely unknown..
Anyway, in 1993 I, along with a batch of people went to recieve Nam under the new Master Babaji (though physically not present) at Haynes Park near Bedford. This was the new UK headquarters of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas. Mrs. "Chip" Wood presided over the initiation, and later everyone was put into circular groups, and taught how to repeat, and pronounce the Five Holy Names. On another occasion, I actually saw Babaji at Haynes Park itself. Some people including myself possibly saw his face changing to that of his previous Master Baba Charan Singh.
I recall once being in the London Satsang, and Babaji suddenly appeared out of the blue, and gave a discourse. This has happened since apparently. He likes now, and again to give unofficial appearances presumably to inspire truth seekers, and satsangis.I felt very devotional during my "honey moon" period before initiation. But I was disappointed after initiation as the power, and aspiration suddenly "disappeared." I felt betrayed, and disheartened. I have come to the conclusion that a real Master must be able to give an initiate before, and AFTER initiation (be it Shabd Yoga, or whatever) "something to work on". In other words, an awareness at least of some kind of Power working for ones good. It is then that the initiate increases its Grace via spiritual practice. Without some kind of inner support meditation can be incredibly difficult. It is vital to have some internal "drive", and "inspiration" to continue practice as we are such weak souls.............Many people have complained about this. Some Beas Satsangis have understandably gone to one of the Sant Kirpal Singh groups which claim that one can have "something to work on" in the spiritual sense. This is VITAL!!
As I was starting to move away from Radha Soami Satsang a bizarre number of synchronicities occured with chance meetings with "devotees". The first of these though was in Newbury which I had never been to before. A lady called Iris I recognized from the London Satsang was spotted, and I went upto her, and she comfirmed that she was the very same person. She was suprised to see me. As indicated there were other similiar "chance" meetings which are hard to explain rationally. Yet, it does indicate that somehow we are all interconnected in this Cosmic Drama of Life.....
The most recent one occured in Windsor in 2007. I was sitting next to an elderly Asian tourist who was looking at his young granddaughter . Some of his relatives were around visiting Windsor, and its famous castle. For some reason, or other we talked, and the topic of reincarnation, and gurus cropped up. I said I had an interest in both subjects especially the latter. He asked me whether I had a Master. I said I had been initiated into Radha Soami Satsang Beas. He was astonished as he claimed that he was an initiate too of one of the previous Masters! He said that I was very lucky to have been initiated by Gurinder Singh as not everyone is. Apparently, he claimed to be a retired chief of border control in India,(his name may have been Dhawan but I do not have the exact details with me at the time of writing) and knew Mr. Mann who was the "top man" in the organization of Radha Soami Satsang. Anyway, he gave me his name, and number including that of the latter, and said if I ever I wanted to stay at his home I would be welcome to do so. Will wonders ever cease? Who knows? But synchronicity has played an important part in my life, and not just those instances connected with Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
PS..
Back in 2005, I recall once sitting on a bench in Langley near Slough. An Asian suddenly appeared from behind me, and said, "Your Master is sitting next to you!" I replied that I could see no one in the non-physical sense. I did though just about recognize the Asian from a very long time ago. He was an initiate of the Radha Soami Satsang.......
.........Also, before I became deeply involved in Shabd Yoga, an Indian claimed that it was a dangerous practice. Yet, I, never came across anybody suffering from any serious problems. However, one woman at the Beas Satsang claimed that she woke up one morning to find a "being" grabbing her throat. She then chased it out of the bedroom, and into the garden. It was claimed that this "being" was merely a projection of her mind.
In Sant Mat the intiate is given a special mantra which is charged by the Master which is meant to protect the disciple in meditation from evil influences. It is also used to test to see whether the inner Master is genuine, or not. However, if any negative experience is had at all like the woman mentioned above it can be rationalised as being a mental projection of ones mind. Ofcourse, this would not be somekind of "being" in the normal objective sense in which the special mantra would have helped protect against....
If one has a powerful connection with a Guru this should be sufficient protection....irresepective of whether a special mantra was given to the aspirant, or disciple....
VI.Religare, Gurinder, and Beas Satsang, (Part Two.)
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
The Bloggers comments on the two articles by Brian Hines................
http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/04/the-big-money-surrounding-radha-soami-satsang-beas.html
http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/04/rssbs-ties-to-religare-mix-money-and-spirituality.html
Sometime after my initiation into the Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or RSSB someone said to be an English teacher who worked in Spain came out with a claim. He revealed that Gurinder (shortly before Charan passed on) had done some kind of business "mistake," but the Dera Management sent a message insisting that he was a Perfect Master. Hence, he could do no wrong. The English teacher then asked me what sort of power we were dealing with? This was somewhat disturbing at the time as I did have some doubts about Gurinder which unfortunately are now bourne out by the revelations at Brian Hines Blog.
Indeed, when he became the new Satguru for RSSB he reportedly asked a certain question a few times. "How do you know that I am not a fraud?" My Satsangi, and Non-Satsangi friends found that amusing..
Another "red flag" was raised. When I was with friends at a home Satsang in which there was mention about the construction for a runway of sorts at Haynes Park so that Gurinder could land his aircraft! However, this came to nothing....probably due to the bureaucratic local planning authorities!! Admitedly, I did not think much of this...and everyone seemed to regard it as amusing. But is a "runway" a best way of using money....possbily money which originated from the Satsang itself...?
The question which I am concerned here is this. Does it all matter? In one sense, it does as revealed in Brian Hines two articles. But it must be remembered that the physical Master like many incarnations in India is seen as the physical manifestation of God. What I present here are three ways of looking at this subject with an open mind. Admitedly, I am a bit of a Radhasoami apologist because I feel there is more than meets the eye ....
KEY CLAIM I.
Whether Gurinder is perfect, or not probably does not necessarily matter as the following extract reveals, and is believed to have been said by Sawan Singh..
“....If the Guru himself has not reached Satlok, but his Guru is perfect or, like Swami Ji Maharaj, has come straight from Anami(the Nameless Region, the "highest" of all Regions),he will take his disciples up to the stage he has attained himself, and beyond that his Guru, or his Gurus Guru, or Swami Ji Maharaj Himself will take them. There should be no worry about this.”
Ref With the Three Masters, by Munshi Ram page 68, 2001 edition (minor editing)
But the question is this? Why should an "imperfect" Master exist? The answer may be that the Mauj (or Divine Will) of God wants to "wind up" RSSB for reasons best known to Itself. Indeed, the whole organization has become absurdly big, and "bloated". It does need to radically reduce its size. Ideally, Gurinder should step down from his position of Master, and possibly have set up a number of "Satgurus" who would be elected by advanced Satsangis. Such spiritual elections have already notably happened in Dayalbagh. However, this is unlikely to happen unless there is a serious power struggle at the top....
Furthermore, many people have complained that nothing is experienced in meditation after many years of practice. What is required is a database on which to draw upon made up of anonymous Satsangis who could give attempted descriptions of their experiences. This could act as an "encouragement".
KEY CLAIM II.
In RSSB the the physical Satguru is meant to be omnisicient....but there is plenty of evidence on the contrary though a disciple would simply regard this as as test of faith, and/or come out with some kind of rationalization......
........Just after Maharaj Charan Singh former head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas died in 1990 a book appeared on him, and his discourses entitled Treasure Beyond Measure. In it he discussed his own experiences about the utter suprise that he was appointed Sant Satguru in 1951 by the previous deceased incumbent Maharaj Jagat Singh Ji. He regarded the whole matter as a cruel trick of fate. To a Satsangi, or devotee this shows his utter humility! He was pretending that he was not a real Master!! However, what perhaps was Maharaj Charan Singh really saying without giving the game away? He was arguably indicating to those "in the know" that he was telling the truth pure, and simple as far as he could understand it at the time.
To understand what follows it is best to examine a mystic called Faqir Chand. He, like Maharaj Charan Singh was regarded as a much respected teacher of shabd yoga. But Chand claimed that though he was regarded as the physical manifestation of God he was not omniscient. He did not know anything about the miracles that his devotees expressed to him in which his Radiant Form would appear in the outer, or inner worlds of matter, or spirit. He found this same unawareness with other masters of the Shabd Yoga tradition, and this is borne out by evidence. He concluded that it was the BELIEF AND FAITH of the devotees which generated the phenomena of inner visions, and miracles due to their devotional love for him. However, this did not imply necessarily that they were merely hallucinations, but in many, perhaps most cases that it was their Higher Self (ie ones Personal God) which appeared in a Radiant Form that looked like him! Thus, Maharaj Charan Singh may be indicating the "truth" indirectly of the above phenomenon. It should be added that for the Chandian Effect to be "genuine" in the guru world one, or more of a line of Masters should be bona fide in the spiritual sense.
A rather odd thing occured in connection with myself. This is not a meditation experience per se but happened quite naturally, and spontaneously as I was walking. An image of Gurinder Singh appeared in the area of my Third Eye in a "circle" shape. He was dressed with his turban, and a white suit....the one which I wore at initiation back in 1993! The image changed but with the same suit. Perhaps this "mind trick" was suggesting in a crude manner that the Master was myself which is rediculous! However, my present Lower Self entangled in mind, and matter is ofcourse NOT the same as my pure Higher Self which is what Chand was really on about. But it was an odd "mind trick".
However, I do believe rightly, or wrongly that "God-Realised" Masters exist who are to a high degree "omniscient". Yet, most are probably not. Moreover, I suspect that Gurinder(or should I say Babaji?) probably fits into the "non-omniscient" catergory. It may well be that this process of unfoldment (ie.a degree(s) of "omniscience") may be "gradually" developed either before, or after a person becomes a Master. This is a big subject, and appears to have something to do with the mechanics of higher conciousness.
KEY CLAIM III.
Depending on ones sensitivity when I have attended Satsang at Southall there is an intense concentration of the subtle energies of higher conciousness. This awareness I believe has been increased after my experiences with Sant Harjit Singh. What is significant is that this "sea" of higher energies does NOT come from the Satsangis alone. In other words, it may well have a divine source, or sources. I recall feeling this Power descending from the ceiling of the Satsang Hall in a most gentle, and spontaneous manner. Sometimes ofcourse, one can see a white glow in some of the Satsangis themselves which is extremely subtle.
When I leave the Southall Satsang this higher energy of conciousness can be experienced in the wonderful park nearby. I also recall Sant Harjit Singhs energy not only in his house but also outside...and beyond ofcourse. This is a matter of personal experience, and I cannot prove it unfortunately...
Naturally enough, critics would say that the above is experienced in places like football matches, and pop music festivals...when the atmosphere becomes electric!! However, what I experience (along with many others) is something far more than this. It is A POWER unlike anything of this world...
In other words, RSSB is still a living faith par excellence....................
VII. Anyone Can Feel Energies.
Back in 1994, or thereabouts Gurinder Singh, the head of Radhsoami Satsang Beas made a surprise visit to the London Satsang. At the end of his talk he asked whether anyone had any questions. I stood up, and claimed that during my spiritual search I had experienced "energies" from some gurus, or words to that effect. Gurinder rightly said that "Anyone can feel energies". There is nothing in the way of real spiritual advancement about it.
Anyway, in April 2011 I was at a famous yearly Sikh Festival in which a number of temporary free food stalls were set up on certain streets in Slough. These marked the procession of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, and their actual living Guru. Just before the open canopied float in which it was placed along with the priests appeared, I was wistfully thinking about the energies of higher conciousness experienced at Haynes Park where I was at a Radhasoami meeting. I did not feel anything like that at the Slough Sikh Festival. However, much to my amazement as I came close to the actual float, and indeed, the Guru Granth Sahib itself I experienced the intensity of higher energies, and as such bowed to it with a respectful Namaste...However,no visual data was registered as the energies could have come from one of the priests rather than from the Granth itself in the open canopied float.
As mentioned in an early post in Esoteric Miscellany,(from Thoughts, and Visions Blog) I was struck by a ray from the Guru Granth Sahib itself as I paid my obeissance to it....! Whether this was a trick of the imagination, or not is impossible to say. Anyway, drawn by this energy I joined the procession of mainly sweaty, and at times smelly (!!)ladies who followed the float. Much to my surprise I saw in the crowd Fiona McTaggert, the MP for Slough who recognized me. She had an scarf over her head, and was dressed like an Indian Sikh lady if I recalled correctly. Thankfully, she did not give her usual Cheshire cat-like smile!
Apart from the above,I was once sitting at a public computer terminal doing my usual tapping on the keys when someone next to me passed me a note. On it was the word psychic....but without the question mark. It transpired that the person next to me claimed he could feel my "energies" and was wondering whether I was psychic, or not. I said that I was possibly. He also revealed he could pick up different energies from different people but like me usually received no visual data. He rightly pointed out that this was a natural phenomena...........
VIII.Some Futher Details on Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.
What follows is a pro Shabd Yoga, and Sant Mat article, but one which also includes some basic controversies in connection with the modern day Radhasoami Movement.
Ref Thoughts, and Visions blog/Kheper
The word "Radhasoami" is a "phonetic misspell" of Radhaswami which is the correct way of pronouncing it. Essentially, it can be translated as meaning the Lord of the Soul, or God. It has many adherents all over the world. It teaches Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.
A. The Soamibagh Satsang. A Brief Historical "Overview" Of The Radhasoami Faith.
The Radhasoami Faith was founded in 1861 by Shiv Dayal Singh who was a banker at Agra. He was as his Will indicates "born almighty" in the sense that he had no guru who initiated him into the science of Surat Shabd Yoga. His teachings are contained in Sar Bachan meaning True Words, and it is believed that they were dictated by him to his chief disciple Rai Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj who succeeded him.
Strange as it may seem it was him, and not Dayal Singh who introduced the name Radhaswami. Huzur Maharaj claimed that this word was like the Sound reverberating in the highest Spiritual Region. Thus, it was to be treated as something extremely sacred. Moreover,it was an innovation in the Medieval Sant Tradition which advocated Shabd Yoga. Huzur Maharaj claimed that the old Indian saints or Satgurus who taught contact with the Sound Current only reached the fifth Spiritual Region. He disclosed that there was an even higher one where God in its purest manifestation existed. Indeed, the Holy Name of Radhaswami was used as a means of concentration during Simran (repetition) in meditation.
Huzur Maharaj was highly respected, and was a post-master general who was honoured by the British. He is credited with what might be termed the systemization of the Faith, and wrote a number of classic books. After his death Brahma Sankar Misra, or Maharaj Saheb became the next Satguru. He notably wrote a book in which he tried to compare the teachings of Radhasoami with the physics of the day.
Maharaj Sahebs claim to fame is the introduction of the Central Administrative Council which seeked to try to avoid splits within the Faith. Unfortunately, due to its "strict" rulings it had the opposite effect. The last "official" Satguru of this "parent rock" of the Radhasoami Faith was Babuji Maharaj. After his passing a period of interregnum occured in which no "official" successor was recognised. This line of Masters made up the Soamibagh Satsang, Agra.
B. Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or RSSB.
Radhasoami Satsang Beas, or more simply RSSB was the first group to break away from the Central Administrative Council. It was headed by Baba Jaimal Singh who had been initiated by Shiv Dayal Singh. He was a "soldier saint", and during his retirement became recognised as a Satguru. He did not ultimately accept the Holy Name Radhaswami, and instead used the Five Holy Names of the earlier Medieval Sants claiming that this was Dayal Singhs original mantra for repetition, or Simran. This appears to be true.
Anyway, it was a good enough excuse for a split to occur between Soamibagh, and his group later known ofcourse as RSSB. The Central Administrative Council decided to "excommunicate" him, and he died shortly afterwards in 1903. It was claimed that his disciples, or Satsangis only reached the fifth Spiritual Region known to previous Medieval Saints, and not the higher one above known as Radhasoami Dham, or the Abode of the Lord with the Name resounding in it. RSSB believes that the ultimate Sound, or Shabd of the Universe is actually inexpressible, and cannot be put into the language of the world in any way.
This rift in the interpretation of the RS Faith has caused much heartache.In the Beas edition of Sar Bachan reference to Radhaswami as understood by Soamibagh has been edited out. Moreover, something else is also introduced into the text. It concerns successorship. The Beas Sar Bachan claims that when the Satguru dies those initiated by him must continually have faith in him. In other words, his Radiant Form must manifest within during Shabd Yoga, and not that of his living successor. The latter though can act as the outer guide to help Satsangis. The Soamibagh edition of Sar Bachan (as dictated to Huzur Maharaj) makes it clear that the present living Satguru must manifest itself as the inner Guide instead of the deceased predescessor. RSSB claims to this day that their edition of Sar Bachan is the "unedited" version as originally intended by Shiv Dayal Singh. Huzur Maharaj simply edited it to present the importance of the Name, and ofcourse, the question of successorship. But, Dayal Singh's Will seems to clearly state that there are two Shabd Yoga Path one started by himself (ie.Sant Mat), and the other by Huzur Maharaj (ie. Radhaswami Mat). Both of them basically teach the same thing.
Anyway, RSSB is arguably the most influential organisation of the Radhasoami Faith. It was the first to introduce the teachings to the West notably through a book entitled The Path of the Masters by Dr. Julian Johnson in 1939. The present head of RSSB is Gurinder Singh.
C. Some Other Radhasoami Organisations.
There are many "splits", or rather branches of the Radhasoami Faith each having its own living Satguru.Dayalbagh Satsang is perhaps the most famous one for those in the know. It broke away from the Central Administrative Council, and like RSSB set up its own Colony in which a degree of industrialization took place. Unlike RSSB it appears that certain successors to the guru gaddi (or throne) have been chosen by spiritual election rather than by written Will.
Sadly, Dayalbagh has for many years contested in the Courts the property rights of Soamibagh Satsang whose authority it does not recognize. It also believes in the Holy Name of Radhasoami which it also uses in Shabd Yoga.
When the Great Master Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji of RSSB died in 1948 he wrote a Will in which he ordered that Jagat Singh should succeed him. However, Sant Kirpal Singh who was highly regarded formed his own breakaway group. This was the Ruhani Satsang. However, when he died his son Darshan Singh formed another organisation called the Sawan-Kirpal Mission now headed by Rajinder Singh.
An interesting aspect of the above is it believes that the new seeker into Shabd Yoga can receive some kind of inner experience of some description at the time of initiation. Yet, RSSB has claimed that this is just a "trick". However, a real Teacher should be able to give a disciple "something to work on" irrespective of how unadvanced he, or she might be. This acts as a vital inspiration to continue on the Path.
It is also fascinating to note that Sant Kirpal Singh mentioned earlier on kept a secret coded diary which claimed that there were certain "sights" before one reached the true "highest" Spiritual Region of Sach Khand. Here, he indicated that apart from "subjective" interactions there were also essentially objective dynamics "largely" at work in the upward visionary ascent of Surat Shabd Yoga.
Apart from inner experiences, there is to some extent a "suspicious" tendency for a line of gurus to be physically related to one each other. For example, Rajinder Singh was the eldest son of Darshan Singh (son of Sant Kirpal Singh). When Shiv Dayal Singh died he actually nominated his wife Radha Ji to become the Satguru but she insisted that Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj should replace her as the living guide. Infact, there is a sect in which a certain highly respected academic, Agam Prasad Mathur is directly related to Saligram himself. He is the author notably of The Radhasoami Faith; A Historical Study (1974).
Incidently, another more important source for Radhaswami history are the writings of S.D. Maheshwari of Soamibagh Satsang who wrote much on the subject.Lastly, Professor Mark Juergensmeyer wrote Radhasoami Reality; The Logic of a Modern Faith which gives some understanding of this subject. He was notably helped by the research undertaken by David Christopher Lane who is a Professor of Philosophy, and Sociology in the USA. He is still interested in the subject. Lane is also among other things famed for his investigative research on Eckankar which drew its inspiration from Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga.There are a number of organizations which have partly, or largely changed the teachings altogether. Yet, they still trace their origins to the Radhasoami Faith. One such is headed by Shree, Shree Mentu Maharaj which uses the Holy Name for meditation but without apparently the Sound initiation known to Surat Shabd Yoga.
D. The Esoteric Importance Of The Radhasoami Spiritual Cosmology.
Though the Kheper article on the subject concerned gives some details about the spiritual cosmology of the Radhasoami Faith, it is not complete (http://www.kheper.net/topics/Sant_Mat/cosmology.html ) For that we have to turn to the writings of L.R. Puri an academic who notably wrote Mysticism, the Spiritual Path Vol II, and The Radhaswami Teachings all published by RSSB. Shiv Dayals basic details concerning the "road-map" to God appear in Sar Bachan. They present a more fuller "depiction" of the Spiritual Regions than can be found in the writings of the Medieval Sants.In Discourses on Sant Mat there is a collection of Sawan Singhs talks at Satsangs, or meetings. He gives a few interesting examples in which he shows simple symbolism of the Medieval Sants as being "corroborative", and thus, possibly suggestive of their "objective" reality.
Interestingly, many Indian teachers of any spiritual tradition tend to regard inner experiences of "higher worlds" as being essentially unimportant, or even partly, or wholly illusionary, and as such should be ignored. In Sant Mat this is also true to a certain degree, and emphasis is placed on ones full attention on the Radiant Form of the Satguru during Shabd Yoga. The aim here is to avoid the Satsangi from being sidetracked into lower planes, and by beings who would hold up his, or her progress to the "highest" Region of"God-Realization".
Dr. Alfonso Caycedo, a Spanish psychiatrist wrote back in the sixties a fascinating work on gurus, and inner experiences entitled India of Yogis. Dr. Ranade a renowned mystic, and academic authored the Pathway to God volumes in which he examines in detail the writings of the Medieval Shabd Mystics, and to some extent their internal experiences.
The point of all this comment on Radhasoami Spiritual Cosmology is to make people aware that it may arguably have the simplest, and most authentic, and "complete" understanding of the "higher Regions" .....
E. Surat Shabd Yoga Is Not The Same As Kundalini Yoga.
Sadly, there is a certain amount of "misinformation" of the teachings of Surat Shabd Yoga, and Sant Mat.
It has been claimed for instance that Shabd Yoga is the same as Kundalini Yoga (though ofcourse the inner experiences of both systems may seem similiar to a certain extent). This is incorrect for the following reasons:-
i) The origin of the above seems to largely come from the claim that at the first initiation into the Self-Realization Fellowship (which teaches Kriya Yoga involving Kundalini)contains in full, or in part the exact knowledge of the Sant Mat Sound sequence. Whether this is true, or false is actually "immaterial" because replicas of the key sights, or "lights", and sounds can be found in the lower "Regions" as well as in the higher "Spiritual Regions"!
ii) Shabd Yoga does not involve special breathing practice, or deliberate arousal of the Kundalini, or concentration on the lower centres, or chakras of the subtle body with the exception of the one at the Third Eye. Moreover, there are said to be certain "secret" centres in the grey matter of brain which may be unknown to Kundalini Yogis.
iii) Unlike mainstream Yogic thought, Shabd Yoga does not require the Kundalini to be raised in the traditional manner for Enlightenment. It is a far safer, and natural system of meditation. It should not be confused with astral travel which just deals with the lower psychic realms. Rather it is more accurate to say that conciousness is withdrawn to the Eye Centre, and like a "mental radio" it can contact specific key Sounds. With increasing concentration occuring naturally (ie.not forced) its power to "ascend" or communicate with higher states of conciousness becomes progressively possible. This is a process of "dying daily" via meditation.
iv) It is true that Shabd Yoga borrows some terms from Kundalini Yoga but this does not mean that it is the same thing. Misleadingly, Kriya Yoga master Sri Yukteswar is said to have written a book entitled Surat-Shabda-Yoga.
However, since it revealed too much esoteric information about the Shabd Yoga in connection with Kundalini, and was apparently withdrawn from circulation... (The author would welcome a copy of it for his work into the research, and development of Multi-Dimensional Science).Incidently, the term Shabd, Shabad,or Shabda can mean inner, and indeed,outer Sound, or Music depending on context.
v)There is yet the claim that the Guru Granth Sahib the Sikh "Bible" has many references to Kundalini as being possibly the same as Shabd Yoga. This is more "incorrect thinking". Infact, the Granth Sahib is a massive work, and there are virtually no references to the Kundalini itself...
vi)Finally, Surat Shabd Yoga is NOT to be confused with Nada Yoga. The latter is the old Vedic system of contacting inner Sounds but these relate to the lower ones of the intermediate planes of the Astral Region. In Shabd Yoga there are five major Sounds. These pertain to the Five Major Regions.
F.The "Problem" With Scandals In The Radhasoami Faith.
On the internet especially there have been a number of possible "scandals" concerning certain "Satgurus" (and indeed, gurus of other traditions) of the Radhasoami Faith. Much of this is questionable, and usually has little, or no independent corroboration from other witnesses. Moreover, the further back in time we go there are less records if any on any "Satguru".
Some of these "records" can be found in India Office Library and Records in London. Jaimal Singh is for example listed as being in the army there, and reference can be found to Saligram, or Huzur Maharaj being honoured by the British. Furthermore, it is possible to trace pamphlets (some proscribed), and books about the early attempts to denigrate the Radhasoami Faith, and its Satgurus. Most if not all published information had to be registered under a specific Act of Parliament
Nowadays, it is possible to quickly find out anything about anybody "illegally" via detective agencies especially on the internet where they can hack into government, and commercial computers. Privacy has become a problem on the web for sometime.
Anyhow, the following are certain key examples of certain "Satgurus" who have fallen from grace. For legal reasons, indentifying names, and places have been omitted:-
1. One "Satguru" sexually abused women now, and again. Actual witnesses statements exist.
2. A writer on the Radhasoami Faith published the claim that a certain "Satguru" sexually interferred with young girls.
3. A certain "Satguru" possibly used disciples to illegally smuggle in presents from other countries.
4. One "Satguru" has collected computers for the Satsang and some of these may belong to the restricted technology listing, and it would thus be illegal for them to have been imported into India.
5. Another "Satguru" had a mistress. To his credit, he admitted that this was true...
Such revelations are excellent gun-fodder for sceptics.
However, I (the author) believe that in certain cases these may be a test of faith, or psychic tricks (or riddhis, or illusions, or visual psychic tricks which could involve an advanced form of mass hallucination, or "magic") to fool people.Some "Satgurus" may well be initiators acting purely on the behalf of their predescessor with whom they probably have inner contact. This implies they may not necessarily have reached the highest planes of "perfection", and that their character may not also be perfect in the spiritual sense. Thus, they may do things which may be wrong, or even criminal on "rare" occasions. Yet, they still have the authority to initiate new seekers into Surat Shabd Yoga because their line of "Satgurus" has at least one Perfect Master with full spiritual power. As to why this could well be is still subject to speculation.
To find out more light on this the reader can go if desired to my article on Multi-Dimensional Science on the kheper website where there is a section which deals in part with this very "problem". Reference is also made to the teaching of Faqir Chand who was a respected Shabd Yoga Mystic, and seemed to believe that its ones Higher Self which acted as the real inner Satguru (ie the Radiant Form of the Teacher) during Shabd Yoga, or any other similiar practice, and that the outer Master irrespective of his, or her actions only acted as a catalyst.
Sawan Singh though seemed to claim that at initiation he actually created the Shabd Form in each of his Satsangis. Whenever there was a serious crisis one of these Forms would telepathically transmit its message to the physical master who would thereby make a decision. It is quite clear that we have more to learn about the actual modus operandi operating between disciple, and master.
Yet, Chands ideas in the main are still valid, and relevant as far as they go. Moreover, what matters in Surat Shabd Yoga is the need to practice, and reform oneself. It is claimed that Sawan Singh said in the book entitled With the Three Great Masters by Munshi Ram that there should be no worry about whether a Shabd Yoga Master is Perfect, or not as one, or more of his predecessors may appear within to help the the disciple to ascend the "Higher Regions". In other words, the Light of Truth reveals Itself via inner experience.
As already suggested but expressed differently, the Higher Self (in the Chandian context) which is ultimately our real Satguru may even manifest ItSelf as a replica of the imperfect outer Master of Shabd Yoga. Whether something like this actually happens or not probably depends on spiritual background, and other factors. Yet, this "replica," or rather the Radiant Form may well be able to take the disciple to the "highest plane" of spiritual liberation (or as Sawan Singh is said to have alternatively suggested a genuine previous Master could appear "inside" to replace the "imperfect" Master to take the soul upwards). Yet, the outer manifestation of this "Guide" can do no such thing in the inner journey...
In keeping with most Indian mystical movements the Radhasoami Faith does not believe in the development of psychic power. Yet, the late Dr. Puri in Liverpool (UK) tried to use Shabd Yoga as a means of healing certain ailments.
G. Non-Absolutionist Sant Mat...?
As mentioned Faqir Chand was a Shabd Yoga Master but his view about Sant Mat can be regarded as being non-absolutist. In keeping with mystical Hinduism he believed that different types of Yoga appealed to different kinds of people. They ultimately lead to the Supreme Source of Creation. In other words, Surat Shabd Yoga is just one of many many Paths leading to "ultimate" Samadhi in contradiction to what we have been saying in this essay. Thus, in the Radhaswami Teachings the Sound, or Shabd is not the only means of spiritual liberation. Instead, powerful degrees of "natural" concentration can achieve It.
Chand was very open, and honest about his inner experiences in Shabd Yoga. He even admitted that he was not necessarily right, and even had doubts about whether he reached the "highest" state of conciousness. This may be a display of pure humility, or perhaps a degree of ignorance. One of his recognized successors was Sant Harjit Singh. It is claimed that he uses a mantra, or mantras with a specific "charge". When practised it allows the listener to go deeper, and deeper into the Sound, and Light until a blissful, and peaceful state of "no-thought" is reached which lies beyond supersensory phenomena.
A number of people who practice "pure" Surat Shabd Yoga come to him for help. Interestingly, like Faqir Chand, Harjit Singh though does not believe that the inner stages "described" in the writings of Dayal Singh, and other Satgurus "exist". They are regarded as projections of the Mind. Harjit Singh has pointed out that most gurus, and yogis are totally unknown to the public. As usual there is the claim too that Surat Shabd Yoga evolved from the Siddha Tradition, the Udasi branch of Sikhism, and other sources.
Apart from the Radhasoami Faith proper there are other virtually unknown groups which believe inner Sound, or the Word is the "sole" means of achieving the Truth. One headed by the "Satguru" Santsevi springs to mind..
In an infinite spiritual universe anything is possible, and it is important to retain an open mind. As the Masters say...the Truth ultimately lies within.......
IX. An Esoteric Miscellany
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
A. Meeting Dr. Douglas Baker.
7th, 2009 by
Dr. Douglas Baker is somewhat well-known in esoteric circles. Here is a link to him, and his site.
http://www.douglasbaker.com/
It is claimed that he has written over 100 books on esoteric subjects. Having seen some of them they appear to be often, or not short, and "shallow". Moreover, from what I have found so far there is no obvious reference to his use of Theosophy, and the Alice Bailey Teachings. He should by rights give direct indications of his source materials otherwise it gives the false impression that he is an innovator.
Anyway, back in the early eighties I used to meet a plump well-dressed Indian astrologer who was called Matthew. He claimed that he was jeweller, and emanated from Brighton. On occasion, I met him at a hotel that used to exist opposite Slough train station. We often talked about esoteric subjects, and once I said that I believed I had been killed in the last world war. In response, he said that he had been a saint in India in another incarnation..For whatever reasons, Matthew seemed impressed by the writings of Dr. Douglas Baker. He recommended them to me but I was not overly excited.
However, I did go to see Baker at the former workings mens club in Slough where he was giving a talk on astral projection. Among other things, he mentioned his friend Peter Sellars, and his heart attack in which he had out-of-body experience (though if I recall correctly there was more than one instance of this). At the end of this ofcourse came the book signing session. I used this as an opportunity to ask him why he had not replied to me on a letter concerning greater information on surat shabd yoga, and the Radhaswami Faith. At this, he said nothing, and gave me a sssh! with one finger over his mouth. He seem to realize the huge esoteric importance of the subject, and clearly was not willing to discuss it. However, apart from this I was not impressed overall by him as a person, or indeed, his books...
I am sure Dr. Baker means well in his own right along with his Claregate College on esoteric studies but I just feel that perhaps the genuine motivations for it all were somehow lacking. However, whether true, or not he has played an important in popularising the subject for which we should be thankful.
PS. Since the above was written Dr Baker passed away in 2011.
B. A "Kabbalah" Mystery?
Nov 26th, 2009
I would be grateful to know whether anyone knows the possible meaning of this Kabbalistic symbol. It is drawn on a public wall with a black felt tip pen by a person, or persons unknown as I enter, and depart from a block of flats in which I live. Essentially, it appears as a trident (bowled shaped like the Jewish Menorah)without the pronged endings. Two magan davids are to be seen both sides of it save the central "column" so to speak. At the base of the latter there is one more magan david. There also appears here to be a little "flame" on one of the apexes of the two triangles. The same is true of the one on the top left of the "trident". These may have no significance at all along with where they are placed exactly. The question is this? Is this a genuine Kabbalistic symbol possibly? Or is it just something made up by someone who has an interest in magic? Could it be a symbol of good luck, or bad luck, or indeed, nothing at all of note?I may sometime post a drawing, or photo of it but the detail in the first paragraph should be clear enough to its possible "identification," and "significance".
PS. An occult symbol in chalk was found on the wall(circa 2011)of an underpass very near the Masonic Lodge in Slough. If I recall correctly, it was a triangle in a circle, and appeared to contain astrological symbols. It has since been erased.
C. Who are the Eloists?
Sep 28th, 2009
Sometime ago, I had a black and white dream. I could only recall the fag end of it. It was like an old grainy film being played. In it, someone looking like some Old Testament Prophet strolled along towards me with a staff in a stoney scenery. All of a sudden the words ELOIST appeared. I had never come across the word before, and so I had to go to the internet to find out what it meant. The following comes from the GG dictionary
.....E*lo"hist (?), n. The writer, or one of the writers, of the passages of the Old Testament, notably those of the Pentateuch, which are characterized by the use of Elohim instead of Jehovah, as the name of the Supreme Being; -- distinguished from Jehovist. S. Davidson. - Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Elohist, a name given by the critics to the presumed author of the earlier part of the Pentateuch, whose work in it they allege is distinguished by the use of the word Elohim for God; he is to be distinguished from the Jehovist, the presumed author of the later portions, from his use, on the other hand, of the word Jehovah for God.More light was forthcoming in the following "revelation" if such it could be called......Here, reference is made to a publication entitled Radiance which is connected with Oahspe an esoteric society which has been around for sometime...
Within Radiance flows the spirit of the Eloists. It is an expression of Light, and speaks with the Voice of the Living Spirit as It has come to be known through the Eloist family. 'Eloist' means a 'doer of the Creator's will.' The objective of Radiance is not so much to educate as it is to strike a keynote or set a tone that will help the reader to become attuned to 'the realm of thought in which angels dwell,' and in that harmony to learn how to rise in spirit to embrace a higher purpose.
Radiance, a publication of The Eloists, a religious non-profit organization, incorporated in 1918.....
PS. As Alan Kazlev pointed out I could have seen the the word Eloist before but completely forgot it until I had this "dream" experience..
D. The Guru Granth Experience..?
Nov 27th, 2009
Sometimes I have langar, or free food at the local Sikh temple, or gurdwara in Slough (near Montem). I have the greatest respect for Sikhism. It ofcourse does not have a Living Master as their guide but their holy book the Guru Granth Sahib acts as their Teacher instead, and is worshipped,and respected as if it were a highly esteemed "human being".I once had four copies of this marvellously inspired mystical work. I bought them at a Radha Soami Satsang Beas meeting in London!
I have to admit that I did find it difficult to accept a book rather than a living spiritual master as a guide. But my views have changed. It is possible,and feasible. The reason for this change of heart is when I, notably saw the Guru Granth Sahib being taken out of a car covered in cloth. This happened just outside the gurdwara. Some people nearby paid a respectful namaste, or greeting to it. I did likewise, and much to my surprise a ray of light shot from it at me. Whether this was a trick of the mind, or something else is difficult to know. However, I have seen pictures of the Guru Granth Sahib with spiritual energies depicted around it. This indicates that it is more than just a book......
PS. I was surprised to hear that the Hindu Temple in Slough was the first purpose built Hindu place of worship in Britain. It is very close to where I live in Chalvey,and found out about this when a group inspired by the Guru Ravi Shankar (not the musician ofcourse!) was making a presentation of their yogic teachings in December 2008.This group incidently claimed that it was the largest voluntary organization in the world. I do not know how true this claim is but I like to keep an open mind.
E. Recalling John Garland..
Nov 26th, 2009
In the late 1970s I recall meeting John Garland, the noted astrologer. He used to work for a time as a teacher at the Tutorials, a private school at Windsor where I used to go to. It was run by Mr. Blundell (a rather Dickensian sounding name IMHO).Anyway, John Garland was a charming fellow with a boyish visage, and ruddy complexion. If I recall correctly he had ginger, or blond hair. It is nice now to see him doing so well with his work in astrology as the following biodata reveals from Astrology Enterprises found on the net along with other "psychics", and astrologers
..."One of Britain's most respected and well established astrologers, John Garland's work has featured in the most diverse range of media over a highly successful, 24 year long career. John also has a unique distinction amongst other astrologers - in terms of understanding the needs of the media, for he worked as a journalist, leader writer and an editor, before the clarion call of astrology become too strong and led to his full-time profession. John writes traditional Western astrology but also has an avid interest and deep knowledge of Chinese astrology, a specialisation, and he has written extensively for Horoscope and Prediction Magazines'. In fact John was the first astrologer to introduce Chinese astrology to the west in the 1980's - strongly influenced by his Grandfather, who lived in China for many years, and who was imbued in Daoism and a great admirer of Confucius. From this John acquired a considerable knowledge of Chinese spiritual culture, including the "I Ching". Over his career, John has written for many of the most established Women's titles, has had much work published and his specialisation is in providing sparkling, either bespoke or regular content, with an almost lyrical and enchanting dimension. His is a rare voice of true authority in the astral and divination firmament."
In around 1983 I came across him again. He used to live in Upton Park, Slough in a basement flat. I got to know him pretty well as he had an easy charm about him. Often, or not the subjects we discussed were to do with psychic, and spiritual topics notably my growing fascination in gurus. He, himself seemed at the time to be much taken by the Western pagan tradition notably the celts, and their culture. Indeed, he even produced his own magazine aptly entitled CELT in capitals. I wrote an article on the mysticism of Inner Sound for his second, or third issue. This appeared on the front cover along with the drawing of a weeping willow if I recall correctly. He described my writing as being "scholarly" which I took to be a compliment.
Anyway,John Garland is among other things an artist. He showed me a number of his unusual "psychic" paintings. Indeed, I even saw per chance an exhibition of them at some fair in London.
He apparently claimed to have written, and published a book entitled The Mire. Brian Edgar who was one of my teachers at the Tutorials contacted me after 30 years via the "miracle" of the internet, and I was amazed to receive his email. He, also, remembered John Garland, and recalled reading The Mire
The next time I came to know of John, and his work was in printed form. It was in the Maidenhead local paper in which he appears to have a syndicated column on his his artful, and insightful column on astrology. It is good to see that he has been doing well, and I wish him future good luck! Maybe we will meet again..or maybe not....but ofcourse that is all in the stars!
X. Mental Illness, Psychic Self-Deception...and Danger!
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Over the years I have come across a few people who appear to suffer, or have suffered some form of "mental illness," and/or self-deception in connection with psychic, and spiritual matters. One person I knew used to wander at the dead of night proclaiming all manner of occult "wonders" including the belief of being the Messiah, and having his Third Eye fully opened.
One elderly individual called Ralph who died in April 2007 was well known in Slough as he used to bicycle about in his shorts in all climes! He was by his own admission a bit eccentric, and claimed that when he was young he was struck by a Tesla (a word he used to describe a thunderbolt which I had never come across before, but is ofcourse, named after the great inventor, Nikola Tesla who was fascinated in electricity). He survived it, and claimed that this enhanced his health, and well-being possibly giving him inner heat for him to peddle about Slough, and its environs in his shorts whenever it was freezing!
When I used to see him Ralph often, or not talked about his late brother George who appeared to have been suffereing (if that is the right word in this context) from the delusion of being someone special to the Royal Family at nearby Windsor Castle even though he was a humble electrician by trade... Apparently, it was claimed among other things that:-
i) He had saved King George, et al from a bomb attack at Windsor during World War II.
ii) He had been developing a number of advanced technologies (including an ant-gravity device) but the government was not interested because it would cost too much money .
iii) George, and some other "experts" managed to teleport some creature, or object from England to America, or vice versa but it caused Battersea Station to shut down!
iv) He knew Lord Mountbatten well along with other notables often being privy to special meetings, and social occasions.
v) He claimed that he appeared in two places at once!
vi) He said that there were two, or more places in Windsor through which one could travel back to the past by crossing over a line of light.
Indeed, one story featured him taking a Medieval cup, and burying it in its own time by a pub, and later in the present time dug it up. Obviously, it had deterioted somewhat through the passage of time..
Ralph seemed to have lapped all this up, and was suprised that the Royal family had not sent a message of condolences when George sadly died! It seemed that he had being living a kind of Walter Mitty like existence, and I came across this before from someone who seemed to imagine himself being some kind of James Bond figure working in the military!
One person I came across, and who happened to be a Satsangi of RSSB claimed to have seen certain people turn into "reptilians" (shades of David Icke to put it very mildly!), and that he believed in some kind of hidden government of the world. He also feared staring up at helicopters (invisible ones!) as they would shoot a beam of light at him, and he would suddenly freeze!
However, such "delusions" can be dangerous, and I include here the following account in which I was actually attacked by a "nutter". In order to protect myself I have not given out the name of this individual, and use instead the pseudonym of X. This person who regards himself as a "low standard" Sikh is a somewhat chummy, and chubby. X was interested, and totally gullible in many aspects of the occult/paranormal, and was especially interested in dealing with "Voodo witch doctors," and Indian psychic helpers who sometime advertized themselves in Asian papers, and mags.In the latter case, one of them had examined his hand in which he could see Xs chakras, and claimed that they were out of line..! This could be seen perhaps as an indication of his long history of depression which he fully admited to me.
It was claimed by someone that X had attacked someone called Kevin from behind at the local day centre. This individual had been a friend of his for many years apparently. Xs assault on him was stopped by a support worker who along with Kevin it transpired (from another source)were threatened with death! The reason for the above was because X whenever he was befriended by anyone over a period of time he developed a dangerous paranoia complex. In other words, he became increasingly suspicious, and believed that his "friend" was passing on information about him to the "enemies" as he called them for money. This ofcourse is absurd as he is essentially nobody. I asked him what he meant exactly by the word "enemies". But I never really got a clear answer.
It was baffling...especially when he had such a deep interest in Sikhism, and regularly did the meditation practices prescribed by that religion (though he still drank alcohol, and was non-vegetarian). Quite often, he would discuss deep spritual philosphy, and I mentioned Harjit Singh a spiritual teacher already discussed to some extent. X expressed some interest in him but I never gave him his full address, or phone number for obvious reasons.
It is a great shame that X had this deep psychiatric problem with paranoia, and its delusions.Indeed, he used to think that whenever Kevin went to phone up someone in the public booth he imagined that he was passing on information about him to his enemies for money!
As such X had become obssessed in somehow protecting himself from his "enemies" notably his desire to get special rings made which would protect him. He also wanted to leave town altogether after he received enough money from his alleged Court Case. He intended to "disappear" to India where he claimed he could live off his newly acquired money invested in one, or more of the state banks there.
As time went by X became suspicious of me, and asked whether I was passing information about him to the enemies for money! This ofcourse I denied as it was patently absurd....and made no sense at all.
Things came to ahead outside the library when he chuckled at the notion that the Queen was possibly a shape-shifting repitilian (David Icke again!). He then went onto to reveal that he was going to do a sort of psychic name check on me undertaken by some Indian psychic in London. It was his way of trying to determine whether I was genuinely his friend, or not.. X also revealed that I would soon experience unusual dreams in which the psychic would probe my mind. Needless to say nothing of the sort happened. Vainly, I tried to explain to X that I was a genuine friend of his but it was becoming clear that he did not really believe it and that it would be a waste of time trying to convince him. He then went on to say how bad it was that anyone could betray him to the "enemies" by passing on information about him for money, and said that if the psychic name checked proved positive it would bring bad luck for the rest of my life.
Furthermore, X claimed that a café opposite the library was the actual place where I passed information on him to the "enemies" for money. When he first "realized" this he laughed at the absurdity of the notion (!) as he had been wondering why I often went to this specific café other than just eat, and drink ofcourse.... It was now all clear to him... By now, The whole thing had by now become absurd in extremis. So, I parted with him.
Anyway, on the day in question (August 28th 2008) I entered the café (which X had mentioned), and had a plate of saag(spinach), and rice. A little later X himself entered, and saw me. He muttered "You are doing it again. Will you ever learn!" whereupon he headed straight towards me at the table, and rained down a whole load of punches. I lifted my hands, and arms to protect my face, and head. I fell off the chair, and there was short pause before he started to assault me again but this time I used my shoulder bag to protect me. He then left as if nothing had happened, and there was stunned silence in the café. No one ofcourse lifted a finger to help me. No suprise there! Also, the saag, and rice I had been eating coated the wall, and the plate was smashed to pieces. My nose started to bleed, and was in part broken.
The police were called but I decided not to have X arrested, and charged even though the whole thing was probably recorded on camera. He got away scott free but if he were to do something like that again I would have no choice but to make sure he serves time, and ideally, be committed to a mental institution so that he cannot be a risk to the public with his paranoid delusions.
However, he did though attack me one more time but not as seriously as the last incident. As I was going down some steps he gave me a kick from behind, and I turned around to confront him, and uttered my anger at him whereupon he threatened me with death or words to that affect...Now, ofcourse, I try to avoid him like the plague. It is clear that the mind can be misled, and distorted.
Illicit drugs can also cause mental problem ofcourse. One example was a Muslim I used to know, on, and off. He claimed that he, and some friends had seen me commit a crime which was utterly false. He also said the same kind of thing (ie. false accusation based on an imaginary experience)to someone else I knew. It transpired that ofcourse he had taken certain drugs which could give rise to powerful delusions about people. He was also a member of the Sheikh Nazeem sect based in Cyprus. This is a Sufi organization.
I once asked him about his inner experiences, and he was amazed to find that I knew about certain basic details concerned about his initial meditation experiences which were similiar to Shabd Yoga,and other types of practices. Ofcourse, drugs especially LSD can lead to "mystical" or rather psychic type experiences, and these can be similiar if not seemingly identical to "genuine" ones had through non-drug induced meditations.
The person I notably mentioned right at the start of this article also had drug problems, and clearly it contributed to his delusions of being something spiritually special, and extraordinary. Infact, he revealed that he had a bad premature experience with the controversial Guru Maharaj who was known for opening the third eye to inner Sound, and inner Light. Anyway, as far as I know X did not do drugs save alcohol which can arguably be regarded as being something similiar.As I mentioned in the article The Realization of the Psychic I have never ever taken drugs, or indeed, legal psychiatric ones. Moreover, I hate alcohol, and never drink the stuff, and I am ofcourse a vegetarian.
PS. Since the above was written I have had some experiences with two other people who claim to have been affected by "black magic." One of them is a Sri Lankan. He claimed to see "spirits," and was on occasions seen speaking to "them" in Slough High Street. He tried to overcome this problem by contacting "whitch doctors" but to no avail. He went to psychiatric hospital for treatment several times, but to no avail. As he pointed out he was suffering from a "spiritual problem."
However, he did have a liking for alcohol, and smoking. He claimed that the "spirits" made him adopt these habits, and even, claimed that he felt sometimes "possessed" by a large number of them. On one occasion, he could not stay in his own digs. Instead, he became homeless temporarily to avoid them! He claimed too that the "spirits" would occcasionally appear in benevolent form, and then "shapeshift" into something less pleasant...
Apart from the Sri Lankan in question, I came across an intelligent African lady who experienced a variety of "illusions." that disturbed her daily life. However, she claimed that praying to God helped her. Yet, she still seems to be on the search for somekind of permanent cure. Hopefully, this will happen to her..
Though not directly related to the above as such I once met an African gentlemen. He had visited the Radha Soami Satsang in London, and I went with him with some friends to his plush flat. It was there that he wanted us to see his collection of Hogarth prints...but when we inspected them we noted that the faces of the characters depicted were erased presumably by him for reasons unknown, and we dared not ask why. He was clearly suffering from some kind of mental problem....
XI. Psychic Encounters of a Friend
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog
Since 1980, or thereabouts I used to know an Australian friend. I will call him by his first name,Chris. He is somewhat eccentric. He used to, and still does collect rubbish. He is a great believer in "recycling" where possible.
Anyway, when I first met him he was well-dressed, and had a thin elderly Indian friend who referred to himself as the Universalist. The latter claimed he could not see in one eye due to an operation by a "fake doctor" as he put it. He lived with some Muslims which he did not like, as he recalled the appalling smell of spiced meat ascending from their kitchen (An unpleasant experience which I had as I, like him am vegetarian, and the way the meat smelt was frankly horrible!). He also like Chris used to give me free things notably food. He was a very kind soul, and I expect he no longer physically exists.
To return to Chris per se. Back in July 1997 he had an "extraordinary" experience. It occured very late at night. He was in Langley Memorial Park, and was staring at what might be termed a "UFO". It was erractically circling anti-clockwise a "star", or "planet" which was gradually moving across the sky. Chris described the "craft" as being red, and triangular with a flashing light on it. He stood transfixed by it for sometime. Then, the "UFO" slowly descended towards him, and then, shone a light at him. This "light" seemed to make Chris very peaceful, and unafraid. It was also trying to make him fall asleep as it was now very early morning. As the "light" and "craft" descended more, and more towards him, he suddenly took fright, and dashed off to his friends house which was nearby.He feared that he might be abducted...
I questioned Chris on a number of times about the above, and he always came up with the same story without any elaboration. Attempts were even made to try, and trace independent witnesses who may have seen the same thing, but to no avail.
A week, or so after all this I had my own personal "UFO" experience. I saw something late at night which was suprising. Whether it was something genuine is quite another matter. Anyway, I saw two "UFOs" going around the moon! Then, they both went off in different directions, and were seen no more. Their appearance tallied with the description given by Chris.
In the late 1990s, I was for whatever reason fascinated by the alleged UFO phenomena. Most sightings ofcourse turn out to have a rational explanation. At this time there were a number of glossy magazines on the subject, and one of them I came across mentioned the experience of electricity in the air when a "sighting," and attempted "abduction" was being made. This apparently was the case with Chris. Personally, I do not believe that his experience was objectively real in the "physical" sense. It was simply an "opening" into a psychic reality which only Chris could experience. The same I feel is true about my own experience. Ofcourse, critics would dismiss this all as merely a form of hallucination. In a sense, this is true at a deeper level of understanding.
What "amused" me further was that Chris came up with another "story". He said that one night he was walking in Tescos car park...and was being followed by a "UFO" up in the sky. Every time he stopped to look round the "craft" would suddenly stop as if it were "reading" his mind at a distance! As I explained to Chris most "UFOs" are really psychic phenomena as the evidence clearly indicates. For example, so-called alien abuductions can involve people being taken through the walls of their home suggesting that it is form of lucid dreaming, or out-of-body experience.
Among other things, Chris had an interest in spiritualism. He once told me that he went to a seance in Langley. The use of Quija Board was the order of the day...or rather the night!! In it, he mentioned how he felt a power move the glass to spell out a message from the "Spirit World". Nothing as far I know went seriously untoward, even though I recall listening to a phone-in programme in which hundreds of people complained about their experiences with the Quija Board.
Chris used to, or still has a married lady friend called B. He stayed with her at her mother's home in Norfolk. There, they both experienced mild forms of poltergeist activity. It was claimed that Bs late brother was trying to attract attention so to speak! Apparently, he was very attached to his mother. However, when she died the poltergeist activity suddenly stopped. The late brother was at last reunited with his late mother!
Another lady friend of Chris was someone who was into vampires. She even tried to draw blood from him with a knife so that she could suck it out!
In many respects, Chris is not the ideal witness of alleged phenomena. But that does not mean he is exagerating, or fibbing. On the contrary, he comes across as someone who is very pleasant,trusting,totally transparent, but "gullible". For example, he seems to naively regard everything about the "power" of "magic rituals" found in books such as those published by Finbarr as "gospel truth"
XII. Early Days
When I was in my teenage years, and probably a little earlier I was fascinated in psychical research, or parapsychology as it is more popularly known. This in the main was due to my childhood experiences which are narrated in The Realization of the Psychic.
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2010/08/realization-of-psychic.html
About 16 years of age, or so I wrote two manuscripts. One was a fiction piece concerned with post-mortem existence, and another one which had the rediculously pompous title of Explanations for Paranormal Events. Colin Symthe a publisher (notably published The Link by Matthew Manning) lived in Gerrards Cross, and not far from Stoke Poges where I was living. He turned it down with a polite, and encouraging rejection letter. As for the long fiction work which included direct speech it too met a similiar fate from some publishing house in London.
None of this though quenched my thirst for a better understanding of the psychic, and spiritual. For reasons best known to myself I believed at the time that parapsychology offered the best basis on which the spiritual, and the mystical could be taken more seriously as being real "objective" phenomena... rather than tricks, and deceptions of reality, and the mind.
In 1977, I was presented by an advert from my mater about some researcher who was advertizing in The Times about collecting anecdotal "stories" for a book on psychic experiences from various people. I sent him my past "encounters" including the visitation of a Victorian ghost in Windsor which is described in The Realization of the Psychic.
My contact was called John Pyman. He turned out to be a part-time homeopath. He seemed impressed by my psychic experiences, and I had the honour of meeting him in his basement flat in Gwendwr Road, Kensington, London. He claimed that he had a philosophy degree from Cambridge, and had been an intelligence officer in World War II.
His basement flat was cramped, as it was filled with piles of books. He also had a few "ornaments" connected with Ancient Egypt.If I recall correctly he believed that he may have had a past life in that time. He also revealed that he had published a book on philosophy for American students which apparently did very well.
It was through John Pyman that I came to know something about the Society for Psychical Research. Indeed, he gave me a good reference to help me join it.
I recall him referring to the secretary of the Society as that "bird-like woman". The name of the lady concerned was Eleanor O' Keefe, and she had a very sharp mind. She was clearly highly efficient, and was a wealth of information on anything to do with parapsychology. On quite a number of occasions, her name appears in the acknowledgements of many books on parapsychology. She was apparently a friend of the late Colin Wilson, the well-known writer.
Anyway, John Pyman passed on an unpublished article I wrote about on physics, and parapsychology to friend of his who happened to be a physicist...and who incidently gave me an interesting reply.
Pyman was an interesting individual, and confided in me about having received a mathematical puzzle which he could not solve. I had a go at it myself but without success. However, a friend of mine also called John seemed to be interested in cracking the mathematical puzzle. So, I passed it on to him.
John X met John Pyman in London. Apart from the puzzle the former admitted that he wanted to throw his father out of the window! Though I did not know it at the time John X was suffering from serious mental problems, but when I used to meet him he seemed perfectly "normal". Then, I remembered something. He told me that he had been studying at Cambridge, but was unable to finish his course because of a mental breakdown. I am not a psychiatrist, and I do know what kind of condition he was suffering.Fortunately, John X did not meet up with Pyman again...and probably just as well!
On a number of occasions, I used to travel down to London to visit the Society of Psychical Research library. Often, I would take back to Stoke Poges(where I used to live) a whole host of books. Apart from the SPR, another of my haunts was the Theosophical Society, the Arcane School, and the College of Psychic Studies.
..I have to admit that SPR seemed to be more interesting than the other places I visited...It had some quite fascinating, and obscure literature. It was there that I discovered certain cases of children having out-of-body experiences/near-death experiences in which they "spontaneously" used Inner Sounds to "levitate". This was exactly what happens in Shabd Yoga....! A small piece of corroborative evidence by..children! Unfortunately, I did not take note of the reference, but I hope to retrace it.
The librarian of the SPR then (in the 1980s) was Nicholas Clarke-Lowes who had a degree in chemistry if I recall correctly. He was a charming fellow, and I was impressed to learn that he had come across The Path of the Masters by Dr. Julian Johnson. In those days the internet was not available unlike now. As such, it was also incredibly difficult to find any "objective" information about the background of the Radhasoami Movement, and Shabd Yoga.
When I first joined the SPR I had been interested in Eckankar, and I was suprised to get an expose about it from Leslie Price who was with Eleanor O' Keefe when I phoned. He kindly sent me copy of his information which was a journal called the Spiritual Counterfeits Project . It drew virtually all its research from a certain academic, David Christopher Lane who is now a well-known authority on the subject of the Radhasoami Faith. I later contacted him, and managed to get a free copy of his book on Eckankar which went into its controversial background in greater detail than the Spiritual Counterfeits Project Journal.
I only went to three lectures at the SPR. One was by Matthew Manning (who left me cold), the second one by Francis Hitching, and the third one by Susan Blackmore. These lectures took place at Kensington Library, and before going to one of them I remember on one occasion being in the Society's library with an interesting assortment of "veteran" parapyschologists...Eric Dingwell (or Ding!), Renee Haynes, Manfred Cassirer, and a certain Guy Lyon Playfair. I thanked the last named individual because it was through his book The Unknown Power that I was seriously drawn into the study, and research of parapsychology. However, I did not find Playfair very friendly, and he seemed to be closeted up in his own little world.
Anyway, it was through the above experiences, and indeed, the "Vision" of the Spiritual "Sun" in 1977 that empowered me to try, and find out whether there could be a revolutionary new approach in which science, mysticism, and parapsychology could come together to create a major paradigm...that paradigm ofcourse was Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS..............
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2010/08/vision-of-spiritual-sun.html
XIII. Psychic Trickery, or What?
On the internet there is a video at the time of writing in which the "aura" can be seen in 5 minutes via a specific procedure. Is this a psychic trick? In my case I thought it was, even though I did not undertake the process of "seeing" it.
What startled me was that the speaker on the video referred to the aura as having patterns similar to "heatwaves." This was exactly the experience I had back in 2006. It may just be coincidence ofcourse. I recall seeing someone passing by whom I did not like. What I saw was not only his physical form but "heatwave" like patterns around parts of his body. The following day I was informed at a day centre that the person in question had died! He was only young, and it is believed he may have had an overdose of drugs, or possibly deliberately received ones of very poor quality. Anyway, I entered the day centre after finding out, and felt a presence possibly of him, and also, some vertical "heatwave-like energies" sans body..I must stress that these experiences were not very distinctive, and ofcourse, temporary.
I should also state that the "aura" indicated in the video concerned was not polychromatic (ie. many coloured as we would normally understand it) It was probably the "lowest" sub-plane manifestation of it, and hence, "easily" detectable assuming that it is a real "psychic phenomena" in the first place. Esoterically speaking ofcourse, the "aura" exists as a whole series of energy fields around the subtle bodies of people existing simultaneously in different planes.
There are quite a few examples of instant psychic "tricks" which may be "psychically real", or alternatively, somekind of physical "phenomenon". One is reminded here of the Divine Light Mission, and the instant experience of the "Knowledge" which could involve instant "Inner Sound", and " Inner Light" transmissions. Staring at the Mother Mera, a respected lady Guru can lead to spontaneous inner experiences (Mouna Upadesa, or Silent "Initiation") which are arguably similar to that had by Neil Slade, and his stimulation exercises of the amgydala. Yet, whether any of this is genuine, or not is largely immaterial. They are from the esoteric POV phenonmena which are mainly limited to the "lowest" psychic "planes," or "sub-planes" rather. They are "unimportant". But for some they could be psychologically damaging in rare cases, or indeed, they could act as spur to explore more spiritual paths, rather than psychic ones .
Whether one has been involved in a psychic occurence, or not the possible relevant "psychic energies" involved should ideally be distinctive rather than just cloudy, or vague like the "heatwaves" I experienced above. An instance of a "non-distinctive" phenomena occurred sometime ago. I had the man who checked the gas appliances in my flat. He was a friendly Sikh I knew, and he was dressed in a blue boiler suit. As I watched him working with his back facing me, I noticed something like "water" in a "circle" at the base of his spinal area. It may be that the colour blue of his boiler suit triggered off somekind of imaginary connection with water, and rivers. However, several months later, and much to my horror he was reported as having drowned in a local river. It is believed that he had committed suicide. Did I experience some sort of coincidence, or was it some type of "premonition?"
XIV. The Muslim Fortune Teller
A Muslim fortune teller has over the years taken some interest in me in Slough. However, it was to be sometime before we met properly, and talked face to face. That happened in early 2014. He claimed to have come from a line of fortune tellers in Pakistan.
He seemed to regard me as being "100% good". But I said I was no saint, and neither was I totally good in a spiritual sense. It would be nice if it were so.
Anyway, I was invited to see him at his home. He gave a colourful description of his past, and it transpired that he was wanting me to raise money to help poor people in Pakistan. Yet, I politely said no to this.
More amusingly, he seemed to want me to stay the night, but I declined. As I was about to leave he insisted that he loved me more than a brother! I suspected, he had homosexual leanings, and left. Yet I allowed him to kiss my hand which he did profusely......
It was quite a time before I met him again for a chat. In April 2015 I was in Slough High Street. I brought up the point as to whether he gave some form of initiation. He said yes, and suggested that I should make an appointment with him. He said it would be best to have the initiation outside, and in a quiet spot . However, I did not ring to fix an appointment, but met him again in Slough where he undertook an impromptu "initiation" in an area near the library.
For legal reasons, I have not given out his name.......Let us just call him S.
......To begin with S wrote some Arabic letters, and some numerological numbers as well as some odd "magic symbols," plus two "crude drawings". He suggested to me that I had brothers..this was incorrect. S seemed to think I had children...again incorrect...S said I did not get on with my step mother...incorrect...His so-called fortune telling was a whole series of misses rather than hits!! I could not take him seriously. Among other things, he indicated that I should create a special vegetable soup for health, and claimed that I would die at a certain age!
Lastly, he explained that a woman I knew had cast a black magic spell on me. But I knew of no woman who would hate me that much to do something so "silly". S said that this "curse" or whatever it was, would be lifted in 21 days time!!
After this, came something very surprising. S told me to shut my eyes, and banged me on the top of my head for three, or four times. With each hit, if I recall rightly he made a strange "Schoooo, Scchhooo," sound as if he was trying to imitate the sound of "psychic energy" being transmitted into my head.
When I opened my eyes with a temporarily sore head I pretended that nothing happened. S asked me to grip his very strong hand in a certain manner. Again, he came out quick with "Schooo, Sccchhhooo" sounds. It seemed to me he was trying to transmit "psychic energy" to me, but admittedly, I felt nothing of the sort.
Just before we parted S again told me to shut my eyes. He then thumped me three, or four times on the right arm. Once more, the "Schoo, Scchhhooo," sound was repeated....I played along as if nothing serious had happened (ie. another assault). I opened my eyes, and he held out his hand to shake goodbye. I took it, and then, he left heading towards the library.
I have never experienced an "initiation" quite like this......especially the assaults on my head, and arm. I did think of reporting him to the police, or even getting him charged. But I presumed that this was all part of his "show," so to speak. He was not well-educated as he admitted. Maybe the assaults I experienced would be more acceptable in Pakistan, but not in Britain......................
XV The Man Who Never Was.....
Thoughts, and Visions, September 2015
The other day I met a man who had published poetry in a number of books. I will refer to him as EK. I had spoken to him almost two years before.However, this time he discussed something which he found "spooky", and indeed, "out of this world". He told me about his experience in Goa, India.
Now, I must stress here I am going by memory. All the same it is still worth recounting, and he did repeat his "tale" more than once, and was evidently, baffled, and amazed, even though it had happened many moons ago. He also knew next to nothing about Eastern Mysticism.
Anyway, to cut to the chase. He was walking along a very busy street in Goa, and came across a crippled "vagrant" sitting on a tin can...and nobody else seemed to be noticing him. For some reason, or other EK felt compelled to go towards him, and noticed that he was begging. In response, he "bowed down" to the "vagrant", and gave him some money. As he looked at him he felt that this "vagrant" was radiating something very positive, and said to EK that whatever he laid his hand upon in the world he would be successful. In other words, a prediction. Suddenly, EK stood bolt upright as if he was "hit" by some kind of energy. He looked down, and the "vagrant" had disappeared into a "cloud of smoke"!
He tried to find out what had happened to him. He even talked to a taxi man, and other people about it, and gave a description. But to no avail. However, the taxi man suggested that the "vagrant" was actually a holy man, and he had blessed EK with what is sometimes referred to in the East as Shaktipat. In other words, initiation by transmission of spiritual energy that could help him in terms of self-development.
Indeed, EK discovered that he had a "remarkable" gift for poetry. This he believed was due wholly, or partly from the energy transmission from the "holy man". Infact, he revealed that his experience had changed his life even though he did not undertake any meditation as far as I know...and as I said early on "...knew next to nothing about Eastern Mysticism."
It has to be confessed that I have on very rare occasions come across the "phenomena" recounted above from a number of printed sources. All the same it is pretty rare...
Will wonders ever cease?
PS. The energy transmission seemed to have awakened the Kundalini to some extent. I recall him mentioning "heat" in his body, and in his dreams he would on occasion see snakes, or nagas as they are called in the East. Red was quite a common colour too. This suggest that there is some "awakening" or disturbance in connection with sex, and sexuality. Kundalini Yoga itself recognizes the power of sex, and the need to convert this energy into something creative, and positive. Hence, the need for the right kind of meditative techniques to achieve this aim.
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