Understand some important spiritual aspects as you read this Special Edition

Meaning of some terms related to the word ‘subtle’

‘Subtle’ is that which is beyond the comprehension of the five sense organs, mind and intellect. Various Scriptures contain reference to subtle knowledge; for example :

Meaning of Sutra 38 from Shrimadbhagawat, Skandha 5, Adhyaya 26 : The nirgun (Non-materialised) form of God described in the Upanishads is beyond the comprehension of the mind and intellect. Despite this, the intellect of one who reads about or hears or narrates the physical form of God becomes pure due to his faith and devotion, and he gets the knowledge of God’s subtle form or he gets its spiritual experience.

Suitable spiritual practice enhances faith and devotion of seekers. As a result, they too obtain knowledge of the subtle realm or get spiritual experiences pertaining to the subtle dimension. In short, seekers are getting the experience of the truth in our Holy Scriptures.

1. Seeing, hearing in the subtle, etc. (Receiving knowledge through the five subtle sense organs) : The subtle vision of some seekers is awakened; they can perceive what the physical eyes cannot see, some seekers can hear sounds or words in the subtle.

2. Subtle analysis : ‘Subtle analysis’ is that in which the chitta (Subconscious mind) understands about an event or a process.

3. Experiments on subtle knowledge : Some seekers study their ability to understand the subtle dimension through tests on what they perceive about an object, which is beyond the comprehension of the mind and intellect. These are called ‘Experiments on subtle knowledge’.

Meaning of the term ‘negative energies’

1. Negative energies : Subtle bodies from Bhuvarlok and Patal that torment humans are called ‘negative energies’. These energies are not visible to common people. They are called demoniacal energies or negative energies or distressing energies. Different categories of negative energies are – ghosts, pishach (Spirit of a deceased individual), hadal (Female goblin), etc.

2. Mantrik : The word mantrik is not one who is knowledgeable about a mantra. Here, mantrik is a very powerful, invisible negative energy that causes distress to human beings.

3. Distress caused by negative energies : Positive as well as negative energies are active in the environment. Positive energies assist humans in performing virtuous tasks and negative energies cause distress. There are numerous narrations in the Vedas and Puranas about demons creating obstacles in the Yajnas (Sacrificial fires) of Sages and Ascetics in the ancient times. Many mantras have been mentioned in the Atharvaveda to thwart demons, pishach etc.

Spiritual distress : This means that the individual has negative vibrations. If the individual has more than 50% negative vibrations, it denotes ‘severe’ distress. If the negative vibrations are between 30 and 49%, it denotes ‘moderate’ distress; if the negative vibrations are less than 30%, it denotes ‘mild’ distress. Spiritual distress is caused by spiritual reasons such as destiny, distress due to departed ancestors, etc.

Spiritual experiences

Individual spiritual experiences of seekers published in Sanatan Prabhat are according to the Principle – ‘Where there is bhav (Spiritual emotion), there is God’. The spiritual experiences of seekers published are personal in nature. It is not necessary that everyone will have similar experiences.