A question about Spirits

[Guest guest]

Namasthe!

 

Hello dear sadhakas, i have been wondering lately about the myth or

the reality of spirits. What place do they have in the hindu

mythology and religion? Are they mentioned in scriptures? Do you

believe that spirits exist and have an impact on our lives?

 

I personally have reasons to believe that they do exist. But I would

like to have feedback from everyone.

 

Hari OM!

[Guest guest]

, "Angie" <oiokasti@h...> wrote:

 

good question Angie! Ghosts and spirits are believed in all

religions. Hinduism too believe in the life after death. Garuda

Puran has a detailed explanation of life after death. It mentions

that those who died an unnatural death, normally remain in a

suspended existence called "Preta Yoni". Garuda purana tells us many

things about spirits and the ways to get them released from that

state.

 

All religions, all cultures in the world believe in ghosts in one

way or the other. I have never come across any concrete proof which

denies their existence, yet there are millions in the world who vouch

for their presence.

 

I personally have come across 2 incidents which confirmed my

belief in spirits. I would still say it is a totally personal idea

(Like that of god). one can feel and see spirits but no one can

prove this to others.

 

hari aum

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your reply Dr Nachiketa. I d like to read Garuda Puran, I

hope I can get a chance to do so and that it is easy to read. You are

right that all religions believe in life after death. If we cast a

glance at "The tibetian book of the dead" we can find descriptions of

the so called bardo state. The state of the soul even several weeks

after its physical death. Remarkable and astonishing is how this book

describes what one should do to take advantage of death as an

opportunity for enlightment or even salvation.

 

What remains a riddle is if the spirits that are stuck in the "preta

yoni" are able to influence us and our enviroment. (?)

 

Many saints in the christian tradition have reported of experiencing

visions or even encountered angels. This might imply the existence of

higher spirits, if we could ever define them this way.

 

Spiritualists throughout the world and few occultist are known for

their secret practices of summoning spirits in order to control them

and gain some benefit out of them.

 

Could we ever consider that it is worth striving to contact the world

of the dead or the world of the spirit? And if yes, for which goals?

 

Maybe in the end, what we are doing with our sadhana is getting in

touch with this inner world?

 

I think these are questions that every sadhaka is worth thinking

of...

 

HAri OM

[Guest guest]

thanks angie..

 

we have to first draw a line between preta (ghosts) and spirits.

As is normally known a Preta is that soul which has entered a loop of

memory and is unable to come out of it. In Garuda Purana it is

called "Agati" (no-movement). The preta thus is stuck up in a loop

and is busy in that piece of memory be it his accident or murder or

any such violent accident.

 

Spirits are perhaps those who are not stuck up in loop and have

moved to an astral level. spirits may also come to Earth level for

love of some body, or to guide his near n dears. Spirits normally do

not harm or make people afraid. There are innumerable tales of

people seeing their father/mother/brother/wife/husband friends or

guru coming to them and advising or warning them of coming events.

 

Pretas can influence the physical environments. Though this is

very rare and happens only in the case of those pretas who had a

strong will power and lot of energies while alive. They may harm the

people also. The main reason for their appearing is that they wish

to get rid of the situationa and need help or they wish to agonise

people for their satisfication or they wish to take revenge. NOw all

those who die unnatural death do not become such pretas. They may

become preta but lacking enough energies to affect physical

environment. Garud Purana tells us the ways to pacify those pretas.

The most powerful among them is "Pinda Daan" in Gaya (Bihar India)

for the troubled soul.

 

However i do not believe in a ghost entering someone's body. It

is possible that the ghost somehow interfere with the nervous system

of the someone, and transmits his thought to the affetcted person's

brain.

 

But the main aim of Pretas coming into contact with us is that

they wish to come out of that loop. I remember i read in a

Rosicrucian society's book (name not remembered) where guru writes

that one of his friends had died in a bar while he was drinking beer.

He suffered a heart attack and died there. The guru felt that his

soul is in loop and to help him, guru went to the bar in his astral

body. His friends ghost was sitting in the bar and was trying to

drink beer, as he did not know that he is dead. when he saw the guru

he murmurred Oh yes let me finish this drink and then i will go home

with you. The guru then made him understand that he was dead and

when he realised this his ghost body disintegrated and his spirit

alongwith other bodies went to the concerned astral plane.

 

Is there anyone in this group, who has encountered any incident

which is connected to ghosts/spirits?

 

Hari Aum

[Guest guest]

Very interesting and informative.

 

When it comes to possesion by spirits though, I am really not sure.

Even though I also dont believe in it, there have been many accounts

about people getting possesed. Of course we cannot rely on them, as

many might have just been epileptic attacks for example.

 

Robert Monroe, in his book "Journeys out of the body" describes

various unbelievable events and situations that took place during his

astral experimentations. He reports of another physical world similar

to ours that he had been visiting. In that world he used the body of

another person and could influence his actions and take over his

body. This may be science fiction, but Robert Monroe is considered to

be the pioneer of astral travel in the western world. And I am

talking about astral travel as a state, which is considered to be a

form of samadhi in the east.

 

Could you elaborate on "Pinda Daan" if possible please?

 

Hari Om.

[Guest guest]

What would be the Indian term for spirits?

 

 

 

, dr_nachiketa <no_reply> wrote:

 

> we have to first draw a line between preta (ghosts) and

spirits.

[Guest guest]

, tatwamasi wrote:

>

> What would be the Indian term for spirits?

>

MRITATMA - SOUL OF THE DEAD

[Guest guest]

To Tatwamasi,

In Hindi, "spirits" would be termed as "Atmayein" (Plurel of Atma)

---- Satish