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According to Rabbi David Cooper, in the Jewish tradition, "prophecy is considered to be one of the highest levels of attainment in Jewish contemplative teaching."
5 The Christian apostle Paul wrote that prophecy was a gift "given by the Spirit," and available to all for the benefit of all, whether or not a person was Christian.6 There are frequent references to psychic abilities throughout yoga literature, but they are not treated as something to be sought after or prized.7 Nor are they seen as miraculous, but rather, they are considered as being governed by natural laws as yet unknown to modern science. |
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The word Siddhis is used generally for the extraordinary powers acquired through the practice of Yoga, but its real meaning is best expressed by the words 'attainments' or 'accomplishments' . . . concerned with the attainment of the highest states of consciousness.8 |
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Some Serious Considerations |
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The Indian sage Patanjali in the fourth century B.C. instructed that "These [psychic] powers of the spreading or outgoing mind are injurious to contemplation" for an aspirant seeking enlightenment. [Emphasis added.]9 This is not because they are evil or even bad it is because they are distracting for a person seeking unitive consciousness and "the experience of inward illumination beyond all sensation." He believed that our psychic abilities could potentially intensify a person's fascination with sensations, objects, or the illusion of the separate self in daily life.10 |
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Patanjali mentioned that psychic abilities may arise from causes other than the practice of yoga meditation. They are sometimes present at the time of birth, and they may also be produced by taking certain drugs, chanting mantras, or practicing austerities. Among the examples of siddhis or psychic powers that Patanjali said could be produced by diligent meditation practices are: |
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. . . knowledge of past and future; understanding of the sounds made by all creatures; knowledge of past lives; knowing what others are thinking; prior knowledge of one's death; the attainment of various |
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