Uncommon Experiences
In subjects like consciousness and soul an ancient, twofold classification of knowledge is quite useful. Topics of our learning fall under two categories: first, subjects amenable to human learning and logic; and, second, beyond logic (Paurusheya and Apaurusheya vishayas). ‘As you sow, so you reap’ exemplifies the first. The second category includes phenomena like death of Jawahar Lal Nehru linked to rituals in the temple of goddess Vindhyanchal, as some claim (22) or bending of spoons by Uri Geller (23) and movement of a walking stick without any support (23). Most experiences relating to consciousness fall under the second category. These are hard to analyze or understand because they don’t repeat often and lie, invariably, beyond the principles of science known to us. Upanishads discuss some of them commonly.
Understanding of Upanishads merely on intellectual plane from grammatically lax translations of western pundits like Deussen (24) is wastage of time. N one can follow Upanishads properly before reaching the state of enlightenment or being taught by an enlightened. An example of their understanding merely by speculative reading is here. An intellectual asserts “ They (Upanishads) contain many contradictions, many concepts that are just empty boxes into which meaning are stuffed according to the convenience of the moment and many others that are just ‘black boxes’, concepts that are said to ‘explain’ what is going on but when one searches out their substantive content one draws a complete blank” (25). If this writer goes through human anatomy, his understanding of the subject will draw a similar blank because he does not qualify to read the subject. Ignorantly, he presumes that he can read Upanishads because he lacked a qualified guide, like my father, to tell him that Upanishads are beyond him. This is true for most men, from translators like Paul Deussen to the free lance writers who are not aware that Upanishads too have a pre-qualification prescribed long ago: “The competent student is an aspirant who, by studying in accordance with the prescribed method the Vedas and the Vedangas, has obtained a general comprehension of the entire Vedas; who, being absolved from all sins in this and previous life by the avoidance of the actions known as Kamya and Nishiddha and performance of actions called Nitya and Naimittika as well as by penance and devotion, has become entirely pure in mind, and who has adopted the four Sadhans or means to the attainment of spiritual knowledge” (26).
Upanishads are not for all. They are mainly for those few who qualify to live with the conducts of Upanishads under supervision of an enlightened, proficient teacher prescribed in Veds and Upanishads. Many such persons with maturing souls pass through several experiences conforming to the perceptions of Upanishads.
Uncommon and unexplainable experiences of consciousness have invaluable contribution in modelling the soul. The second chapter of the book describes experiences of the author since his teens. They provided important leads for establishing rules about consciousness and helped in erecting the model of soul.
Western material and ideas on consciousness have brought out some eminent publications recently (27,28,29,30,31,32,33). However, these works end up far below the level of Upanishads, focusing essentially at brain. These have no use in modelling our soul.