Encountering devas and mental illness

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
Bundokji
Posts: 6494
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:57 pm

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Bundokji »

Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:11 pm Devas are seen through transcendence. There is a medium. It is black and can be seen. Devas are not in the external world or the imagination, and communication with them is transcendent.

A deva appeared to me in 2019 and asked me, "what is it that you want?" I didn't want anything.

Also, the thing about psychic powers is that, while experiencing them is not mundane, it is a subtle experience. Winning the lottery is something you are driven to tell about.
Psychic powers are not exciting.

For myself, I started to see the transcendent darkness in 2018. At first, I actually was questioning my sanity. I was wondering what it was. But over time, I started to talk about it. I called it the foundation of consciousness. Adonai. Imminent domain. The fathers domain. It enriched my life because it altered my perception. It is the foundation for psychic powers.
Thank your for your input.

It is quite interesting that modern psychiatry does not pathologize religious and politically motivated violence, even if most of the justifications have no proof through the six sense media. However, when an individual speaks about such phenomena, all heaven break loose.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
Sha Bac
Posts: 1180
Joined: Tue May 17, 2022 7:37 am

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Sha Bac »

Bundokji wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:01 pm
Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:11 pm Devas are seen through transcendence. There is a medium. It is black and can be seen. Devas are not in the external world or the imagination, and communication with them is transcendent.

A deva appeared to me in 2019 and asked me, "what is it that you want?" I didn't want anything.

Also, the thing about psychic powers is that, while experiencing them is not mundane, it is a subtle experience. Winning the lottery is something you are driven to tell about.
Psychic powers are not exciting.

For myself, I started to see the transcendent darkness in 2018. At first, I actually was questioning my sanity. I was wondering what it was. But over time, I started to talk about it. I called it the foundation of consciousness. Adonai. Imminent domain. The fathers domain. It enriched my life because it altered my perception. It is the foundation for psychic powers.
Thank your for your input.

It is quite interesting that modern psychiatry does not pathologize religious and politically motivated violence, even if most of the justifications have no proof through the six sense media. However, when an individual speaks about such phenomena, all heaven break loose.
As long as a person is well, his input is valued. I am not well anymore and now everyone calls me insane. My problem was essentially that I never talked about these experiences, so I didn't learn enough about them. This "transcendent darkness"-- I never really knew what it was. It allowed me to perceive noble beings in mundane people. Once I was having a conversation with my brother and he looked like a God. Oftentimes I would see people and they looked like they were from ancient times. There's also the resurrection of the dead--the faces of people become interchangeable. Then, there's also remembering previous lives, telepathy, and knowing the content of others minds, seeing devas etc. This all happens through this transcendent medium.
Bundokji
Posts: 6494
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:57 pm

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Bundokji »

Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:15 pm As long as a person is well, his input is valued. I am not well anymore and now everyone calls me insane. My problem was essentially that I never talked about these experiences, so I didn't learn enough about them. This "transcendent darkness"-- I never really knew what it was. It allowed me to perceive noble beings in mundane people. Once I was having a conversation with my brother and he looked like a God. Oftentimes I would see people and they looked like they were from ancient times. There's also the resurrection of the dead--the faces of people become interchangeable. Then, there's also remembering previous lives, telepathy, and knowing the content of others minds, seeing devas etc. This all happens through this transcendent medium.
That is quite interesting.

By the way, i was not referring to you, but to the individual experience being more authentic, at least in theory. When an individual sees devas that cannot be seen through the six sense media, they are quick to pathologize. However, when a terrorists cites a historical figure who saw devas to justify killing people, then he is only an extremist.

Maybe mundane right view works in their favor:
there are contemplatives & brahmans who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.'
As long as citing someone else who saw or experienced such phenomena, then we are on the safe side.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
Sha Bac
Posts: 1180
Joined: Tue May 17, 2022 7:37 am

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Sha Bac »

Bundokji wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:26 pm
Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:15 pm As long as a person is well, his input is valued. I am not well anymore and now everyone calls me insane. My problem was essentially that I never talked about these experiences, so I didn't learn enough about them. This "transcendent darkness"-- I never really knew what it was. It allowed me to perceive noble beings in mundane people. Once I was having a conversation with my brother and he looked like a God. Oftentimes I would see people and they looked like they were from ancient times. There's also the resurrection of the dead--the faces of people become interchangeable. Then, there's also remembering previous lives, telepathy, and knowing the content of others minds, seeing devas etc. This all happens through this transcendent medium.
That is quite interesting.

By the way, i was not referring to you, but to the individual experience being more authentic, at least in theory. When an individual sees devas that cannot be seen through the six sense media, they are quick to pathologize. However, when a terrorists sites a historical figure who saw devas to justify killing people, then he is only an extremist.

Maybe mundane right view works in their favor:
there are contemplatives & brahmans who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.'
As long as siting someone else who saw or experienced such phenomena, then we are on the safe side.
Right, someone else has to experience it.

It may be that you could look at the agents life, and see how extraordinary it is. Personally, I didn't have electricity, never drove a car, didn't have a phone, and lived pretty much like an ascetic. I was also really good at yoga and sit lotus.

But the thing is, a lot happened that I knew nothing about. If I had this forum before, I would have been better off. I'm not sure I had the language to describe certain things, like devas. But at the same time, I think the Canon is missing something. I find it curious that the Buddha never mentioned transcendent darkness, but other mystical writers do. Also chakras. I don't know why Buddha didn't mention those. I practiced celibacy and I'm pretty sure kundalini energy changed my brain and activated my chakras. Moses "raised up the serpent in the desert", which is how he performed his miracles.
Bundokji
Posts: 6494
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:57 pm

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Bundokji »

Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:40 pm But the thing is, a lot happened that I knew nothing about. If I had this forum before, I would have been better off. I'm not sure I had the language to describe certain things, like devas. But at the same time, I think the Canon is missing something. I find it curious that the Buddha never mentioned transcendent darkness, but other mystical writers do. Also chakras. I don't know why Buddha didn't mention those. I practiced celibacy and I'm pretty sure kundalini energy changed my brain and activated my chakras. Moses "raised up the serpent in the desert", which is how he performed his miracles.
It is mentioned in the tao te ching
Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
Sha Bac
Posts: 1180
Joined: Tue May 17, 2022 7:37 am

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Sha Bac »

Bundokji wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:50 pm
Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:40 pm But the thing is, a lot happened that I knew nothing about. If I had this forum before, I would have been better off. I'm not sure I had the language to describe certain things, like devas. But at the same time, I think the Canon is missing something. I find it curious that the Buddha never mentioned transcendent darkness, but other mystical writers do. Also chakras. I don't know why Buddha didn't mention those. I practiced celibacy and I'm pretty sure kundalini energy changed my brain and activated my chakras. Moses "raised up the serpent in the desert", which is how he performed his miracles.
It is mentioned in the tao te ching
Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.
Yeah! That's it. This darkness is not metaphorical. It can actually be seen. I started seeing it in 2018. I don't know how. It may have been through yoga.
Bundokji
Posts: 6494
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:57 pm

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Bundokji »

Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:57 pm
Bundokji wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:50 pm
Adam1234 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:40 pm But the thing is, a lot happened that I knew nothing about. If I had this forum before, I would have been better off. I'm not sure I had the language to describe certain things, like devas. But at the same time, I think the Canon is missing something. I find it curious that the Buddha never mentioned transcendent darkness, but other mystical writers do. Also chakras. I don't know why Buddha didn't mention those. I practiced celibacy and I'm pretty sure kundalini energy changed my brain and activated my chakras. Moses "raised up the serpent in the desert", which is how he performed his miracles.
It is mentioned in the tao te ching
Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.
Yeah! That's it. This darkness is not metaphorical. It can actually be seen. I started seeing it in 2018. I don't know how. It may have been through yoga.
I do not think this is far fetched. The first sutta the Buddha taught is named Dhammacakkappavattana. Also the noble eightfold path might be resembling the eight chakras.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
Bundokji
Posts: 6494
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:57 pm

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Bundokji »

An interesting article about an extreme athlete who spent 500 days in a cave:
"There was a moment when I had to stop counting the days," she said, adding that she thought she'd been in the cave for "between 160-170 days".

One of the toughest moments came when there was an invasion of flies inside the cave, leaving her covered, she said.

The extreme athlete also described "auditory hallucinations".

"You are silent and the brain makes it up," she said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65276888

Is it possible that she was contacted by devas and thought it was hallucinations? or the fact that she thought of the voices as "hallucinations" rules out devas encounters?
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
Jack19990101
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:40 am

Re: Encountering devas and mental illness

Post by Jack19990101 »

A bit of dice & mince on "auditory hallucinations".

Hallucination is a sound with no object or idea to pin it down.

How a sound is pined down to an object?
Two+ faculties r involved - hearing faculty and intellect faculty.
An idea or a dhamma rises spontaneously with a sound.

Tanha sews the two together, seamlessly.
Hence. An object makes a sound, is fabricated. It is a defiled state, as we all do today.

Hallucinational sound, is merely the intellect is a bit slower or lack of information on it. It is a purer state than having it pinned down.

Yet Hallucination can be an idea/explanation itself. Be careful not to crystalize the feeling into an idea, a view.
Keep sound simply sound, don't pin down to an object, nor pin it down as 'hallucination'. Keep it as "doesn't matter".

With that, sound arises ownerless, not mix with other 5 senses, safe from meddling of Tanha.

There is no wrong perception, there is only wrong speculations of its owner, its support, its origin.

Strange images and sounds gonna pop up on the journey, quite strange it is beyond our intellect's inventory, or it is an awe, sending intellect faculty into a shock. But none of them is dangerous.

Certain images and sounds do signal the mind states imo. But it is very uncertain, risk to have speculated it wrong is high. We better treat them as "don't matter" in a blanket manner.
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