Yoga and the myth of the supernatural powers

1. Yoga. Everyone has heard about yoga postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and Eastern meditation. Yoga is more than that, however. This religious attitude to life and philosophy, deeply rooted in Indian culture, is also a method of salvation in the religious sense of the word. Yoga means 'union' or 'confluence', the connection of the individual with the universal soul. In Western terms, man meets God. That would be accompanied by supernatural powers. What about true? Has scientific research been done?

Contents

1. Yogis, fakirs and supernatural powers Yoga and Physics The practice and philosophy of yoga The eight levels of yoga Paranormal abilities Science and yoga Buried alive The Secret of Meditation Energy flows

2. Yogis, fakirs and supernatural powers Yoga and Physics The practice and philosophy of yoga The eight divisions of yoga Paranormal abilities Science and yoga Buried alive The Secret of Meditation Energy flows

Yogis, Fakirs and Supernatural Powers

1. If one is to believe the stories from India, there are yogis and fakirs who allow themselves to be buried alive for a few days, who therefore have supernatural powers. There would be miracle workers among them, who restore sight to blind people and let the lame walk again. The Indian parapsychologist Dr. Ramakrishna Rao, affiliated with the Institute of Parapsychology in Durham (USA), went in search of these healers in India. Only a few were willing to demonstrate their talents in front of these and many other scientists. Most of them used tricks

Yoga and physics

1. One of many views

The practice and philosophy of yoga

1. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest traces of yoga. They found four thousand year old stones on which figures, perhaps gods, were depicted in yoga postures. The oldest references are found in the Vedas, a collection of hymns and philosophical treatises. The Bhagavad Gita is undisputedly the most beautiful and one of the most important texts on yoga, written during the Buddha's period, ca.4th century BC. It concerns a dispute between the god Krishna and the warrior Arjuna about the yoga practice. Classical 'contemporary' yoga is summed up by Patanjali in his Yoga-Sutras. The last phase - the nirvana

2. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest traces of yoga. They found four thousand year old stones on which figures, perhaps gods, were depicted in yoga postures. The oldest references are found in the Vedas, a collection of hymns and philosophical treatises. The Bhagavad Gita is undisputedly the most beautiful and one of the most important texts on yoga, written during the Buddha's period, ca.4th century BC. It concerns a dispute between the god Krishna and the warrior Arjuna about the yoga practice. Classical 'contemporary' yoga is summed up by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. The last phase - the nirvana

Paranormal Abilities

1. The concept of yoga is closely intertwined with the so-called psychic abilities. The average Westerner is skeptical about these phenomena, which are not (yet) in line with the insights of modern science. In Indian thought, especially in Tantrism, these faculties are used in the yogi's uninterrupted struggle to achieve the transformation of consciousness, including for the benefit of others. Patanjali does not deny the existence of supernatural powers in any sutra. However, in the traditional Advaita Vedanta, they are considered obstacles and would be dangerous to those who are striving for self-realization. The enticements of the so-called siddhis would only distract the yogi from his true purpose in life. These forces are many. In the Yoga-bhashya

2. The concept of yoga is closely intertwined with the so-called psychic abilities. The average Westerner is skeptical about these phenomena, which are not (yet) in line with the insights of modern science. In Indian thought, especially in Tantrism, these faculties are used in the yogi's uninterrupted struggle to achieve the transformation of consciousness, including for the benefit of others. Patanjali does not deny the existence of supernatural powers in any sutra. However, in the traditional Advaita-Vedanta, they are considered obstacles and would be dangerous to those who are striving for self-realization. The enticements of the so-called siddhis would only distract the yogi from his true purpose in life. These forces are many. In the Yoga-bhashya

Science and Yoga

1. Much scientific research has been done into the bio-electrical processes in the brain in relation to yoga. In everyday life, the brain is in a state called the beta rhythm (13-30 hertz). In other words, a certain type of brain waves that occur with brain activity. During meditation, both Western and Eastern, as well as Zen meditation

Buried alive

1. Is that possible? There are yogis who need two or three breaths per minute during meditation. If they are confined in an airtight room, there is a good chance that they will survive thanks to their reduced oxygen demand. In 1974 the American physiologist Dr. Elmer Green did an experiment on Yogiraja Vaidyaraja. The yogi was confined in an airtight chamber, where heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and other physiological processes were measured electronically. After an hour and a half, the oxygen supply had diminished to such an extent that a candle placed in the chamber went out. He breathed four times a minute and broke the meditation

2. Is that possible? There are yogis who need two or three breaths per minute during meditation. If they are confined in an airtight room, there is a good chance that they will survive thanks to their reduced oxygen demand. In 1974 the American physiologist Dr. Elmer Green did an experiment on Yogiraja Vaidyaraja. The yogi was confined in an airtight chamber, where heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and other physiological processes were measured electronically. After an hour and a half, the oxygen supply was reduced to such an extent that a candle placed in the chamber went out. He breathed four times a minute and broke the meditation