Table of Contents
Introduction
In this blog post we will discuss the ghostly beings, do they really exist Yes, would be the answer of many people across history and geography. Many people have experienced the ghostly and frightening beings .In our scientific times many of us may dismiss the idea of ghosts as unscientific folk fantasies. However many scientists too have taken idea of ghosts very seriously such as Alfred Wallace, Cofounder of theory of evolution and American Psychologist William James. Let me tell you my experience with ghosts!
My experience with ghost
In 1993, when I started practicing Bhagavad Gita and Hare Krishna maha-mantra, One of my friends, who was a married person from Tamil Nadu came to my office in the Electrical Engineering department in IIT Delhi and said that his whole family’s getting affected by ghosts. So, immediately, I thought this is an occasion to demonstrate the potency of the holy name. So, I took two of my friends, and I told the person that we will come at seven o’clock in the evening. So, at seven o’clock, three of us entered his house and started chanting into his bedroom, Kitchen, veranda etc.
The person’s father was a very old person and was barely able to walk. After 10-15 minutes of loud chanting. Suddenly he started creating a ghostly dance, such that his head almost touched the roof. He was making very ghostly expressions. Anyone could feel that he is being completely devoured by the devil spirit. So we even started chanting louder and louder and louder and I also engaged the person in chanting loudly.
Suddenly, that evil spirit shifted from the body of the old father to the old mother. Mother was also equally old. The same thing, her head was also touched the roof. We continuously moved around while chanting. Then finally his wife was also attacked . Almost after 45 minutes to one hour of chanting everything became silent. Ghost left that place. Then I told my friend to clean his place. Later, he and whole family became a nice devotee. This is the power of hare krishna mahamantra!
What ghosts actually are?
The Vedic wisdom offers a systemic framework for understanding the existence of ghosts.In puranas there is a very interesting pictures about what happens at death.Because people are performing so many different types of karmas the next life is very different for different people. There are different realms ,realms of nagas ,reptilians.To aid our understanding of ghosts let’s familiarize ourselves with three kinds of levels of existence described in Vedic wisdom
- GROSS BODY: This realm comprises the physical reality we can perceive through our senses
- SUBTLE BODY:Consists of mind, intelligence and ego.
- THE SOUL: the source of consciousness and true ego exists at this non material Level.
With this framework let’s understand why some people become ghosts.When the soul exits from the body at the time of death it is accompanied by the subtle body.Normally the soul is strongly attached to the gross body it feels agony to leave the body.Even after leaving the body the soul is strongly attached to the body so that it continuously hover around the body with the hope of reentering it.
Thus, Vedic tradition recommends cremation of the dead body to aid the soul in its onward journey seeing the body reduced to the pile of ashes. The bonds that keeps the soul with the body are largely broken,consequently it becomes ready to continue on its next body. In the exceptional cases when the soul does not get the next body then it stays in disembodied state.
Souls living in this disembodied state are called ghosts.They still have a subtle body.As the word body is generally used for gross body without it is called disembodied state.
Why don’t ghosts get a physical body?
1.SUICIDE or Untimely Death
Those who have died, of suicide or in accidents destroy their physical body prematurely that is before they were entitled by their karmic destiny to receive a new body. Thus their next body is not ready and they have to sentence themselves as a disembodied existence as ghosts till they are granted a new physical body.So people who think that suicide is the end of existence and also miseries find themselves in more miserable state as a ghost.
2. EXTREME ATTACHMENTS
Those who have died with extreme attachments to their physical body environment or possessions may also become ghosts.In such cases the attachments with the past may prevent the soul from moving on and thereby keep it disembodied.
Who is attacked?
Vedic texts explain that ghosts thrive in the conditions of ignorance and illusions.So people who habitually keep themselves in such conditions by intoxication are more likely to have a weakened and crippled mind that can be easily attacked my ghosts.
CONCLUSION
We can make ourselves away from such attacks by adapting the enlightened mode of living.Vedic wisdom recommends such mode of living primarily for spiritual advancement.Life’s foremost goal KRISHNA!
Ghosts can never attack you, if you always chant :
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare