7rcTIX1xP

A Series of Lessons on the Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India1208
(7) Meditation (dhyana) consists of the fixing and concentring of the mind
on some one object of knowledge, preferably the Universal Soul, or Purusha,
so as to exclude every other consideration, object or thought. Patanjali gives
many methods of bringing about this condition, some of which are akin to
the practice known to Western “New Thought” people under the various
forms of “Going into the Silence,” while others are rather too much inclined
to the production of abnormal, negative psychic conditions to appeal to
advanced occultists who have given the subject careful consideration. We
do not advise the following of many of these methods, believing them to be
undesirable, and because we believe that the end may be obtained more
naturally and normally.
(8) Transcendental Contemplation, or Ecstasy (samadhi) consists of the
production of, or entering into, the transcendental state known to all Mystics,
of whatever age or country they may belong, and which we have described
in our “Fourteen Lessons” and in our “Advanced Course” as “Spiritual
Consciousness,” and which others in the Western world have called “Cosmic
Consciousness.” “This state is a mystic phase of consciousness and cannot
be well described to those who have not experienced it, even by those
who have, it being beyond words. We feel, however, that many of the cases
claimed to be “Spiritual Consciousness” are merely certain lower forms or
phases of psychic phenomena, depending more or less upon the emotions.
And we feel that many of the Hindus claiming to have attained Samadhi by
means of the Patanjali Yoga methods, are mistaken, and have experienced
merely some of these lower stages mentioned. The attainment of Samadhi is
rare, and almost always brings in its train a subsequent spiritual illumination,
and mental advancement, which is typical of the experience, but which is
sadly lacking in many of these cases of psychic experiences. The latter are
as but the pale and sickly glare of the Moon, as contrasted with the bright,
warm, radiant beams of the Sun—in fact, occultists use the terms Sunlight
and Moonlight to distinguish between real spiritual illumination and the
mock-phenomenon of psychic astral experiences.