Dear Solea, those experiences were indeed reported/experienced by many in Siddha Yoga. This came up again and yet again on these two blogs, and on the many ex-SY discussion venues.
[
www.the-guru-looked-good.blogspot.com]
and
[
www.ritualsofdisenchantment.blogspot.com]
It was precisely the overwhelming nature of these experiences, something for which mainstream culture could give no assistance, that led so many people to put thier trust in Siddha Yoga.
It has added a great deal to their anguish when, on thier own discussion boards, others pop up and insist that these experiences were merely produced from within by one's own craving mind.
The persons in Siddha who had those experiences later had to decide
whether the lack of kindness, basic human decency on the part of the gurus, and the exploitation, sexual, emotional and financial, of devotees
could justify such experiences.
Many decided the answer was no.
Others, as passionately, clung to the experiences and refused to concern themselves with the harm done to their fellow seekers, insisting 'it was not my experience', and untroubled by thier own callousness.
It appears that these experiences can be induced by people who have no special spiritual attainment at all, even by persons who are mad, bad and quite dangerous to know.
A man who corresponded on the old AOL ex SY discussion thread wrote this interesting statement as part of a 3 or 4 part post.
"Fortunately my own meditation experience has allowed me to be
able to tell the difference between my own inner emotional and
spiritual states, and those coming from outside.
What ever happened to me at SYDA, I distinctly and clearly
experienced
as coming from the outside! I swear I could tell the
difference.''
(This BTW is a very important skill to culitivate--whether an experience feels in synch with your own 'juices' or if it feels alien to you.
A health care provider was discussing sleep medication with me and said one patient tried a particular drug and asked to be taken off of it. The drug induced massive, vivid dreams for this fellow. The dreams were quite fascinating, but they felt intrusive and alien to this man and he preferred to be without them.)Part One[
www.ex-cult.org]
Subj: SYDA & Mind Control Technology I
Date: 95-08-22 17:12:16 EDT
From: TGPARKER
Part One of a 3 part Note:
SYDA & Mind Control Technology? I
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ever since I barely escaped getting "hooked" by the SYDA GURU
GOONS, I still have felt the need to ask alot of questions from
Ex-SYDA members to get a clearer picture of what went on with all
these people, as well as what it was that was done to me.
I am also intersted in hearing about any "recovery actions" that
have been taken since leaving SYDA. If anything I'd like to be
able to pass some E.S. & H. to other Cult-Abuse victims when and
if they ask for it.
I agree that the GURU GANG relies very heavily on emotional &
pyschological manipulation, personality-cult dynamics, and the
usual "Jail-House Cons", "Street Scams", "carnival tricks" and
street-corner "three-card-monte" routines, like "bait & switch"
etc.. with acomplete cast of SHILLS, ACCOMPLICES, FRONTS,
& JUDAS-GOATS"!
BUT I'm still more inclined to look more deeply into "externally
induced" hypnotics, sub-liminal technologies, and other external
agents, as the source of the Guru Gang's initial power.
I think that I've been stimulant-free long enough (15 Years) to
really tell when something has been "administered" to me. My
meditation experience is such that I can also make the
distinctions between the types of spiritual experiences like
"UNION" or "JOINING"and PHYSICAL EGO-BASED "SENSATIONS" like
"joy", "euphoria", & "bliss" that I've also experienced here-to-
fore.
Fortunately my own meditation experience has allowed me to be
able to tell the difference between my own inner emotional and
spiritual states, and those coming from outside.
What ever happened to me at SYDA, I distinctly and clearly
experienced as coming from the outside! I swear I could tell the
difference!
If I were put on the witness stand today, I would say on oath
that I had been "physically" affected in some by some kind of
external undetermined technological agent, and NOT A SPIRITUAL
STATE INDUCED BY THE GRACE OF GOD DESCENDING OR BEING
AWAKENED IN ME THROUGH A GHURU.