Is there 'light' in Enlightenment? (On synesthesia)

[Guest guest]

Sri Nair said:

 

It is said about neonatal synesthesia that, early in infancy,

probably upto about four months of age, all babies experience sensory

input in an undifferentiated way. The big question then to be asked

is if we are `regressing' into a state of childhood innocence through

spiritual sAdhana and resultant chittasuddhi whereby the distinct

differentiation of sensory stimuli (credited to evolution!) merges

back into a brilliant mass of Unity where all senses exist together.

Then, no doubt, there is some sense in the talk of light in

Enlightenment. Of course, that light then cannot be light alone but a

nucleus of total sensorial activity wherefrom the universe of

diversity blossoms forth through the mind and sense organs.

 

 

 

My comments:

 

Also, it is said that synesthesia occurs when under the influence of

psychedelic drugs. Now I don't want to annoy any serious Hindus by

reminding them of immature Western hippies who trivialized Hinduism

with their hedonistic self-indulgence, nor do I wish to advocate

taking such drugs. However, if such drugs are a 'cheap imitation' of

a spiritual experience, then it is noteworthy that the synesthesia in

those drug experiences is also accompanied by euphoria, ecstasy, etc.

I don't think it is too shocking to suggest that these drugs, by

temporarily knocking out the usual rational and egoistic mind,

reproduce some of the effects of samadhi. However, I am also sure

that real samadhi is far more safe and intelligent. Instead of

destroying our brains and turning into vegetables, we can combine the

ecstatic experience with a deep and calm intelligence, maintain the

health of our body, and also we can take all these spiritual benefits

with us when we die.

 

Note that 'synesthesia', by uniting different aspects of the mind,

has a definite 'advaita' flavor to it ... in that different senses

are no longer different. Maybe unity is what produces ecstasy in

consciousness. All of our suffering may have arisen because

consciousness got 'fractured' in some way, due to the rational mind

and its discriminating tendencies. Maybe this is the real fall of

man in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. I like this

interpretation better than the usual one.

 

Finally, I think that the ultimate state is to perceive unity in

diversity. That is, we should not regress back into inchoate infancy

but should maintain our adult ability to see the universe in all its

glory and detail, while simultaneously perceiving the deep underlying

unity in it, where every detail is but a manifestation of

Consciousness.

 

Maybe I repeated something someone else said. I no longer have the

time to follow every detail of every debate here...

 

Hari Om!

Benjamin

[Guest guest]

Namaste Benji.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. My comments are in brackets.

> Note that 'synesthesia', by uniting different aspects of the mind,

> has a definite 'advaita' flavor to it ... in that different senses

> are no longer different. Maybe unity is what produces ecstasy in

> consciousness. All of our suffering may have arisen because

> consciousness got 'fractured' in some way, due to the rational mind

> and its discriminating tendencies. Maybe this is the real fall of

> man in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. I like this

> interpretation better than the usual one.

 

[You are quite right there. I have referred to the Biblical story in

my lead post of 1st September.]

 

> Finally, I think that the ultimate state is to perceive unity in

> diversity. That is, we should not regress back into inchoate

infancy

> but should maintain our adult ability to see the universe in all

its

> glory and detail, while simultaneously perceiving the deep

underlying

> unity in it, where every detail is but a manifestation of

> Consciousness.

 

[Again, I cannot disagree. What is envisioned is not a baby that

walks on its knees or a mass of innocent bliss coiled up in embryonic

repose, but one who stands on his feet like a mountain unmoved by

storms and hurricanes. There are abundant descriptions of him in the

Bhagvad GItA.]

>

> I no longer have the

> time to follow every detail of every debate here...

 

[At least read the lead post of 1st September, if you please! Thanks

for your inspiring inputs anyway.]

 

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair