Aaron

I wondered what psychic abilities were when manifest into real life conditions. I had wondered for example if the transfer of energy through the hands in some practices was the part of it the is psychic. In a pratice like telekinesis or reiki what part of it would be the part of it which is psychic if these abilities in particular are psychic. Is reiki ok to use?

whine of astonsihment

I know of no prohibition to reiki, therapeutic/healing touch, or any other similar alternative healing practices

I don't define these as the kind of 'psychic' pursuits we are discouraged from engaging in. Perhaps others see it differently...

Aaron

When one uses psychic abilities, what is felt and done for them to be using psychic abilities. Which of the following would be considered psychic abilities.
Reiki
Psionics
Hydrokinesis
Telekinesis
This one summer I had tried with enormous amounts of hard work and meditation to develop these abilities and train my soul to reflect the attributes of God. I was not aware in the early time that they were not allowed though. When I found out I lessed it greatly and then one day stopped totally. My soul had progressed to heights that I have never seen before when I was doing this and I wondered if there was something I was unaware about or what psychic abilities really are. Since the only time in my life that I have ever seen such a profound growth, if these are not actually psychic abilities or did something else probably cause the grow to occur.

arthra

My understanding is that we are not to "bill" ourselves as say a "Baha'i healer":

As to your question about healing: although there is no objection to your helping others to regain their health, he does not feel you should associate the name Bahá'í with your work, as it gives a wrong impression; we have no "Bahá'í healers" as Christian Science and various other sects have. You are a Bahá'í and a healer, and that is quite different.

(13 December 1945) 481

(Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 480)

The Guardian knows nothing about your kind of healing, nor would he care to go into the question in detail, as he has no time for such matters. But he can lay down for your guidance certain broad principles: there is no such thing as Bahá'í healers or a Bahá'í type of healing. In His Most Holy Book (the Aqdas) Bahá'u'lláh says to consult the best physicians, in other words doctors who have studied a scientific system of medicine; He never gave us to believe He Himself would heal us through 'healers', but rather through prayer and the assistance of medicine and approved treatments.

Now, as long as your healing is in no opposition to these principles, as long as you do not try and take the place of a regular doctor in trying to heal others, but only give them your kind of help through constructive suggestion -- or whatever it may be -- and do not associate this help with being a channel of the direct grace of Bahá'u'lláh, the Guardian sees no harm in your continuing your assistance to others. But you must conscientiously decide whether in view of the above you are really justified in continuing. He will pray for your guidance and happiness.

(8 June 1948)

1079. He does not feel that you should try to do anything special about the capacity you feel to help people when they are ill. This does not mean you should not use it, when the occasion arises, such as it did recently. But he means you should not become a "healer" such as the Christian Scientists have, and we Bahá'ís do not have.

(25 December 1949)

(Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 482)

arthra

About so called psychic abilities:

"What 'Abdu'l-Bahá always pointed out in this matter is that these psychic powers were not to be used in this world, and that, indeed, it was dangerous to cultivate them here. They should be left dormant, and not exploited, even when we do so with the sincere belief we are helping others. We do not understand their nature and have no way of being sure of what is true and what is false in such matters.

"If children are inclined to be psychic they should not be blamed for it too harshly; they should not be encouraged to strengthen their powers in this direction."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, March 4, 1946 Ibid, p. 1)

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 513)

Difficult to Distinguish Truth from Imagination

"First concerning visions; it is very difficult to distinguish between true visions which are true spiritual experiences of the soul and imaginations which have no reality in spiritual truths. True visions, however, can be granted to those who are spiritually pure and receptive, and are not therefore confined to the Prophets alone."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi dated November 26, 1939, to an individual believer Bahá'í News, No.152, p. 2, April 1942)

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 514)

"Regarding your question in connection with...'s desire to be informed about 'table writing' and such things: Though there is no specific reference in the teachings to this particular thing, Shoghi Effendi feels very strongly that, in view of other statements about avoiding all psychic dabbling and exercise of psychic faculties, this should also be avoided by the Bahá'ís and such messages be disregarded."

(From letter written on behalf of Guardian, dated June 24, 1941, to an individual believer: Spiritualism, Reincarnation and Related Subjects, p. 2)

1756. Spiritualism and Psychic Phenomena

"There is no ambiguity about the Master's attitude towards psychic forces. He very strongly warned the believers against using them."

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 518)

Aaron

This helps a lot. I have been avoiding all of them, but wanted to see if there was something that I had been misinformated about in this regards. I will make sure I continue to avoid them at all costs.

whine of astonsihment

I knew the part about 'there are no Baha'i healers' of course, but my understanding of the types of 'psychic powers' we're not supposed to try to cultivate meant things like seances and mediums, Ouiji boards, etc.

Is it broader than that Arthra?

arthra

I can only relay what I've found and that is developing psychic abilities do not seem to be encouraged..so spending a great dealing of time developing them as in the statement above

This one summer I had tried with enormous amounts of hard work and meditation to develop these abilities

Seems to me to be somethinig not encouraged..


While such accounts are interesting and provoke one's curiosity, we have no way of checking the veracity of such experiences. Shoghi Effendi has advised in his letters to the friends who asked him about psychic powers that we do not understand the nature of such phenomena, that we have no way of being sure what is true and what is false, that very little is known about the mind and its workings, and that we should endeavour to avoid giving undue consideration to such matters.

(From a letter dated 16 May 1985 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)


That reference above also speaks to the issue I think:

He does not feel that you should try to do anything special about the capacity you feel to help people when they are ill. This does not mean you should not use it, when the occasion arises, such as it did recently. But he means you should not become a "healer" such as the Christian Scientists have, and we Bahá'ís do not have.

(25 December 1949)

There are a lot of perspectives I think that some maybe tempted to pursue and it appears they are not encouraged.

earthling155

I'm also interested in Reiki and Tai Chi and even the I Ching. The I Ching is an Oracle. I've read the book several times, but I've never tried to practice it. I did get about half of the basic Tai Chi memorized at one time. I have kind of bad posture and I figure Tai Chi would be an excellent treatment for that.

What about Chi or Ki, and Yin and Yang and all that Traditional Chinese Medicine? It seems to me that western medicine compliments, rather than replaces Ayer Vedic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and other ancient healing techniques.

I'm also interested in using Neuro-Linguistic Programming, neuro-plasticity and existential philosophy, etc., as healing therapies. Language is a most primal attribute of human consciousness, and we can use our minds to heal our brains. Abdu'l Baha mentioned it when He talked about a doctors kind words can have healing power.

My father was a psychic channeler and demonstrated his ability to me. At that time, which was long before I became a Baha'i, I received a loud and clear warning not to play with that.

I agree that psychic channeling and using our prayers, chi, life force, etc., to try to heal people are two different things. I could be wrong. Just remember to read the Sacred Writings of the Baha'i Faith every morning and evening, no matter what else is going on. The Word of God will influence you to become more and more submissive to Baha'u'llah.

Everything that Baha'u'llah says is the truth. Him saying it makes it true. The truth is whatever Baha'u'llah says it is. He has sovereignty over everything in heaven and earth.

Baha'u'llah is the King of my life. He is my best Friend and my Lord and Savior,

I love Baha'u'llah.

Essence of GOD

'My soul had progressed to heights that I have never seen before'

care to explain a little?
just curious

Aaron

I did not know at the time. I am not using them anymore even to a small extent. I was also meant to refer to the development of the attributes of God which were being developed.

arthra

No one here can tell you what to do.. of course ..You'd need to consult with maybe an Institution if you want guidance.

I think your intentions are good if you are trying to help others.

Sometimes it's helpful though to cite whatever info. is available on the subject for general info. purposes.

Aaron

I was meditating an two hours each day due to the fact that I got so excited when I found out about psychic abilities at first started doing all kinds of things to try to develop my soul. Due to some of the hard work and meditation I started to become healthier, feeling so much happer, making many friends, more religious, and started having the most wonderful dreams. The land where I stood seemed as though it was beginning to change into a heavenly haven. There was this one day that I had pinpointed to be the day that I worked the hardest in my life that summer of training to reflect the attributes of God. At the end of the day I had a dream of `Abdu'l-Bahá and following that summer into some of the year I have some of the most wonderful and dreams perataining to the Bahá'í Faith and Cause of God. When waking up from these dreams I would feel very happy and blissful after. This had all started around July 2006. I stopped using psychic abilties firmly in the later Novemeber.
I first read in a Bahai book that psychic abilities were not reckomended figured that it might be risky, but possibly helpful in the situation I was facing because I would be inspired to develop the attributes of God at the same. I definited was, but I started noticing once I was getting better that my progress seemed to be getting hampered everytime I would use psychic abilities and yet if I avoid using them to a certain degree seemed to be risking losing the aura of inspiration. Eventually I tried to use only things like auras, and chronokinesis(awarness increase) since they seemed not to be psychic abilities. When I found out that psychic abilities were strongly disencouraged, I let it go because it would have been disobedience.

Aaron

Maybe I can cite more info soon.

Essence of GOD

having good dreams and a better life dont seem psychic to me, its obvious if you concentrate your thoughts and meditate on something good, in this case God, youll eventually see better results in real life.
my two cents

Aaron

I had often been using psychic abilities during this time. One of my worries when I stopped using psychic abilities was about how I might be hindered from God because of this and how the hinderence would effect other attributes as I tried to progress towards God. In the beginning I had feelings that those psychic abilities were helping me in some way. They seemed to make me feel more inspired to attained the attributes of God, but I learned that it can be very fatal to sin as an attempt to get closer to God. It is like taking marijana to impress some who one wants to find love with.
It was been important for me lately to find out how to do what I had done that year without using psychic abilities because I ended up losing my faith one day and lost all this hard work.

Pollwr

Aaron, I am not knowledgeable about the psychic side of things so I will leave others to type about that BUT meditation is a whole different thing and definitely encouraged in the Bahá'i Faith. If you have "Ocean" and do a search of the writings you will find that "meditate" is a word that is everywhere in the writings. I would guess that you progress came through meditation.

Here is one quotation on the subject:

"Bahá'u'lláh says there is a sign (from God) in every phenomenon: the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence, because it is impossible for a man to do two things at one time -- he cannot both speak and meditate.

It is an axiomatic fact that while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of mind you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth and the reality is revealed.

You cannot apply the name 'man' to any being void of this faculty of meditation; without it he would be a mere animal, lower than the beasts.

Through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life; through it he receives the breath of the Holy Spirit -- the bestowal of the Spirit is given in reflection and meditation.

The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation; through it affairs of which man knew nothing are unfolded before his view. Through it he receives Divine inspiration, through it he receives heavenly food.

Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries. In that state man abstracts himself: in that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective mood he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves. To illustrate this, think of man as endowed with two kinds of sight; when the power of insight is being used the outward power of vision does not see.

This faculty of meditation frees man from the animal nature, discerns the reality of things, puts man in touch with God.

This faculty brings forth from the invisible plane the sciences and arts. Through the meditative faculty inventions are made possible, colossal undertakings are carried out; through it governments can run smoothly. Through this faculty man enters into the very Kingdom of God.

Nevertheless some thoughts are useless to man; they are like waves moving in the sea without result. But if the faculty of meditation is bathed in the inner light and characterized with divine attributes, the results will be confirmed.

The meditative faculty is akin to the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them. Therefore if the spirit of man is contemplating earthly subjects he will be informed of these.

But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards, the heavenly constellations and the rays of the Sun of Reality will be reflected in your hearts, and the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 174)

There is no set Bahá'í way to meditate so we must find the way that suits us and is in keeping with the teachings of the Faith.

Aaron

I had thought that it was probably meditation that was the cause of this to happen. Thanks everyone for all the all the helpful information.

Emilia

OK, I'm a little confused...why would reiki be considered a psychic practice?

(Sorry, I have a keen interest in anything to do with alternative medicine, for matters of self-preservation mostly.)

Aaron

When a person uses a psychic ability, they use phsycial energies with a connection to their inner capabilities. One should avoid using practies that involve the direct intentful manipulation channing of energies by means of will and volition. It had been said in the writings that the soul could only last one hour in the material world unguarded by the body.