Are Ghosts Hallucinations?

Hallucinations occur when sight is influenced by different thought-waves.

Hallucinations are of 2 types:

1. Positive

There is no physical defect in the ocular vision. Rather, one’s vision is affected by the thought-waves which want to see something different.

2. Negative

Here, the excessive pressure of the thought-waves, as “auto-suggestion”, makes the ocular vision negative. The thought-waves prevent the ocular vision from seeing something.

• Many scholars think that ghosts are positive hallucinations.
• Sometimes people are also misguided by negative hallucinations.

They say that in this case the ocular vision – the optic nerves – is deceiving them, but actually the main role here is played by the thought-waves, not by any:

• physical organ or
• psychic cells
• psycho-physical cells (ectoplasm).

Abhibhávańát cittáńusrśt́apretadarshanam [“The sight of ghosts is created by the cittáńu (mind-stuff) in concentrated thought”]

Abhibhávańa means “cellular suggestion” – that which affects the mind and the nerve cells.

Due to the defective functioning of the nerve cells:

• one sees something which is not present, or
• does not see something which is actually physically present.

Cellular suggestion is of 2 types:

1. Auto-suggestion

This takes place within the jurisdiction of one’s own mind, in the individual mind.

2. Outer-suggestion

This is the transmission of suggestion from another, stronger mind.

When a weaker mind is greatly influenced by a stronger mind, as a result something is not seen or nothing is seen.

Whatever we see in this universe is a positive hallucination created by the Supreme Consciousness.

Whatever He thinks is seen by the nerve cells of the individual mind. The difference between this practical world and ghosts is that in the case of ghosts the suggestion comes from the individual mind – one’s own thought is projected outside.

But when people see so-called ghosts and apparitions, are they always positive hallucinations?

No, they are not.

Whatever we observe in this physical world is made of the 5 fundamental factors (solid, liquid, luminous, aerial and ethereal). These are created in such a way that it automatically functions.

Its inherent capacity for action is derived from this physical world under the inspiration of the Supreme Consciousness.

There may be some entities that do not require food and drink.

Any entity composed of solid and liquid factors will certainly require food and drink, because food is mainly composed of the solid factor, and drink is mainly composed of the liquid factor.

But if any entity is composed only of the other 3 factors – luminous, aerial, and ethereal – then that entity is called a “luminous body”.

The mind operates the physical body through the nerve cells. By creating vibrations such as smell, form, touch, taste, etc., the nerve cells either:

• receive tanmátras (inferential essences) or
• project them externally.

But luminous bodies* have no nerves because the nerves are all physical.

Thus, they cannot function properly.

They may create a vibration within and experience some type of feeling only through auto-suggestion.

These luminous bodies are:

• not ghosts or apparitions.
• not auto-suggestion nor outer-suggestion

Under some circumstances, someone who sees this kind of luminous body might think he is seeing a ghost.

But actually, it is only a luminous body.

It is not possible to see luminous bodies in broad daylight. It may be possible during the darkness of night, but then not everywhere.

There are 7 kinds of luminous bodies categorized according to their respective psychologies:

1. Yakśa

Suppose there is a very elevated person who often ideates on the Supreme Consciousness, but who has some greed for wealth. He or she does not, however, express it openly to the Supreme, nor does he or she even think of it directly.

He or she thinks indirectly, “Oh, since I am a devotee of the Supreme Consciousness, He will certainly give me enormous wealth and make me immensely rich.” Those who harbour this sort of covert desire are reborn as yakśas. Thus sometimes we refer to “the wealth of the yakśas”.

2. Siddha

Those human beings who are doing sádhaná, who have great love for Parama Puruśa, but in their heart of hearts are proud of their occult powers or pray to Parama Puruśa to grant them still more occult powers – these people after death are reborn as siddhas. Of all the categories of luminous bodies, the siddhas are the most elevated. They often help sádhakas in their sádhaná.

3. Gandharva

The next is gandharva. Those who have a great talent for higher music (people should cultivate music to the maximum to give pleasure to the Supreme Consciousness) and mentally think, “Oh, Parama Puruśa, I want knowledge of the science of music, not You” – they are reborn as gandharvas.

(In Sanskrit the science of music is called gándharva vidyá.)

4. Kinnara

These are vain about their physical beauty, or those who pray to the Supreme to give them more and more physical charm, are reborn as kinnaras.

5. Vidyádhara

Those who have vanity of knowledge, although they do not expressly beseech this from the Supreme, but rather think inwardly that the Supreme should bestow an enormous wealth of knowledge upon them – this type of person is reborn as vidyádhara.

6. Prakrtiliina

Those who wrongly worship Parama Puruśa in the form of clay, iron or other material substances, are ultimately transformed into Prakrtiliina.

7. Videhaliina

Videhaliina are those who run after occult powers and think, “I will attain such great occult power that with it, I will move from place to place.”

They are not ghosts. They are also not visible in daylight, just as other luminous bodies are invisible.

All these luminous bodies are collectively called devayoni.

What then do we perceive as ghosts?

After death, when the mind dissociates from the body, the accumulation of unfulfilled saḿskáras or reactive momenta remains, although the body with the 5 fundamental factors no longer exists.

Thus, the mind cannot function, but it remains in potential form*.

In some circumstances, if a living person’s ectoplasm is associated with that disembodied potential mind, then that disembodied mind gets a temporary mental body for a very short time.

Then that mental body can start functioning with the help of the living person’s nerves, but only for a few minutes. I call that mental body as preśitamánas – “recreated mind.”

It is:

• not a positive or negative hallucination
• not a luminous body (devayoni).

After which, that mental body again dies.

With the help of these preśitamánas, the people who have perfect control over their minds and their nerves can:

• get good works done
• do evil deeds
  • They can hurl stones into others’ houses, throw bones, or overturn tables and cots

All these things can be done for only a few minutes.

So we see that what we call a “ghost” is not always a positive or a negative hallucination, nor is it always a siddha or a preśitamánas.

In fact, we cannot prove the existence of a preśitamánas or siddha, and insofar as positive hallucination is concerned, it does not have any actual existence at all.

If you see a positive hallucination, it is a mental disease.*

If anything of this sort (preśitamánas or luminous body) comes before you, there is only one remedy to remove it – do kiirtana or devotional chanting.

Do kiirtana for one minute or repeat your guru mantra, and that “ghost” will instantly vanish into thin air.

So under no circumstances should you be afraid.

15 May 1982 Calcutta