Ghosts and Evil Spirits

When a person dies, his mind, along with its reactive momenta and non-cerebral memory, leaves the body.

It moves in the universe with the help of rajoguńa [the mutative principle], till it gets another body suitable to quench its thirst and satisfy its reactive momenta.

Those reactive momenta, in the second body, are known as saḿskárá.

The mind, along with the reactive momenta and non-cerebral memory, is not visible.

The dissociated mind is not alone. It has reactive momenta and non-cerebral memory.

For lack of a nucleus, a seat for the mind, and nerve cells, the mind cannot function properly.

For proper functioning it requires ectoplasmic stuff, a body of ectoplasm.

So even for ectoplasmic expression it requires a new body.

In proper time, due to the mixture of ova and spermatozoa, the mind becomes associated with a new structure.

The original minds and lives of both the ova and the spermatozoa cease to exist.

But those ova and spermatozoa are selected to suit the purpose of this detached mind with its reactive momenta.

But by dint of Tantric practice, anybody can develop their ectoplasmic structure.

Such Tantrics can, with the help of their own ectoplasmic stuff, help the detached mind to get a temporary ectoplasmic body.

When that ectoplasmic structure is a bit solidified, the mind becomes visible. Due to its vibrational frequency it may become audible too, but only for a short time.

You have heard stories about bones and bricks being thrown into a particular house, a cot moving upwards, etc. You have heard these ghost stories about certain haunted houses.

An Avidyá Tantric, with the help of a portion of their own ectoplasmic stuff, sits tight in an ásana [meditation posture].

With the help of their ectoplasmic stuff, creates an ectoplasmic body for a detached mind (known as preta in Sanskrit).

With the help of their ectoplasmic stuff, attached to the detached mind, they do all these things.

But at the time, their body remains motionless.

So these things are actually not done by ghosts. They are actually done by that Avidyá Tantric with the help of that detached mind.

There are 7 recognized devayonis. These are higher than ordinary human beings.

They are of 7 types – yakśa, rakśa, kinnara, gandharva, vidyádhara, siddha and Prakrtiliina.

1. Yaksa

Suppose a person is practising spiritual sádhaná regularly, properly, with proper inspiration and sincerity. But some other longings remain covert in the person’s mind.

He thinks: “If Bábá gives me 10 lakhs or only 2 lakhs, everything will be managed properly. Oh, no! I won’t ask for these things. No, it is bad.”

Because of his piety, after death he gives up his solid and aquatic, apatattva, body.

But the other 3 factors remain with his detached mind:

1. Tejas [luminous factor]
2. Marut [aerial factor]
3. Vyoma [ethereal factor]

He becomes a yakśa.

In Northern Bihar, in most of the villages, you will find a place just outside the village, known as the Brahmasthána.

This is where the villagers used to assemble to worship the yakśa.

In the images of Paoráńika [Puranic] gods and goddesses you will find the yakśa and yakśinii standing just to the right and left of the deity; a yakśa and yakśinii with cámaras [ceremonial whisks] in their hands.

A yakśa has a body of 3 factors, tejas, marut and vyoma.

That luminous body cannot be touched, but it can be seen sometimes.

2. Raksa

People with fighting spirit, with proper dedication and proper spiritual aspiration, but who sometimes think, “If I get the blessing I will kill those antisocial elements – No, during pújá [worship, meditation] I should not think like this.”

Those thoughts coming in the mind during pújá become the cause of degradation.

After death the person won’t have a physical body or aquatic body, but tejas, marut and vyoma will be there. This type is called rakśa.

3. Kinnara

“Bábá has given me everything, but I am not good-looking. I want to be very good-looking, so that people will say – No, it is very bad.”

Such good persons, good souls (and they are good people, not ordinary people) after death also acquire this type of three-elemented body. They are called kinnara.

4. Vidyádhara

“I am a good sádhaka, but haven’t any vocal power. I can’t dance properly, I can’t sing properly, my vocal cord doesn’t function well. I require more attributions, more qualifications – and if I get more qualifications I will get promotion in the service also. Oh no. These are all bad things. These are all bad desires. A person should not have any desires.”

When such a person dies, they also get that type of body, luminous, gaseous and ethereal.

These 3 bhútas are there. These people are called vidyádhara.

5. Ghandarva

A person is doing sádhaná, there is no longing.

Then, “I sing bhajanas, but my sound is not good. My vocal cords don’t function properly. My vocal expression should be a bit more sweet and rhythmic – No, no, no, these are all bad things, bad things.”

This type of good person, in the body they take in their next life (not “next life”, but “post-physical life”), is known as gandharva. They have a longing for music. And that is why music is called gandharva vidyá in Sanskrit.

6. Siddha

Suppose a good person has no physical desire. But during sádhaná – “Yes, love for God has been created. Yes, people love me, Bábá loves me. But I should have some occult power, so that people will say, ‘This person has power, and is not an ordinary person.

This person has occult power – alaokika shakti – aeshvarya – vibhúti’ – No, no, no, these are bad thoughts, bad thoughts.” When this type of person dies, their post-physical body is known as siddha. They are the best among the devayonis. I will say something regarding these siddhas later on.

7. Prakrtiliina

Those who worship idols, ascribing Brahma-hood to that idol, thinking that the very idol is God, the very image is God; worshipping stone, worshipping wood, worshipping metal.

Tantra says, Mrcchiládhátudárvádimúrttáviishvaro buddhayo… [“Those who think that Parama Puruśa is confined within idols made of clay, stone, metal or wood…”] Mrt means “earthen image”; shilá means “made of stone”; dhátu means “made of metal”; and dáru means “made of wood”. And they ascribe Godhood to that wood or to that metal or to that stone.

Then what happens? The person is ideating on that stone, or wood, or metal, and what happens? Yadrshii bhávaná yasya siddhir bhavati tádrshii – “A person adopts a body according to their object of ideation.” Their own self is transformed into that entity, the entity which was their object of meditation. Now such people worshipping different forms of Prakrti finally take the form of those entities, and become stone, become wood, become metal.

They are called Prakrtiliina. They become one with Prakrti and remain there for an indefinite period. What a durdaeva, I will say! What a painful state of existence!