You claim to be in possession of extraordinary knowledge, is that
not true?
I have emphatically I have never laid any claim to a higher position than the one I possess.
tried my utmost to make In fact, I have emphatically tried my utmost to make it clear that mysti-
it clear that mystical cal experience does not represent a vision of God but only a passage
experience does not into a new dimension of consciousness in which it wears an aspect of
represent a vision of glory and sovereignty which is not present on the human plane. I have
God but only a
also repeatedly asserted that in all other aspects I belong to the class
passage into a new
of normal human beings with the frailties and vanities common to hu-
dimension of
man nature. Nowhere in my writings have I made any claim to saint-
consciousness in which
hood nearness to God or to a superhuman stature, as is often done by
it wears an aspect of
glory and sovereignty godmen to point out the gulf that exists between them and the normal
which is not present on run of human beings.
the human plane.
But you do claim to reside in the transcendental state of conscious-
ness, do you not?
Yes, but it has always been my endeavor to make it clear that the tran-
scendental state of consciousness, experienced in the form of ecstasy
by prophets and mystics throughout the past, does not signify a special
favor from the Deity. It is only a more extended dimension of the per-
ceptual faculty towards which mankind is evolving irresistibly through
the operation of an evolutionary mechanism in the body, designated as
Kundalini by the Indian sages of the past.
As far as I know, this is the first time that mystical consciousness, or the
organic mechanism leading to it, have been defined in this way, in the
language of reason, divested of the supernatural and mythical.
As far as I know, this is
That is my view, exactly. I have, at the same time made no secret of the
the first time that
mystical consciousness, fact that knowledge of Kundalini represents a monumental discovery of
or the organic the illuminate of India, and that I am only presenting this knowledge in
mechanism leading to the language of modern science. I have also said that the interpreta-
it, have been defined in tions I am placing on it would be beyond my capacity but for a strange
this way, in the dispensation of fate, beyond comprehension, by which I became the
language of reason, participant in an experience that unfolded the secret to me.
divested of the
supernatural and Secret? Can you expand on this a bit?
mythical.
What I am trying to emphasize in all my work is that we have our exis-
tence in two worlds, the world of matter and the world of mind. As the
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result of an inquiry that has persisted through a prodigious span of ti-
me—ever since the dawn of reason-we have come in possession of an
amount of knowledge of the material world, which is able for study by
anyone. But the study of the world of spirit needs entry into a new plane
of consciousness and a super-sensory channel of cognition, which are
slowly coming into the possession of man.
The secret, then, is that mankind is slowly coming into possession
of a super-sensory channel of cognition, is that correct?
Yes, through evolution. This is the purpose of the mystical trance or the
trans human states of consciousness exhibited by the prophets and
mystics of the world. They sung praises to the glory of God because
the plane of being where they arrived is a plane of splendor, beauty
and transport, surpassing anything conceivable by a normal mind.
But even so, if I understand you correctly, it is a plane of being just
a little higher than that of normal human beings.
You are perfectly correct. Those men and women who arrogate to them-
selves a trans human stature or position of authority—as incarnations
of, or surrogates for the Divine―must have a poor opinion about the
staggering dimensions of the universe or the inconceivable proportions
This is the purpose of
the mystical trance or of its Almighty Creator.
the trans human states
Because it is simply an evolutionary advance of the normal state of
of consciousness
consciousness?
exhibited by the
prophets and mystics of Yes. This attitude could be justified in the prophets, sages and seers of
the world. They sung the past, when the earth alone bounded the vision of man and he had
praises to the glory of
no idea of what gigantic worlds lie beyond, and what a countless host
God because the plane
of colossal suns and planets dwells in space. But from a godman of to-
of being where they
day, the statements of the kind which are made in the Scriptures of the
arrived is a plane of
splendor, beauty and past should be an affront to the intelligence of anyone who has even a
transport, surpassing passing idea about the extent of the universe or possibility of other, far
anything conceivable superior, forms of life residing in it. There are some, even among the
by a normal mind. learned, who believe in such self-concocted tales, but they scoff at the
rational explanations which I offer.
What about the future of humankind?
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From my point of view, the future luminaries of But you still insist that it is necessary for science
the race, adorned with trans human conscious- to undertake research on consciousness?
ness, would still be occupied with the exploration
There will soon be a time when the evolution of
of the Mystery of Creation in the higher, to us, im-
consciousness will be taken up by scholars in all
perceptible planes of being, in the same way as
its different aspects, spiritual, psychological, so-
we are now occupied with the exploration of the
ciological and biological. When once the experi-
material universe. The present-day concepts
ment I propose is confirmed, there will be no sub-
about mind, its behavior, urges and appetites,
ject, I am sure, which will receive as much sus-
are mere capricious intellectual excursions into a
tained attention from scholars of every shade
territory which needs another channel of cogni-
and color, and the rank and file of science, as
tion to explore.
this. But the most colossal task in front of the eru-
I would like to know more about this other dite would be to explain the evolution of mind in
channel of cognition. terms of the organic evolution of the brain. As far
as I can see, it shall take long spans of time to
You said yourself that it was a plane of being that
cover each single step in the territory of con-
is a little higher than that of normal human be-
sciousness.
ings, and that is perfectly correct. But it is noth-
ing to merit comparison or equality with the infi- Then you do welcome the efforts of scholars
nite majesty and splendor of the Lord. It is a and psychologists to write on consciousness,
variation of almost the same kind as we observe to the best of their knowledge and skill.
when we rise in the scale of life from the lower
Of course, I welcome it most certainly. But in fair-
species to the higher ones.
ness to all, I must point out that except in the
It amuses me to find that people in general, in- case of those who have experienced the transfor-
cluding scholars, sometimes, raise mystics and mation, no attempt made by a scholar, merely
enlightened saints to the stature of gods who with the exercise of his intellect, however versa-
cease to be humans, belonging to a world of su- tile and learned he might be, can fathom the mys-
perhuman dimensions and possibilities, where tery. How does Eternal Consciousness come to
they can defy the laws of nature, change the fate be embodied and then rise, step by step,
of common men and women or do whatever they through eonian spans of time, to the realization of
please. its own sovereignty? This is a riddle so profound
that it is hard even to gauge its proportions. I
This is a serious error which stands as an impedi-
must also add that present-day ideas about psy-
ment in the understanding of the mystical trance
chology, which emanated from Freud and others,
and in placing this extraordinary state of mind on
offer only short-range explanations. These expla-
a rational footing. It is simply the addition of an-
nations will be subject to radical change from
other channel of perception, designed by Nature
time to time as more and more knowledge is
for every human being.
gained by the illuminate of the future about the
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