Siddhis, paranormal "powers"? Do you have them? Can i get them?

Q. Hi Gary,

Hope you are well.  ...willing to address...development of siddhis (paranormal abilities) in the course of spiritual practice?  you mentioned in your book that you had siddhis... are siddhis a natural byproduct of spiritual practice?  Siddhis may include clairvoyance, clairaudience, retrocognition, precognition, and telepathy, among other abilities, depending on the tradition.

Swami Rama

G.  A frequently asked question.  In Zen and advaita/nondual traditions in which my practices focused, siddhis were deemphasized (as were BIG experiences).  They were viewed as a distraction, at best.  They strengthened the ego/I/doer who wants something to satisfy a craving, greed, pride, etc., who wants to be "special" and powerful.  Since the "doer" is the problem, it didn't make sense to seek or use special powers with the resultant attachment and suffering. 

i had one teacher, the controversial Swami Rama of the Himalayan Institute, who cultivated siddhis.  he was the first yogi to demonstrate for Western scientists extraordinary capabilities in controlled studies.  Some were documented in Doug Boyd's book "Swami".  One was his ability to "stop" his heart, which he could apparently do.  On further investigation, it was found that Swami Rama had put his heart into ventricular fibrillation, so that it was vibrating so fast it did not pump blood, but was technically not "stopped".  BTW, this is a dangerous process; do not try it at home, or anyplace else.

Boyd also wrote a book on the Native American medicine man Rolling Thunder, who apparently had special powers.  The book "Rolling Thunder" went through many printings and was translated into 28 languages.    

Rolling Thunder
John Pope

Siddhis did manifest as "my" practices progressed, but as indicated in Happiness Beyond Thought, it was "good news, bad news, good news".  The powers manifested where i had my strongest attachments and desires.  i could get the things i wanted most, BUT they came with strengthened cravings and suffering.  It was actually a great gift, but not as anticipated.  The siddhis greatly facilitated the letting go, w/o regret or longing, of my greatest desires.

i also used the I Ching.  As meditations deepened, it certainly appeared, particularly with the "stalks" method, which is very meditative, that it "worked".  Even using it for clearly identifiable results, like when a package would be delivered, it appeared to work.  However, and J. Krishnamurti helped, i dropped it.  it became a terrible trap as any activity "needed" the I Ching, and it ran "my life".  It also destroyed the aliveness and beauty of "not knowing", a critical Zen attribute.  Bye, bye, I Ching.   

There are other siddhis/powers like "telepathy", which manifest as sensing when someone far away, but close to me, wants or needs contact.  This is not purposeful, the feeling just arises.  This is "useful", but hardly extraordinary.  i suspect this is actually widespread as many folk report it.  

The quieter and more still one gets, the more apparent these sensings are.  With the constant clamoring of the "blah, blah" self-referential narrative, it is almost impossible to perceive these, which is why it appears "paranormal".  It is "paranormal" as it is "outside...scientific explanation...outside of science's current ability to explain or measure."   

i have tried many ways to "invalidate" the proposition that such "telepathy" exists, i.e. science's approach of "testable hypotheses"; i haven't been able to invalidate it.  When an event occurred and the folk were contacted from whom it appeared to emanate, there was something significant, exceptional and unusual in their life, just then, which involved "me".  i use Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman's principle "You must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool".   There is owhn's (figure out "owhn" for 2 gold stars - Rich Doyle excluded) restatement of the Feynman principle, "don't b.s. yourself".  

Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman

Even invoking quantum non-locality and Bell's Theorem, this is hard to explain.  That is where i am with this sort of "telepathy" .  

Similarly with "precognition", discussed in an earlier blog on "decisions".  A "knowing" of a needed change in what is being done, just arises "on its own",   sporadically, with  no "knowledge" of why it is necessary.  It is often illogical - a "feeling" to take the left turn, put jumper cables in the car, get the heavier coat, put a flash drive in, etc.  The stronger the feeling, the more important it appears that it is necessary to do it, and the more important it turns out to have been.

This was experienced often.  As the "I" became nano-sized, it appeared to happen less, or there was just no one to bother.  Sometimes they weren't  done, either inadvertently, or just to see what happened; it normally turns out that it really should have been done, or makes no difference.  The science is difficult/impossible to reconcile; it is just as it is.  Adya has also discussed this.

Dean Radin

re "precognition", the research of Dean Radin, et. al  of the Institute of Noetic Sciences on "advanced nondual meditators" was described in an earlier blog "Can "nondual" folk know the future? their brains can, but they can't".  The eight of us showed, w/a high degree of confidence, to have a "presentiment" about one second before an audio signal was given, even when highly randomized.   This is a controversial finding.  i included it in the TSC presentation in Tucson, and Susan Blackmore and i discussed it afterwards, concluding only that it remains a mystery.

Another power that manifested is the ability to "open" someone into an  awakened state.  While folk might believe this is wonderful, it turns out, IME, to be "counter-productive".   If someone is "pushed" into an awakened state prematurely, it doesn't last, they are confused, and left longing for return with no way, or ability to get there, other than to have "me" do it.   So i no longer do it.   Adyashanti described the same thing, and made the same "choice".   There's no free lunch, or awakening...

Adyashanti

The "end game" as powers and siddhis go, IME, is described by Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Adyashanti.  All say, in their own way, that being, and abiding, in stillness is the most powerful thing one can do.   Ramana said "if you...being free of attachment to anything...subside in Self by knowing what is the reality of yourself, know that this is the greatest help which you can render to all the other people in this world."

Adyashanti said (and i'm paraphrasing, it's in a stack of retreat CDs and i can't find it) "if you realized how powerful your stillness is...you would do nothing else".  

In the end result, it is all about surrender, and letting go, not about powers, accumulating and holding on.  Just let go, let go, let go...As a banner said at an Adya retreat, "surrender, resistance is futile".