Hi , I am 24 year boy I have a couple of questions :
Is brahmacharya ( celibacy is one part ) is necessary to go deep in spirituality ??
My body moves vigorously in meditation and feel somebody whispering ( worried whether its ghost ?)
Some other symptoms in meditation : feel my body grows and crosses the earth and becomes one with universe and sometimes I feel I enter some planet ... Is these are illusions ????
—vishwas , India
Dear vishwas:
Celibacy may be helpful but I would caution you from pursuing this without some guidance from someone who knows you well, is spiritually minded, and has only your best interests in mind.
As to the meditation symptoms, I have the same advice: find a meditation mentor who is experienced, and who you trust to keep your own highest interests in mind.
At your age it is important to develop a healthy life style: body, mind, and soul. Ananda has excellent online resources for meditation classes and has centers in cities around India.
Here are some how-to-live suggestions for daily life:
- Do physical yoga: hatha yoga to help the body relax and to gain control over your body’s energies.
- Make sure your diet is a healthy one: avoiding excessive consumption of sugar, caffeine, and avoiding all alcohol. Fresh and freshly cooked vegetables and a good protein source (vegetarian is best, usually) are important.
- Exercise. At your age some strenuous exercise (running, swimming, fitness, etc.) is very important.
- Media. How many hours a day do you spend on a computer, tablet or smart phone? Movies? TV? What you watch and how many hours spent passively on media can cause problems.
- Sleep. Your sleep patterns should be regulated so that you get at least 7, perhaps better, 8, hours of sleep and do so between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 p.m. (at least not be going to bed midnight or later every night).
- Meditation. You should have a solid meditation and pranayam practice that is NOT excessive, but gentle. Ananda has online courses that are perfect for this. / I highly recommend developing more devotion in your life and in your meditation. There’s nothing better than chanting! (During the day AND as part of meditation). When you have the symptoms you describe, pray to God in some form dear to you (deity, guru, etc.) to ask how to respond or to give you the mental strength to re-direct your attention from these symptoms to a more devotional focus.
- Satsang. Be around those who are wise, kind, and spiritually mind. This includes your reading material and listening.
Blessings and joy to you!
Nayaswami Hriman
