It is possible to see hallucinations, which rise from the subconscious. Don’t mistake those images for true visions. Hallucinations are an obstacle on the spiritual path. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that they represent guidance from above.

How to distinguish between the two? The first and most important way is to see the effect of your inner experience on your everyday life. Has there been a definite change for the better?

Superconscious experience, which includes true visions, will do that for you; hallucinations will not. Be honest with yourself: Don’t look only at the short-range effects: Look at the long range.

  • Yes, meditation is definitely “of the Lord.” The purpose of meditation is to help us merge our little human consciousness into the great ONENESS of all that is, and to live all the time in God-consciousness and God-communion. It is meant to help us perfect ourselves on every level.

    It is not meant to offer us visions or powers such as the gift of prophecy. Those gifts come to a few people, but not to all. And they are definitely not the truest proof of the effectiveness of meditation! The proof of success in meditation is how you are changing as a person in daily life. Can you always remain calm and peaceful in the midst of life’s strife and trouble? Can you love God more and more every day and always offer God’s love to everyone? These are much truer tests!

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    Seeing Scary Eyes in Meditation

    Nayaswami Savitri

    Question from AV: The day I started seeing the eyes, they looked at me, and I was scared, very sacred. Could it be something different? I saw shadows to and things are weird, but I left my life in God’s hands I don’t know what at this means. Would you please be so kind and share your knowledge with me please?

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    A Beautiful Tree Appears in My Meditations

    Nayaswami Savitri

    Question from Gavin Melton: I’m having trouble understanding what my meditations mean. Almost every time I meditate I see the same tree, but always in a different place, and it’s never the focal point of what I’m seeing. But it’s in every single one. It’s the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen, every limb is perfectly shaped and curved. It’s almost like a bonsai…

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    How to Tell True Experiences from Hallucinations

    Nayaswami Savitri

    Question from Praneeth: Namaskaram !Is there not a possibility to confuse hallucinations with spiritual experiences ? How are both different and how should one identify the difference if any?

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    A Vision of a Lotus

    Nayaswami Gyandev

    Question from Dr Amar Thumma: One of my spiritual friends has seen with open eyes, pre-meditation period, a pink lotus coming down from the sky and had entered in to his crown. What does this signify? Thanks.

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    I Had a Vision in Meditation — What Does It Mean?

    Nayaswami Savitri

    Question from Henric Niles: Yesterday I meditated and saw Europe from above, and I could see dark and gray energy covering it. From where I was I could see light energy pushing it away. Just before I almost fainted I saw a turquoise dragon with the golden mustache thing that Chinese dragons have. It had yellow eyes with a red iris. It came towards…

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    Visual Phenomena in Meditation

    Nayaswami Hriman

    Question from Joseph: I sometimes experience visual phenomena and images pictures with open eyes also closed in meditation, sometimes the pictures are vivid other times they are somewhat blurred. My question is: Are these phenonomema just projections of my mind? Or are they real?

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    Overwhelmed by information

    Nayaswami Seva

    Question from warren wagner: I thought I was practicing meditation until I started the Meditation course. There is so much information here on this sight that I FIND my head spinning . I am like so many that I let my thoughts control me. Amazing what the mind can come up with. I like the thought that the breath is like the ocean waves…