Page 11 - NAMAH-Apr-2023

Namah Editorial

What is deemed anomalous and unnatural to and decrease the autonomic nervous system
the mechanistic mindset becomes spontaneous, activity of other persons, mentally and at
though appearing to be supernatural in mystic a distance. Employing similar strategies it
parlance. was also found that subjects were able to
protect their own and others’ red blood
cells (i.e., to decrease the rate at which the
cells broke down and died under osmotic
stress), mentally and at a distance using
strategies of attention, intention and
visualisation of desired outcomes.

Braud also found that the factors known
to facilitate psi functioning sorted into
three clusters that matched the three
Universal Oneness familiar virtues of faith, hope and love.
These were the virtues eulogised in
What is important is to acknowledge that all spiritual traditions. Faith is related
consciousness together with its attributes of to belief, confidence, trust and these
will and volition are non-local and therefore factors enhance psi functioning. Hope
unconstrained in time and space. Therefore, is confident expectation that facilitates psi
it can be assumed that at some level all the functioning. The healer’s feeling of love for
things in the universe are inter-connected in the healee or the healee’s surrogate and
some way or the other. Rao considers this as strong positive feelings of merging and
a universal oneness to which most religions interconnectedness may facilitate positive
refer (8). If parapsychology establishes outcomes.
the authenticity of psi and the non-local
perspective of psychic phenomena, we may Moreover the reduction of egocentric motives
realise the connection between the spiritual is believed to facilitate psi success. Braud
world-view and scientific world-view. closes with a seminal quote from William
James, “If the doors of perception were
Relation to health cleansed, everything would appear to man
as it is, infinite (9)”.
In an interesting overview, William Braud
demonstrates that if subjects are able References
to influence the bodily systems of other
subjects, mentally and at a distance, then 1. Rao KR. Consciousness Studies: Cross-Cultural
implications emerge of mental or spiritual Perspectives. Jefferson NC, USA: McFarland
healing. Studies suggest that attention and Publishing; 2005, p. 314
inattention focused upon other subjects
were to either facilitate or impede various 2. Basu S, Miovic M. Consciousness-Based Psychology
biological processes. For example, it was — Sri Aurobindo’s Vision of Yoga, Health and
found that subjects were able to increase Transpersonal Growth. ed. Pondicherry:

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