Training method

A method for developing the ability to see subtle energies

Introduction

In his book “Cosmic Consciousness”, R. M. Bucke writes about the characteristics of the mystical experience (which he calls cosmic consciousness). One of the characteristics he found in his own experience and in the literature on the subject was the seeing of a subjective light. This subjective light, which mystics see during their mystical experiences, are subtle energies, also known as the aura fields.

A substantial number of mystics has developed this ability to see (visually) the subtle energies to some degree, not necessarily because they have trained themselves to do so, but simply as a result of the strongly activated kundalini energy within them.

The question is: to what extent it is possible to develop the ability to see subtle energies, and how is this done?

The method offered here is a particular form of visual concentration.

I came upon it quite independently when I was 20 years old. To my surprise, this kind of concentration produced results much faster than any other form of concentration or meditation. Later, cross-cultural research revealed that variations on this method have been used in at least twelve different cultures.

There are two basic forms of aura seeing:

1. seeing one’s own aura;
2. seeing other people’s auras while at the same time seeing the physical surroundings.

After practicing this kind of concentration for ten minutes a day, five or six days a week, within a few weeks (sometimes even as few as three), you can begin to see your own aura. To see other people’s auras takes much longer, because normal, physical seeing overrides the ability to see auras. However, if you can already see your own aura field, which is relatively easy, and provided you practice doing so regularly, then you will gradually develop the ability to see other people’s auras while at the same time seeing the physical surroundings

(without stabilized retinal images, as we shall see later).

In addition to developing the capacity to see subtle energies, this practice can greatly accelerate one’s spiritual development, as it balances the nadi system and can activate the kundalini in a balanced way.

This form of concentration makes use of a brain mechanism which is little known because it is normally never activated in this way. Nevertheless, much of it can be explained by reference to neuro-physiological mechanisms.

The method

Light source and ball:

You will need a chromium-plated ball, (see figure 52) 10-12 mm in diameter.

The ball is used as a very small convex mirror to reflect a light source. The convex form reduces the reflection of the light source to a very small point of reflected light.

This is essential because the point of light must be so small that the eyes cannot scan it.   ←   →

The room in which you practice should be lit by a single source of light (only one lamp, not two or more), the reflection of which must be visible on the chromium ball. This is important because if more than one point of light is reflected, your attention will inescapably shift from one point to the other, rendering the method ineffectual.

Surroundings:

Choose a place in the house where you will not be disturbed by other people, noise or other nuisances. A bedroom is particularly suitable. Sit cross-legged on the bed or floor, with a plain white sheet that extends out in front of you. This sheet should not contain any visible patterns and structures. This is important because subtle energies are always colored and easily confused with the background. If you are unable or find it difficult to sit cross-legged, then sit in a stable chair.

Place the chromium ball at arm’s length in front of you. Take care to ensure that there is only one artificial light source reflected in the ball, and no direct sunlight. When you need to sit in a stable chair, place the chromium ball at arm’s length in front of you on a table.

How to do it

Sit so that your body is stable with the spine straight. Take the time to allow your body to relax. Concentrate on your breath without forcing anything. Just concentrate on your natural rhythm of inhaling and exhaling.

Gradually allow the rhythm of your breathing to become slower.

Focus your eyes on the point of light reflected in the chromium ball. Blink as little as possible.

Rest your eyes on the ball without staring. There should be no tension in your gaze, but do not allow your eyes to move or scan. Your gaze should be steady, unbroken and continuous.

When you first begin this practice, you should do it for only a few minutes at a time. Build up gradually. After a few days, you should be doing the exercise for ten to fifteen minutes a day, five or six days a week.

With consistent practice, your ability to hold your eyes completely steadily on the ball will gradually improve. Not only should your eyes be focused on the reflected point of light, you should also concentrate your mind on the object, so that your thoughts do not drift in every direction. If your mind wanders during the exercise, there will be no result.

If possible, do the exercise at a time of day when there is no time pressure.

If you do it just before you have to catch a train, if you have to be at time for work, or are expecting visitors in twenty minutes, then it will be harder to succeed.

It is better not to take either coffee or alcohol for an hour before practicing, and do not try doing the exercise just after a heavy meal. Do not force anything.

If you do not see your own aura colors within eight weeks of training, then you should check again that you are correctly following the instructions given here.

This is not a training in visualization. You should not try to visualize anything; on the contrary, if you develop visualization you may see visions (form aspects), but you will not see subtle energies (energy aspects).

It should be realized that this trainings method can start up the kundalini process. For more information see XXX.

How the method works

The underlying neuro-physiological mechanisms

The aim of the exercise is to produce a stabilized retinal image.

This phenomenon has been described in several books such as:

”Adler’s Physiology of the Eye – Clinical Application”, edited by Robert A. Moses, M.D. (sixth edition) C.V. Mosby Company, Saint Louis 1975:

On page 306:

“It must also be remembered that image motion is required for the prolonged maintenance of vision; the stabilized image condition results in a sort of functional blindness in which patterns fade and eventually disappear from view” (Riggs et al., 1953)

And on page 619:

“Another consequence, and a very surprising one, follows if we can stabilize the image on the retina. That is, fix it there so that it cannot move relative to the pattern of rods and cones………..and the subject will experience the sensation of being in a dense luminous mist with no details visible of any kind – but a mist that is instantly dispelled by a tiny relative movement, for that will bring back all features with twice their contrast. All this is found to be the case!”

And on page 375:

“When the test object is viewed for an indefinitely long period, however, stabilization of the image produces a very curious phenomenon. The target borders gradually fade away until the entire object disappears: a temporary blindness takes place.” First observed by Riggs and Ratliff (1952).”

It is remarkable that this phenomenon, which was discovered by scientists in 1952, was also discovered and used before 1200 B.C. by the Hebrew prophet Joseph, who used the reflection of light on water in a silver cup to produce a stabilized retinal image (see Genesis 44:4-5).

So practicing visual concentration using the method described above will produce a stabilized retinal image after a few minutes. As mentioned in the above quotations from “Adler’s Physiology of the Eye”, the brain and the central nervous system do not notice ‘stabilized images’, and so a great part of the brain activity will be eliminated, since at least 25% of the brain is directly involved with the processing of visual information. Moreover, since the brain indirectly connects this visual information with memory, sparking off further responses (thinking), it follows that using this method can bring a great part of the brain’s activity to rest in a few minutes. When this happens, perceptions at a ‘deeper’ level will come to the surface.

This method is extraordinarily efficient, as well as very easy to do. However, it is important to know exactly what to do, especially regarding totally stopping all scanning movements of the eyes. If you do not do this correctly, as explained below under the heading; “Problems with different forms of visual concentration”, there will be no result.

Another part of this method has to do with streams of subtle energy

If you practice this form of visual concentration, you automatically concentrate on the point between the eyes (it isn’t necessary, or even helpful, to do this on purpose, because then the stabilization of the retinal image will disappear).

If you concentrate as described non purposely, on a point where the big non-physical channels (nadis, measuring 9mm across) are located, this concentration will strongly increase the activity of the subtle energies inside these channels. In other words, practicing this form of visual concentration will activate the yellow and violet nadis at the forehead chakra (see figure 37).

Thus, in addition to the neuro-physiological effect of this exercise, it also activates the kundalini energy, balancing the nadi system and greatly accelerating one’s spiritual development.

Another benefit of this training is that it is a very effective method for developing the ability to focus the mind for long periods of time, thereby facilitating shifts to higher levels of consciousness.

What will happen

When you practice this form of visual concentration, you will start with the normal 180-degree field of vision. After a few minutes, the periphery of your field of vision will slowly become a mid-grey mist, which will then gradually spread towards the center of the field. After another few minutes, the total field of vision will be a dense luminous mid-gray mist, with the exception of the chromium ball and its immediate surroundings. There is nothing paranormal about this mid-grey mist: it is simply the visual equivalent of the white noise of the nervous system.

If you can maintain this visual concentration while almost your whole field of vision is a mid-gray mist, then slowly (after about three weeks of doing this training) colors will begin to appear. These colors are no longer produced by the central nervous system, but come from the subtle energies of the aura field.

First you will see a cloudlike shape, in the center of your field of vision, about 25 to 45 cm wide, which is more or less stationary and usually yellow or violet in color. After that, you will see a background color which is the aura field itself, which is of a different color. After some months of doing this training, your ability to perceive will increase, and you will see the colors more clearly.

If you go further, you will see an energy orb, normally yellow or violet in color, measuring about 15-20 cm across. This orb will move slowly from just in front of your forehead towards the outside of your aura field and then dissolve, after which another orb will appear, and so on. These energy orbs appear at constant intervals of 4.7 seconds. The yellow and violet energy orbs are related to the large yellow and violet nadis illustrated in the drawing by the forehead chakra. (The yellow subtle energy is the Nimbus).

The change from cloudlike shapes to pulsating orbs is not a change in your aura field but your visual perception has moved up to a higher level and you are seeing a higher aura field.

If this happens, then your own aura field will be clearly visible during your training as a brightly-colored ovoid field. You will have the impression that you are surrounded by a neon-like field of transparent colors.

At a later stage, you will see the yellow energy coming down from the crown chakra (the Sahasrara). This energy also pulses at intervals of 4.7 seconds and comes down from the top of the head until it reaches shoulder level and then disappears, to be followed by another wave, and so on.

Once you can see your own aura in this way, using the method described above, if you repeat the exercise often (several thousand times), then slowly you will start to be able to see the auras of other people. The reason why it takes much longer to see other people’s auras is that, while you see them you will also see the physical surroundings, and physical seeing normally suppresses the ability to see subtle energies.

The fact that this exercise can develop the ability to see subtle energies is sometimes mentioned in the literature from India:

“The light of Ojas is seen when there is no consciousness through the senses.”

“The Yogi will become conscious of this subtle body.”

As already said, this exercise is extremely effective and works at several levels. A developed mystic can even use it to access turiya.

Cross-cultural overview

As mentioned earlier, the use of some form of visual concentration to alter one’s state of consciousness has been used in many cultures [1]:

• A similar method was recorded in Genesis 44:4-5. Joseph’s silver cup;
• Aristotle describes a similar method;
• So does Pliny;
• The book “Mysteriis Egyptorum” writes about concentration on a water-filled bowl;
• Nostradamus used this method;
• Mexican fortune-tellers used a gleaming stone;
• Shakespeare writes of the use of a magic mirror;
• This is also described by Walter Scott;
• The Arabic historian Ibn Khaldoen (1332-1406);( wat deed hij?)
• The Aztecs used a magic mirror;
• The Apache Indians of North-America used a crystal;
• The pygmies in Africa used polished copper;
• Jakob Boehme had a mystical experience when looking at the reflection of light in a tin plate;
• The Indian Yogis call this method Trataka;

• Ramana Maharshi is said to have done this kind of exercise.

Problems with different forms of visual concentration

Unfortunately, most descriptions of the method give only 10 to 80 percent of the information needed to succeed, and sometimes the wrong details are given.

Several different forms of visual concentration are used, which at first sight look the same but differ in such a way that they will not have an effect:

Gazing at a Mandala or other geometrical shape. The object is too large and the eyes will scan it, so that the image on the retina will not stabilize. This is the problem with most of the methods used, such as:

• gazing at the image of a spiritual person;
• gazing at a flower;
• gazing at the written word “Om”;
• gazing at a large circle.

These methods will not have the desired result because there is insufficient stabilization of the image on the retina.

Sometimes a crystal is used. The problem here is that there will usually be more than one point of light on a crystal, all of which work as concentration points, with the result that the eyes and the brain will shift their attention from one point to another, which also prevents stabilization of the image on the retina.

Looking directly into the sun: this is ‘the totally stupid method’ because it will damage the eyes!

Gazing at a lamp: the light source is too bright to hold the concentration long.

Gazing at a candle-flame: as with the lamp, the light is too bright. Also, the object is too large for the image to be able to stabilize on the retina. Moreover, whenever the flame flickers or changes in size, the effect of the stabilization will disappear for two or three minutes at a time.

Gazing at a black point/dot on a white background; this brightness difference is not enough to hold your attention for a long time. 

What it is and what it is not

Here is a list of the characteristics of the subtle fields (auras) you will see after practicing this method for a considerable amount of time:

The aura consists of several colored fields surrounding the human body. It has the following characteristics:

1. Vertically layered (different colors). Vertkaal; Niet ruimtelijk ?
2. Dimensionally layered (different in intensity, movements – characteristics).
3. The aura fields are three-dimensional.
4. There are substructures within the total field.
5. The characteristics of movement within one dimensional layer are the same.
6. The deeper-level structures niet alleen de orbs bij het hoofd ?, which are not generated by temporary emotions, pulsate constantly at intervals of 4.7 seconds.
7. In the physical world, when two transparent materials of different colors are seen one behind the other, for example blue and yellow, then these colors mix and one will see the color green. This is not the case with the aura colors, which do not mix in this way.
8. The total field and substructures have a microstructure. They consist of small but visible particles (so this is no film colour).
9. The color of a person’s aura changes when that person’s emotions or mood change.

Geldt dat ook voor de hogere niveaus ?

1. The different fields (dimensionally layered) occupy the same space.
2. Aura energies are not physical but do have substance.
3. The aura is independent of contrasts of color or brightness in the physical environment.
4. The aura is independent of atmospheric conditions.
5. The spiritual development of a person can be seen in the higher fields of the aura.

This means that the colors which are seen when practicing this method of visual concentration are subtle energies and NOT:

• entoptic phenomena;
• hallucinations;
• synaesthesia;
• after-images;
• spherical aberration;
• photisms;

and so on.

If you can see your own aura field and another observer can also see it, both people’s observations will be similar, this excludes entoptic phenomena etc.

Why these are (visual) perceptions of non-physical energies and not entoptic phenomena (visual effects whose source is within the eye itself) has  been explained by parapsychologist Dr. Gerda Walther. In her book; ’Zur Phänomenologie der Mystic’,(1923), Olten 1955.

[1]: Prof. Dr. W.H.C. Tenhaeff; “Over het kristalzien en daarmede samenhangende verschijnselen”, Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie, drie en dertigste jaargang 1965.