What is Dehypnotic Meditation?

It is the door to a voyage into the Infinite.

And here is a book that presents a refreshing and definitive guide to this most popular subject.

It leads the reader gently but firmly through the different stages of meditation up to the ultimate experience.

Originally it is authored by Swami Yogiraj, the 14th spiritual descendant to the seat of the 16th century saint-poet, Baba Maluk Das of Kada, Allahabad, India.

The book explains the working of the mind and how to go beyond it and discover the source of joy and wisdom within.

The book covers all aspects of meditation – psychological, philosophical and spiritual – and provides practical guidance to beginners and experts alike.


Answers are provided on how to:

*Command the subconscious mind

*Keep away negative thoughts

*Develop the aura

*Perform self-healing

*Break old habits and enter into Divine Romance

An Excerpt:

Meditation starts with making the mind still and peaceful.
When thoughts become silent, words remain.
When words become silent, sound remains.
When sound becomes silent, silence remains.
When silence becomes silent, meditation remains.
When meditation becomes effortless, Samadhi remains.
When Samadhi becomes natural only then is the supreme state attained.

—Yogiraj Nanak

About the author:

With a doctorate in Chemistry, Anjula Naib has a scientific bent of mind coupled with a deep interest in philosophy and literature.

A civilian officer in the Armed Forces, over the years, she felt the pull of the metaphysical needs of self-realisation, which powered her to get in tune with the infinite.

With her remarkable ability to understand, experience and articulate the teachings of sages down the centuries, she found an unconventional and thought-provoking spiritual philosopher and guide in Swami Yogiraj Nanak who put her on the meditative journey.

This has enabled her to transform her own life and flower her personality. Through skilful editing and translation of this book from Hindi, Anjula shares her experience with the readers.

PREFACE:
The author, Swami Yogiraj Nanak, is well known in North India for his profound and stimulating discourses and articles on spiritual, psychological and philosophical subjects. Like his personality, this book is written in a simple style to reach out to an increasingly restless society searching for its identity. He takes a holistic view of spiritualism and life and believes that one cannot be separated from the other. Unless spiritualism becomes a part of our everyday life and transforms it, it is of little consequence.

The book has been titled Dehypnotic Meditation to distinguish it from other mystical types of meditation since the author’s emphasis, at all times, is to be realistic and not under the spell of any type of hallucination or ‘play’ of the subconscious mind. Dehypnotic meditation helps to free the mind from mental and emotional bondage to external objects and persons. It breaks the hypnotic spell of borrowed thoughts and ideas and enables us to start living by the light of our inner wisdom. Only when this spell is broken can we realise the true import of being ‘human’ and not ‘robots’ with programmed minds, inane actions and borrowed goals, fulfilling some blind destiny. The lamp of inner wisdom illumines constructive and positive ways to neutralise the forces of destruction, without our adopting the same destructive path that negates humanity and God.

The discourses of Yogiraj Nanak, specifically relating to meditation, were first collected and published in the form of a book in Hindi under the title Anant Ki Yatra Ka Dwar – Dhyana in 1970. Later, Ms Mira Manaktala, a freelance journalist and naturalised citizen of the United States, decided to translate it into English. She had heard some of the discourses and read Swamiji’s book on Dhyana (meditation). It impressed her deeply and she willingly undertook the translation of the book, helped by Mr PN Khera, and it was printed in 1976, under the title Meditation – The Door to a Voyage into the Infinite. The book sold out and is currently out of print. Swami Yogiraj Nanak has authored a number of books on spiritual and psychological subjects in Hindi and English showing a keen insight, rare analytical abilities and a holistic approach.

This book retains much of the original text and spirit of the earlier translation, but includes some of his later discourses and the scope has been expanded. Part II of the book contains the guidelines given by the Yogiraj on the practice of meditation and the various techniques of meditation, which have been inspired and introduced by Swami Yogiraj Nanak at the Dhyana Yoga Ashram, New Delhi. Regular meditation classes are held here, six days a week, and special meditation camps are organised under the aegis of the Yogiraj, both for his disciples and for the general public. The questions-and-answers section in Part II seeks to address the common doubts and apprehensions a curious beginner may have about meditation. A glossary has been included at the end of the book to enable better appreciation and understanding of the text.

I am indeed privileged to have been associated with Swami Yogiraj in this effort to put forth his teachings in English and for allowing me a glimpse into that deep and unfathomable mind. It is hoped that the simple, direct language and style of the book will make it easy for the beginner, and the initiated, to enter the doors of meditation and commence the spiritual journey confidently. The flow of ideas is smooth and musical, guiding the reader gently, but surely, towards the ultimate experience. The book endeavours to equip the reader with the right perspective, approach and tools to become his or her own pathfinder.

In conclusion, I must express my gratitude to Ms Helena Listopad, an American disciple of Swami Yogiraj Nanak, for her invaluable suggestions and encouragement for updating and publication of this book. I wish to also acknowledge the assistance and cooperation given by
Ms Prakash Kapur and Mr Arun Kumar in the compilation of this work and to Mr Abhay Bhave for his invaluable suggestions and the preparation of the plates.
—Dr (Ms) Anjula Naib

CONTENTS:
Part I
1. Mental Conflict
2. Know Thy Mind
3. Self-knowledge and Love
4. Meditation – NOT Medication
5. Concentration is Not Meditation
6. The Fetters of Time and Memory
7. Factual and Psychological Memory
8. Power of Thoughts
9. From Thoughts to Thoughtlessness
10. Be a Spectator
11. Life is Beautiful
12. The Death of Ego
13. Empty Thyself
14. Hope & Determination
15. The Third Dimension
16. The Yoga of Silence
Part II
17. How to Practise Meditation
18. Types of Meditation
19. Clearing the Cobwebs

INTRODUCTION:

A WORD ON DEHYPNOTIC MEDITATION

Yoga and meditation have won recognition the world over as extremely valuable disciplines of learning. These techniques not only provide a viable option to get relief from physical, mental and emotional disorders but lead to spiritual enrichment. Meditation does not only brighten and enlighten our lives but transforms our entire attitude to life.

The word ‘meditation’ is used for the original Sanskrit word Dhyana, for want of a better equivalent and needs to be explained here. Meditation in common parlance means exercising the mind on or upon something or thinking things over, which can be misleading. Dhyana, on the other hand, can best be described as a state of clear awareness in which there is no thought, as such, neither past nor future. It is the gap between two thoughts. It is just that one moment, which is free of thought, which Western mystics have spoken of as the Eternal Now. Dhyana is the door leading to that state of consciousness in which the difference between the seer, the seen and the act of seeing disappears. There is no demarcation at all, but only unified awareness or TRUTH remains, in which there is no duality. It is in this sense that the term meditation is used in this book and it should be so understood.

The doctrine of dehypnotic meditation, a phrase coined by Yogiraj Nanak, talks about becoming free from the hypnosis of past memories and preconceived notions imbibed from culture and traditions or dreams of the future, both of which preclude our awareness of the present. Dehypnotic meditation is designed to break the shackles of memory and free the mind from any type of bondage to others. All of us live in a dream-like state, hypnotised by men and women, overpowering personalities, children, parents, relatives, religious emblems or images or even the various objects around us. They all engross us and bind us with attachments. Wealth and worldly possessions hypnotise us and give rise to covetousness and greed; the past hypnotises us and colours our present thinking; and the future hypnotises us with ambitious dreams that we are forever trying to fulfil. But we are hardly, if ever, aware of the present moment. We fail to enjoy its living beauty.

The need is to dehypnotise ourselves of the past and the future and start living in the present; live from moment to moment; live spontaneously and consciously. The intellect should be clear and independent of any type of influence; then only can it meet the ever-new challenges of the present properly. Consider every meeting as a first meeting. Discover something new, something fresh and something unknown at each encounter. This is only possible when we step out into the light of clear awareness of our true self, setting aside the veil of all attachments, titles and qualifications – a state that is reached in Dhyana or meditation.

EXCERPTS:
Chap. 1: MENTAL CONFLICT
The unconscious mind, constituting about nine-tenth of the whole mind, has no logic but has a large accumulation of emotions and memory of past experiences. When these seek an outlet in speech or behaviour, the conscious mind, being endowed with reason, tries to suppress those that it considers unacceptable to society. This results in mental conflict and turmoil.

How can this conflict be resolved? Read on...

Life is full of mystery. Only a person who courageously attempts to understand this mystery can be successful in developing and living his life to the fullest extent. Building a complete identity requires precise knowledge of the self on the part of the builder. Only after acquiring such knowledge, and on its basis, can life become truly creative. A superficial change in one’s conduct and habits, even removing from them all evil and establishing them in goodness and truth, is not enough. People do these things out of fear of society and the law; but they do not result in a fully flowered human being, an unbroken self and a creative life.

To achieve these goals, a revolution must occur in the very centre of life. Only then can internal changes occur, the inner potential fully develop, and the question of building a total identity be solved. He who knows the full worth of the self can steer the self in the right direction. Only then can life acquire a firm foundation.

Birth of Conflict
The significant question is: ‘What means do we possess to assess our true self-worth and make ourselves familiar with the mysteries of life?’ What tools do we have with us through which we may obtain full and precise knowledge of the self? We have only one such implement. That is our conscious mind, through whose medium we are engaged in our worldly tasks.

A very large part of the mind lies unconscious. Impulses from the unconscious mind keep coming to the conscious mind. On the one hand, the conscious mind maintains contact with the commands and instigations emanating from the unconscious mind; on the other hand, it remains aware of the outside world. It is subject to the pressures of society and culture. Due to these pressures certain reasonable desires arise in the conscious mind, and the mind wishes to formulate life according to these. The conscious mind tries to make life conform to societal necessities and norms. At the same time, unknown inclinations from the unconscious mind also wish to satisfy themselves via the medium of the conscious mind. From amongst these impulses the conscious mind accepts only those considered suitable by the society and government.

Thus a conflict arises between the inclinations of the conscious and unconscious minds. Man tries as far as possible to control this inner turmoil. When the turmoil increases it gives rise to emotional friction. Fear and anxiety are born without cause. Due to emotional turmoil the person becomes indecisive. Such a person’s life is characterised by a lack of firm determination. In trying to resolve the inner conflict his will is weakened. This weakness destroys his self-confidence and self-conviction.

Due to lack of faith in himself man becomes dependent and a conformist. He lives on the suggestions of others and cannot gather the courage to meet any challenge independently. Mental conflict destroys his individuality, and lack of self-confidence compels him to rely on others. He begins to identify himself with things other than himself. How can one understand the real nature of “non-self” if one has already established his identity in non-self? Ignorance of the actual worth of non-self is the cause of sorrow. Identifying oneself with the non-self keeps one deprived of self-knowledge, thus weakening the very foundation of life.

Working of the Unconscious Mind
Absence of inner mental conflict is most essential for creation of a complete identity and development of the creative intellect. How may this be accomplished? The centre of individual life is the unconscious mind, in which unbounded energies lie hidden. Apart from lust and anger, it also contains pure satoguni tendencies (positive qualities). It contains suppressed desires as well as primal creative tendencies capable of arousing enthusiasm. Experiences of the past, influences of previous births, and emotions also reside in the unconscious mind.

The problem is that because this very large part of the mind is unconscious, we are not aware of it. But unknown to us, it fully controls our lives. Only when they express themselves as ideas, imagination or behaviour, do we become aware of the pure and impure emotions hidden within the unconscious mind. Often we are unable to do what we want to do, while willy-nilly doing that which we do not wish to. The unconscious mind is at play here.

The conscious mind being rational, it only permits those desires it considers logical to be translated into actions. The situation of the unconscious mind is different. It does not know logic. It is also more powerful than the conscious mind. Therefore, the collected emotions and suppressed desires of the unconscious mind, in their pure or altered forms, keep expressing and satisfying themselves in our waking or sleeping states. When in our waking state we act in a manner considered improper on the basis of logic by our conscious mind, or in our slumber we have dreams that seem to have no relevance to our present life, then these are creations of the unconscious mind.

Unifying the Mind
The conscious mind, whenever possible, attempts with all its strength to stop those impulses of the unconscious mind which it considers inappropriate in society. On the other hand, the suppressed desires of the unconscious are always on the lookout for the conscious mind to become weak or inactive, thus providing them an opportunity to show up. In this way a situation of incessant inner turmoil is created in man. One part of the mind opposes the other. This inner conflict displays itself outwardly too, preventing the establishment of healthy relationships.

To end the conflict, an explicit understanding of the unconscious mind is absolutely essential. Only then can there be a catharsis of the desires and emotions hidden in it. The unconscious mind must be fully exposed: only then will the mental conflict end and the mind be unified. For the personality to be whole and integrated, the mind must be unified and naked.

Now the question is: ‘Is this possible?’ The answer is, ‘Yes.’ That which was originally whole and undivided has become split and divided due to our lack of understanding. We have only to bring it back to its original state. This can assuredly be achieved through objective self-examination and the knowledge and practise of the art of meditation.