PSYCHIC EXPERIENCE VS. SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

This topic was touched upon briefly here on 9/1/13.  Included was Swami Prabhavananda's observation that a psychic experience had no effect on a person, whereas a spiritual experience had a lasting effect; a spiritual experience resulted in a permanent shift in consciousness.

But now Christopher Isherwood in his book Ramakrishna and His Disciples provides a fuller explanation.  He points out, to begin with, that “the psychic world exists superimposed upon the material world, but it does not normally make itself apparent to us or concern itself with our doings.

“Our experience of the material world is obtained only while we are awake.  Our experience of the psychic world may be obtained while we are awake or dreaming, and it may be produced by means of concentration or austerities or drugs. . . . 

 “Unlike psychic visions, spiritual visions are not generally variable.  If you have a vison of Jesus, for example, he will appear to you just as he has appeared to other devotees; he will not necessarily resemble any picture of him you have made for yourself in your imagination.  A psychic experience may cause you no particular emotion, or it may depress or terrify you; a spiritual experience will always be accompanied by great joy.

“During a spiritual vision, the experiencer often remains fully aware of his material surroundings, and indeed the apparition itself is apt to appear in such a natural manner that it is at first mistaken for an ordinary human being or animal.

“The highest spiritual experiences can only be known in that state of consciousness which in Sanskrit is called ‘samadhi.’  Samadhi is a state quite other than that of waking, dreaming, or dreamless sleep.  It has been described as superconsciousness.  In Samadhi, a person knows his absolute identity with the Atman, which is his real nature.”