Transcendental experience during yoga and meditation is well known for centuries. Here we discussed the safe and scientific process of transcendental experience. We also discussed neuroscience of transcendental experience during meditation. How to achieve transcendental experience? What are the risks in transcendental experience? Is it possible to transcend the limits of the material universe and entered into the realm of infinite? What are the brain dynamics and brain network connectivity during during transcendental experience? These are the few questions that I tried to explain in this article.
What is Transcendental Experience
Your greatest awakening comes, when you are aware about your infinite nature. — Amit Ray
Transcendental experience is the ultimate expression of subjective awareness. It is the experience beyond perception and beyond human understanding. Transcendental experience is typically characterized as transitory and involving a profound experience of pleasure, nothingness, transcendence of space and time, joy and ecstatic. The degree of experience and intensity varies from person to person. Long lasting experience provides serenity and equanimity. It is the feeling of oneness with the universe or all life. It is the experience in which an individual perceives a connection with the divine of the self. It is the intuitive contact with the ultimate reality.
Risk of Transcendental Experience
In the journey of transcendental experience there are many obstacles. Hallucinations, dreams, visions, lights and talking with some divine are obstacles for true transcendental experience. They are often termed as false transcendental experience. Like drugs false transcendental experience creates addiction and long term stress and pain in the body. False transcendental experience creates disease in the body. Too much emotions, devotions, excessive spiritual desires and wrong breathing practices creates imbalance in the body and often create false transcendental experience. Proper food, lifestyle and mental balance is the essence of true transcendental experience. True transcendental experience creates happiness, peacefulness and cures all the disease from the body.
Transcendental Experience in Meditation
Vipassana meditation or mindfulness meditation is the most scientific way for transcendental experience. Vipassana meditation with yoga eliminates the stresses and the pain from the mind and body. At the beginning of Vipassana meditation a less intense transcendental experience occur, which often refers to as blissful meditative state or rapture. It starts with either mild itchings in one area of the body. It may start from the bottom of the spine and move right up to the top of the head. The feelings begin to increase in intensity, and become more continuous and all the cells in the body start rejoicing. There is often nice feeling as the body is light and even weightless at times. The peak rapture enhance the mental bliss and removes the emptiness of thoughts. Drowsiness and sleepiness are the greatest enemies of transcendental experience. Some visions of lights and dreams may put you out of the track, but do not give much value to these experiences. Tranquility, peace, fearlessness and humility are the greatest friends in the journey of transcendental experience. There is a natural sense of well being with self-understanding, spontaneous joy, serenity, freedom, and self-fulfillment. It is where the ultimate pursuit of happiness and the search for meaning of life resolve. One realizes the truth of one’s harmonious being in nature and nature in oneself. The qualities such as generosity, compassion, peaceful acceptance, and an experience of oneness are achieved.
Yoga Exercises for Transcendental Experience
Yoga breathing techniques like: diaphragm breathing and alternative nasal breathing purifies the body and the mind. They eliminate the mental and physical toxins from the body and mind and bring calmness in the mind. Calmness of the mind is must for healthy transcendental experience. Once the mind is pure, then you can start Om chanting and meditation to get the transcendental experience. Om chanting has the power to eliminate the unconscious negative habit patterns from the mind. As you practice Om meditation you can go into the deeper levels of silence and the transcendental experiences.
Neuroscience of Transcendental Experience
True transcendental experience increases gray matter in the brain. It activates the prefrontal cortex—the newest part of the human brain. It creates many new pathways in the brain. The right insular cortex in the brain is activated by true transcendental experience. The insular cortex involved in compassion. moral decision making and pain control. True transcendental experience increases the cortical thickness of the brain and reduces the amyagdal activity in the brain. Prefrontal cortex and the insular cortex are the key players in transcendental experience.
Secrets of Transcendental Experience
Family, friends and relationships are the blessings of the God. They are the best way to access God. — Amit Ray
Do you fit for the transcendental experience? If not, don’t despair. You, too, can experience some of the domestic transcendental bliss that seemed previously reserved for the saints. A happy family life is the starting point of transcendental bliss. When parents return home and the kids are happy to see them and when kids back home, the parents are happy to see them, is no less happiness. Similarly, if you are careful, you can create many blissful transcendental moments in your daily life. A healthy and peaceful lifestyle – healthy food habits and sound sleep in the night are the foundation of transcendental bliss . First take care of your family life, lifestyle and then do your meditation. Healthy family life is the mark of good meditation. Joy, energy, creativity and happiness are the marks of good meditation. The transcendental peace is obtained by emptying the mind of thoughts – become a playful witness of your Divine being. In meditation, slowly and deeply move towards the inner source and realize the richness of your soul.