Dear Soul Arcanum:
I recently saw an advertisement from a woman who says she can “transfer” her psychic abilities to others. This is supposedly done in three day-long sessions, and the total cost is several thousand dollars. She claims that this is worth it because one can skip many years of psychic development. Is this possible? What do you think of this idea? Also, is it possible that just being in the presence of a “guru” can cause spiritual enlightenment?
– Jan
Dear Jan:
It is never wise to try to cut spiritual corners in order to access various spiritual “powers.” Psychic abilities unfold as a natural consequence of spiritual development; if we simply focus on spiritual growth, psychic and other spiritual abilities will develop of their own accord. It is foolish to put the powers first and the awakening second. I would thus be very suspicious of a spiritual teacher who was promoting instant psychic ability or suggesting that it’s possible to “sell” enlightenment!
There are good reasons that spiritual practices like meditation and yoga have been prescribed for millennia. When we devote ourselves to lifelong spiritual development via regular spiritual practice, we enjoy a smooth journey where one state of being naturally flows into the next.
Big problems may occur when this natural order isn’t followed. For example, sometimes people have “kundalini experiences” when kundalini (life force energy) is awakened suddenly or “accidentally.” This may happen as a result of a fall or blow to the tail bone, a near death experience, or the use of psychedelic drugs. When awakening occurs like this, one may go through quite an uncomfortable period or experience what some call a “spiritual emergency.”
To me it seems only prudent to listen to the teachings of spiritual masters, and to devote oneself to the work involved in achieving our aims. Trying to become psychic in a weekend is like putting on a black belt after a few days of karate training, or someone with an honorary degree trying to practice law or medicine. You might look the part, but would you really want to be put to the test? You can imagine all the problems that might erupt from such an approach.
Now, all of these matters aside, is it possible for a teacher to transfer spiritual powers to a student? Supposedly, this is one of the greatest blessings of having a “guru.” This gift of spiritual awakening is most commonly called shaktipat. It’s sort of an initiation wherein a master awakens a student into higher levels of consciousness.
Sadly, the sort of guru who can bestow shaktipat is probably very rare, but even if your spiritual teacher can’t enlighten you instantly with a touch or a look, you may still gain great blessings from such a relationship.
For obvious reasons, it is very helpful to have someone who has been where you want to go show you around. Great spiritual teachers can save you tons of time by teaching you what they have mastered themselves. They can help you remain motivated and hold you accountable to your own personal goals. They can help you over stumbling blocks, provide specific answers and personal guidance, and lend you support and understanding when no one else in your life has a clue what you’re going through. The further “out there” we get, the more refreshing and reassuring it is to find someone who truly understands our strange spiritual experiences because they have been through that twilight zone themselves.
Further, just being in the presence of some people can instantly alter our own vibration. I’ve been in lectures and classes with some great spiritual teachers, and felt everyone present move into synch with that teacher’s energy. It is said that one who is connected to the stream of pure positive energy is more powerful than thousands who are not, and this can be directly experienced in such situations.
Ram Dass and Deepak Chopra are two such teachers who come to mind. Deepak’s aura was the biggest I’ve ever seen; it extended beyond the walls of the huge auditorium he spoke in. This was very surprising to me, as I had some prejudices about him beforehand that I realized were totally unwarranted. Similarly, when I went to a lecture by Ram Dass many years ago, I was in an altered state of consciousness the entire time. I have no recollection of anything he said, in fact, but I was blissed out for days following this experience.
When in the presence of such a person, we may feel like we’ve been hypnotized, but I believe this is not a matter of brainwashing – we’re just “under the influence” of this master’s energy. It only makes sense that the more time we spend with such a person, the more our own vibration will entrain to theirs.
It is thus wise to spend time with people you admire, people who embody qualities you are trying to develop or who have already learned the knowledge and skills you wish to make your own. At the same time, however, it is NOT wise to deify human beings or to see them as somehow superior to us. This is disempowering to ourselves, and it’s a pretty heavy trip to lay on the teacher. Remember: we can not see in another anything we do not possess ourselves, so we might say that a “guru” is simply embodying some part of ourselves that we are in the process of discovering and developing.
So if you find yourself in the presence of some great spiritual teacher, know that it is because you are in harmony with their energy and with moving in this direction yourself. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. In time, you may outgrow this teacher and move on to a new one – someone who can guide you further along your path. This doesn’t mean each one of our teachers will be somehow better than the last, however – just that whatever we need at the time is what we will attract.
Even when people find themselves caught up with ‘false gurus’ to whom they have given away their personal power, it seems to me that they’ve attracted just what they needed. What a powerful lesson! Through this experience, they are learning not to deify human beings, but rather, to value their own inner truth and wisdom above all.
In summary, if you’re longing for a guru, make sure you’re not trying to skip over some of the work you see before you. When we try to take spiritual “short-cuts,” we often end up lost and far off course. Also, make sure you’re not looking for something outside of yourself that can only be found within. The ultimate guru (teacher) is within you, and can be accessed at any time by honoring your own inner knowing as your ultimate connection to divine wisdom. If you’re satisfied that neither of these is the case, then longing for a guru may in fact be a sign that you are being led to a new teacher.
If and when you do find a wonderful spiritual teacher, question everything and be very careful not to worship this individual. Remember that your “guru” is no more divine than you are, and is not infallible. Do not expect your teacher to be a living saint, either; just because someone knows more than we do about something, that doesn’t make them perfect. Gratefully accept from spiritual teachers the lessons, knowledge and experiences that resonate with you as true and useful, and leave the rest behind.
Remember too that this is not a one-way relationship, and even spiritual teachers must earn a living. Offer your teacher the same courtesy, kindness and understanding you would to anyone else, and make sure you are giving back in equal measure to what you receive, whether you do that by paying for your lessons, volunteering your time and energy, or expressing your heartfelt gratitude.
– Soul Arcanum
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