Here, Durgadas cautions on channeling, use of Tarot cards and meditations.

DANGERS OF CHANNELING, TAROT AND MEDITATION IN NEW AGE CIRCLES:

(c) 2013 Durgadas (Rodney) Lingham, Arogya Ayurvedic Health Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 

by Durgadas, Ved Kovid. 

Today in New-Age circles, we have much that has come through by way of channeling, tarot and meditation, themselves having their origins in the East in India and China, especially through their introduction through the Gypsies, who originated in North-Western India.

However, there are several dangers in these areas for many practitioners, as these sciences in India involved deeper Traditional teachings that are often dismissed, unknown and forgotten by such practitioners!

Among many wise Yogis and Swamis, they also rejected such practices, rather than bother to explain them to the masses who would often (a) not comprehend them and (b) not heed the words due to the intricate and complex nature of such. 

1. CHANNELING:

According to Yoga and Ayurveda, channeling is a dangerous art, as we can be challenging anything from a ghost (bhuta), preta (departed spirit), asura (demon), deva (god), gandharva (angelic being) to the higher cosmic powers!

Yoga and Ayurveda regard any form of channeling under 'Psychic possession' or Unmada (Insanity) or mental disorders, which can cause a variety of issues for the person. It is hence a dangerous path.

Secondly, as in the West, the tradition of Yoga also asserts that various nefarious beings and semi-divine trickster-beings such as yakshas and such possess or appear to people in guide of Rishis, Gurus and Gods which many take them for on face-value alone. That is also dangerous!

According to Ayurveda and Yoga - even the Rishis or Seers and Gods can possess one, which is also not good and as dangerous.

The Gods themselves are like angels of the western faiths. One should channel nothing but the Supreme Formless Brahman - i.e. meditate on the Supreme alone!

2. TAROT:

Tarot forms an aspect of Hindu Astrology known as Prashna or questioning and divination methods, brought to Europe by the Gypsies. It is not a traditionally accepted method however, as it can be dangerous also.

For Tarot to work, as any divination method, it requires a subtle force behind it. In India, the Ramacharitamanas Prashnavalli or Rama's Oracle is used, as also Hanuman Jyotish for divination purposes.

Both however have the Divine Solar-King, Sri Rama worshipped throughout asia as the ideal Man and his servant, Lord Hanumaan, defeater of evil and great obstacles as the forces behind them! They can hence be trusted and are safe, as the personalities behind them are sattvic (pure, truthful) or Divine.

With Tarot however - there is often no force, or an 'unknown force', which is very dangerous, as this allows any being into it - usually the lesser yakshas and kinnaras, dakas and such or even pishachas and bhutas who can provide insight - but also mix it with deception and evil also!

The Western application of Tarot Cards then is quite dangerous for this reason, as practitioners often have no idea of what they are letting in, as also with channeling!

3. MEDITATION:

Meditation is also dangerous as in the above methods, depending on what we are meditating upon.

Traditionally, meditation should be in divine personalities or Devonic forms - not an abstract meditation which also allows anything in. Visions in meditation can also be mixed, as even greater Yogis in India have been deluded by visions of Rishis and Gods who are but asuric or non-divine beings in disguise, playing with people.

As the West has recently discovered this, it is hence dangerous.

In India, before meditation, the mind must be trained through several years of practice to be ekagra (single-pointed and focused) and also purified or sattvic in nature, or it can awaken vasanas (mental impressions) and such of all kinds and plague people!

Mantras and their application helped in this as also preliminary practices that the modern New Age movements do not do. In addition, in India, Kavachas (protection rituals) were also performed to stop asuric and other entities from coming in.

 
Once again, visions in meditation are not a sign of spiritual progress, and can be caused by the manas (mind), outer influences such as foods and diets (doshic), by use of herbs or narcotics (aushadha), by mantras used improperly etc. which cause rajas (agitation and projection) and tamas (darkness and delusion) on the mind; others can be caused, as noted, by lesser beings themselves appearing in the disguise of higher entities!