Letters On Yoga - Parts 2,3

Visions and Symbols - IV

The sounds of bells and the seeing of lights and colours are signs of the opening of the inner consciousness which brings with it an opening also to sights and sounds of other planes than the physical. Some of these things like the sound of bells, crickets, etc. seem even to help the opening. The Upanishad speaks of them as brahmavyaktikarāṇi yoge.

The lights represent forces—or sometimes a formed light like that you saw may be the light of a being of the supraphysical planes.

The sounds or voices you hear are like the sights (persons, objects) you see. As there is an inner sight other than the physical, so there is an inner hearing other than that of the external ear, and it can listen to voices and sounds and words of other worlds, other times and places, or those which come from supraphysical beings. But here you must be careful. If conflicting voices try to tell you what to do or not to do, you should not listen to them or reply. It is only myself and the Mother who can tell you what you should or should not do or guide or advise you.

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When the inner senses open, or any of them, one sees or hears things belonging to the other planes automatically. What one sees or hears of the other planes depends on the development of the inner sense. It depends on what you hear whether these are the symbol sounds only which have a connection with the sadhana or simply other plane sounds of an ordinary character.

It depends on the nature of the sounds. Some have a connection [with sadhana], others are merely the sounds of the other planes.

They [subtle sounds connected with sadhana] are the signs of a working going on to prepare something—but as that is a general thing it cannot be said from the sounds themselves what the preparation is.

An inner voice is a voice only—it may give the direction, but not the force. A voice speaks, it does not act. There is a great difference between reading a book and receiving the inner direction.

It [subtle smells and tastes] is not an opening of occult knowledge and powers, but simply an opening of the inner consciousness.

The [subtle] smell [coming from a person] is due to something in the person's vital-physical. That something may not be prominent at all times. When it is, the smell is there.

... the something may be of different kinds in different cases and one cannot give a rule that it is this or it is that. What has the dirtiest smell is sex.

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