Meditation Experiences Explained: Real Insights or Mere Illusions

In this post, I have written about some signals to recognize or distinguish between real and false supernatural experiences in meditation. The practitioner should not consider every experience he gets in meditation or Mantra Sadhana as real, paranormal, or divine. Imagination and mental exhaustion, or illness, are among the factors that can also lead to experiences such as seeing lights, hearing mysterious sounds, or feeling unknown vibrations.

Real experiences bring peace, courage, and positive change; fake experiences bring fear or boost the ego. This site has been publishing articles on all kinds of mantras and meditation practices for more than 17 years. Hence, these queries are asked by readers of this site regularly.

I have described four main indications to find out if the mystical and supernatural experience gained during meditation was real or an illusion of the mind. This post is a continuation of the earlier post, in which I had described the signs of the awakening of spiritual power. That post can be seen here: 7 Real Signs of Spiritual Energy.

Difference between Real and fake Experiences during Meditation:



1] Illusion Created by the Mind: When the practitioner practices the meditation, having a lot of expectations or preconceptions about what will happen after achieving enlightenment, the mind itself creates scenes or sounds. The full power and capacity of the mind has not yet been uncovered, but it possesses the uncanny ability to create fake illusions about Nirvana or enlightenment, which seem real.

Examples: Seeing colorful shapes when the eyes are closed, which disappear quickly and do not give peace. Seeing strange and frightening scenes in dreams, which is a normal dream, not a sign of experiences of the Sadhana.

2] Normal Reactions of the Body Mistaken for Mystical Experiences: It is normal to have tingling or slight vibration in the legs after sitting for a long time. Likewise, it is also common to have the same vibration in the palms. Feeling sleepy during meditation and then seeing some glow, which can only be the effect of sleep and fatigue.

3] Signs of Real Experiences During Meditation: A real experience always gives peace, joy, and courage and not fear. As soon as divine light or cosmic sound is experienced, the mind becomes deep and stable.

After the real sign, positive changes start appearing in life, like success or victory in work, and an increase in self-confidence. Extra Sensory Perception Power comes on its own, and the practitioner can easily know that he has gained paranormal powers. He sees things as they are in their real form or nature. 

4] Signs of Illusions During Meditation: After the experience, fear, ego, or restlessness comes into the mind. Attention is diverted from Sadhana, and only the “craving for a wonderful experience” increases. The ego of the practitioner wants to show off the "spiritual and divine power" to others, to establish his superiority over them, or to become a "Guru" or "Godman".

Practitioners of Mantra Sadhana or meditation should always remember, a real experience inspires them to deepen Sadhana, whereas a fake experience binds the practitioner in illusion and the clutches of false ego.

Some Practical Suggestions: Write down your feelings immediately after the experience. Is there deep peace or restlessness within?

Look at your lifestyle before and after Sadhana, if there are positive changes after the experience.

Discuss the experiences of meditation with an experienced Guru or an advanced practitioner of meditation from time to time.