The siddhis or extraordinary faculties, according to the orientals

The word siddhis It comes from Sanskrit and means ‘perfections’ or ‘achievements’. These are a kind of extraordinary gifts or virtues, which can be developed thanks to the continuous practice of concentration, meditation and maximum abstraction, according to some Eastern philosophies.

The siddhis they talk to us about faculties of the mind that go beyond the normal and that involve situations that could be classified as “supernatural”. They have their origin in Indian mythology and for science they are nothing more than baseless beliefs. Despite this, yogis and those who carry out similar practices think that these faculties are real and that some develop them.

According to the belief, the siddhis They develop when the greatest discipline and ascetic effort is imposed on meditation.. It also requires withdrawal from the world, intense fasting and constant practice. This would lead to the manifestation of a kind of “force” that would allow the acquisition of supernatural powers.

The 8 siddhis primary

In Hinduism there is a list of eight siddhisor eight perfections, fundamental. They are described in slokaswhich are a kind of verses.

Although they are evidently the result of literature and mythology, those who practice the yoga sutra take them for granted and think that they are skills that can be developed as described. The eight siddhis primary are the following:

Cheer up. Is related to the power of the body becomes very smalleven the size of a particle. It is the opposite of the previous one, that is, transforming into a giant. It means power transform into a very heavy body.The counterpart of the previous one, that is, becoming very light.Be able to transport yourself anywheresomething like omnipresence. It refers to the power to fulfill any desire one has. The faculty of to dominate to everyone, including man and nature.Make everything that exists obey your own orders.

Although there are many who consider the possibility that these powers are real, There is not the slightest evidence that this is the case..

Not even those most attached to these beliefs have even presented consistent stories that describe the materialization of any of these gifts.

The siddhis yoga and meditation

There are five others siddhiswhich are considered typical of the practice of yoga and meditation. Unlike the previous ones, there are multiple narratives about thesebut only some aspects of them have been explored from a scientific point of view.

The siddhis of yoga are:

Tri-kala-gñatuam. Know the past, present and future.Extreme tolerance to heat and cold.For chitta adi abhignata. Know what’s on other people’s minds.Agni arka ambu visha adinam pratistambhaj. Tolerate the effect of elements such as fire, sun, water, poison and more.Aparāyaiaj. Direct the behavior of others.

In this case, there is literature that supports, to some extent, the existence of these skills. One of the most famous works on the subject is the one written by the physicist Dean Radintitled Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities2013. There it compiles several studies on this type of phenomena.

The siddhis secondary

The siddhis Secondary ones correspond to faculties or gifts that combine probable abilities with unlikely abilities.

They have to do, mainly, with extreme skills in the senses. There are narratives, including scientific texts, that suggest the real existence of some of these great capacities.

The siddhis secondary are:

Anurmi-mattuam. Tolerate extreme hunger and thirst.Dura-sravana. Listen at great distances.Dura-darsanam. See at great distances.Mana-yavaj. Move objects with your mind.Kama-rupam. Transform into any object or being at will.Para-kaia praveshanam. Taking on the appearance of the bodies of others.Sua-chanda mritiuj. Dying just when you want.Devanam saja krida anudarsanam. Sharing the sexual experiences of the gods.Iathá sankalpa samsiddhij. Perfectly comply with the will.Agñá apratijatá gatíj. Maximum awakening.

Although, in general, it is thought that these great abilities are mainly the result of fables, Some of these skills have been reviewed.

When a yogi enters meditation he can go many hours, or even days, without eating or drinking. Likewise, it has been proven that they can withstand quite high temperatures.

There are press reports that describe cases of extraordinary abilities in those who meditate.. However, there is not much scientific literature on the matter. Either these are fables that are still interesting because they are fantastic, or there are phenomena to which science has not yet devoted enough attention.

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