[Raja_mw]

Hi Everyone,

All homage and highest Puja to matchless Tiratana.

I would like to ask about Buddhism view about Mediumship. i grown up in environment where there is Mediumship practice which there is some Deva/Asura/Spirit that borrow some “choosen” one body’s to convey heavenly message or to help human in distress.
is this count as fraud or real? because one of my aunt is the medium too (she is plain housewife before, until learn something from friend etc)

if it’s real which part of Manokaya or whatever is controlled (how come spirit possess human) and does the human goes blank or sleep?

the question is should we (as people who strive for Nibbana) associate with those people? do they count as “unwise” person that we shouldn’t associate in Mahamanggala Sutta? what are wisest stance (she is my aunt)?

[Lal]

For those who are not familiar with the term, “Mediumship” or just “Medium”, it refers to an instance where a subtle-body of another living being (could even be a human gandhabba) enters the physical body of a human and “takes possession” of that human body.
– There is truth to this mechanism. However, most current accounts are fake.

During the “time of possession,” it is the alien being who is in control of the physical body.
– In reality, this can only happen to those with “weak minds.”
– Those of us who follow Buddha Dhamma do not need to worry about it.
– Even more importantly, it is better to just ignore such occurrences, whether real or not. It would not be helpful to get involved.

In the 1990 movie “Ghost,” Oda May is a medium (or a psychic.) See, “Ghost 1990 Movie – Good Depiction of Gandhabba Concept”

P.S. For more information, see, “Mental Body (Gandhabba) – Personal Accounts” and “What Does Buddha Dhamma Say about Creator, Satan, Angels, and Demons?”

P.S. Usually, a psychic or a “medium” is a person who has a relationship with another living-being of “subtle form” and, thus, can invite that being to “take possession” of one’s own body. That is what Oda May in the movie “Ghost” does.
– I don’t want to get into too many details, but that completes the above description.

[Raja_mw]

out of topic but i want to ask about fear/afraid of something.

if anger is facet of greed, is fear too?

how could one get rid of fear? is there any method? especially when doing formal meditation session?

the background…
about 6 years ago. when i do formal meditation session in Vipassana retreat that focus on bodily sensation (“anicca;impermanence”-equanimity) i experienced pitch dark like view and it instilled fear to me. i persisted (i brain wash my self that any sensation like fear is manifesting as bodily sensation and that too will pass) and at the end of retreat i can feel subtle vibration almost all over my body especially leg. so it’s not bad experience overall.

about month ago, when i do formal meditation session and still dont know about Anapanasati. I still practice it by observing breathing and while practicing my body moved on their own and try to persist to see what’s going on, and what i think as Jhana turn out to be dangerous situation because i feel my heart beat goes really high. almost pop out. and this too instilled fear to me.

yesterday when i do Ariya Metta Bhavana, suddenly i can see bit light and experienced my body like being seated. i feel a bit fear and that too unpleasant to me.

i do really need some guidance or technique to solve this fear

please kindly enlighten me ?

[cubibobi]

Hello Raja_mw,

There’s a whole section on Bhavana on the site that is just invaluable. Bhavana here is more on contemplation of a topic to let it sink into the mind, and from that a real change in habits (gathi) is possible.

In my personal case, contemplating on the 10 types of wrong views (miccha ditthi) has paid the most dividends, because of where I am on the path. And any oppotunities to contemplate anicca, dukkha, anatta is beneficial. Of course, the prerequisites is to abastain from the BIG EIGHT (explained in the bhavana section) as much as possible.

You mentioned “anicca;impermanence”-equanimity, and bodily sensations, so it sounded like you attended the vipassana retreats in the SN Goenka’s style. I know many in this tradition, and the experiences they report are very diverse: from heavy to very light, and occasionally they do feel strange. I myself had no unusual experiences when I used to practice that style.

[Lal]

Raja asked, “if anger is a facet of greed, is fear too?”

Yes. Anger is a facet of greed.
– Fear is the RESULT of anger.

Think about it this way.
– When we hurt someone by verbally threatening or even physically injuring another person, we generate a form of fear in that person.
– That mindest (technically called sankhara) in our mind, leads to fuel an existence (bhava) corresponding to that sankhara. Now, this “bhava” is NOT a “bhava” for rebirth, but an existence within a life.

Generation of greed in the mind (greedy sankhara) can lead to a “peta bhava” within this life in the same way.

In both cases, the Paticca Samuppada process proceeds in the standard way: “avijja paccaya sankhara” through “bhava paccaya jati“, “jati paccaya jara, marana, soka, etc” or SUFFERING.

This is the “Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda” process.

Now, if one keeps engaging in that kind of behavior, the kammic energy can grow and could lead to a birth in a bad existence.
– That is the “Akusala-Mūla Uppatti Paṭicca Samuppāda” process.

A more detailed analysis at, “Paṭicca Samuppāda in Plain English”

The main point is that we prepare our own futures (whether in this life or in future lives) by thinking, speaking, and doing things in certain ways. As mentioned above, those are sankhara. For details, see, “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means”
– Those on the “good side” lead to “good results.’
– Those on the “bad side” lead to “bad results”.

As cubibobi suggested, it is a good idea to review AND follow the guidelines in the initial posts of the section, “Bhāvanā (Meditation)”
– That provides the necessary background to comprehend and fully understand the Paticca Samuppada processes.
– Learning Dhamma is to learn Paticca Samuppada, how we create our own futures.

Some of the links above may be somewhat advanced. I would suggest starting with the “Bhāvanā (Meditation)” section.

P.S. Please start a new topic if the new question is not related to the previous question.

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