If You Close Your Eyes…

“If you seek experiences, then without your intellect sitting on a stable foundation, you will lose your mental balance, and after that, there is no stopping you.”

—Sadhguru

Questioner: Dear Sadhguru, For years now, I have had several profound spiritual experiences. I see things when I close my eyes.

Sadhguru: Are angels visiting you (Laughter)?

Questioner: No, nothing like that…

Sadhguru: Only devils (Laughter)?

Questioner: No, like the energetic outlines of things, or faces. I have no control over what I am seeing.

Sadhguru: The nature of your mind is such that it can make you see anything you want. It is a tremendous instrument, and it has so many layers to it. It can make you see things that you cannot imagine consciously because the imprints are there. So, before you enter into any dimension of experience, which goes beyond what is physically around us, it is very important that you create a good foundation for your mind; that the logical dimension of the mind – your intellect – is sitting on a stable foundation.

If you seek experiences, then without your intellect sitting on a stable foundation, you will lose your mental balance, and after that, there is no stopping you. You can imagine all kinds of things. Imagination is more powerful than reality, do you understand? If you have been ever exposed to anybody who is in some kind of a pathological state, their imagination is far more powerful than the living reality. If you open your eyes, what you see is not as bright and clear as what you see with your eyes closed.

Fundamentally, you have eyelids – that is, if you close your eyes, you should not see anything. Just try this and see. For me, if I close my eyes, the world is gone; it does not exist. That is the idea. If you close your eyes, the world should disappear. If you close your eyes and see this world or another world, then something mushy is happening in this complicated mechanism called the mind. So, the first sadhana for anyone is that when they close their eyes, they should not see anything at all. If your mind becomes that stable, then if you see something beyond what your two eyes can see, that is called a vision; otherwise it will become madness.

Please understand this, the line between sanity and insanity is extremely thin. Anyone who is perfectly sane can push themselves hard for three days and easily become insane because the line is so thin, anybody can lose it if they strive in that direction. This is why – always, always, always – we have been putting down any experience anyone says they have. Even when I see it is true, I will put it down because it is not necessary; it will not serve any purpose. Suppose you saw something hanging from a tree. Maybe it is intriguing, but what purpose does it serve? It does not serve the purpose of your growth and wellbeing.

So, do not seek experiences. The first and foremost thing is to stabilize this body and this mind. If it is stable, then if god comes, you can simply look. If the devil comes, you can simply look, if an angel comes, you can simply look. If it becomes so stable that you are capable of ignoring the angels, gods, devils, ghosts, then it is all right to see. Otherwise, it is best to see what you are supposed to see with your two eyes. I do not want to debate whether you saw something or not, I am saying you must stabilize your body and your mind to such a point that if you close your eyes, the world should be obliterated. If that is not there, you must not see anything. First, make use of the eyelids. The purpose of the eyelid is if you close it, the world should disappear. If you plug your ears, you should not hear anything.

Do not think you are advancing in the spiritual process because you close your eyes and see things, or you plug your ears and hear things, or you shut your mouth and are still speaking. This means you are losing control over a fantastic faculty called the mind. This fantastic faculty can be fatal if it goes out of control.

All your inner experiences and visions, particularly visions, leave it to me. Leaving it to me means you will not analyze, judge, share or even mull over it. JUST LEAVE IT TO ME. My only interest is you evolve and blossom. If you want to explore, not just realize, then you must work closely with me. That will be a successful possibility only when you keep all your choices of like and dislike aside, and above all, work upon your balance and stability.

Love & Grace,

Sadhguru