I love this discussion! Although late to the party, I wanted to add a few thoughts from my rather green perspective as a newbie to all this.
One of my wishes as a child was to be able to fly, be invisible, read people’s minds and move objects with my mind. I remember trying to meditate and had this instinct that if I got “still” enough I could achieve these feats. I had no reference to any teachings but only the inspiration that fantastical movies gave me and my rich dreams that always made me feel like reality as I knew it paled in comparison as to what could be possible - achieve the impossible.
I totally agree with your quote: “If siddhis do not exist, then keeping up the appearance of “not wanting to display and talk about them” would indeed be part of a con-scheme.”
So this makes me believe there is legitimacy to Siddhi powers as I feel the Lama’s aren’t lying and are genuine teachers. As a little aside, I can’t help but feel like they are the Jedi Masters from the Star Wars movies!
Also in what I’ve read recently about the rainbow body and my own experiences of paranormal activity (I had an object move in front me without my willing it to move about a week before I headed on a business trip to Brazil in 2008. On the way home from this trip, I saw in the clouds, the bust of a lioness and barn owl staring at me from outside the plane. They were a hundred feet high and made of the white clouds and no one else on the plane could see them. It was only until I started reading @Andrew 's books that I realized all these years later, that this experience was simply to help me understand reality isn’t as it seems. I’m convinced because it’s possible for humanity to perceive things that defy laws of physics, we can achieve them too.
I also believe my intuition as a child to get still enough to be able to accomplish these supernatural feats is akin to obtaining an awakened state and I’m currently working on my breath in helping me go deeper with relaxation and lessening my contractions. I have seriously lost this opened and dream like quality of life over the years as I’ve let fear and the mundane overwhelm me. I intuit now that to achieve Siddhi powers might just be that it’s a sign of progress along the path and not meant to be shared. Just like my unique experiences with floating lion and owl heads made of clouds mean nothing other than showing me another sense of reality…
Becoming still… in body, energy and mind… is the path to samadhi and first dyhana where control of the elements is possible according to shamata teachings. Interesting that you had this intuition as a child.
Several films from the 80s reminded me of controlling the elements or just having an anything is possible in life feel. Two of the one’s I list below involve lightening and controlling it. Some just portray the need for gentleness and stillness.
Dragonslayer
Heavy Metal
The Last Unicorn
Legend
Never Ending Story
Ladyhawke
I was born in 1981 so I watched many of these films in my first decade of life. It was fun to revisit this list so thanks for your question.
I was never formally diagnosed but a junior kindergarten teacher believed I had autistic qualities as I preferred to be in my own world - one that seemed more peaceful than with others.
Later as a child I found myself easily overwhelmed by loud noises and strong smells and I preferred quieter environments so the need to be still perhaps also comes from the physiological need I had. I outgrew this condition but find as an adult I still prefer solitude and time to be with my thoughts as the world just seems too busy.
I’m an introvert at heart
I value your explanation of these terms so much and will read up on them some more.
I truly believe that the power to do “miraculous” things is innately connected to our collective Consciousness. Perhaps we are still evolving in to it and we are given glimpses of it when we are able to shut off the obscurations of this physical plane.
I agree with this. I see the feat of flying aircrafts and journeying to the moon the ultimate embodiment of what’s miraculous. What was once a thought of our ancestors of being able to fly materialized in the future. Even the act of being able to talk on a mobile phone is trippy! Lol Oh what the future has in store for us all…
I think perhaps…it goes even deeper. All of that plays by the rules that we now perceive. The ancient Mahasiddhas seemed to be able to defy those physical parameters.
I had something similar happen a couple of nights ago. In a lucid dream I tried to fly as I’d done many times before but fell to earth with a dull thud. Upon awakening I had the realization that the dream was teaching me that just flying around can be another ego trip and a waste of good lucid dreaming time. There are more important uses of lucid dreaming time.
