Post by Mariana Castro on Jun 11, 2015 19:22:43 GMT
1. Why is Faqir Chand's experiences important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles?
Faqir Chand's experiences are important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles because he was a master guru who people saw in their own visions but he did not believe in them for a few reasons. David Lane teaches us in the book "The Unknown Sage", Chand's "unknowing" hypothesis. This hypothesis claims that guru's are not aware of any of the visionary manifestations their devotees have of them or the miracles they allegedly performed. For example, the first time Chand experienced this revelation was during the first World War when he thought he had a vision of his guru Shiv Brat Lal. In the vision, Faqir's guru gave him instructions that led to him to safety. Although Faqir firmly believed that his guru appeared before him, when he questioned his guru about the vision, his guru was unaware of his own visual manifestation on the battlefield that day. This shocked Faqir and led him to question things. Later on he found out that people had vision's of Faqir himself in which people claimed that Faqir gave them advice to find safety. Evidently, Faqir had no knowledge of his own manifestations in people's lives or anyone's troubles, therefore causing him to doubt his own visions and all religious visions and miracles (Lane, 96). In general, his experiences defied logic and he began to realize what was really happening.
In the book David Lane explains the Chandian effect, which brings logic to what was happening with these visions. Lane states that visions have two things in common: First, the person who has the visions is 100% sure that the vision, (which is a projection of a form such as a guru or other religious figure) is real. Second, the form (religious figure) is not consciously aware of any of this visions (Lane 15). According to Faqir Chand, what is in fact happening is that religious visions and miracles are created or manifested by the devotees themselves internally, and not by an external divine power. Furthermore, visions of one guru or form appear in many different places at once, and only deal with what the person who has the vision needs at the time (Lane, 55). Evidently, it is not possible for one guru to be aware of so many people's problems and be there for everyone at the same time. I don't think anyone's brain has that cognitive ability or capacity. Therefore, people just create this visions in their minds because they are in great danger or in great need and these visions, like near death experiences, help them survive.
Faqir Chand's experiences are important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles because he was a master guru who people saw in their own visions but he did not believe in them for a few reasons. David Lane teaches us in the book "The Unknown Sage", Chand's "unknowing" hypothesis. This hypothesis claims that guru's are not aware of any of the visionary manifestations their devotees have of them or the miracles they allegedly performed. For example, the first time Chand experienced this revelation was during the first World War when he thought he had a vision of his guru Shiv Brat Lal. In the vision, Faqir's guru gave him instructions that led to him to safety. Although Faqir firmly believed that his guru appeared before him, when he questioned his guru about the vision, his guru was unaware of his own visual manifestation on the battlefield that day. This shocked Faqir and led him to question things. Later on he found out that people had vision's of Faqir himself in which people claimed that Faqir gave them advice to find safety. Evidently, Faqir had no knowledge of his own manifestations in people's lives or anyone's troubles, therefore causing him to doubt his own visions and all religious visions and miracles (Lane, 96). In general, his experiences defied logic and he began to realize what was really happening.
In the book David Lane explains the Chandian effect, which brings logic to what was happening with these visions. Lane states that visions have two things in common: First, the person who has the visions is 100% sure that the vision, (which is a projection of a form such as a guru or other religious figure) is real. Second, the form (religious figure) is not consciously aware of any of this visions (Lane 15). According to Faqir Chand, what is in fact happening is that religious visions and miracles are created or manifested by the devotees themselves internally, and not by an external divine power. Furthermore, visions of one guru or form appear in many different places at once, and only deal with what the person who has the vision needs at the time (Lane, 55). Evidently, it is not possible for one guru to be aware of so many people's problems and be there for everyone at the same time. I don't think anyone's brain has that cognitive ability or capacity. Therefore, people just create this visions in their minds because they are in great danger or in great need and these visions, like near death experiences, help them survive.