Science Discovers Eternal Wisdom

Author(s): Amarendravijay, J D Lodaya, Bhuvanchandra
Publisher: Jain Sahitya Academy

Page 49

that there does indeed, exist an entity that transcends the body and its physical attributes. Sudden death following a heart attack is not very unusual now-a-days; but instances of Hatha-Yoga feats wherein voluntary control over vital functions like breathing, circulation and even heart-beat through one's will-power brings about a state of 'suspended animation for hours or days only to be reverted to normalcy later do hit the headlines in the newspapers now and again. Quite a few of them could be examples of journalistic sensationalism or hoaxes played upon the gullible to create an image of a godman with super-natural powers to earn cheap popularity and make easy money. However, it would be injustice to the science of Hatha-Yoga, if we fail to take notice of some genuine cases that have been proved authentic after stringent scrutiny by competent authorities.
Dr. Paul Brunton, an English journalist who visited India in search of mysticism, reports his personal experience in this field as follows:
On different occasions and different places in Asia and Africa, the writer has encountered yogis and faqueers who could exhibit the exceptional power of suspending the breath and stopping the heart and blood circulation, and who could even emerge alive after being 'buried' for some hours or days in an airless coffin or below ground. The author has carefully examined their feats in order to sift the imposters from the genuine owners of such exceptional powers. He is completely satisfied that these powers truly exist. Yet he does not wish to put forward such personal evidence in this connection; although one of these yogis was lately buried in a sealed cement tomb for no less than forty days. Independent and less disputable testimony exists - all dated as recently as 1936.
The first is a cutting from a reliable indian newspaper, The Madras Mail, British owned and edited by an
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