What is sixth sense?
Articles By Spiritual Science Research Foundation
Sixth sense or subtle perception ability is our ability to perceive the subtle dimension or the unseen world of angels, ghosts, heaven etc. It also includes our ability to understand the subtle cause and effect relationship behind many events, which is beyond the understanding of the intellect. Extrasensory perception (ESP), clairvoyance, premonition, intuition are synonymous with sixth sense or subtle perception ability. Throughout this website we use the words sixth sense, ESP and subtle perception ability interchangeably.
* How do we perceive and understand the unseen world?
We perceive the gross (seen) world through the five physical senses (i.e. smell, taste, sight, touch and sound), our mind (our feelings) and our intellect (decision making capacity).
When it comes to the unseen world or the subtle world, we perceive it through the five subtle senses, the subtle mind and the subtle intellect - more popularly known as our sixth sense. When the sixth sense is developed or activated, it helps us to experience the subtle world or subtle dimension. This experience of the subtle world is also known as a ‘spiritual experience’.
* Sixth sense perception through the five subtle sense organs
The world is made from the five absolute cosmic elements (panchamahabhoota). These cosmic elements cannot be seen but make up all of creation. When our sixth sense gets activated, we begin to perceive these absolute elements progressively, beginning from the most gross to the most subtle. Thus we are able to perceive them in the order of the Absolute Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether elements through our subtle sense of smell, taste, vision, touch and sound respectively.
* How does one develop the sixth sense?
The subtle world is all around us, however we cannot perceive this world. Even though we cannot perceive the subtle world, it impacts our lives to a great extent. In order to tune into this world we need a ‘spiritual antenna’ i.e. our sixth sense to be awakened. Our sixth sense grows when we do spiritual practice.
This is akin to a television set that gives a black and white speckled blur when it is not connected to an antenna. Even if the television station is transmitting signals, the television set cannot catch them until it is connected to an antenna. In the same way, the subtle world and God's presence is constantly around us but we do not perceive it until we start doing spiritual practice which in turn enables our sixth sense.
Sometimes we see people have the ability to perceive the subtle world from a very young age even though they have not done any spiritual practice. The reason for this is that they have attained the requisite spiritual level from spiritual practice done in a past birth (previous life). Another reason this may happen is because they have been possessed by a ghost (sorcerer) since childhood. In this case it is actually the sorcerer’s sixth sense that is displayed.
* Sixth sense (ESP) and Gender
Females in general have stronger sixth sense than men. An extrasensory perception (ESP) ability comes more naturally to women and they are more likely to be intuitive than men. One of the main reasons for this is that men are more intellectually oriented and tend more towards the rational side.
* Spiritual experiences involving the subtle mind and subtle intellect
Sometimes one experiences a strange feeling of homecoming when seeing a totally unknown house, a premonition of impending disaster or feels unending love for a person who is otherwise contrary to one’s liking. These are experiences through the subtle mind. Here we cannot comprehend the reason behind these feelings. Sometimes we hear about people who get information from the subtle dimension and who converse with beings in the subtle regions. The following paragraphs will explain this phenomenon in more detail.
1.1 How do people perceive this information?
People who receive knowledge from the subtle dimension generally receive it in three ways.
* By letting a subtle entity use one’s hand to write their message (known as automatic writing)
* By a vision where they can actually see the words or passages in front of their eyes
* Through thoughts
Among the above methods receiving the answer in thoughts is most subtle among the three ways.
1.2 Source of the knowledge
People who receive knowledge from the subtle dimension either get it:
* Automatically due to their ability to tap into the Universal Mind and Intellect or
* As answers to questions specifically asked by them to subtle entities. They are able to do this through their sixth sense through the medium of their subtle mind and intellect.
In both cases, the person understands the subtle dimension, but only a spiritually evolved person can differentiate whether the knowledge received is due to the first or second way. In most cases, the person converses with subtle bodies from the various subtle regions such as the nether world and hell and very rarely from a deity or God, that is the Universal Mind and Intellect.
The type and grade or level of information received depends on the spiritual level of the person receiving it.
Information from lower sources:
The information received from subtle bodies belonging to lower regions, i.e. either from regions such as the nether world or hell is mostly of a worldly nature and of importance only for a restricted part of the world and for a short time span. An example of this would be getting information about whether and when President Bush is going to declare war against Iran or which political party will come to power in a certain country.
The information received by Nostradamus is an example of this category. Nostradamus, himself at 50% spiritual level received the information from a subtle body at 40% spiritual level. Many of the mediums fall in this category of receiving knowledge.
A 40% spiritual level subtle body may receive knowledge that is beyond him from higher-level subtle bodies. Also, subtle bodies of the same or slightly higher level having the requisite knowledge, may pass it on. This is like a mason asking for knowledge about architecture or carpentry from another person.
Knowledge from higher sources:
Knowledge received from subtle bodies from higher regions like the Mahaloka (beyond heaven) and above, is of a spiritual nature. The knowledge obtained is progressively of more universal need and of lasting importance in terms of a time span of centuries. Receiving divine knowledge from the Universal Mind and Universal Intellect (i.e. mind and intellect aspects of God) is of the highest kind
To correctly ascertain the source of the knowledge or its accuracy, one would need to be of a very high spiritual level i.e. a Saint of 90% and above. For more information on all the subtle realms and regions please read the article 'Where does one go after physical death.
1.3 How does one know whether the knowledge received is from an external source or one’s own subconscious thoughts?
There are a few pointers, which suggest that the knowledge is being received from an external source as opposed to one’s own imagination.
* When the content of the knowledge is totally alien to the receiver’s field of knowledge. For example, there is a seeker of God who barely scraped through high school and yet receives complex diagrams of machines.
* The quantity of knowledge amassed is another indicator. A seeker of the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) has been receiving divine knowledge from the subtle dimension since 28 October 2003. Each day she receives over 15 – 20 A4 size pages of knowledge. This spiritual knowledge is currently being analysed and categorised for the benefit of humanity.
1.4 Factors that decide which person receives knowledge through the subtle intellect
There is a combination of factors that goes into deciding which person receives knowledge from the subtle. The spiritual level of a person is one of the key factors in deciding which person receives knowledge from the subtle. Besides the spiritual level, the factors that decide the acquiring of higher spiritual experiences, like the receipt of knowledge are:
* Motivation and intense yearning of the person,
* Necessity for God’s mission,
* Resolve and blessings of the Guru (a spiritual master and guide beyond the 70% spiritual level),
* Destiny of the person
It should be noted that if a person at a higher spiritual level is interested in acquiring knowledge of an inferior nature, for instance concerns about day-to-day happenings on Earth, even though he is capable of receiving knowledge from higher-level subtle bodies, he would receive such knowledge through lower level subtle bodies. In contrast, if a person at a comparatively lower level, e.g. 50%, has a deep motivation to learn the higher principles of spiritual sciences, he will receive knowledge from higher subtle bodies or subtle bodies from higher regions, especially if blessed by the Guru.
1.5 Sixth sense, premonitions and time and space
Sometimes people have premonitions of things to happen or a gut feel of events that have happened in the past. This is possible in two ways:
* Through subtle bodies: The premonition (information) has been put into their sub-conscious mind by subtle bodies. In most cases, the subtle bodies or entities are ghosts from the nether region or hell. These subtle bodies in some cases have the ability to see across time. If they themselves do not have this ability, they get the information from higher-level ghosts like higher sorcerers with this ability.
* Accessing the Universal Mind and Intellect: There are seven layers to the Universal Mind and Intellect. Depending on his grade of sixth sense, a person may be able to tap into a lower or higher layer of the Universal Mind and Intellect.
In almost all cases of premonition (a forewarning of the future), clairvoyance (information received from a distant place) and precognition (information received from a distant time) the information is received from subtle bodies and not through one’s ability to access the Universal Mind and Intellect. The harm that subtle bodies can cause has been explained in the next section.
1.6 Accuracy of knowledge received from the subtle world
A person generally receives knowledge from subtle bodies, with a spiritual level which is same as his and the accuracy and grade of knowledge is also the same. To understand this concept, consider a scale of 0 to 100%, wherein no knowledge is 0%, the lowest knowledge understood by the intellect is 1% and that available from the Universal Intellect is 100%.
* A person at the spiritual level of 40% generally receives knowledge from a subtle body of a corresponding spiritual level i.e. 40%, however the accuracy is also 40% and the grade of the knowledge is also 40%.
* Up to the spiritual level of 70%, the receipt of knowledge is more likely to be from ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) and hence it is accompanied by a proportion of black energy. Those unaware of the mechanisms of the receipt of knowledge may be ignorant of this aspect and hence blindly believe implicitly in all the knowledge received. If the knowledge is received through subtle bodies, there is a strong possibility that it may be incorrect in part or in entirety. The subtle bodies usually give some correct knowledge at the outset to garner belief. Once this is established, they go on to give varied degrees of incorrect or misleading information. Another important factor one has to consider is that the knowledge received from subtle bodies is always cloaked in black energy. This affects the recipient adversely in various ways like failing health, psychological weakness, clouded intellect etc. But this process is so gradual as to escape the attention of the person and his family and friends. If this knowledge-receiving process continues for some time, slowly the person becomes a virtual puppet in the hands of the subtle body to be used in various ways, to further the interests of the subtle body.
* But after the spiritual level of 70%, as the knowledge is given by positive subtle bodies like Saints and Sages in the higher regions above heaven, or is received through the media of the Universal Mind and Intellect, there is no black energy accompanying the knowledge.
* After attaining 70% spiritual level one starts receiving Absolute Knowledge from the universal Mind and Intellect.
There are various levels to understanding the negative aspect of the subtle dimension such as ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.), demonic possession and an attack by a ghost. Quite often, what people are able to experience is just the tip of the iceberg. It is only at a spiritual level of over 90% that one is able to perceive the entire spectrum of the subtle dimension.
* Misuse of sixth sense (ESP)
Sixth sense is to be used only for spiritual growth towards God-realisation which is the ultimate in spiritual growth. From a pure spiritual perspective, it is considered misuse when it is used for anything else, such as worldly matters. In other words, if a psychic uses his psychic ability to find out if a person is going to get married or get a job it is considered misuse from a spiritual perspective.
When sixth sense (ESP) is misused by a person who is psychic, over time two things happen:
1.1 They lose their ability. This generally happens over a 30 year period.
1.2 They become targets for sorcerers of higher spiritual strength.
Sorcerers initially give some genuine information, enough to gain the confidence of the person. However they later mislead them and the people they are guiding. In such cases, their psychic ability lasts for longer periods and may in fact appear to have improved steadily. But this psychic ability is not by virtue of the person but because of the sorcerer who is guiding the psychic. In such cases, the rare gift of sixth sense available to the person that could have been utilised for God-realisation is wasted on lesser matters.
The Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) is a volunteer non-profit organization. Over the past 20 years it has under-taken extensive and exhaustive research in the spiritual realm. It has recently begun to publish its spiritual research on its website www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org
In doing so, SSRF intends to demystify the spiritual realm and provide research that will help humanity to effectively alleviate difficulties in life.
© 2007 Spiritual Science Research Foundation.
Keywords: What is sixth sense, Spiritual Science Research Foundation, Extrasensory perception, clairvoyance, Intuition, intuitive, Articles, UK, Cape Town, South Africa
