Is it possible to enter the distant past from the present? Could this be achieved without any external device or medium? This would sound impossible or fictitious to someone who believes in truth as only that verified by scientific theories or experiments. The superficial ‘intellectualism’ of modern science might deny such possibilities in general. But, the science of spirituality conveys quite the contrary in this regard. It affirms timeless subliminal existence of mind that could have a first hand experience of any instant of time – in the distant past or far ahead in the future.
Einstein’s theory of relativity has given a new direction to scientific thinking in terms of time as a fourth dimension. This theory approves the existence of the signals (energy waves) of every event, every activity that has or is going to take place in the 3d-space of our realization. If one reaches in different dimensions of existence, he would be able to experience these events as that of the present. If we want to experience the past in the present, we will have to catch the associated signals by moving along the time dimension with the speed of light.
In view of the above theoretical possibility, some trenchant researchers have also postulated the design of an ultra sensitive radio device that could be tuned at different wavelengths in the time dimension. Thus, if the ‘pointer’ of this ‘time-free’ radio set is adjusted to 500 years back, we would be able to hear (and also see on an attached television device) the communication between the people of the 15th century. Moving it 5000 years back would enable us listen to the Bhagavat Gita live in the voice of Lord Krishna that he had preached Arjun during the War of Mahabharata.
The radio sets found in almost every house today would have been imaginary few hundred years ago. But now, as we all see, the scientific advancement and technological development has made it such a common and easy mode of wireless transmission, that even a teenager in the countryside could be seen holding it in a pocket and listening to the live commentary or radio program of his choice from anywhere in the world. This is what could be thought of the hypothetical ‘timeless radio’ of today in the centuries ahead. The live examples of people experiencing the past illustrate the feasibility of realizations in the higher dimensions and also indicate the existence of this kind of a timeless sensor in the human mind.
It is reported to have occurred on August 10, 1901. Anne Moberly, the principal of the Saint Hughes women’s college of the Oxford University was strolling in the beautiful gardens of the Palace of Versailles in France. Mrs. Eleanor Jordan, the vice-principal of her college was also with her. It was a pleasant afternoon.
170 The fragrance of colorful flowers, the thick rows of trees, were adding to the picturesque charm of the surroundings. But somehow these two ladies were not able to enjoy this soothing experience. An unprecedented gloom was induced in their minds. There was no apparent reason for them to be in a dull mood. They were stunned at this sudden and peculiar experience. They were both feeling so depressed and tired that they did not even talk to each other.
They had earlier planned to see the Petit Triannen that was supposed to be ahead of this garden. This portion of the palace of Versailles was once upon a time the residence of King Luis XVI and Queen Antoinette. The two ladies continued walking as per the map in their hands. But suddenly they found that they have lost their way. Each one was feeling as though she is walking in a subconscious state of dreaming.
Moments later, they saw lots of activities going on in that garden. Two men came near and guided these ladies to proceed straight. They were looking like gardeners. They were wearing long green coats and typical triangular hats that were supposed to be in fashion in France over hundred years ago in France. As Mrs. Moberly and Mrs. Jordan walked ahead, they saw an old man sitting beneath a huge tree. He too was clad in antique attire. He appeared quite cruel.
The ladies were scared to ask him anything. But moments later, there appeared another man in similar dress. He showed them the entrance of the Petit Triannen.
Well, now they were in front of the majestic piece of French architecture. A charming woman was sitting in the front lawns of this palace. She seemed to be painting something. She looked at Mrs. Anne Moberly. Her sight appeared to be electrified, which shook Anne from within. But she did not ask anything. Anne and her friend walked inside the palace. With this the heaviness of their hearts and the depressed mood had disappeared. They felt thrilled to see a royal wedding ceremony inside the palace. They came out after spending sometime there.
The lady sitting in the lawn had disappeared by now. None of the guys who showed them the direction, the gardeners, etc, were seen around. The palace and the garden were deserted as they saw it in the beginning of their visit. They were so engrossed in their own thoughts about their experience that did not discuss much with each other.
About a week later, when Anne sat to write about her Versailles-trip to one of her friends, she began to feel the same heaviness of mind and depression that she had during the visit to the Petit Triannen. The feeling was so intense that she could not help discussing it with Mrs. Jordan who had accompanied her the other day. It was a pleasant surprise for both of them to know that each one had
171 experienced the same peculiar mood and events except that Mrs. Jordan had not seen any woman sitting the lawns of that mysterious palace. Now they were sure that it was something more than a mere illusion or dream. They noted down this strange experience and thought of studying the facts in detail back home.
They both returned to England after the one-month assignment in France. They approached some psychologists and historians regarding that unusual experience. The history of the palace of Versailles revealed that 109 years ago, King Luis and Queen Antoine were imprisoned in Paris on the same day (August 10) in 1792. The couple had suffered severe mental and physical torture in the same palace. Perhaps the subtle vibrations of their agony were experienced by the unconscious minds of Mrs. Moberly and Mrs. Jordan on that particular day (August 10) as they reached near the personal palace of this royal couple.
Further details confirmed that the decoration of the palace, its gardens, the attire of the French people during that period (around 1790s) matched with what these ladies had seen in and around the Petit Triannen. Anne was thrilled to look at a picture of the Queen Marry Antoine in one of the volumes of French History. It depicted the same pretty woman whom Anne had seen sitting alive on the Lawns!
The two teachers were curious to know of and experience more of the past phase of history. After about two years, they again visited the palace of Versailles. But things had changed drastically in this short span. Neither the palace, nor the garden looked so engrossing as they did two years ago! The local staff and people however confirmed that there was no change in the appearance of the place since past two decades or so… Now there was no doubt left that what these two ladies had visited and experienced on the 10th August 1901 was the palace and garden of 1792! They had had a live visit in the past – more than a century ago!
These learned ladies had compiled this supernormal experience in their joint book entitled “An Adventure”. Here, they also elucidated the possibility of traversing different horizons of time and space when the past coincides with the present.
As per the other reports, a French family had also experienced similar incident in that garden and palace of Versailles on August 10, 1907. Some researchers argue that –– specific signals emitted from the dense biomagnetic fields, created in the past (because of the intense emotional reactions and thought waves of people in the past) might be received by the compatible bioelectrical sensors in the brains of these tourists in suitable condition of the latter’s mind. The latter could therefore experience the past events associated with those energy fields.
172 Lt. Col. David Smith of the Gammery Town, England had published a report on live experience of the past in a local newspaper, somewhere around 1900-01. He described –”My son has a big farmhouse in Davon. It is situated far away from the town. The nearest house is about two kilometers from here. One day, when my son was milking the cows behind the house at around 7:30 am, he heard the loud sound of horse-tops. As though an army was marching nearby. He could also hear the harsh jingling of the weapons used in the earlier period of history.
He thought it to be a part of shooting of a film on historical wars... In order to have a clear view of the situation, he came to the outer compound. Two of his servants were also there. They had gone running on the outside road after hearing that unusual noise. But none of them could see anything. However, the noise was clear as though, hundreds of soldiers and their horses were sojourning in my son’s house!. It lasted for about an hour’s time. My son is eager to know if some one could help the mystery behind this strange experience”.
In response to the above report, Mrs. C.I. Fox wrote to Col. Smith that her uncle had had a similar experience in that region. He had also seen an army that appeared to belong to the ancient times. But he could not understand the language in which the soldiers were conversation. Further inquiry revealed that, over a thousand years ago there was a cantonment of the Roman Army in that area. At times, people see some Roman Soldiers of the earlier centuries roving in the fields here. These fields are supposed to be the graveyard of the martyrs of that period. The march-fast of the army and the artillery practices seem to be repeated there quite frequently. Some people experience its sound and some even get a glimpse of it through the naked eyes! Significant numbers of such experiences are reported mostly at the times before or during a war.
Some historical events of England are also reported to be seen by people in the countryside. King Charles-I had also arranged for investigating such experiences.
The “Justice of Peace”, Sir William Wood had carried out these investigations and found them true. In one such incident, the villagers had experienced harsh sound of drums and bands preceded by painful groaning of wounded soldiers between 12 noon and 1pm. Several of the tourists and shepherds who happened to pass through that village on the particular afternoon had also heard this horrifying noise of a battlefield. The villagers were terribly frightened and started running away. Soon they found themselves surrounded by the armed force on horses. The soldiers were all loaded by heavy weapons. One side of the army-men was holding the flag of the Parliament and the other side was the royal military. This replay of a war of several centuries ago continued for about an hour. Many villagers even fainted due to this horror of a ‘Ghost Army’.
173 The experiences of these kinds are often found to be more frequent in the areas, which were once upon a time part of some battlefield, cantonment or graveyards.
One such field in Madras was also in the news for quite some time. Once in a year, people used to experience the camping of some army of early centuries.
They would clearly hear the neighing of hundreds of horses, the terrorizing sounds of the Rañabheri (bugles of battlefield). The soldiers, their horses and elephants, the tents of their camping would also be visible in the faint light of the evening.
At a superficial level of scientific thinking, one might discard such experiences as frauds, illusions or blind faith. However, those who have deeper vision into the existence of higher dimensions – especially the fourth dimension (of time), beyond the three-dimensional space in the periphery of our perception, would prefer scientific investigations in greater detail. They accept this possibility as realization beyond the spatio-temporal constraints of physical existence.
However, the basic question that puzzles them is – “how to experiment in this abstract domain of existence?” Some researchers of this branch of physical sciences are also keen to resolve whether one could travel in such higher dimensions of existence, in any domain of past or future at will? If yes, how?
The science of yoga provides an answer. It affirms the possibility of such experiences in reality with the help of aroused faculties of consciousness hidden in the human mind. The Puranas cite ample examples of the ancient rishis who were able to know and describe the past several lives of any one so precisely as though they were watching a live telecast of the corresponding events. The yogis of the later ages too have proved that the supernormal attainments of the rishi age are indeed feasible for a devoted s³dhakas who enlightens and merges his mind in the sublime core of spiritual powers of the inner self.
The s³dhan³s of yoga are known to enable emancipation of individual consciousness from the bonds of space and time that normally restrain its gross domain of experiences in the physical body. And thus let one realize the higher dimensions of existence in what otherwise remains a subtle or anti-world for us.
The past phases of time too, as specified in the theory of relativity, exist in such
‘subliminal’ dimensions. The siddha yogis without leaving their physical (gross) body can therefore access the past as a live instance of the present.
According to the Indian Philosophy of Karma, the existence of an action (deed) of the past will remain alive (in the present and the future too) till the concerned subject has experienced the pleasures or penalty of its phala (ultimate reaction or consequence). The ‘online recording’ of the karmas performed by us in any instance of time, in any life, remains alive in the inner core (called citta) of our
174 mind. This is what is referred in the Sharstrik Scriptures as “Chitragupta”, who maintains the ‘gazette’ of one’s destiny.
The Indian Philosophy affirms the individual consciousness – the soul element, as inseparable from the omnipresent, eternal consciousness. It therefore has a reach in the infinite dimensions of existence too. We do not experience it in the gross body because we, though inadvertently and ignorantly, experience the relative existence of our perception and conceptualization as absolute. Our conscious mind remains engrossed in this mirage of the present time and the 3d-space within the periphery of its perceptions. The moment our inner mind gets aroused and activated, it experiences the subtle world as alive, beyond the boundaries of past, present or future.
It is a pity that the science of consciousness that was discovered and employed in reality by the Indian rishis and yogis of yore was largely misinterpreted or misused in the medieval times of history and still continues to be so in the modern times. The immature s³dhakas driven by the excitement of success in the initial stages of siddhis and the fake yogis have made “yoga” as a profession to cheat and exploit people in the name of miracles and magical attainments of tantra and yoga s³dhan³s. This has, to a great extent, waned out the faith and interest of the scientifically enlightened minds in this great ancient science.
The fundamentals and depths of knowledge generated under the science of yoga is supposed to be so vast and complete that its validity and relevance could be researched and experimented even today. The modern scientists interested in investigating the timeless existence may come forward and re-establish the facts concerning the live experience of the distant past – that have been approved by the science of yoga since the time immemorial in history.
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