The Siddhis | The Powers | Yoga Sutra’s

Where did the idea of “Powers” come from?

Part three of the Yoga Sutra’s:

Learn about the healing powers, and miraculous powers of Jesus.

Yoga Sutras, written about 2500 years ago, tell us in matter- of-fact terms, that if you sit quietly, pay close attention to your mind, and practice these methods in The Yoga Sutra’s diligently, then you too will gain “supernormal powers.”

These advanced capacities, known as siddhis, are not regarded as magical; they’re ordinary capacities that everyone possesses.

(These powers can also be attained by ingesting certain drugs, through contemplation of sacred symbols, repetition of affirmation, or through a “fortuitous birth.”)

In the yogic tradition, powers gained through use of affirmation, amulets, or drugs are not regarded with as much respect, or considered to be as permanent, as those earned through dedicated meditative practice. 🤷‍♂️

The powers are not due to magic, but rather a natural consequence of merging with the object of focus.

Patanjali

For example, if one focuses on another person, in samyama one becomes the other person. The power that arises is what we would call telepathy.

The promise of these superpowers has little to do with traditional religious faith, divine intervention, or supernatural miracles. All these abilities are also described in one form or another in shamanism and in the mystical teachings of religions.

In fact, most cultures throughout history have taken for granted that superpowers are real.

Patanjali writes that the powers are attained after mastery of the last three steps of the eightfold path: the ability to simultaneously sustain: concentration, meditation, and samadhi, at will. Samyama = Extraordinary Focus of the Mind. “Sustained” in this context means holding a highly focused, unwavering, deeply absorbed meditative state (as opposed to ruminating, or obsessive mental chattering)

Here is my take on chapter three of The Yoga Sutra’s, The chapter on superpowers and supernatural abilities.