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We live in a world that conceals almost all of its spiritual aspects.
Unless one has very sharp spiritual senses (which is something that be trained), it’s difficult to see beyond the physical. I realize many people will dismiss this as just some woo-woo childish belief, but pretty much everything that is happening in our lives can be attributed to spiritual cause. And I realize this is something our Rabbis rarely talk about… but maybe it’s because it should be obvious to any discerning Jew.
I mean, the Torah is filled with Mitzvot that are meant to cause an impact in the spiritual worlds. It should be obvious that our actions cause certain effects there that can be either good or detrimental even in the short run. In Shaar Ruach HaKodesh, Rabbi Chaim Vital teaches us that each word of prayer or study creates an angel that can later be accessed to grant us insights. He then goes on to describe the levels of prophecy.
Now, paranormal phenomena are real even when we don’t try to rationalize it.
Some of the most vivid accounts come from the Arizal, Rabbi Chaim Vital, the Baal Shem Tov, the chassidic rebbes, the Ben Ish Chai, R’ Yehuda Ptaya and many others. It’s happening whether we like or not, and it might be as simple as not finding an item and lack of sleep due to some “eerie feeling”, or downright terrifying like objects being flung around the house or full fledged possession.
Why does this happen, and more to the point: what exactly is happening?
Hashem created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
These were 6 “supernal” days (related to the 6 Sephirot of Chesed, Gevurah Tiferet, Netzach, Hod and Yesod) that certainly didn’t look at all as a regular day in our lives, because physically did not exist until Adam sinned. During Ben HaShemashot, the period between Shekiyah (sunset) and Tzet HaKochavim (nightfall), Hashem created the demons which were left half completed when Shabbat entered.
Because of this, demons have both spiritual and physical aspects. Some can choose whether to manifest to the naked eye or not and can exert strong influence in our world.
After Adam sinned, there was a massive breakage of the Sephirot and Partzufim of the spiritual worlds and this caused everything to acquire a physical aspect. Yet, the spiritual aspect remains all around us like a sea that engulfs us but is barely felt.
As readers of this website are probably aware, there are 4 main spiritual worlds:
According to Etz Chaim, the lowest world of Assiyah is almost entirely dominated by evil but has some holiness in it. Yetzirah is 50/50, Beriyah has more good than evil (but is intermixed), while Atzilut is almost 100% holiness (with evil separated from good).
Each spiritual world is a “world of its own”, with plains, mountains, cities, animals, people, angels and demons inhabiting it. They are not physical and have different laws. For example, proximity is given by likeness, not distance. The way to go up is by increasing one’s vibrational frequency, as well as increasing in holiness through the Torah, Mitzvot and Tikkun HaMiddot.
As science begins to accept it more and more, everything is basically energy, with successive degrees of ethereality, from the highest level of the soul down to the physical body. In meditating, we can access higher levels of consciousness and even feel the energy inside and outside of us.
When one meditates long enough and focuses his point of awareness outside of the body (plus a few more things), he can create what the Zohar calls a “Halukah D’Rabbanan” (the vestment of the sages), a “consciousness double”, and go out to explore the spiritual counterpart of the physical world. In New Age and pop culture, this is the practice known as Astral Travel and it’s an ancient technique practiced by pretty much all religions around the world.
Increasing one’s vibrational frequency takes him further up to the higher spiritual worlds where the light of Hashem is more visible and consequently, there’s less evil.
Here’s the problem though: just because one has an “out-of-body spiritual experience” it doesn’t mean it’s holy, good or even trustworthy. It could be the person can only reach the lowest realm of Assiyah, and have contact with lower level angels who know very little, or simply be in touch with demons.
Recall that up until Atzilut, one always runs the risk of being in contact with creatures of the Sitra Achra who want to siphon his holiness. The way they do it is by establishing a relationship of subjugation which involves one of the formal modes of Avoda Zarah as detailed in the Talmud such as incenses, libations sacrifices or bowing down. These are all, of course, forbidden by Halacha (if they are dedicated to the creature).
In best case scenarios, they may simply lie or try to scare the person. Yet, these entities generally won’t appear as nasty looking red-devils with pitchforks. One who is unaware can experience them as old sages wearing white with a “mission” or very fluffy compassionate blessings who may just ask “one little favor”.
One must be very careful with these types of contracts because while they might seem benign, the effects are sometimes only seen after death, in which case, the spiritual entity may hold the soul hostage. The litmus test of knowing whether one of these creatures is from the side of holiness or the Sitra Achra is by asking questions about the Torah. Anything that contradicts the Torah is definitely not holy and doesn’t have your best interests in mind, as we learn in Shaar Ruach HaKodesh by the Arizal.
Having said that the soul and spiritual realms are forms of energy, being able to harness and manipulate energy gives one the power to experience the spiritual worlds and alter reality (this is the basis for psychic powers and miracles). We are constantly interacting with the spiritual worlds as everyone knows the 4 levels of the soul inhabit them:
Based on all this, we can conclude that consciousness is a form of organized energy that is sentient. Energize yourself more and you can reach higher levels of consciousness and higher realms. Our Prophets and Jewish sages made conscious use of the higher part of their souls to materialize the desired effect in the physical world.
Angels and demons as well as a plethora of other entities like elementals therefore exist as “spiritual forms of consciousness” that usually inhabit the higher realms. The whole ritual of the Salamander mentioned in the Talmud Chaguigah 27A where a fire must be lit for 7 years, is essentially a way of taking one such spiritual creature and giving it physical form.
Energy manipulation at its finest, for sure.
(but don’t try this at home)
If someone would’ve asked me four years ago, I’d completely dismiss psychedelics as a form of idol worship that must be avoided at all costs. While I’m not an user, my perspective changed a lot and my research led me to understand a lot of healing can be done through them. I am not endorsing or condemning the use of psychedelics as I myself never really tried and know very little about it, but through a little research I found out they can be more beneficial and healthier than a lot of “kosher” products out there (safe and effective, anyone?).
Put simply: if someone would force me to choose between a triple glatt Kosher Mehadrin Big Mac or some Psilocybin, I’d have no qualms choosing the latter. But we digress.
Some psychedelics stimulate the centers of energy in the body and one can more easily effect change in the deeper parts of the soul. Some people can indeed peek into the spiritual worlds by removing the shackles awareness to outside the human body. This helps us understand a little better the fact that the body is sort of like an antenna to the soul, which is very mobile (with proper training).
At first glance this last bit might sound like a positive thing, but there are some dangers to be aware.
As mentioned before, if a person is not holy, he will attract negative forms of energy. Yet, this can happen even if he’s holy and discerning because demons can trip one into thinking that what he’s doing is a Mitzvah, when in reality, it’s a trap.
Another problem is that if one doesn’t have strong mind control and/or doesn’t have proper guidance, he may be confounded. Since he lacks proper energy control, the experience will be out of his control as well and this may end up in a “bad trip”. Yes, there is an element of “letting go” required, but that is the initial step to proper meditation and creating the Haluka d’Rabanan. Once you are out of body, you should be able to control yourself where you want to go and avoid potential dangers.
Namely, be conscious.
At its core, paranormal investigation (for lack of a better word) is the systematic exploration of phenomena that fall outside the realm of scientific explanation. From ghostly apparitions to unexplained energy fluctuations, these investigations seek to either substantiate or debunk claims of the supernatural.
“Supernatural” however is not a good word, together with “mysticism”, and “superstition”. I say this because psychic powers should not be considered “supernatural”, and the spiritual worlds should not be considered “mystical”, but part of Creation as a whole. Our sages did their miracles, and related those of the other nations very matter-of-factly.
Finally, our Jewish sages and mekubalim were not “superstitious”, we just don’t understand their words because they speak about the higher realms freely without concern for others. They understood the principles of Creation and of paranormal investigation far better than most of us, through direct experience.
Since our physical world is the counterpart of the spiritual Assiyah, and since everything is a function of energy and will, then it follows that we are heavily influenced by creatures from there. The energy might also manifest as moving objects, mood swings, voices and even visions. The effects are seen in the physical world, the causes rarely are.
As an aside, the allure of the unknown is a powerful force, as we are constantly trying to come closer to Hashem, which is ultimately unknown for being infinite. We all hope for the individual redemption of our soul, that one moment of clarity which will make all pain worth it and we will be healed both emotionally and mentally.
Many of the great Jewish sages as well as Rabbis from previous generations engaged in paranormal investigation, the most striking example being R’ Yehuda Ptaya in his book Ruchot Messaprot (the speaking spirits). In it, he relates the many times he exorcised spirits, brought about their Tikkunim and sometimes was even unable to help (which should be a good indicator of someone’s honesty).
R’ Yehuda Ptaya doesn’t mince words regarding his own feelings, his patients sins, and even his discoveries and his book is a treasure trove not only of Kabbalistic principles, but also strong Mussar to realize that life is not a joke. People are punished for big and small sins. People end up suffering and reincarnating against their will, and seldom is “negotiation” of any help.
As we say in Hebrew: There is justice, and there is a Judge.
And nothing escapes the true Judge, Hashem.
This article is merely an introduction to the very complex subject of paranormal investigation. We haven’t even touched on the subject of “cursed objects”, soul roots, apparitions, dreams, signs, mazalot, energy healing, and so on. The spiritual worlds are incredibly complex, with unparalleled beauty and wisdom from Hashem, and testify to his existence.
Funny thing, today’s paranormal investigators are armed with an array of technological tools designed to capture evidence of ghosts. There are EMF meters that detect fluctuations in electromagnetic fields and infrared cameras that can capture images in pitch darkness. Remember that soul is consciousness, and consciousness is energy, so these tools help capture energy fluctuations.
These are are all real but personally I believe nothing is as powerful and useful as the human mind.
Either way, this should give us a taste of what lies beyond the veil and learn a little to interpret our sages words because sometimes they are not talking about the physical reality. The spiritual realms have a time of their own and influence us directly whether we like it or not. Being close to Hashem is the best form of protection, but even that might require one to properly control and guard his soul.
Nevertheless, it’s all real, and it’s much closer than we think.
May Hashem help us reach our ultimate Tikkun.
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