Siddhis (Yoga)

Physical austerities lead to power to heal and to work miracles, including the ability to become invisible, levitation and occult powers. According to Patanjali, the performing of [samyama]

leads to these extraordinary powers but the occult powers are of trivial importance compared with the higher states of consciousness also included in the meaning of siddhis. The former can distract the mind from its true goal of transcending the illusory side of life, since they are part of the illusion. They may appeal to negative traits which have been dropped through incessant practice of inner unification, such as pride, hedonism and extroversion - this temptation pandering to the appetite for power and domination. Therefore the student of yoga should remain indifferent to them until he has completely conquered his lower nature, when such powers may be used to help others. The adept will then have supreme wisdom which makes misuse of these powers impossible, the importance of siddhis being the means for finding the ultimate truth through self-realization.

Examples of the powers of siddhis are: the ability to withdraw into one's causal body and thus obtain direct knowledge of one's previous incarnations; through knowledge of mental images to establish clairvoyant knowledge of the minds of others; by performing samyama on form, prevent light from the body reaching the eye of another and thereby be rendered invisible; by performing samyama on the nature of change to understand the nature of time itself. There is some discussion as to whether siddhis refer to the physical level or whether they are subtle powers which do not manifest physically.