Questions re Kriya Yoga, Yogananda and Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF)

Spirituality
#1

Hello Everyone :slight_smile:

I found this forum while I was trying to find answers to certain questions that are related to yoga and Kriya Yoga specifically.
During a short time I read some posts on other threads on this forum where some concerns and/or questions similar to mine have been discussed, so I feel more encouraged to ask mine as well.

Based on the information provided on the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) website first I found the teachings and the information regarding the associated yoga compelling, because they promise to be the way to “find God” and to attain “unity with God” and find “God’s eternal bliss” through a direct personal experience, but I started to have doubts after I looked at their claims a little closer.

The aims and ideals of this fellowship that represents and offers these teachings and techniques for personal sale include the following:

(Source: The “Aims and Ideals” on the referred website)

(Source: The “Frequently Asked Questions” page on the SRF website)

The above claims - as well as many others listed on the SRF website - are very strong claims and many of them are contradictory to one another. These claims also imply their scientific validity as they are called “definite scientific techniques” and the “scientific methods of yoga” in attaining direct personal experience and unity with God.

I was searching the “Contact us” section on the website for an email address at which I could ask my questions directly from them, but I haven’t found any. So I was wondering if anyone on this forum who is knowledgeable and/or has experience with Yogananda’s teachings, the SRF, and Kriya Yoga, could explain/answer the following questions:

  • How can Yogananda and his followers scientifically prove that someone’s personal experience and the “truths” derived from such experience - either Yogananda’s or that of others - are with objective and scientific validity?

  • On what objective basis do they call their yoga methods “scientific” and what exactly is their definition of science and scientific method?

  • If their claim of scientific method has the assumption of objective and verifiable validity - which it has to, otherwise it contradicts the core concept of the definition of science - how can they prove with objective validity and verifiability that their path provides faster results than other spiritual paths? Do they have access to all other personal experiences and individual paths? What scientific method do they use to objectively compare the different individual experiences regarding their effectiveness and “speed” to lead to certain spiritual goals and how can they objectively verify the results of such comparison? How can they scientifically and with objective validity measure one’s speed in spiritual development and the opposite effect which they call a “diluting” effect? Where can we read such research results from peer-reviewed sources that are accepted and/or debated by the scientific community?

  • What kind of scientific proof they can provide that the personal experiences through these yoga and meditation practices are from God, rather than from hallucinations, self-hypnosis, or some other not-shared mental states? (The perceived “beauty” of these personal images, “bliss” or other effects perceived as positive do not necessarily imply the presence of God.)

  • If we assume the existence of God and the spiritual realm, how can they scientifically prove that the experience attained through these methods is from and with God rather than from some other, possibly misleading and malevolent spirits of the spiritual realm?
    The very fact that a human being is abundantly prone to such deception/delusion is a well-known fact in religious studies and for example evident from Teresa de Avila’s - a Christian/Catholic saint’s - personal accounts as well, whom Yogananda in his own books nevertheless uses as a “reference” to support his statements on the subject.

  • Another question beyond the above: In addition to those of Kriya Yoga, do the practitioners and teachers of other forms/types of yoga and/or meditation claim as well that their methods eventually lead to a personal unity with God or this is a special case?

Thank you in advance from your help and advice.

#2

The best way to respond to your question is to ask you another: What is the definition of the word “science?”

From Merriam Webster:

Science:

  1. the state of knowing : knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding

  2. a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study

Kriya Yoga is most definitely a scientific method/technique. Why? Because it utilizes the “operation of general laws” in a systematic way to obtain a particular result, Self-knowledge, via the silencing of the mind. It does not ask us to simply have faith in the promise of a heaven or paradise to come but yields, by degrees, direct results here and now. Look, you will have to experience this by yourself to be convinced. No one can do this for you. Until then everything is merely speculation and questions. I highly recommend that you do so. If you are earnest and sincere in your aim and your efforts, you will surely get results very, very quickly.

#3

Hi Yoga_questions,

Yes, yoga is scientific. Because all the effects of the exercises and techniques are described in the classical yoga-scriptures.
You’ve written so much so i don’t think i would be able to answer all your questions at once with a short reply, but from what i read i think you questions are normal for someone, who has not started practicing yet. My advise is - if you have interest in kriya-yoga, try practicing it and see for yourself whether you will get the described results. If not, then you are free to leave it anytime you want.

Swami Sivananda has said:“An ounce of practice is better than tons of theory”.

Let’s assume you have never tasted an apple, and i start describing it to you or you read about the taste of an apple in a book. Would that be the same as trying it out yourself? We can talk for ages, but until you try it yourself you will never know.

That is why the teacher of Yogananda, Sri Yukteswar Giri has said:

“Do not confuse understanding with a larger vocabulary. Sacred writings are beneficial in stimulating desire for inward realization, if one stanza at a time is slowly assimilated. Otherwise, continual intellectual study may result in vanity, false satisfaction, and undigested knowledge.”

#4

Hello Aerial and Yogam, :slight_smile:
and thank you for your replies.

I plan to reply to you both at length but, yes, since it is really a complex topic, now I would only like to focus on the “scientific” claim of yoga.

Yogam wrote:
“Yes, yoga is scientific. Because all the effects of the exercises and techniques are described in the classical yoga-scriptures.”

By the same token any classical description in any scriptures (for example the Bible) are to be considered scientific. Just because a description provided in a scripture is about yoga and it includes the term “technique” and because these techniques are to manipulate one’s physical body, breathing and brain, it does not make either the scriptures or the techniques of yoga, or the interpretation of its results any scientific. It is especially NOT proven - either scientifically or otherwise - that these techniques lead to one’s unity with God, and definitely not that these would lead to God faster than other spiritual paths.

The term “science” is simply misused with reference to certain inner, subjective experiences that are derived from artificially triggered mental/physical states and/or from one’s experience resulting from these states.
My point is: it is contradictory to the term “scientific” to claim that these inner experiences - either if data on these are systematically collected or otherwise - would signify any scientific knowledge of someone’s experiencing God’s presence.

Yogam’s metaphor about explaining how an apple tastes actually proves my point. If I report to you guys that right now I am tasting something like an apple, it remains my own isolated, empirical experience and from my report no scientific knowledge could be derived, unless it would be objectively and externally verified that I am actually eating something and what I am eating is actually an apple.

[B]The reliability of my personal report of tasting an apple would be especially doubtful if the very condition of my tasting an apple would first require that I would practise certain yoga techniques that would change my brain cells and would give me physical sensations coming from my altered mind and body state. [/B]

My other point is that my report of eating an apple is objectively verifiable and falsifiable - and that is the very condition to obtain scientific knowledge against any delusion or ignorance - whereas someone’s report of experiencing God is not. In lack of such verification we are left with your faith in my report and I am left with my own experience. [B]Such is the incompatible difference between science and faith[/B], and this significant difference should be also recognised by the advocates of yoga.

The other questions I asked earlier still remain valid. Why and how does Kriya Yoga produce faster results in spiritual development and reaching unity with God than other spiritual paths and how and [B]on what systematic comparisons such claim is scientifically proven? Where is any scientific research to attempt to substantiate such claim? [/B]

I would love to know what you think and to hear the others’ opinion too - form potential Kriya Yoga candidates and from those who have already experienced the effects of it.

#5

[QUOTE=Yoga_questions;67340]
The other questions I asked earlier still remain valid. Why and how does Kriya Yoga produce faster results in spiritual development and reaching unity with God than other spiritual paths and how and on what comparisons such claim is scientifically proven? Where is any scientific research to attempt to substantiate such claim? [/QUOTE]

Hi Yoga_questions,

i think the important point here, is that under “scientifically proven” you mean to be comprehended with the mind and be logically derived in the mind. But the aim of kriya-yoga, the state of yoga, is beyond the mind. So this is a contradiction. Always when i have a problem explaining something i go back to the classical scriptures. Here is what Patanjali writes in the Yogasturas about kriya-yoga:

tapah svadhyaya ishvara pranidhana kriya-yoga | [I](Patanjali, Yoga Sutra II, 1.)[/I]

That means kriya-yoga (the yoga of action) contains tapah (self discipline), svadhyaya (self study) and ishvara pranidhanani (trust and belief in god).

So i think the question is - how can you attain yoga, if you leave one of this out?

#6

[QUOTE=yogam;67342]Hi Yoga_questions,

i think the important point here, is that under “scientifically proven” you mean to be comprehended with the mind and be logically derived in the mind. But the aim of kriya-yoga, the state of yoga, is beyond the mind. So this is a contradiction. Always when i have a problem explaining something i go back to the classical scriptures. Here is what Patanjali writes in the Yogasturas about kriya-yoga:

tapah svadhyaya ishvara pranidhana kriya-yoga

That means kriya-yoga (the yoga of action) contains tapah (self discipline), svadhyaya (self study) and ishvara pranidhanani (trust and belief in god).

So i think the question is - how can you attain yoga, if you leave one of this out?[/QUOTE]

Hello Yogam:

If yoga is beyond the mind, then it is definitely beyond the realm of anything that can be scientifically approached/known/proven.
The contradiction you have in mind is between faith and science. If the alleged spiritual effects of yoga cannot be approached/explained through our rational faculties, then they stay in the realm of faith and has nothing to do with science.

You wrote:
“That means kriya-yoga (the yoga of action) contains tapah (self discipline), svadhyaya (self study) and ishvara pranidhanani (trust and belief in god).”

The above has nothing to do with science either.

I hope you don’t mind if I wish to stay at my original question related to the scientific claim of yoga, rather than turning this thread towards discussing yours.

#7

[QUOTE=Yoga_questions;67343]
I hope you don’t mind if I wish to stay at my original question related to the scientific claim of yoga, rather than turning this thread towards discussing yours.[/QUOTE]

No problem, this is what forums are about. But still yoga is scientific, because the state of yoga experienced by a person, has an influence on the body, which can be measured. (If that is what you are looking about). People who have attained yoga, attain control over the breath and the heart and are able to hold/stop both of them for a long period.
If you look for scientific proves, the way you described them, then read this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_wave#Relation_to_meditation

#8

[QUOTE=yogam;67344]No problem, this is what forums are about. But still yoga is scientific, because the state of yoga experienced by a person, has an influence on the body, which can be measured. (If that is what you are looking about). People who have attained yoga, attain control over the breath and the heart and are able to hold/stop both of them for a long period.[/QUOTE]

I will look into the article but I highly doubt that the article provides scientific proof that what someone experiences through Yoga is the presence of God. It appears to me that my question about the scientific claim is still misunderstood. Whatever can be measured through someone’s practising yoga is merely the physiological/psychological and physical effects of it - however none of these effects prove that the person is actually experiencing the presence of God; especially not his “unity” with God. Therefore any claim to consider Yoga a scientific and faster way to reach God remains a fallacy and a false claim that clearly and by definition contradicts the distinction between science and faith.

From the above it follows that whenever any yoga practice claims to be a “scientific” way to reach God, - as opposed to other spiritual paths - [B]it implies a consistent misuse of the term science and scientific[/B], which may be done either intentionally or out of ignorance. On a side note, which may answer your question: in both cases it is a warning sign for me to attempt to experience anything that is based on such grand-scale ignorance and/or dishonesty.

#9

[QUOTE=Yoga_questions;67346]I will look into the article but I highly doubt that the article provides scientific proof that what someone experiences through Yoga is the presence of God. It appears to me that my question about the scientific claim is still misunderstood. Whatever can be measured through someone’s practising yoga is merely the physiological/psychological and physical effects of it - however none of these effects prove that the person is actually experiencing the presence of God; especially not his “unity” with God. Therefore any claim to consider Yoga a scientific and faster way to reach God remains a fallacy and a false claim that clearly contradicts the distinction between science and faith by definition.
[/QUOTE]

We said we are going back to the original question, but here we are again. From the above you can say you want to prove the existence of God. Then you want to prove the unity with God in yoga. But this is impossible. If God exists and is the creator of the universe, according to samkhya philosphy, how would that be possible except in the process of unity?

[QUOTE=Yoga_questions;67346]
From the above it follows that whenever any yoga practice claims to be a “scientific” way to reach God, - as opposed to other spiritual paths - [B]it implies a consistent misuse of the term science and scientific[/B], which may be done either intentionally or out of ignorance. On a side note which may answer your question: in both cases it is a warning sign for me to attempt to experience anything that is based on such grand-scale ignorance and/or dishonesty.[/QUOTE]

If God was scientifically measurable, then we ourselves will be gods. And it is sad, when someone actually try to be one, without haven’t attained that state. In yoga this is called ego (ahamkar). The ego binds us to the material world and out or ignorance assumes this material world is the only existence/reality. That is why i mentioned the Yogasutras of Patanjali, then ishvara pranidhanani is essential. Science, we know it today, is an empirical process - we assume that if we are unable to observe something or prove its existence with the help of something we are able to observe, then this thing does not exist. Science takes the phenomenons of this world as its base, so how is it possible to get to the root of the phenomenons, assuming these roots are outside of this visible world?

#10

Arial: Your claim that someone who is “earnest and sincere in his aim and efforts would very quickly” get the results of reaching “heaven or paradise” contradicts the Self-Realization Fellowship/ FAQ page, which says that spiritual development is a gradual process and "sometimes those who are making the greatest progress have few or no spiritual experiences as “evidence.”

Source: SRF website / FAQs / “How do I know if I am making spiritual progress?”

From the above it is clear that Kriya Yoga does NOT offer anything more than the results coming from other faiths and spiritual paths. (Or inasmuch as yoga offers something else, it is the effects of certain brain cell-altering yoga techniques .)

Many millions from other religions who are steadfastly making spiritual effort and courageously facing life’s daily challenges are making the greatest progress — even if they are not aware of a tangible response from God - and they testify to have positive changes that take place within them: an increasing sense of well-being and security, calmness, joy, deeper understanding, release from bad habits, and a growing love and desire for God. In order to achieve these results they however do NOT need either yoga techniques or other forms of physical/physiological manipulation of the body and mind.

Regarding your claim that one needs to be “earnest and sincere in his aim and efforts” to experience yoga:
First, one relevant aspect of science is that it only needs an unbiased and sceptical mind to produce scientifically verifiable results, and it does not take any efforts - either earnest or not - for any individual to practise and force his mind, body and perception into an unnatural and altered state.
Second, those individuals and organisations who offer yoga as a spiritual practice and as a “scientific” and the fastest one among any other spiritual paths should demonstrate their earnest and sincere efforts and aims to substantiate their claims on an objectively verifiable basis.

#11

[QUOTE=Yoga_questions;67350]Arial: Your claim that someone who is “earnest and sincere in his aim and efforts would very quickly” get the results of reaching “heaven or paradise” contradicts the Self-Realization Fellowship/ FAQ page, which says that spiritual development is a gradual process and "sometimes those who are making the greatest progress have few or no spiritual experiences as ?evidence.?

Source: SRF website / FAQs / “How do I know if I am making spiritual progress?”

From the above it is clear that Kriya Yoga does NOT offer anything more than the results coming from other faiths and spiritual paths. (Or inasmuch as yoga offers something else, it is the effects of certain brain cell-altering yoga techniques .)

Many millions from other religions who are steadfastly making spiritual effort and courageously facing life?s daily challenges are making the greatest progress ? even if they are not aware of a tangible response from God - and they testify to have positive changes that take place within them: an increasing sense of well-being and security, calmness, joy, deeper understanding, release from bad habits, and a growing love and desire for God. In order to achieve these results they however do NOT need either yoga techniques or other forms of physical/physiological manipulation of the body and mind.

Regarding your claim that one needs to be “earnest and sincere in his aim and efforts” to experience yoga:
First, one relevant aspect of science is that it only needs an unbiased and sceptical mind to produce scientifically verifiable results, and it does not take any efforts - either earnest or not - for any individual to practise and force his mind, body and perception into an unnatural and altered state.
Second, those individuals and organisations who offer yoga as a spiritual practice and as a “scientific” and the fastest one among any other spiritual paths should demonstrate their earnest and sincere efforts and aims to substantiate their claims on an objectively verifiable basis.[/QUOTE]

Yoga_questions - My statement was…

“If you are earnest and sincere in your aim and your efforts, you will surely get results very, very quickly.”

I did not say get “heaven” or “paradise” quickly. Here’s what I will say on this - even in the beginning stages of first kriya initiation, with regular and sincere practice, one should start getting more calmness at least. If not, there is something wrong with the practice (perhaps not practicing correctly). But here is the trick, Lahiri Baba warned us to practice without expectation for results. In fact this is the spirit of the Gita…that when we desire the fruit of our action, more karma is bred. This runs contrary to our aim (of dissolving the ego). So we must just practice and offer this action (our practice) to God…He will do the rest.

But practice we must.

#12

Hello Aerial and Yogam,

Thanks again for your replies.
Even if you mean well, which I don’t doubt, your answers only indicate dogmatism vs science.
“Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or by extension by some other group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers.” (Wikipedia)

As I asked before several times why should I assume that once I practise yoga, then it will be God and not someone or something else which will “do the rest”?
With a valid reasoning I can only assume that if I am in an altered physical and mental state, I would only experience something altered - however beautiful or peaceful it may appear first - rather than God.

[B]And why must I practise Yoga without getting an answer to the question why I must practise Yoga outside of your circular reasoning [/B]and without getting an answer how the benefits of yoga would exceed those of other spiritual paths, especially if they don’t actually?
Why must I practise Yoga if not for the promised then un-promised “unique” benefits of it?
It is a well-known fact that people from other religions also experience calmness, safety, joy, etc without altering their state of consciousness.
Just to get into a calm and peaceful state? I am calm and peaceful in my unaltered state as well, and those who aren’t calm, they can calm down without such drastic intervention as altering their state of consciousness.
Some can just exercise, take a walk in the neighbourhood, listen to music, or a humble and sober prayer may just do the trick as well.

And in general, why should I practise Yoga or anything that alters my consciousness?
The more I think about it, and the more I research this topic from other sources as well, the clearer it becomes that I have to stay away not only from Kriya Yoga, but from all kinds of it, even from the non-spiritual forms of yoga and meditation.

Since our brain has been devised - either by nature or God - for the very purpose to process reality and adapt to it, the brain’s withdrawal from such activity may cause the often serious symptoms some yoga-practitioners suffer from. (I have read some posts about such complaints on this forum and elsewhere)

From above it follows that the more someone practises a form of yoga or meditation - ie the longer time someone spends in this altered state of consciousness - the more difficult it may become for the brain to re-adapt to reality and to deal with the many-faceted stimuli of it. The body and mind under the control of such manipulated and altered brain thus stays in a highly vulnerable state and feels uncomfortable in this world. It feels all right only when it withdraws from reality and returns to the altered state of yoga/meditation.
For the mind and body to relax and get rid of these symptoms, more meditation/yoga will be needed, thus the vicious cycle is closed, which obviously means a serious kind of addiction.

To get back to reality may result in an overburdened nervous system that would give extreme responses - both mentally and physically - to the smallest stimuli of reality.

#13

Why do you have to practice yoga to get results?

That’s like someone asking a personal trainer how to get fit. The personal trainer tells the person the science of fitness, what to do to train the muscles to get strong and start to see results. The pupil says, well why do I have to actually practice? Why can’t you just tell me and that make me fit?

Nothing comes without effort. Train the mind with yoga practice and you will not have to ask… You will know!

#14

[QUOTE=Yoga_questions;67374]
The more I think about it, and the more I research this topic from other sources as well, the clearer it becomes that I have to stay away not only from Kriya Yoga, but from all kinds of it, even from the non-spiritual forms of yoga and meditation.

Since our brain has been devised - either by nature or God - for the very purpose to process reality and adapt to it, the brain’s withdrawal from such activity may cause the often serious symptoms some yoga-practitioners suffer from. (I have read some posts about such complaints on this forum and elsewhere)

From above it follows that the more someone practises a form of yoga or meditation - ie the longer time someone spends in this altered state of consciousness - the more difficult it may become for the brain to re-adapt to reality and to deal with the many-faceted stimuli of it. The body and mind under the control of such manipulated and altered brain thus stays in a highly vulnerable state and feels uncomfortable in this world. It feels all right only when it withdraws from reality and returns to the altered state of yoga/meditation.
For the mind and body to relax and get rid of these symptoms, more meditation/yoga will be needed, thus the vicious cycle is closed, which obviously means a serious kind of addiction.

To get back to reality may result in an overburdened nervous system that would give extreme responses - both mentally and physically - to the smallest stimuli of reality.[/QUOTE]
[B]
[B][/B][/B]Sorry but that’s false. Practice and you will experience the contrary. Yoga has changed the life of many people to the right side, to cope with the difficulties and complexities of life with ease and well being…

On the other hand, I agree that Yoga is not scientific, because it lacks objectiveness, the spiritual results obtained cannot be checked by others. Some masters are said to display magical powers before their disciples, but that cannot be considered a scientific proof unless one witnesses it.

So you have to demonstrate yourself the whole issue. You have to become a living laboratory. You have to sit down and peacefully observe the root itself of existence for hours. Then the subtle aspects of reality will unveil to you. Do not expects others to unveil them for you.

And how to know if it’s God or hallucinations? Well, universe itself is a collective hallucination. Indeed universe is not physical but logical.

Good luck!

#15

Science (from Latin: scientia meaning “knowledge”) is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.

To say that yoga is not scientific is a misnomer. It took investigation for yogis to determine what yoga is, how to practice yoga and what benefits they experienced through the practice of yoga. The fact that people can duplicate this experience through its practices means that it has validity.
The fact of the matter is that we take science on faith. Unless we ourselves are scientists conducting experiments in a laboratory we are completely taking on faith that what science tells us is real and valid. So again, I say it is a science, get busy proving or disproving it!

#16

[QUOTE=kriyayogini;67396]So again, I say it is a science, get busy proving or disproving it![/QUOTE]

Not in the strict/western sense. Others cannot check and validate the results one has achieved unless they undergo the same training and discipline. And even so the same results shouldn’t be expected as we all are at a different evolutionary stage.

Science studies the outer world. Yoga the inner world.

What KY do you practice? Do you belong to any lineage?

#17

[QUOTE=panoramix;67399]Not in the strict/western sense. Others cannot check and validate the results one has achieved unless they undergo the same training and discipline. And even so the same results shouldn’t be expected as we all are at a different evolutionary stage.

Science studies the outer world. Yoga the inner world.

What KY do you practice? Do you belong to any lineage?[/QUOTE]

Yoga has been going through trials and studies with the Department of Defense for the last 4 years for decreasing the symptoms of PTSD among soldiers. It is being used by our military because it works. So I disagree that the inner world cannot be examined. Brainwave patterns changed during meditation. Some things can be verified. While experience of God is not something that you can measure, many benefits and effects of yoga can be scientifically verified.

I am an SRF Kriyaban

#18

[QUOTE=kriyayogini;67400]Some things can be verified. While experience of God is not something that you can measure, many benefits and effects of yoga can be scientifically verified. [/QUOTE]

But not the goal of Yoga itself or the road one crosses through towards it, and the spiritual experiences awaiting there. Only it’s effects on our body and mind states that are ours and can be communicated but not experienced by others.

#19

[QUOTE=panoramix;67402]But not the goal of Yoga itself or the road one crosses through towards it, and the spiritual experiences awaiting there. Only it’s effects on our body and mind states that are ours and can be communicated but not experienced by others.[/QUOTE]

Yes the goal is union and that can only be verified by each individual scientist in their own laboratory of self-realization!

#20

Hello Panoramix and Kriyayogini and thanks for your replies.

If the universe itself is a hallucination and a logical one, that presupposes that your statement should be a logically valid statement, which furthermore implies it should be free from contradiction. However, if the universe is a hallucination, the statement that the “the universe is a hallucination” remains a hallucination as well, therefore the statement cancels its own logical validity.

But if we stay in the scientific, objective and logical realm we find that yoga as such also remains in the area of hallucination, because as far as scientific evidence goes, what science tells about yoga is merely that it is a way among others to alter one’s consciousness.
The “Altered state of consciousness” article on the Wikipedia lists yoga as one of the ways to reach this state:

In addition, it appears that the “results” that we can obtain through our efforts to get into the Yoga-triggered altered state of consciousness is a narcissistic view of the self, in which people are convinced that “they are God”, which is apparently considered a disorder by science.
Science has identified such grandiose self-view as one of the main characteristic traits of the narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) - a disorder of pathological self-love.

According to Wikipedia on the subject: “Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness” and the first of the main characteristic of the disorder is “a grandiose sense of self-importance”

It is hard to imagine any grander and more self-centered self-image than one’s view of the self as “God” or when someone can obtain calmness, safety, peacefulness and a sense of beauty only in the sensation that he is divine, he is the universe itself and/or the whole universe revolves around him.

Among the different subtypes of narcissists Wikipedia identifies the Fanatic narcissist:

As I mentioned, the more I research yoga, the more scientific evidence I find against it.