Back from a Long Absence, But the Visions Keep Coming

Question from Graziano:
I am extremely curious, what is your view on these ‘spiritual communications’? A Hindu friend of mine sent me this clip for fun. I haven’t even watched it all, but it seems like this man in the video had this profound experience close to 30 years ago when he was in his late 20s. Something along the lines of him being an artist, then taking some gems to paint. When he was in a room alone with him, the gems turned to a crystal ball, he saw a lot of light, and these beings showed up. Some looked pretty, others somewhat demonic. Then, he saw this beautiful figure who was “take Marilyn Monroe and multiply it by 1000”. They had a detailed conversation, and he believes this figure was Krishna. I am wondering how an Italian American man like himself could have this kind of vivid and profound experience of a Hindu deity, having grown up in the West. He said he got revelations too and saw the whole universe. His title describes it as a Near Death Experience. While it has some features that other Near Death Experiences have, he was not near death when he had it, nor did he feel a sense of detachment from his body. I just don’t know what to make of it:
https://youtu.be/Ve3r_v5lMFo

Answer by SmartLX:
Firstly, an apology: this is the longest I’ve ever left a question before answering it. I take full responsibility, but a long trip to New Zealand and a surge-devastated motherboard on my return sure didn’t help.

Anyway, you don’t have to make anything of this. It was a man alone in his room, and while he came out with great stories of what he’d seen there wasn’t anything verifiable in them. He’s not claiming divine foreknowledge of anything, or any information gleaned from remote or out-of-body viewing. It could have been dreams, hallucinations, the usual suspects. If the details of his “revelations” pique your interest, you can treat them as prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

It is indeed interesting that a non-Hindu American has stories of Hindu-themed visions, but while Hinduism was not a common religion in 1980s America, it was not entirely absent from the public consciousness. The Beatles, the Beach Boys and others had drawn a great deal of attention to Hinduism through their association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 60s and 70s. And if there are any Hare Krishnas in your city, they’re hard to miss.

3 thoughts on “Back from a Long Absence, But the Visions Keep Coming”

  1. I wouldn’t even bother to read this c.rap of yours. Sorry, but this is what I believe most atheists think of these stories and people who believe them.

  2. Graziano, thanks for your question. The person in this video makes claims. Claims that aren’t supported by any verifiable (and that’s the key word – verifiable) evidence or data to support anything. Quite honestly, this story sounds very similar to many people I know who have taken narcotics and hallucinogenics and had all kinds of weird trip stories.

    There is no reason to take this story seriously, especially when other stories about weird experiences, like UFOs and Bigfoots, are considered nonsense even when they have so many parallels to this Hindu story.

  3. Consider this …
    I am an atheist. I was also born into a Hindu family.
    Suppose I uploaded a youtube video describing in detail visions I’ve had of Joseph Smith, how his claims are true and how he was indeed chosen by god to spread the true message … would you believe me? Especially if I claimed that all these visions occurred to me in the late 1980s (when information (& misinformation) wasn’t available so easily as it is nowadays).
    And Joseph Smith talked to me directly too and explained some subtler points of Mormonism.

    How would a Hindu have detailed visions of Mormons claims after all? That too in the late 80s?
    Mormonism must be true!

    In-fact … come to think of it … why don’t I just do that. The only thing stopping me is that I’d have to take some time to study Mormonism. I’d probably be reasonably knowledgeable about it in 3 – 4 hours of focused study (if not less).
    But for the life of me I can’t read about religions and what they think is THE truth anymore … I get so bored I can’t keep my eyes open.

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