4. What decides the Effectiveness of One’s Prayer?
The following factors add to the effectiveness of the prayer
Spiritual Level of the person praying – the higher the spiritual level the more effective is one’s prayer
Quality of Prayer - whether the prayer is mechanical or heartfelt or with spiritual emotion (bhaava) of the seeker
For what is he praying (i.e. whether for himself or others) – When we pray for others the spiritual strength required is much more. The more the number of people in society intended to be affected by the event, the greater is the spiritual strength required to effect the desired result. Only Saints of a higher order can effect change in society.
Ego - Lower ego contributes to the effectiveness of prayer
What prayer posture (mudraa) is a person using? This becomes a major factor for the majority of people as the above factors are lesser in most people.
4.1 The Spiritual Level of a Person and Prayer
The spiritual level of a person praying is one of the main criteria in deciding the effectiveness of the prayer.
For seekers above the 60% spiritual level, prayer is not required. They act from the spiritual emotion/feeling that ‘Let everything happen as per God’s will.’ They actually experience that everything in their live is happening and is provided for by God’s grace. Their mind is constantly in a state of gratitude to God. Once this state is achieved prayer is not needed.
Prayers of people who are below the 30% spiritual level lack potency and at best they provide them with only psychological benefit. This is because the covering of ego is too great for their prayers to reach the deity principle.
Thus we can see that prayer works most effectively for people between the spiritual level of 30-60%.
From time to time we hear a call by some people to gather and pray for world peace or for a noble cause such as reduction in global warming. From the perspective of actual results, this is at best a psychological effort. This is so because major world events have a strong spiritual basis and can only be overcome by spiritual efforts of highly evolved beings such as Saints of a higher order. Even if millions of people (of average spiritual level) get together and make the same prayer for a major world happening, it is akin to many ants trying to lift a boulder.
Note: Some people may think that if Saints can effect global change, then why don’t they orchestrate world peace or a reduction in global warming? The paradox is that while Saints have the spiritual strength to influence world events, they have the spiritual emotion that God only knows best. Also as they are in the ‘observer state’ (saakshibhaav), they by their very nature do not interfere in God’s plan and are in complete accordance with His plan. They have the complete awareness that as per God’s plan everything happens according to individual and collective destiny. (Destined events are those events in our life which happen due to our past actions, either in this very birth or in our previous births.)
5. What is the Best Posture for Prayer?
Through spiritual research, SSRF has identified and recommends the following mudraa or posture that is most conducive to gain the maximum divine energy through prayer.
The following subtle diagrams show the two stages in this mudraa (posture) and what actually happens at a spiritual level when one prays.
5.1 Explanation Stage 1 of Prayer Posture (Mudra)
The first stage in this mudraa is raising one’s hands in prayer with the thumbs gently touching the mid-brow region or the Aadnyaa chakra (the spiritual energy centre at the mid-brow region). It is best to begin praying after we are in this position.
When we bow our head in this prayer position, it awakens the spiritual emotion of surrender in us. This in turn activates the appropriate subtle frequencies of deities from the Universe. These divine frequencies come in through our finger tips which act as receptors. These divine frequencies are then channelised into our body through the thumb to the Aadnyaa chakra (the spiritual energy centre at the mid-brow region). The result is an increase in the positive spiritual energy in us which makes us feel lighter or gives relief from symptoms of physical or mental distress.
5.2 Explanation Stage 2 of Prayer Posture (Mudra)
After one finishes his prayer, he should assume the second mudraa (posture) as shown in the diagram above. This means that instead of bringing his hands in prayer down immediately, they are to be placed in the mid-chest region in such a way that the wrists touch the chest. This facilitates the process of more completely imbibing the Divine Consciousness of the deity principle. So initially the Divine Consciousness of the deity principle that had entered the finger tips now also gets transmitted to the region of chest, the seat of the Anaahat chakra. Just like the Aadnyaa chakra, the Anaahat chakra also absorbs sattva frequencies. By touching the wrists to the chest, the Anaahat chakra is activated and it helps in absorbing more sattva frequencies. When activated, the Anaahat chakra awakens a seeker’s spiritual emotion and devotion.
In this stage of the prayer mudraa, one should be introspective and contemplate upon the experience of being in God’s presence.
5.2.1 Correct Posture of the Head while Praying.
Points to Note:
Body should be bowed and not erect
Fingers should be parallel to the forehead. Fingers should not be stiff but relaxed.
Fingers should be touching each other – not spread apart
Thumb should be lightly touching the area of the Aadnyaa chakra
Hands need to be gently pressed together – slight space between the palms. In case of seekers above 50% spiritual level, no space is required between the palms.
5.3 When Praying with Spiritual Emotion.
The following subtle diagram shows what happens when a person at 50% spiritual level prays with spiritual emotion. The main thing to note is that the people in the vicinity also derive the benefit of the Divine Consciousness accessed by that person. (Refer to the part of the diagram which shows 5% of frequencies of Divine Consciousness (Chaitanya) transmitted outside the body.) This is why quite often it has been observed that when people pray with spiritual emotion, the spiritual emotion in others in the vicinity too gets activated.
5.4 Does it mean that every time we Pray we should take this Position?
If one is at a higher spiritual level (above 50%) divine subtle (intangible) frequencies begin to be received directly through the Brahmarandhra itself. The Brahmarandhra is a subtle opening above the Sahasraar Chakra (as per the spiritual science of Kundalini yoga) that has access to the Universal Mind and Intellect. This subtle opening is closed in people of a lower spiritual level. The primary factor that helps the opening of theBrahmarandhra is a lower level of ego. When in this phase of our spiritual growth the need for the prayer mudraa as explained above becomes less and less.
However if a person between the spiritual level of 50% - 80% complements his prayer with the recommended mudraa, then he gets the benefit of additional Divine Consciousness. This additional benefit is 30% more in the case of a person at the 50% spiritual level and it proportionately become less and less as the spiritual level increases.
Since most people are not of a high spiritual level they are unable to receive divine frequencies through the Brahmarandhra. Most people (level 30-60%) are however able to receive subtle frequencies through their finger tips (though to a much lesser extent) as our finger tips are very sensitive to receiving or sending out subtle energy. For this section of people it is best that they do utilise the prayer mudraa suggested above to make a prayer. All other factors remaining equal, by praying using the recommended mudraa a person will add 20% to the effectiveness of their prayer as opposed to not using this mudraa.
5.5 Comparative Effectiveness of Prayer Positions
We are exposed to various hand actions when praying. When conducting spiritual research into the various hand postures (mudraas) related to prayer, the following were our findings in terms of efficacy.
Footnotes:
100% is getting full spiritual benefit which results in God realisation
Level of the manifest deity principle, i.e. higher, medium or lower level deity
Percentage of deity principle accessed
This shows the possibility of negative energy interfering with the prayer to reduce a seeker’s faith. The negative energies interfere with the prayer so that the prayer is not answered thereby undermining the person’s faith.
Do try a subtle experiment by yourself wherein you say the same prayer using each of the above mudraas separately.
In some cases people hold hands and pray. This is also a spiritually incorrect practice as if the person beside one is affected by negative energy it is more likely that the black energy be transferred to you.
6. Key Summary Points on the Mechanism of Prayer.
The spiritual level of a person generally defines whether a person prays for spiritual growth or for worldly benefit. Depending on the type of prayer higher level deities or lower level deities respectively answer a person’s prayers.
The spiritual emotion with which one prays has a positive impact on the effectiveness of one’s prayer.
Depending on what type of mudraa is used, the benefit that one gets through prayer can vary.
All other things being equal, using the recommended mudraa (posture) for prayer helps to improve the chances of one’s prayer being answered by 20%.
Prayers by people of lower spiritual level for things that affect the wider population such as world peace or a reduction in global warming have no effect.
When one pays gratitude along with prayer it helps to increase the effectiveness of one’s prayer.
Source -
http://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/articles/id/aboutspiritualresearch/SpiritualPractice/prayer/howprayerworks"When in Your Heart, you Download Divine Prayers,
You Delete Your Life`s Virus Infected Layers,
And for this Anti-Virus, you do`nt have to be a Payer."
sAyer mAyor - rOhit beHaL