Way of The Seekers — Page 41
41 THE which cris-cross one another in our lives. They exert a kind of hypnotic influence, unknown to the person affected. No argument is given nor is any appeal made, but the presence of influences which ideas generate is undeniable. This needs some explanation. Let a decent person live in close proximity to nine others not so decent, who nurse evil thought without any overt communication. He will soon begin to feel the evil influence. This reminds me of a Sikh student who had great affection for the Promised Messiah. On one occasion he sent a message to him, through Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin Sahib, that his mind was being affected by agnostic thinking. The Promised Messiah suggested that this young man should change his seat in the classroom and sit away from his classmates who sat close to him. The change proved the cure for his agnosticism. No argument had passed between them, but unexpressed thoughts were being communicated in some mysterious way. Thoughts are like waves and have a power of their own. The Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (on him be peace and blessings) endorse this. Animal life also bears out this point. For example, two cats confront each other in an imminent fight. After an exchange of the usual mutual threats and noises, one of them is found to lower its tail and leave as if worsted. There is no visible fight; yet there was some kind of a contact. Animals communicate without words or signs. Let four or five lions be brought together. Before long, only the strongest of them will be left standing as the master of the scene. Others will have lowered their tails and slipped away. If meat is thrown up at them, none will dare eat except the strongest; the rest will just stand by and watch as if paralyzed with some secret fear. Hypnosis: Under hypnosis too we can observe similar phenomena. I was once experimenting with hypnotic influ- ences. I had some questions raised by agnostics which I