Miracles - Supernatural or Science

Introduction

"The self-existent Lord pierced the senses to turn outward. Thus we look to the world outside and see not the Self within us. A sage withdrew his senses from the world of change and, seeking immortality, looked within and beheld the deathless self." —Katha Upanishad, 2.1.1

Augustine of Hippo, writing in the fifth century, stated that miracles are contrary only to our knowledge of nature. He went on to argue that miracles are made possible by hidden capacities in nature. At prior points in history, many capabilities we take for granted today would have seemed miraculous. Human flight, the wireless transmission of the human voice, and the transplantation of human organs would have struck as impossibilities. It is likely that as history continues to unfold, human beings will command new powers that we cannot imagine today.

Some say that it would be a blessing to drive out all trace of the miraculous from our view of the world. Others think otherwise. Far from seeking to expunge the miraculous from life, we strive instead to reawaken our awareness of its presence.

The great novelist Leo Tolstoy wrote a delightful story, The Three Hermits. His friend Nicholas Roerich has summarised the tale, as follows:

“On an island there lived three old hermits. They were so simple that the only prayer they chanted was: ‘We are three; Thou art Three—have mercy on us!’ Great miracles were manifested during this naive prayer. “The local bishop came to hear about the three hermits and their inadmissible prayer, and decided to visit them in order to teach them the canonical invocations. He arrived on the island, told the hermits that their heavenly petition was undignified, and taught them many of the customary prayers.

The bishop then left on a boat. He saw a radiant light from far. As it approached, he discerned the three hermits, who were holding hands and running upon the waves in an effort to overtake the vessel. “‘We have forgotten the prayers you taught us,’ they cried as they reached the bishop, ‘and have hastened to ask you to repeat them.’ The awed bishop shook his head.

 “‘Dear ones,’ he replied humbly, ‘continue to live with your old prayer!’”

Scientific Proof of Miracles

There can never be "definitive" proof of a miracle or supernatural event apart unless one has the opportunity, like Thomas, of personally experiencing one. Belief in miracles and an active supernatural force is always, in the end, a matter of faith.

The Scottish enlightenment philosopher David Hume had an interesting argument against miracles. He said that you could never, by definition, have proof of a miracle (or a 'supernatural event'), since if you did that would be reason enough not to regard it as a miracle. If, for example, conclusive proof were offered that someone had telepathic powers, we would simply conclude that telepathy was natural, not miraculous. Similarly, as there is far more scientific evidence that hallucinations occur than that miracles occur, the rational thing to do when confronted with an apparently miraculous incident would be to shrug it off as an error of the nervous system.

Some scientists might deny the possibility of a miracle because they mistakenly believe that miracles require the suspension of physical laws. C.S. Lewis put it quite succinctly—“The divine art of miracle is not an art of suspending the pattern into which events conform but of feeding new events into that pattern." God does not need to suspend the laws of nature to make His extraordinary presence manifest—He need only add a trans-natural power to those occurring in nature.

The Nobel prize winning physicist and mathematician, Eugene Wigner, recognized the remarkable coincidence of natural laws and mathematics, referring to it as a “miracle” or “the scientist’s article of faith.” He stated, “Finally, it now begins to appear that not only complex numbers but also analytic functions are destined to play a decisive role in the formulation of quantum theory. I am referring to the rapidly developing theory of dispersion relations. It is difficult to avoid the impression that a miracle confronts us here, quite comparable in its striking nature to the miracle that the human mind can string a thousand arguments together without getting itself into contradictions, or to the two miracles of the existence of laws of nature and of the human mind's capacity to divine them.”

Michio Kaku (one of the founders of String Theory) has tried to explain miracles within the natural universe manifesting supernatural intellection. He assumes that the pre-big-bang universe was comp0osed of theoretical particles known as “primitive semi-radius tachyons”. After analyzing the behaviour of these sub-atomic particles - which can move faster than the speed of light and have the ability to “unstick” space and matter, Kaku concluded that the universe is a “Matrix” governed by laws and principles that could only have been designed by an intelligent being.

Examined Miracles

Devraha Baba – The Ageless Yogi

Little is known about the early life of Devraha Baba. He became know after he started residing in Mael, a town 20 km south west of Salempur, Uttar Pradesh. Here he started living atop a machan, a 12 foot high platform made of wooden logs, on the banks of Sarayu river. The place was in Deoria, thus local people started calling him Devraha Baba. Thereafter he shifted to Vrindavan, where again he lived atop a machan on the banks of Yamuna river for the rest of his years.

He was considered a spiritual guide to everyone from a pauper to the most powerful. He received visits from politicians and leaders seeking his blessings including Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Atal-Bihari-Vajpayee, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Buta Singh, Arjun Singh and Rajiv Gandhi. King George V met him in 1910. He used to bless the devotees with his feet.

When India’s first President Rajendra Prasad was aged between 10-15 years, he would ask his grandfather that, "Since how many years are you having Devraha Baba’s Darshan?" As an answer his Grandfather would say: "Son! When I was of your age I started going for Devraha Baba’s Darshan. And till today I am seeing him as he was before."

Once while giving clarification regarding his age Devraha Baba had said: "Child! If I make it absolutely clear with sound proof what exactly is my age then even if India’s entire military and police force are put on duty they will fail miserably in controlling the crowd of devotees coming to have my Darshan. The crowd in the haste to have my Darshan shall crush each other to death. My body is very ancient." An Allahabad High Court Barrister had stated that seven generations of his family had sat at the feet of Devraha Baba. About 18 ancestral generations of the King of Nepal were disciples of Devraha Baba. None knew what was his exact age was. Some would say he was 400, others would say either 800, 1000 or 2100 years according to the newspaper Navbharat Times. Many other newspapers and magazines gauged Devraha Baba’s age to be 5000 years. It was believed that he had witnessed the Mahabharata war.

Once a group of western researchers and journalists studying Indian yogis and sadhu came to the ashram. One of the scientists asked Baba about how old he was. Baba only smiled in response. Then researcher asked the yogi to give them a strand of his hair for researching in laboratory. It was possible to find out the age of Devraha Baba by means of analysis. Master agreed and cut off a strand of his hair. After three months the scientist came back to Baba. He was crying and got close to manch. The analysis showed that hair belonged to a five-year-old child.

In the end of 1980s Devraha Baba was visited by soviet journalists and reportage about him was shown in program “Vzglyad” which was popular that time. In addition, Baba blessed the reporter by putting foot upon his head and said that he gave blessing to all Russian people. He added that Russians would have to suffer, but it would be for the better. Then he predicted dissolution of the Soviet Union. Baba said that “he knew Gorbachev well” and he should visit Baba – “I will bless him and give him an advice”. It’s known that Gorbachev with his wife came to Baba – helipad for important guests was constructed not far from manch. The advice which was given to the first and the last president of USSR is unknown.

Baba was observed staying under water unaided for long periods. He was also seen in two places simultaneously. He could understand the language of animals, control wild animals, heal people by his look or word, and tell the future. Most importantly, he and the legends about him were not myths. People had met him, spent time with him, heard him speak. Testimonies about him were backed by people with impeccable committment to truth.

The arrangement of food for his Yogic body was in the form of eating only every 15 days. Sometimes once a week Devraha Baba would eat 10 gm jiggery, 2 or 3 pepper corns and with a little clarified butter made from cow milk. He used to practice Khechari Mudra (a yogic exercise) which used to continuously rejuvenate his body.

Baba was very fond of cows and wanted to stop cattle slaughter. He said the cow was the only creature whose urine and dung had medicinal properties. His last wish was to see the Ram Temple built at the birth place of Ram in Ayodhya. He wanted this to happen through Hindu-Muslim mutual consent.

Baba took samadhi on 19th Jun 1990. When he died, top of his skull broke as his life-force left the body. There was a bright light and shower of flowers seen by all. His body Devraha Baba was placed in a wooden boat, and lowered into Yamuna, from where he stated he was born. When, after several hours, the boat was raised, it was empty. Before departure he said that "Without a physical body, I can help you even more."

A Miracle in My Life

A miracle happened in my life by the grace of Devraha Baba. “In the winter of 1980, my grandmother was down with severe attack of Tuberculosis. She was admitted in an Army Hospital at Dehradun, my father being in the Army. The doctors declared that despite being put on artificial breathing, IV and blood drip, her vitals were deteriorating fast. I silently and desperately prayed to God to help her get well.

Every day, I used to come to the Hospital with my Father, Mother and my little sister. On a particular day, the Army doctor told us that her chances of survival were low and there was no surety that she would live more than a few days. She had stopped responding to our calls and was in a coma state. While talking to us, the doctor, stated that a holy-man by the name of Devraha Baba was coming to Haridwar, to attend the Ardh Kumbh in April 1980. His "machan" was located in a open field by the banks of River Ganga. The doctor told us that Devraha Baba could perform miracles and we should go and pray to him.

Haridwar was located about 50 km from Dehradun, a 2 hours drive. Early in the morning at about 1 AM we started for Haridwar. We reached there early, by 2.30 AM and waited for his arrival. A "machan" had been constructed near the river. Devraha Baba generally took bath at "Brahm Muhurat" i.e. between 3.15 and 3.30 AM and he gave "darshan" to devotees.

I remember that mother waited in the car and father, myself and my sister waited sitting down on stony banks of Ganga. As the Baba arrived, the followers of baba told us that the Baba did not like to be spoken and whatever was our wish, we had to think about it. The baba took bath in cold waters of the Ganga and climbed to the “Machan” that his disciples had prepared for him. We offered the bananas we had brought from Dehradun and gave to his followers. A throng of visitors had lined up and were slowly walking towards the “Machan”.

I had prayed, to help my granny. One of the baba's follower gave me a small tin box full of the sand collected from the place where the baba had taken bath. This sand had the water that dripped from the Baba's head as he meditated on the “Machan". We were told that whoever was ill at home or had problems, should be given a few grains of the sand. The hope it instilled in me as we drove back to Dehradun made me very happy.

While my mother and sister dozed off, I could not sleep the entire road journey back to the hospital. As soon as we arrived at the Hospital, I rushed to my granny’s room. I opened the mouth of my granny, kept a few grains of the sand on her tongue. I remember that the tongue had turned blue by now. I could hear the oxygen being pumped through the air pipes into her lungs.

The sand had a great effect on her. About half an hour after I had kept the sand on her tongue, she started sweating profusely. She soon woke up and looked at all of us with recognition. She gestured to me to remove the food pipes and breathing mask. Soon the nurse was called and she too was shocked and happy. The nurse spoke to the doctor who rushed to the hospital and was equally amazed. After removing the food pipe and the breathing mask, my granny told me that she wanted to go to the toilet. She asked me to get the IV drip also removed. We told her to go slow, but she insisted. Soon we had removed the IV drip. Soon she got off the bed and walked into the toilet.

It was a miracle. A miracle that became embedded into my memory for ever.

My grandmother lived for another about 10 years and finally when she died, in 1990, and it was due to tuberculosis. I was at the National Defence Academy, Pune and by the time I could come back home, she was already gone. I fulfilled her last wish of being cremated by me and returned for training.”

Lady of Guadalupe

On 12th December 1531, an image of Lady of Guadalupe (Virgin Mary) appeared on the tilma of native Aztec, Juan Diego. Since then, scientists have struggled to explain just how the image got there. A tilma is a type of cloak made of a coarsely woven fabric derived from threads taken from the maguey cactus plant.

The original image has many miraculous and supernatural properties, including that the tilma has maintained its structural integrity for approximately 500 years despite exposure to soot, candle wax, incense, constant manual veneration by devotees. The image was displayed without any protective glass for its first 115 years. Replicas made on similar fabric normally endure for only 15 years before degrading.

Other Supernatural Qualities

• In 1785, a worker was cleaning the glass encasement of the image when he accidentally spilled 50% nitric acid solvent onto a large portion of the image itself. The image and the rest of the tilma, which should have been eaten away almost instantly by the spill, reportedly self-restored over the ensuing 30 days, and remains unscathed to this day aside from small stains on the parts not bearing the image.
• In 1921, an anti-clerical activist hid a bomb containing 29 sticks of dynamite in a pot of roses and placed it before the image inside the Basilica at Guadalupe. When the bomb exploded, most everything from the marble altar rail & floor just feet away from the blast, to windows 150 meters away were broken. The image and the glass surrounding it remained untouched. The only damage that occurred in close proximity to the tilma was a hefty brass crucifix, which was twisted and bent back by the blast.

• In 1929 and 1951 photographers claimed to have found a figure reflected in the Virgin's eyes. upon inspection they said that the reflection was tripled in what is called the Purkinje effect, commonly found in human eyes. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Jose Aste Tonsmann, later enlarged an image of the Virgin's eyes by 2500x and claimed to have found not only the aforementioned single figure, but images of all the witnesses present when the tilma was first revealed before Zumárraga in 1531, plus a small family group of mother, father, and a group of children, fourteen people in all. Since that time, the eyes have been examined by more than 20 ophthalmologists confirming the conclusions of the original examination.
• In 1936 Nobel Prize winning biochemist Richard Kuhn analyzed a sample of the fabric and announced that the colour pigments used were from no known source, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable.
• In 1979, Dr. Philip Serna Callahan (biophysicist and NASA consultant) photographed the icon under infrared light. He declared from his photographs that portions of the face, hands, robe, and mantle had been painted in one step, with no sketches or corrections and no visible brush strokes. Dr. Callahan apparently also discovered that the tilma maintains a constant temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (36.6-37 deg. Celsius), the same as that of a living person. He stated that the differences in texture and coloration caused Mary’s skin to look different up close and far away. As a result, the retinas of Mary’s eyes seemed to expand and contract, like the human eye, when exposed to light and darkness.
• Carlos Fernandez del Castillo, a gynaecologist, examined the Image with a stethoscope placed below the black band at the waist of Mary and he heard rhythmic repeating heartbeats at 115 beats per minute, the same as that of a baby in the womb.

• The stellar arrangement that appear on the Mantle of Mary, accurately display the various constellations of the Mexican sky the day of the apparition occurred which was in the winter morning solstice of 12th December 1531, Saturday, at 10:26 a.m.

Lady of Lourdes

On 11th February 1858, just outside of Lourdes, France, Bernadette Soubirous (a 14-year old girl without much formal education) with two other girls were searching for kindling and bones in a cave. A lady, small in stature, dressed in white with a blue sash around her waist, and holding a gold rosary appeared to her. She asked for a chapel to be built at the cave-grotto at Massabielle. At first, she was afraid, but Bernadette was drawn back to the cave, and the lady appeared to her again many times thereafter. Soon hundreds of people started coming to the cave to witness the miracle. Sensing trouble, a decision was made by the local governor in March to barricade the cave. But Bernadette was not to be deterred, and visited the barricaded cave at night on several other occasions. Soon, the controversy concerning the closure of the Grotto became a national issue, compelling Emperor Napoleon III to formally reopen it on 4th October 1858.

From the time of first apparition to Bernadette, the water from a spring in the Lourdes Cave had been a source of miraculous healings both for those who have visited the cave and even for those who used the water in remote places. Over 7,000 miraculous cures were reported to the Lourdes Medical Bureau by pilgrims who have visited Lourdes. Bernadette, eventually died of her long-term illness at the age of 35 on 16 April 1879 while praying to Mary. The nuns of Saint-Gildard, with the support of the bishop of Nevers, applied to the civil authorities for permission to bury Bernadette's body in a small chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph, which was within the confines of the convent. Thirty years later, two doctors and a sister of the community exhumed her body. They claimed the crucifix and rosary she carried had been oxidized but her body remained incorrupt. The incorruption was cited as one of the miracles supporting her canonization. 30 years after her death, Bernadette’s body was exhumed and found to be intact. One of the Doctor stated, “What struck me during this examination, of course, was the state of perfect preservation of the skeleton, the fibrous tissues of the muscles (still supple and firm), of the ligaments, and of the skin, and above all the totally unexpected state of the liver after 46 years. One would have thought that this organ, which is basically soft and inclined to crumble, would have decomposed very rapidly or would have hardened to a chalky consistency. Yet, when it was cut it was soft and almost normal in consistency. I pointed this out to those present, remarking that this did not seem to be a natural phenomenon.”

Other Christian saints who manifested bodily immutability were St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Avila. The body of St. John, who died in 1591, was exhumed in 1859 and found to be in a state of incorruptibility. The body of St. Theresa, which lies in a church at Alba in Spain, has for four centuries remained untransmutable. The site has witnessed innumerable miracles.

In 1905, Pope Pius X formally constituted the Medical Bureau to systematically study the miracles. The Bureau had to render a judgment that a particular cure was near instantaneous, efficacious throughout the remainder of life, and in all other ways, scientifically inexplicable. The Bureau was constituted by 20 physicians and scientists. Since 1883, 69 cases have been recognized as “miraculous” according to the strict standards of the Bureau. But this does not mean that the 7,000 other cures were not miraculous by other standards. These cases simply cannot be shown to be completely scientifically inexplicable – though their occurrence could be truly extraordinary and possibly – or even probably – miraculous.

The 69 cases approved by the Lourdes Medical Bureau have been inspected by large numbers of physicians and scientists, and the vast majority of them have been shown to be permanent and inexplicable cures. We look at three cases of healing:

• Case No 1. In 1902 a physician friend of Dr. Carrell invited him to help take care of sick patients being transported on a train from Lyons to Lourdes. Carrell, at that time, was an agnostic who did not believe in miracles, but consented to help out, not only because of friendship, but also an interest in what natural causes might be allowing such fast healings as those taking place at Lourdes. On the train, he encountered Marie Bailly who was suffering from acute tuberculous peritonitis with considerable abdominal distension with large hard masses. Though Marie Bailly was half-conscious, Carrell believed that she would pass away quite quickly after arriving at Lourdes – if not before. Other physicians on the train agreed with this diagnosis. When the train arrived at Lourdes, Marie was taken to the Cave where three pitchers of water were poured over her distended abdomen. After the first pour, she felt a searing pain, but after the second pour, it was lessened, and after the third pour, she experienced a pleasant sensation. Her stomach began to flatten and her pulse returned to normal. Carrel was standing behind Marie (along with other physicians) taking notes as the water was poured over her abdomen, and wrote: “The enormously distended and very hard abdomen began to flatten and within 30 minutes it had completely disappeared. No discharge whatsoever was observed from the body.” Marie then sat up in bed, had dinner (without vomiting), and got out of bed on her own and dressed herself the next day. She then boarded the train, riding on the hard benches, and arrived in Lyons refreshed. Carrel was still interested in her psychological and physical condition, and so asked that she be monitored by a psychiatrist and a physician for four months. Marie died in 1937 at the age of 58. In 1912, Carrel received the Nobel Prize for his work in vascular anastomosis. He returned to Lourdes many times, and on one occasion, witnessed a second miracle – the instantaneous cure of an 18-month old blind boy.
• Case No 2. The second case, that of Gabriel Gargam, occurred in 1901. During the course of his work in 1899, the train on which he had been sorting collided head on with another train travelling at 50 mph. He was thrown 52 feet from the train and was badly injured. After eight months, he was at the point of death, with gangrenous feet, unable to take solid food. He could only be fed once every 24 hours by a tube and required two nurses to take care of him. Gargam spent two years in bed – unable to be moved from his room. After his aunt (a religious sister) and his mother begged him to go to Lourdes, he relented and consented to the trip. Riding on the train almost killed him. When he arrived at Lourdes he was in dire condition, and then he was brought to the waters in the Cave. The strain was so great, that he fainted and his attendants believed him to be dead. So they put him on a carriage, put a cloth on his face, and began to wheel him back to the hotel. On the way there, a procession was passing by. The priest leading the procession saw the sorrowful crowd around Gargam, and he blessed them. Soon Gargam’s legs began to move under the sheets. He then sat upright by his own power (which he had not been able to do for two years), and proceeded to get off the carriage and walk around by his own power. The astonished crowd accompanied him back to his hotel where he sat down to eat a hearty meal (though he had not taken solid food for two years). On 20th August 1901, Gargam was examined by 60 physicians, all of whom pronounced him completely cured. They could not explain his cure. Gargam lived a normal healthy life until his death at 83 years of age.
• Case No 3. The third case, John Traynor, occurred in 1923. Traynor was a WW I hero who was severely injured during the war. In 1915, he received severe wounds. He was sprayed with machine gun fire. A bullet lodged under his collarbone, he was wounded in the chest, and another bullet hit his head (which caused a permanent hole revealing his pulsating brain that was later blocked by a silver plate). As result of these injuries, Traynor’s right arm was paralyzed (and his muscles atrophied), his legs were partially paralyzed, and he was epileptic (from the wound in his head). In 1923, Traynor went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. He was wheeled to the train in Liverpool, and suffered tremendously on the trip to Lourdes. When he arrived he was almost dead. During his stay, he was taken to the baths nine times, and on the occasion of his tenth time (25th July 1923), his legs felt agitated in the bath. After the bath, he was placed in the wheelchair to receive a blessing. After being blessed by the host, his arm (which had been paralyzed for 8 years) grew so strong that he was able to burst through his bandages. He then regained the use of his legs. He got out of his chair and walked several steps, but his attendants put him to bed for the evening because they were afraid he might hurt himself. During the night, he leapt out of his bed, knelt down to finish a rosary, and ran out his door to go to the Cave– to the utter amazement of everyone watching. The healing not only cured his paralysis and epilepsy, it seemed to mask the memory of his former misery. His cure was so complete that he went into the coal and hauling business (lifting 200-pound sacks of coal), pledged himself to service at the Cave of Lourdes every summer, and died 20 years after his cure.

Miracle of the Sun

This is one of, if not the miracle with the highest number of witnesses. Between 50,000 and 100,000 people claim to have seen the Miracle of the Sun on the 13th October, 1917 whilst standing in the Cova da Iria fields near Fatima, Portugal. Reportedly, after a downfall of rain and dark clouds the sky became clear and the Sun appeared as a spinning disk. After emitting multi-coloured lights, it appeared to zig zag quickly towards Earth. Some witnesses said their clothes, previously wet, had dried instantly.

Some people attributed the phenomena to Lady of Fatima, an apparition of the Virgin Mary which had appeared to three young shepherd children on three different occasions supposedly telling them to watch out for a miracle on that specific day in October.

The Miracle of Mother Teresa

In 1998, Monica Besra went to a Missionaries of Charity home in West Bengal, India, as she had a fever, headaches, vomiting, and swollen stomach. She had begun treatment for tuberculous meningitis the year before. However, the medications she'd taken intermittently, depending on what her family could afford. This hadn't kept a lump from growing in her abdomen. Surgery was deemed necessary, but Besra was too weak and unwell to undergo an operation.

On 5th September, Besra was praying in the Missionaries of Charity chapel when she saw a light emanating from a photo of Mother Teresa. Later, a medallion that had touched Mother Teresa's body was placed on Besra's abdomen, and a sister said a prayer while asking Mother Teresa for help.

Besra awoke early the next day to find her tumor had disappeared. Medical exams showed the abdominal mass was no longer there, and the doctors she'd seen agreed Besra no longer required surgery. The theologians and medical experts who delved into the case found there was no earthly explanation for Besra's recovery. Her cure was therefore attributed to the miraculous intervention of Mother Teresa. This miracle was recognized by the Vatican in 2002.

It should be noted that some doctors have disputed the inexplicable nature of Besra's recovery, saying she could have been cured by the medicine she'd been taking. However, apparently, medication could not have caused the mass to go away as quickly as it did. Also, Besra's husband has been reported as saying there had been no miracle, but he later stated he'd been misquoted.

Miracle of Yogananda’s Death

The body of Paramhansa Yogananda, who died on 7th March 1952, remained “in a phenomenal state of immutability,” stated Mr. Harry T. Rowe, Mortuary Director of Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Association. At the time of receiving Yogananda’s body, the Mortuary personnel at Forest Lawn expected to observe, through the glass lid of the casket, the usual progressive signs of bodily decay. Their astonishment increased as day followed day without bringing any visible change in the body under observation.

 The hands at all times remained normal in size, revealing no signs of shrivelling or pinching at the fingertips—the place where desiccation is ordinarily seen very early. The lips, which wore a slight smile, continuously retained their firmness.  No odour of decay emanated from his body at any time.

The body was under daily observation at the Mortuary, from 11th March 1952, the day of the last public rites, until 27th March 1952, when the bronze casket was sealed by fire. During this period no indication of mould was visible on Yogananda’s skin, and no visible desiccation (drying up) took place in the bodily tissues. This state of perfect preservation of a body was an unparalleled one.

The physical appearance of Yogananda on 27th March, just before the bronze cover of the casket was put into position, was the same as it had been on 7th March. He looked as fresh and as unravaged by decay as he had looked on the night of his death.

The case of Anita Moorjani

In her book Dying To Be Me, Anita Moorjani tells the story of how she was dying of end stage Stage 4 lymphoma when she experienced the classic “white light” near death experience. As she travelled to the other side, she was able to look down upon her loved ones, even though some of them were not in the same room with her. Her heart was filled with a feeling of profound unconditional love, and she was happy to be free of her dying, tumour-riddled body.

Then she was told that she had a choice. She could stay in the white light or go back and share her story with others. She didn’t want to come back. Her body had been in so much pain, and her soul had been suffering. But she was told that if she came back, her cancer would be cured. She believed what she was told, and felt called to come back so she could share her experience.

Anita’s cancer was gone within several weeks. This all happened under the care of her bewildered doctors, who documented her spontaneous remission.

The Bells of Life

Using modern laser spectroscopy, the scientists have been able to measure the vibrational spectrum of the enzyme lysozyme, a protein that fights off bacteria. They discovered that this enzyme rings like a bell with a frequency of a few terahertz or a million-million hertz. Most remarkably, the ringing involves the entire protein, meaning the ringing motion could be responsible for the transfer of energy across proteins.

The experiments show that the ringing motion lasts for only a picosecond or one millionth of a millionth of a second. Biochemical reactions take place on a picosecond timescale and the scientists believe that evolution has optimised enzymes to ring for just the right amount of time. Any shorter, and biochemical reactions would become inefficient as energy is drained from the system too quickly. Any longer and the enzyme would simple oscillate forever: react, unreact, react, unreact, etc. The picosecond ringing time is just perfect for the most efficient reaction.

These tiny motions enable proteins to morph quickly so they can readily bind with other molecules, a process that is necessary for life to perform critical biological functions like absorbing oxygen and repairing cells.

Miracles in Mythologies

The Miracle of Splitting of the Sea by Moses

Having escaped and then being pursued by the Egyptians, the Israelites stopped when they reached the sea front. The Israelites exclaimed to Moses that they would be overtaken by Pharaoh and his army. The Quran narrates God commanding Moses to strike the sea with his staff, instructing them not to fear being overtaken or drowning. Upon striking the sea, it divided into two parts, that allowed the Israelites to pass through. The Pharaoh witnessed the sea splitting alongside his army, but as they also tried to pass through, the sea closed in on them. As he was about to die, Pharaoh claimed belief in the God of Moses and the Israelites, but his belief was rejected by God. The Quran states that the body of the Pharaoh was made a sign and warning for all future generations.

The Raising of Lazarus from Dead Miracle by Jesus

Christianity is based upon the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion on the cross. The theological centrality of this particular miracle for Christianity is unique among religions. Catholics and Protestants testify in modern times to tears being shed by icons of their saints and many unexplained healings.

Jesus performed many miracles in his life. Apart from his own resurrection, the raising of Lazarus from the dead was the most remembered.

According to John, Jesus received a message that Lazarus is ill, and his two sisters are seeking his help. Jesus left for Bethany after two days. When they arrive, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. Before they enter the town, Martha, Lazarus' sister, comes to meet Jesus and tells him: "If you had been here, my brother would not have died". Jesus assures Martha that her brother will rise again and states: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

Upon entering the village, Jesus walks to the grave. On reaching, Jesus asks for the stone of the grave to be removed, but Martha interjects that there will be a smell. To which Jesus responds, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" They take the stone away then Jesus looks up and says: "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

He then calls in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" The dead man comes out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus says to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

The Twin Miracle of Buddha

The Twin Miracle is considered to have been the Buddha's foremost miracle. Unlike some of his other attributed abilities, it said that only Buddhas had the ability to perform the Twin Miracle. According to Buddhist texts, the Buddha performed the miracle at Sāvatthī after being challenged by a group of six leaders of rival religious sects. Buddha started by creating a jewelled walkway in mid-air, and then emitted fire from the top half of his body and water on the lower half and then starts to alternate them.

In one version of the story, he created several duplicates of himself, with some walking, lying down, and sitting. At the conclusion of the miracle, the rival religious leaders flee.

The Miracle of Guru Nanak

The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, first gained public attention when he caused a dry water reservoir in drought-stricken Amritsar to be filled with water. Many converted to his new faith as a result.

On a pilgrimage, Nanak found himself in the ancient city of Saidpur in Pakistan, now called Eimanabad. Here, he found the shabbiest hut and asked its occupant, a carpenter named Bhai Lalo, for some food. On the same day, Malik Bhago, a corrupt noble and the richest man in the city, had been throwing a lavish feast at his haveli. Nanak, who had been invited for the feast, chose to come calling on Bhai Lalo instead.

Offended by this, Malik Bhago summoned Nanak to his house. Standing in the corrupt minister’s court, Nanak was asked to explain his audacious action. In response, Nanak took in his hand the dried roti that Bhai Lalo had given him and crushed it, causing milk to ooze from it. He then took a piece of bread from Malik Bhago’s feast, which, when crushed, oozed blood. “That is because his roti has been earned by the labour of his hard work, while yours by sucking the blood of the labourers,” Nanak said.

Power of the Sub-conscious Mind

The sub-conscious mind is like the soil, it will accept any seed that is deposited in it, whether it is good or bad. Anything that is accepted as true and believe in will be accepted by it and brought into life as a condition, experience, or event. Ideas are conveyed to the subconscious mind through feelings.

Within the depth of the sub-conscious mind lie infinite wisdom, infinite power and infinite supply of essential intelligence waiting for development and expression. The infinite intelligence within the subconscious mind can reveal everything needed to know at every moment of time and point of space provided one is open minded and receptive. One can receive new thoughts and ideas, bring forth new inventions and make new discoveries.

It was through the sub-conscious mind that ancient sages perceived great truths of Vedas and Upanishads, hidden from the average men. The sub-conscious mind caused the Greek sculptor, Phidias to portray, beauty, order, symmetry and proportion in marble and bronze. It enabled Ludwig van Beethoven to compose symphonies. Albert Einstein the greatest scientist of this century admitted that each and every discovery of science is a product of an "intuition". "The Intellect" has little to do on the road to discovery.

It is understood that from divine consciousness to the individual consciousness there exists only one reality pervading the entire consciousness, the macrocosm as well as the microcosm. The power of the sub consciousness is enormous and reveals to us from time to time. When conscious mind is in abeyance, it inspires us, guides us, protects and also saves us. The subconscious starts our heart beat, controls blood circulation, regulates digestion, assimilation and elimination. It heals wounds and joins fractured bones. If one eats something harmful or poisonous it will cause us to regurgitate them. It protects against all kinds of infection and it also provides with a memory store. It controls all the vital processes and functions of the body and never sleeps. It was through sub-conscious mind that the ancient sages perceived great truths of Vedas and upnishads, hidden from the average men.

Siddhis

Powers of the mind are also called as Siddhis. As per the Siddha tradition, these powers can be manifested by any living being who has obtained mastery over the forces of the creation or nature through special training and practice of certain substance or Mantras. Sidhis are said to be eighteen in number. Of them, the eight are known as major and the remaining are considered minor.

The eight principle Siddhis are as follows:

·        the power to assume form as small as atom (Anima),

·        as large as mountain (Mahimaa),

·        as light in weight as air (Laghimaa),

·        as heavy in weight as the Earth (Grimaa);

·        the power to attain anything desired (Praapati),

·        to bring all senses under one's control (Vasitva),

·        to have unhampered will (Prakaamaya),

·        and the lordliness (Isha).

The minor Siddhis are:

·        the power to be immune from hunger and thirst (Anooram),

·        to hear from afar (Door Sharavan),

·        to see from afar (Door Darshan),

·        to travel fast like thought (Manoveg),

·        to assume any desired form (Kaamroop),

·        to enter into another's body (Parkaayi Parvesh),

·        to die at one's own will (Sai Maritayaa),

·        to enjoy meeting with gods (Surkareeraa),

·        to fulfil all desires (Sankalap Sidhi),

·        to go anywhere unobstructed (Apratihat Gat).

Conclusion

The 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal declared: “It is not possible to have reasonable grounds for not believing in miracles.”

Miracles over the centuries have been claimed as marks of power, holiness or divinity. Sceptics claim that there is no reliable evidence to verify that miracles happened and that they are a result of superstition, pious tales or outright frauds. Believers will claim that God can change natural laws when He wants, create new substances and heal disease by divine intervention, all beyond our comprehension. All these wonders are the prerogative and power of an omniscient and omnipotent God. Most religions, often using the same line of reasoning, will claim that only the miracles of their god or holy ones are valid, and that those of other faiths are fakes. Wherein lies the truth?