Whats up with this smell?

[center888]

It seems certain practice/circumstances can produce a sweet scent where nothing physically is around who should normaly produce this. Anyone who has experience with this? Or knows a reason/connection, exercise or name of this?

A person told me once if he is in meditation and gets a visit from nonphysical beeings he will sometimes smell a strong sweet scent.

Is this reproducable or does "it" only work if one invokes/invites other beeings?

Just curious.

[C T]

I remember when i was a kid my mother gave me a stern warning that if i were to smell some kind of sweet fragrance while out walking at night, and there was nothing around that i could see could be the source of

that fragrance, then the odds are that there is a 'manifestation' or 'spirit' nearby, and that i should not

verbally acknowledge or exclaim how nice the smell was, and to just keep my eyes down and walk away.

She said that by acknowledging the smell would be like some kind of invitation for the 'presence' to hang

around the person, and might be troublesome.

 

Just recollected the story when i read this post, and thought it would be okay to include it here.

[Dainin]

This phenomenon is mentioned in yogic literature quite often. I have seen it described as a side effect of brahmacharya (celibacy). It might even be talked about it "Autobiography of a Yogi", but it's been a long time since I've read that.

 

There is a style of qigong called Xiang Gong or Fragrance Qigong, which is supposed to lead to the practitioner being able to sense these smells. It's never happened to me when I practice it, although it does create pretty strong qi sensations in my hands and feet.

 

A related phenomenon is the tasting of pleasant tastes in one's mouth (when not eating). I took a Taoist yoga workshop with a kung fu teacher in Ft Lauderdale a few years ago, and he stated that this taste came from secretions in either the pineal or pituitary gland (I forget which one), which drop down into the sinuses. Perhaps this is also the source of the smell as well as the taste.

 

Personally, this explanation makes more sense to me than the presence of disincarnate beings, but you can figure that one out for yourself!

Edited January 11, 2010 by Dainin

[Aetherous]

I took a Taoist yoga workshop with a kung fu teacher in Ft Lauderdale a few years ago, and he stated that this taste came from secretions in either the pineal or pituitary gland (I forget which one), which drop down into the sinuses. Perhaps this is also the source of the smell as well as the taste.

 

Cool, who was that teacher?

[Dainin]

Cool, who was that teacher?

 

Andrew Chung

[三江源]

It seems certain practice/circumstances can produce a sweet scent where nothing physically is around who should normaly produce this. Anyone who has experience with this? Or knows a reason/connection, exercise or name of this?

A person told me once if he is in meditation and gets a visit from nonphysical beeings he will sometimes smell a strong sweet scent.

Is this reproducable or does "it" only work if one invokes/invites other beeings?

Just curious.

Yes, I have experienced it, the strong sweet scent suddenly arriving. Smelled like incense. Actually, I thought it was Yogananda!

 

I dont know what it was called or even why it happened, particularly. I think I may have been watching Yogananda on YouTube just before, I think.

 

I had a transmission into my sense of smell once, so that I could go deeply into 'qigong state' every time I smell incense. That probably sounds crazy. but it worked!

[Vajrasattva]

yes this is true occurance. If a master's or a practitioners intent is sweet and harmonious and loving they tend to smell great and or give an "air" of essential oils or flowers or incense.

 

Also when you work with the Vishuddah chakra you tend to smell better over all i honestly believe it has to do with the fact that the thyroid gets balanced and there for works on balancing the hormones in the body and the "oils" of the body.

 

Peace

 

santi

[fiveelementtao]

Yes. this is a real phenomenon. Both answers are given as reasons for this. Secretions from the pineal gland can create a smell of incense. And I have been told by my teachers that this smell is an indication that the ascended masters are helping you and the smell is a sign of their presence.

I have had this happen to me on more than one occasion.

Years ago, when I practiced yoga, I was doing a heavy Kali Sadhana (Kali is a very powerful form of Shakti and is often connected to fire.) Well, wouldn't you know it? during that sadhana I smelled smoke everywhere I went. The smell stopped when I finished the sadhana...

Nowadays, I experience a sweet smell like incense sometimes during my Tao practice... I just assume it is my guides helping out...

[3bob]

 

so it is :-)

[center888]

This phenomenon is mentioned in yogic literature quite often. I have seen it described as a side effect of brahmacharya (celibacy). It might even be talked about it "Autobiography of a Yogi", but it's been a long time since I've read that.

If thats the case it seems I'm reading the wrong books. Or I should read more in the yogic literature.

The only book I remember to mention something like this was about a special kind of kundalini. As the author wrote he never stumbled over a kundalini book describing it the same way as they were experiencing it in their group. He also wrote about working with higher practices like samadhi in the beginning without much preparation and he mentioned the sweet incense smell in connection with their work.

 

There is a style of qigong called Xiang Gong or Fragrance Qigong, which is supposed to lead to the practitioner being able to sense these smells. It's never happened to me when I practice it, although it does create pretty strong qi sensations in my hands and feet.

 

A related phenomenon is the tasting of pleasant tastes in one's mouth (when not eating). I took a Taoist yoga workshop with a kung fu teacher in Ft Lauderdale a few years ago, and he stated that this taste came from secretions in either the pineal or pituitary gland (I forget which one), which drop down into the sinuses. Perhaps this is also the source of the smell as well as the taste.

 

Personally, this explanation makes more sense to me than the presence of disincarnate beings, but you can figure that one out for yourself!

I will look into the Fragrance Qigong.

The pleasant taste in one's mouth should be amrita: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrita

But as far as I know they aren't directly related.

Fiveelementtao wrote the smell can come from pineal gland secretions but the amrita is not from the pineal gland.

 

Also when you work with the Vishuddah chakra you tend to smell better over all i honestly believe it has to do with the fact that the thyroid gets balanced and there for works on balancing the hormones in the body and the "oils" of the body.

Yep, I would expect the direct body results/oils should be common with every better practice.(?)

 

The "intend" part from the other phenomena is interesting.

 

Nowadays, I experience a sweet smell like incense sometimes during my Tao practice... I just assume it is my guides helping out...

Any specific Tao practice?

Edited January 12, 2010 by center888