u/Spirited_Earth6664

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for thoughtful responses from people who have studied Hindu occult traditions, Tantra, Puranas, regional folklore, or related traditions. I'm not looking for jokes or generic dismissals. I'm also not claiming certainty about what happened. I'm trying to understand how different traditions might interpret an experience like this.

Last night, while fully awake in my room, I experienced the following:

•A strong rotten/decaying smell suddenly appeared. It wasn't there earlier.

•The smell would sometimes become much stronger, almost as if it were moving closer to me.

• I developed a very intense feeling that something was present in the room and I that was being watched.

• I perceived what looked like a dark, smoky, semi-transparent figure rather than a solid body.

• It appeared to have an unusually large mouth, and at moments I noticed reddish eyes within the dark form.

• Briefly, it seemed to take on a snake-like appearance before returning to the previous form.

• At one point, it looked as though its head had been severed or decapitated.

• I also experienced a disturbing image resembling a strange abstract portrait of a man with exaggerated lips. It wasn't realistic, more like an unsettling painted face, and it carried an extremely negative feeling.

• As soon as this started happening, I began chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, remembered as much of the Narayan Kavach as I could without looking at my phone, and continuously chanted "Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram." During this, my subjective experience was that the presence could no longer come close to me. The rotten smell completely disappeared afterward, and I eventually felt safe enough to sleep.

Some additional context:

• This began at around midnight while I was fully awake.

• I had been sleeping normally for several nights beforehand.

• I have previously been medically evaluated and was not found to have a neurological or psychiatric condition that would explain experiences like this.

• Our house is partially under renovation. Some rooms are unfinished or rarely used.

• There are tamarind and kikar trees near the property, though I'm not assuming they're relevant.

I'm particularly interested in answers based on:

1. Hindu scriptures (Garuda Purana, Atharva Veda, etc.).

2. Shakta, Shaiva, Vaishnava, or Tantric traditions.

3. Regional folklore from different parts of India.

4. Traditional commentaries or authentic lineage teachings.

Any insights on whether this could be black magic performed on me?

If possible, I'd appreciate citations to primary texts or traditional commentaries more than YouTube videos or internet lists even though they are welcome. I'm genuinely trying to study these traditions seriously and understand how different schools might classify or interpret an experience with these characteristics.

I'm looking for thoughtful responses from people who have studied Hindu occult traditions, Tantra, Puranas, regional folklore, or related traditions or from anyone knowledgeable in general. I'm not looking for jokes or generic dismissals. I'm also not claiming certainty about what happened. I'm trying to understand how different traditions discuss experiences like this.

Last night, while fully awake in my room, I experienced the following:

A strong rotten/decaying smell suddenly appeared. It wasn't there earlier.

The smell would sometimes become much stronger, almost as if it were moving closer to me. I developed a very intense feeling that something was present in the room.I perceived what looked like a dark, smoky, semi-transparent figure rather than a solid body.

It appeared to have an unusually large mouth, and at moments I noticed reddish eyes within the dark form.

Briefly, it seemed to take on a snake-like appearance before returning to the previous form. At one point, it looked as though its head had been severed or decapitated. I also experienced a disturbing image resembling a strange abstract portrait of a man with exaggerated lips. It wasn't realistic, more like an unsettling painted face, and it carried an extremely negative feeling.

As soon as this started happening, I began chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, remembered as much of the Narayan Kavach as I could without looking at my phone, and continuously chanted "Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram."

During this, my subjective experience was that the presence could no longer come close to me.

The rotten smell completely disappeared afterward, and I eventually felt safe enough to sleep.

Some additional context:

This began at around midnight while I was fully awake.

I had been sleeping normally for several nights beforehand.

I have previously been medically evaluated and was not found to have a neurological or psychiatric condition that would explain experiences like this.

Our house is partially under renovation. Some rooms are unfinished or rarely used.

There are tamarind and kikar trees near the property, though I'm not assuming they're relevant.

I'm mainly interested in learning how different traditions discuss experiences involving perceived presences, unusual odors, apparitions, and the role of protective practices.

If you're familiar with Hindu, Tantric, or other esoteric traditions, I'd appreciate any relevant textual references or teachings that might help me understand these concepts better.

If possible, I'd appreciate references to primary texts, traditional commentaries, or established lineage teachings rather than YouTube videos or internet lists. I'm genuinely trying to study these traditions seriously and learn how different schools or traditions discuss experiences with these characteristics.

Please explain the reasoning behind your perspective rather than simply giving a one-line conclusion.

Apologies if the flair isn't correct

I'm looking for thoughtful responses from people who have studied Hindu occult traditions, Tantra, Puranas, regional folklore, or related traditions. I'm not looking for jokes or generic dismissals. I'm also not claiming certainty about what happened. I'm trying to understand how different traditions discuss experiences like this.

Last night, while fully awake in my room, I experienced the following:

A strong rotten/decaying smell suddenly appeared. It wasn't there earlier.

The smell would sometimes become much stronger, almost as if it were moving closer to me. I developed a very intense feeling that something was present in the room.I perceived what looked like a dark, smoky, semi-transparent figure rather than a solid body.

It appeared to have an unusually large mouth, and at moments I noticed reddish eyes within the dark form.

Briefly, it seemed to take on a snake-like appearance before returning to the previous form. At one point, it looked as though its head had been severed or decapitated. I also experienced a disturbing image resembling a strange abstract portrait of a man with exaggerated lips. It wasn't realistic, more like an unsettling painted face, and it carried an extremely negative feeling.

As soon as this started happening, I began chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, remembered as much of the Narayan Kavach as I could without looking at my phone, and continuously chanted "Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram."

During this, my subjective experience was that the presence could no longer come close to me.

The rotten smell completely disappeared afterward, and I eventually felt safe enough to sleep.

Some additional context:

This began at around midnight while I was fully awake.

I had been sleeping normally for several nights beforehand.

I have previously been medically evaluated and was not found to have a neurological or psychiatric condition that would explain experiences like this.

Our house is partially under renovation. Some rooms are unfinished or rarely used.

There are tamarind and kikar trees near the property, though I'm not assuming they're relevant.

I'm mainly interested in learning how different traditions discuss experiences involving perceived presences, unusual odors, apparitions, and the role of protective practices.

If you're familiar with Hindu, Tantric, or other esoteric traditions, I'd appreciate any relevant textual references or teachings that might help me understand these concepts better.

If possible, I'd appreciate references to primary texts, traditional commentaries, or established lineage teachings rather than YouTube videos or internet lists. I'm genuinely trying to study these traditions seriously and learn how different schools or traditions discuss experiences with these characteristics.

Please explain the reasoning behind your perspective rather than simply giving a one-line conclusion.

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for thoughtful responses from people who have studied Hindu occult traditions, Tantra, Puranas, regional folklore, or related traditions. I'm not looking for jokes or generic dismissals. I'm also not claiming certainty about what happened. I'm trying to understand how different traditions might interpret an experience like this.

Last night, while fully awake in my room, I experienced the following:

•A strong rotten/decaying smell suddenly appeared. It wasn't there earlier.

•The smell would sometimes become much stronger, almost as if it were moving closer to me.

• I developed a very intense feeling that something was present in the room and I that was being watched.

• I perceived what looked like a dark, smoky, semi-transparent figure rather than a solid body.

• It appeared to have an unusually large mouth, and at moments I noticed reddish eyes within the dark form.

• Briefly, it seemed to take on a snake-like appearance before returning to the previous form.

• At one point, it looked as though its head had been severed or decapitated.

• I also experienced a disturbing image resembling a strange abstract portrait of a man with exaggerated lips. It wasn't realistic, more like an unsettling painted face, and it carried an extremely negative feeling.

• As soon as this started happening, I began chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, remembered as much of the Narayan Kavach as I could without looking at my phone, and continuously chanted "Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram." During this, my subjective experience was that the presence could no longer come close to me. The rotten smell completely disappeared afterward, and I eventually felt safe enough to sleep.

Some additional context:

• This began at around midnight while I was fully awake.

• I had been sleeping normally for several nights beforehand.

• I have previously been medically evaluated and was not found to have a neurological or psychiatric condition that would explain experiences like this.

• Our house is partially under renovation. Some rooms are unfinished or rarely used.

• There are tamarind and kikar trees near the property, though I'm not assuming they're relevant.

I'm particularly interested in answers based on:

1. Hindu scriptures (Garuda Purana, Atharva Veda, etc.).

2. Shakta, Shaiva, Vaishnava, or Tantric traditions.

3. Regional folklore from different parts of India.

4. Traditional commentaries or authentic lineage teachings.

If possible, I'd appreciate citations to primary texts or traditional commentaries rather than YouTube videos or internet lists. I'm genuinely trying to study these traditions seriously and understand how different schools might classify or interpret an experience with these characteristics.

Hey everyone,

I'm a Vaishnava with an interest in Vedanta and sampradaya philosophy. While reading about different Vaishnava traditions, I came across a question that I haven't been able to resolve satisfactorily.

What is the precise philosophical difference between Achintya Bhedabheda and Svabhavika Bhedabheda?

From my understanding, both accept that the jiva and jagat are simultaneously different and non-different from Bhagavan. However, I am struggling to identify where the actual doctrinal divergence lies.

Is the difference primarily that Gaudiya Vaishnavas describe this relationship as achintya (inconceivable), whereas the Nimbarka tradition describes it as svabhavika (natural or inherent)? Or are there deeper metaphysical differences regarding the nature of Brahman, jiva, prakriti, and their interrelationships?

Additionally, are there any schools, thinkers, or interpretations that could be viewed as a synthesis or middle ground between the two?

I'd appreciate insights from those familiar with either tradition, as well as any primary sources or scholarly references.

Jai Shri Sitaram!