Investigated
I've heard of yogis in India doing some supernatural things, is that because they found true nature of reality
Short answer
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Mainstream evidence separates yoga’s documented benefits from siddhis, which remain unverified by modern science. Traditional sources treat such powers as possible products of advanced practice, but often subordinate them to liberation. The central disagreement is whether reported experiences reveal reality itself or reflect tradition, interpretation, and altered states.
The views on this question
Two lenses on the same evidence. Source weight and the primary source ratio show what each rests on.
Alternative
Source weight 67%Lens adapted to this topic: Traditional and experiential readings
A traditional or experiential reading holds that disciplined concentration can disclose dimensions of mind and reality unavailable to ordinary awareness, and that siddhis may be genuine within that framework. It also need not equate powers with realization: some respected teachings describe them as secondary, dreamlike, or spiritually dangerous. This position rests mainly on textual traditions, interpretations, and reported experiences rather than controlled verification.
- Within Patañjali’s framework, siddhis are presented as intrinsic possibilities of advanced yogic concentration and as consequences of its account of consciousness and nature.
- Some traditional accounts regard unusual powers as expressions of heightened spiritual or mental capacity, rather than mere stage magic or ordinary skill.
- Ramana Maharshi’s reported teaching says psychic powers are inferior to realization and can become ‘golden chains,’ suggesting that true knowledge is not demonstrated by miracles.
- Indian philosophical traditions include both spiritual interpretations and skeptical or investigative approaches, so ‘ancient wisdom’ does not yield one uniform conclusion.
Follow the white rabbit
Deeper threads worth pulling on next.
- What are siddhis in yoga?A different rabbit holeOutline traditional lists and types of supernatural abilities described in Hindu and Buddhist sources.
- Can meditation alter brain function?Different angle, same storySummarize neuroscience findings on structural and functional brain changes from long-term meditation.
- Have any siddhis been scientifically tested?A different rabbit holeReview specific claims of paranormal powers and results of controlled experiments, if any.