Top 12 Ball Lightning Folklore From All Around World

11. The Psychic Projections of Tibetan Mysticism

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Usually taken as a sign of higher psychic or meditation capacity, ball lightning gains a great spiritual component in the mystical traditions of Tibet. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, great concentration and spiritual force create these brilliant spheres—sometimes referred to as "tulpa," or thought-forms. Masters of Tibetan mysticism seen as corporeal expressions of ideas, the tulpa may interact with the real world and live independently from their creator. Said to be able to construct these great spheres by strict mental discipline and esoteric rituals. Though other stories feature these mental projections in more complicated forms, the simplest and most often occurring form seems to be a sphere of radiant energy, much as ball lightning. Tibetan stories abound of monks and yogis who could call forth these spheres at will and use them for anything from illumination in dark tunnels to protection from malevolent spirits to assistance of meditation and spiritual practices. According to some legends, a very strong tulpa could be endowed with particular duties or even a degree of consciousness, including messengers or guardians. Beyond simple mythology, certain Tibetan Buddhist philosophical and mystical traditions see great importance in the idea By means of the development of tulpa, advanced practitioners are supposed to explore the nature of reality and consciousness, therefore attesting to the potential of the mind to change the physical universe. Some esoteric systems claim that learning to produce these thought-forms enables one to advance on the road to enlightenment and develop understanding of the false character of physical reality. Though some critics might write off these stories as simple superstition or hallucination, the fact that this idea survives in Tibetan society emphasizes the close relationship between spiritual practice and the viewpoint on enigmatic events like ball lightning. Combining historical knowledge with the mysterious features of a natural event that still puzzles modern science, this interpretation presents a different view on the nature of consciousness and its power to show in the physical world.