1. Sattva, Raja, Tama – the 3 subtle basic components of the Universe  
2. An introduction to the concept of sattvik living (Spirituality in daily life)

1. Introduction to the spiritual research on hair care

A person’s hairstyle is quite often regarded as one of the more important aspects of his or her appearance. People invest a lot of time in hair care and the way they style their hair for the day. At the Spiritual Science Research Foundation, through spiritual research we have found that the way we care for our hair and our hairstyle affects us at a spiritual level. In these series of articles, we will share with you some of the more important findings.

2. Spiritual research on hair

Our findings through spiritual research have shown that from a spiritual perspective hair is useful to us and with proper care and treatment we can avoid its potentially harmful aspects.

2.1 Spiritual benefits of hair

This happens in two ways:

1. Protection of voids

There are voids in the body such as the eye socket, the mouth and the nasal passage. These voids are mainly made up of the Absolute Cosmic Air Principle (Vāyutattva).

As negative energies and ghosts from the spiritual dimension are also mainly made up of the Absolute Cosmic Air Principle they find it easier to attack these voids. Hair helps in providing some protective covering to these voids and therefore provides a barrier to these subtle-attacks. For example:

• Eyebrows and eyelashes protect the void in the eye socket
• Nasal hair helps to protect the internal void of the nose and the nasal septum

2. Regulation of subtle heat

The temperatures in the voids are very easily affected by the outside environment. This can affect the equilibrium of the cells in those voids. Hair helps to regulate the heat in the voids of the body which in turn help organs to operate.

At the subtle-level too, the excess heat generated in the person’s body is expelled into the environment through the hair. This excess heat can be generated due to physical, mental or spiritual distress.

2.2 Why hair can be disadvantageous to us

Hair can also be spiritually disadvantageous to us. This is because hair and nails are relatively more Raja-Tama predominant than the rest of our body. As a result of this, ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) who are also Raja-Tama predominant find it easier to attack us through our hair. This means that the way we manage and care for our hair can either aid in negative energies affecting us or it can minimise the risk of them attacking us from the spiritual dimension.

In addition, since our hair is associated with our energy, it can also be utilised to our detriment in rituals of black magic, Voodoo, etc.

3. Practical aspects of hair care and hairstyles

In this next section we provide a few useful tips in caring for hair, gained from spiritual research. We will expand on some of these tips in different articles.

3.1 Hair tips and the result of cutting hair for women

This bit of spiritual research pertains to women. There is a subtle-void at the tip of the hair shaft. For uncut hair this void is very small. However when we cut our hair this void opens up to a greater extent and negative energies use this opportunity to enter the hair shaft and affect us. Cutting hair increases Raja-Tama vibrations in hair and also the environment. However from a spiritual perspective as women and men differ spiritually, for women it’s recommended to not to cut hair while for men it is recommended to have short hair. To understand this in more detail, please refer to our article on leaving hair down.

Sometimes negative energies just attach themselves onto the hair creating subtle black energy centres. From these centres they affect a person.

3.2 Styling of hair

Doing hair up in a neat bun is recommended for women as opposed to leaving hair down or in a ponytail. A bun helps to keep the tips of the hair enclosed and less prone to a subtle-attack. A bun such as the one shown on the left also attracts divine energy. This is explained in more detail in the article Bun hairstyles and their benefits.

Doing ones hair up in a braid or plait too is preferable as opposed to leaving ones hair open.

3.3 Caring for hair

• Using shampoos and other hair care products that are chemical-based are spiritually detrimental for hair. Using natural products will help.  Refer to the article on the spiritual effect of commercial shampoo.
• It is best not to wash ones hair on full-moon or new moon nights as the environment already has a heightened Raja–Tama predominance. This increases the Raja–Tama in hair and can affect us on mental level as well.
• Dyeing hair with chemicals as opposed to natural dyes increases the spiritual impurity in hair.
• Perming of hair leads to negative vibrations
• Washing hair during menses is not recommended. During menses the Raja-Tama component in women rises and as a result the attacks from the subtle can be to a greater extent.  The possibility is even greater when the hair is wet. After this period passes, hair can be washed.

3.4 Changes to hair

• Premature greying of hair can have its root in spiritual causes and can be a sign of spiritual distress
• Hair getting matted can be a sign of negative energy distress

 

4. In summary – Spiritual effect of hair care and hairstyles

In summary there are many aspects to caring for one’s hair that can have an impact at a spiritual level. The more we understand the underlying spiritual principles and practice the most sāttvik way of caring for our hair, the less prone we will be to spiritual distress. Regular spiritual practice along with a sattvik way of life is the best way to grow spiritually and lead a more holistic life.