Types and manifestations of spiritual emotion

1. Types of spiritual emotion

There are two types of spiritual emotion, manifest and unmanifest.

• Manifest spiritual emotion as the name suggests is when there is an apparent manifestation of spiritual emotion. We will expand on the various types of manifestation in subsequent paragraphs.
• Unmanifest spiritual emotion is when there is spiritual emotion but it does not manifest or is not apparent to others.

Out of the two, unmanifest spiritual emotion is a higher state as any energy spent in the manifestation of spiritual emotion is conserved. This spiritual energy can then be used to further one’s spiritual growth. It can also used to serve God and Guru by spreading Spirituality.

2. Manifest spiritual emotion

When a person is experiencing spiritual emotion (bhav) it can manifest in 8 ways. The following are the 8 ways it can manifest.

1. Becoming motionless/experiencing standstill

2. Sweating

3. Hair standing on end/goosebumps

4. Tremulous voice

5. Tremor

6. Becoming pale/blanching

7. Tears flowing from the eyes

8. Fainting

These manifestations of spiritual emotion happen effortlessly and spontaneously in the absence of any other non-spiritual contributing factor. When experiencing this state a person’s demeanour is usually altered and he also experiences lack of body consciousness, mind going thoughtless by being fixed on a certain religious stimulus. It happens when there is something to precipitate a sudden increase in sattvikta.

For example, tears of spiritual emotion are quite often experienced by a seeker during singing of hymns or when they remember Guru or God or when then recollect various spiritual experiences in their life. This can be classified as tears of spiritual emotion, one of the eight types of spiritual emotion. When all the above eight signs are seen simultaneously, it is said that the eight-fold saattvik spiritual emotion (ashtthasaattvik bhav) has been aroused.

This experience of manifestation of spiritual emotion is usually short in duration but can occasionally also be of a prolonged nature. A longer duration is usually experienced by seekers at a higher spiritual level or Saints on the path of Devotion (Bhaktiyoga) when going through some exceptional spiritual experience.

Just because one experiences spiritual emotion does not necessarily mean that one is of a higher spiritual level. Also it should not be confused with physical or emotional manifestations of spiritual emotion. Refer to the article – What is the difference between normal emotion and spiritual emotion?