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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry Friday, 31 March 1905
12.15-25. PY [Prana Yama] in Asana.
12.35-45. Ditto.
1.48 - 2.1. ATSA [Aum Tat Sat Aum] and Ajna in Asana—continuing outside. (Ugh! 13 m[inutes] only).
3.45.55. P.Y. Just the limit at present.
6.41-53. P.Y. Slight Purakam during 11th Rechajam.
6.55 - 7.25. 10.20.20 with it great inconvenience though six 10.20.30 were inserted after 10 min[utes] and a few others here and there. Asana less painful. Eructation nearly broke me up.
8.47 - 9.13. Sabhapaty's[1] [Sabhapaty Swami] 2nd method. Aum or NSNA. Now , O beloved, it seems that this is a good ritual even an excellent one. These 26 minutes produced some results, mostly intellectual, perhaps. The eyes seemed to excite the chakras as they passed.
At Svadistthana nervous movement of lower limbs.
Manipura and Anahata some stirring.
Visuddhi swallowing movement, above in brain peculiar throbbings.
Nothing much followed the 'Middle Pillar' rush, but on enlarging the head I got almost complete loss of surface. Shooting star effects pretty natural; here seems the difficulty; for I may have thought this. The whole thing was rather like a Western formula than an Eastern; but very remarkable and persistent. In spite of H.P.K. [Harpocrates] formula (repeated) and cognac to intensify ego the vague feeling of head still persists (10 min later). During hydrocephalus I did lose ego more or less; there was no definite ananda. N.B. Apart from the short time, there were several errors in the practice which I will read up properly.
1—[Sabhapaty Swami was a Southern India teacher of Raja Yoga. Elsewhere in this notebook Crowley detailed this second method, which I copy here.]
Second Method of Sabhapaty Swami.
Draw the light of your two eyes internally to kundali by Ida[2] and Pingala[3] respectively. Imagine the mind as a straight pole Brahamarandra-Kundali and the consciousness at the bottom of this pole.
Take hold of the consciousness by the two keenesses of your eyes and pull it slowly up (? by Khumbak). This process must take at least twenty minutes. (The chittam must be slowed considerably before this is possible. A.C.). Keep consciousness in Brahmarandra for 20 min[utes] more. Then drop and lift it through sushumna so fast that it takes less than 1 sec[ond]. Practice this for a few minutes. Then let your mind stand steady on the pole (? as before). In calm silence void and without motion, free from all thoughts and fickleness—so be it. Then join the 'conscious sight of the two eyes' (which have gone back to their usual place?) with the top of the mind in Brahmarandra, forming a triangle.
Having got success in this practice, imagine your head to be removed and that the whole space (? of the head) is filled up by the Universal consciousness which now become the holy Akash itself. This is neither dark not bright coloured nor formed. Consider this as infinite—take its centre. Earth floats below centre, sun to right above, moon to left above, stars etc at top. Then expand your universally diffused consciousness till it fills and permeates all space and matter. It is perfect vacuum; cancel luminous or dark akashes which may appear. Be very careful not to cancel the true one. You become Bhawana Brahmjnani Brahmachari—Hurrah! (All this is obscure and often nonsensical).
2—[Crowley's nickname for his left nostril.] 3—[Crowley's nickname for his right nostril.]
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