For me, it was the experience of the four techniques that kept me involved. They are so nearly the "real thing", as long as you don't think about them that is, and if you do them regularly (25 years in my case), you can't think about them...or much else for that matter except schemes, tables and systems..

The techniques seemed to me to heal the split between "man and world" into which us western folks are so conditioned. Not that I knew anything about the prevailing Bacon, Descartes, Kant, scientific mindset etc at the time. I just sort of felt that as I looked at the geometry of the light, and caught the "music" etc that I was participating in the universal all.. If I had known there was one, I would have claimed to have bridged the historical gap between self and nature!

Maha was definitely on to a winner arriving when he did with his dazzling techniques. All those craving unconscious western romantics just waiting for a glimpse of the eternal, and  longing to project themselves into the brave new inner world .

 And what do you actually get once the techs are "revealed"?. More of the same "world" really, only at a confusing new level.

Light (and the others) is not the universal common denomenator at all, the godhead within etc. It  is a heightened sensation of the actual sense organs themselves that's all.(more "world" folks!). Perception of light, sound, music, nectar(1234) clarifies nothing  as far as the relationship of self to world is concerned. What it does do very successfully is blurr the issue, leaving the field open for suggestive religious leadership.

What the techniques really open you too is a novel kind of isolation and alienation;  alone with a geometric light, a sound, a feeling, that could in themselves be anything, that could come from anywhere, that mean?..well anything you care to supply, with whatever strength of mental identity you've got left after the bliss kicks in..

 Bliss by the way dear premies is not the perogative of practicing K.Its not  something you have to bargain with a master for either.(though I did)  Its free everywhere.Bliss proves nothing vis-a-vis k.

But you've no chance against the techniques if you do them because they render you asleep while awake. You can't bring yourself into a clear relationship with them ever, and you can't want to.The Master et al, has filled your memory with language about them that you will never forget.

The cruellest set up of all is to call the techniques "Self" knowledge. They are everything else but self. They dissolve, absorb and engulf self. Thy render self first passive, neutral, then nothing. They keep self waiting entranced-hour after hour.

And all presided over by a Master-ikon, who with the progressive diminishing of  self, provides a benign surrogate centre for his dissolving and enchanted student.

Phew! I am glad I am out. JSCA!

Love Bryn

Ps writing this is like giving satsang! (see EPO for explanation)