Page 36 - THE FOURTH DIMENSION

whereas innumerable impediments block the cognition of ordinary living beings. The cognition of the living
beings has three divisions: direct knowledge, indirect knowledge and perverted knowledge. Sense perception of
material objects by the mundane senses, such as the eye, ear, nose and hand, always produces definitely
perverted knowledge. This illusion is a presentation of the material energy, which is influenced by the samvit-
śakti in a perverted manner. Negative cognition of an object beyond the reach of sense perception is the way of
indirect knowledge, which is not altogether imperfect but which produces only fragmentary knowledge in the
form of impersonal spiritual realization and monism. But when the samvit factor of cognition is enlightened by
the hlādinī potency of the same internal energy, they work together, and only thus can one attain knowledge of
the Personality of Godhead. The samvit-śakti should be maintained in that state. Material knowledge and
indirect spiritual knowledge are by-products of the samvit-śakti. (CC 1.4.67—-purport).

Many speculative scientists and philosophers are entangled by perverted knowledge and some have ventured
into the domain of indirect knowledge. Only by direct knowledge when one has risen abobe the influence of the
modes of nature by compete engagement in devotional service to the Lord can one become qualified to receive
direct knowledge by the virtue of experiencing ecstatic states of love of God, the internal hladini potency of
Krishna.

Entrance into the fourth dimension

The fourth dimension is not limited by time or space, which can both expand or retract infinitely. Lord Krishna
danced with the gopis during the night of the full moon in autumn, to increase the joy of the gopis. The Lord
mysteriously extended the duration of the night to 4.32 billions of earth years. This is unimaginable for
materially attached human beings because of the self-imposed restraints of the space/time module in mundane
life such as bedrooms, kitchens, cars, offices, bathrooms, day and night, short periods of sense gratification and
experience of pain and suffering, etc. Due to the infinite number of material attachments and attractions, the
consciousness of people becomes diverted to mundane subjects and endeavors. These limit drastically the range
of conscious experience.

A simple example is life before the development of the microscope. There was very little awareness of the
existence of microscopic living entities. The microscope gave the possibility to examine the activity of miniscule
organisms that were invisible to the human eye. The world of microscopic life became observable. Similarly, the
telescope opened up the opportunity to examine outer space and other planets. Microscopes and telescopes
permitted the observers to expand their consciousness to experience alternate levels of existence. They became
acutely aware of relative time and space between the microscopic world and the vast expanses of space.

The relativity of conscious experience in the limited material world gives a hint of the fourth dimension in which
the possibility of perception and experience can be vastly expanded beyond the scope of normal human limits.
For example, the life of certain insects may last for one night in which there is birth, growth, reproduction and
death in a very short period of time compared to the lifespan of a human being. Yet, the insect experiences a
complete life cycle in 12 hours as does a human being in 80 years.

The attainment of ananda-maya, ecstatic states of spiritual consciousness, is the means of entrance into the
fourth dimension. The devotee can experience unending and unfettered extension of blissful life through love
and devotion to Lord Krishna. The time factor is no longer experienced as beginning, middle and end. It is
perceived by its nonpassage, which supports and extends unlimitedly spiritual joy. There are many examples of
this in the Vedic literatures.

What differentiates Lord Krishna from all other divine personalities like Lord Siva, Brahma, Indra, Durga, and
other deified personalities in the universe? Lord Krishna is the undisputed master of the illusory energy in the

34