The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is mystical experiences meaning. You will find that his answer is not a philosophy, but a documented, physical reality. That sense that there is something more, something real behind the veil, is not an illusion. While much writing on this topic stays at the level of concept, Vallalar described a direct encounter with a living light and provided the science to experience it. To understand why this matters, we need to look at the man who documented it.
The Life and Teachings of Vallalar

Ramalinga Swamigal, known as Vallalar, was a 19th-century Tamil mystic whose collected writings, the Thiru Arutpa, remain one of the most extraordinary spiritual records ever produced. His life was filled with remarkable feats β though he dismissed anything supernatural, insisting that everything he did was a science. He taught that the human body was not destined for decay but could be transformed into a deathless body of pure light. On January 30, 1874, accounts from those present record that he locked himself in a room in Mettukuppam and was never seen again β his body never found. This event is documented by government records and by British Collector John Henry Garstin.
Arut Perum Jyothi: The Vast Grace-Light
Mystical experiences of light, sound, or bliss are reported across nearly every spiritual tradition. They are often interpreted as signs of grace, moments of union, or glimpses of another reality. Vallalarβs teaching offers a more direct explanation.
He identified the source of all such experiences as a single, intelligent, and compassionate reality he named Arut Perum Jyothi β the Vast Grace-Light. This was not a metaphor or a symbol of God. For Vallalar, it was the literal, visible, and tangible presence of the divine itself. In his extensive writings, the Thiru Arutpa, he documented his progressive union with this light, describing its qualities and its power to transform the physical body.
According to his record, the Grace-Light is the substance of existence. The meaning of a mystical experience, then, is a momentary connection to this fundamental reality. It is the universeβs true nature briefly becoming perceptible to the human nervous system.
What Is the Deeper Mystical Experiences Meaning According to Vallalar?
For Vallalar, the meaning of a mystical experience is not just to have a fleeting vision. It is an invitation to begin a process of permanent transformation. The goal is not to see the light, but to become the light.
He taught that the human body is the instrument for this transformation. Through specific practices of compassion, diet, and mantra, the dense physical body can be progressively refined until it achieves a deathless state. He documented three distinct stages of this process, moving from a pure physical form to a body made of grace itself. This path makes the mystical experience a stable, lived reality rather than a random, passing event.
The Three Stages of Embodying the Grace-Light
Vallalar outlined a scientific progression for the bodyβs transformation into light, a process he himself completed.
The first stage is the Suddha Deham, or Pure Body. This is the foundation. Vallalar taught that none of these techniques can take root without Jeeva Karunyam β active compassion that prevents suffering in other living beings. This begins with the refusal to cause harm for food. A strictly plant-based diet, as detailed in texts like his Nithya Karma Vidhi, purifies the body of the dense vibrations associated with the fear and pain of animals. This purification makes the body a suitable vessel for the Grace-Light.
The second stage is the Pranava Deham, or Primal Body. As the body purifies, it becomes increasingly subtle, eventually taking on the characteristics of light and sound. It is here that the body begins to defy conventional biology, becoming immune to disease, aging, and decay. To attune the consciousness to this state, Vallalar gave a Mahamantra:
AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β
TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti
This translates to: βThe Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light. The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light.β Reciting this mantra turns the mind and body toward the frequency of the Grace-Light, accelerating the transformation. This state has parallels to the rainbow body described in Tibetan traditions, where a masterβs physical form dissolves into light upon death.
The final stage, which Vallalarβs own life demonstrated, is the Gnana Deham, or Wisdom Body. In this state, the transformation is complete. The individual consciousness and the physical form fully merge with the Vast Grace-Light, becoming a deathless, divine body of pure intelligence and compassion.
Begin Attuning to the Grace-Light Today
You do not need to wait for a spontaneous mystical event. Vallalarβs central teaching is that any person can begin to attune to the Vast Grace-Light through conscious, compassionate action.
Take five minutes right now, before you do anything else. Sit quietly and bring to mind someone you know who is in pain or struggling. Gently recite the Mahamantra, Arut Perum Jothi, Arut Perum Jothi, Thani Perum Karunai, Arut Perum Jothi, directing the feeling of compassion toward them. This simple act aligns your intention with the Grace-Light, which Vallalar defined as βIncomparable Great Compassion.β This is the first step in the science he offered.
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