Daas_

Waheguru Ji

The practice of simran begins with the `tongue'
The continuous repetition of `GURMANTAR' is the physical activity of simran.
As the practice of simran with the tongue progresses GURMANTAR will begin to settle in the subconscious mind. This method is used to teach children multiplication tables. When the multiplication tables become firmly anchored in the mind the solving of sums becomes easy.
In the same way to anchor GURMANTAR in the subconscious it is absolutely essential to continuously practice repeating it with the tongue. This practice of continuous repetition is called SIMRAN.
In the beginning, the seeker through hearsay or by imitation adopts a certain method of doing simran.
In their ignorance many seekers stubbornly practice difficult methods of doing simran which have a negative influence on the body and the mind. For example
- movement of the head or some part of the body.
- doing simran very loudly.
- doing simran very rapidly.
- ending a simran cycle with a sampat.
- tying hair to the ceiling.
(2)
- focusing the mind on some light.
- focusing the concentration between the eyes.
- doing simran while standing on one leg - etc.
Many other ways and methods are being practiced.
Gurbani has this to say about stubborn ways :-
"He who dies in obstinacy is not accepted Even though he may wear religious garb,or apply much ash to his body. Forgetting the Name, he repents afterwards."(226)
"The lord Himself sees and Himself makes man see By obstinacy He is pleased not nor by many religious garbs."(686)
"Practicing obstinacy & self conceit the lord is obtained not.Studying religious texts and reading them to people and wondering at shrines, the disease is eradicated not.Without the name how can the mortal obtain peace."(905 - 906)
"By practicing stubborn self torture, the body wears off.Through fasting & penance the soul is softened not.Nothing else becomes equal to lord's name."(905)
(3)
"Without the name, in vain are all the wears & eats and accursed is the success & accursed the supernatural power." (650)
"The numerous actions (supposed to please God) performed by people boost their ego. Egoistical actions are harmful, and bring along with them much suffering. Without the practice of meditation of the shabad within a satsang no offering or action is accepted by God even though those actions are performed by people who do who do only good." (Bhai Gurdas 517)
In gurbani, you are introduced to a more simple & natural method.
"The churn, belonging to God, O my brother, churn it slowly and gently such that the butter (that appears) may not be lost." (478)
"By remembering the name with mental poise, the Divine knowledge is revealed. (429)
"Whosoever, night & day, utters the Lord's name he attains unto the Guru's peaceful disposition."(1258)
Just as a child keeps saying (mummy - mummy) out of love for the mother, in the same way the seeker too should do the simran of gurmanter
- naturally / instinctively
- calmly
- respectfully
- fear - faith (for God)
- with love
- in solitude.
(4)
The act of repetition or meditation needs to be done with full of faith and love, slowly & gently in a low and soft voice.
Attentions need to be focused on the word "Waheguru" and one must listen to this low & soft voice with the ears.
By doing this, the mind's concentration will be begun to focus on one point that is the Gurmanter (Waheguru)
- The eyes will close and the mind will not be affected by outside influence.
- the tongue will remain immersed in the repetition of gurmanter.
- The ears will hear their own voice
- The mind will soften/melt in the love - worship of the guru.
This activity of simran becomes simpler in the company of Guru's devotees that is the sadh sangat.
"Joining the union of the society of saints, meditate on the name of the God.(26)
"Lord's meditation is attained in the Saints Society." (262)
"Sing the praises of the world lord, associating with the society of saints, contemplate." (624)
"Joining the society of saints, remember your lord with your soul & body. (817)
"In the congregation of saints the true name of God abides in mortal's mind." (51)
"Joining the guide of the saints I place God's name within my mind." (95)
"O Lord God, unite me with the saint's society, that Gods name may come to abide within my mind."(1417)
"Joining the society of saints, Contemplate over the name alone."(378)
"Meeting with the saints society, remember Lords name, then your service will be fruitful.(617)
(5)
In society, there are many existing doubts about the "mantar" for simran. There is a need to have an open discussion on this matter.
In this material world, the expression of the "mantra" is made through words, language and sound. But behind our material voice there is also an ineffable (subtle imperceptible) sound.
According to research made by scientists, all material things are made from the combination of different imperceptible elements. If a material thing is continuously (systematically) broken down (to its basic building blocks) it assumes the form of molecules, atoms, electrons, invisible protons, and reaches the point of subtle vibrations from which the subtle sound or raag (primal sound or divine music) is born (created). Gurbani refers to this divine music as limitless sound, infinite bani, naam, shabad or the "great mantar".
This infinite sound cannot be registered (heard) by our ears because it is not a creation of this material world - it is something beyond - this the suitable sound of the divine world, sound without a sound 22&(that cannot be registered by our physical ears) or Bani that can only be experienced by the inner sound through intuition. It is continuous its existence eternal.
In the Japji Sahib, the stanzas on "listening" refer to item limitless sound (current). It is a reference to intuitional listening of the bani.
"Both in speech and silence, He the Lord abides As He is, more can know him as such."(340)
"If she hearkens to the gurus instruction,It is then that the joyous beloved meets (18)
The written "mantar" is the expression of the subtle divine "mantar". When this written "mantar" is received from the satguru, then it is known as "Gur manter".
Many doubts exist amongst the seekers about doing simran.
(6)
The first question that is asked is , Which "word" or mantra forms the basis of meditation ?
(7)
Within the letters of the Gurmantar, the Guru himself is present but is concealed.
With in the Satgur is the Shabad and within the shabad is the Satgur.
For this reason, Guru's mantar is the symbol of the Guru's illuminated presence.
For example, a mother's child, Mohan, his entire personality ( both his merits and demerits ) are immersed in the word "Mohan". But "Mohan's " existence depends nor only on his name "Mohan" but it has a separate existence of its own devoid of the word "Mohan". In spite of this ( separate existence ) the word "Mohan" still is the symbol of his existence.
"My master is eternal. He is seen by
practicing the Name Meditation." (509)
Just like a mother remembering her child with love, calls "Mohan", the blessings of her love and the vibrating emotions travel over some distance to pierce the inner seat of "Mohan's" heart. The mother's love and blessing thus reach the child. The child too returns this love through vibrations to the mother.
(8)
In this way between the two parties, the "love filled" transactions keep taking place. This emotions / vibrations, the more intense they are, the greater the effect on the other side and response too is of equal intensity. Just as / when Bebe Nanaki remembered her brother Guru Nanak Dev Sahib, with such intensity that Guru Sahib appeared immediately. In the same way when we recite "Waheguru" with love and faith, we are touching the deep recess of Guru's heart. The Guru too returns that love with love and blessings on the same wave length and intensity. For this reason we not only receive love and blessings from the guru for meditating on the GURMANTAR, we also by virtue of that love and blessings instinctively absorb all of Guru's virtues like
mercy,
forgiveness,
love,
happiness
hue
essence
pleasure
In this way the GURMANTAR 'WAHEGURU' keeps becoming more lovely and pleasurable. The GURMANTAR will penetrate,settle and assimilate into our physical and mental body, into every hair, into the subconscious and spontaneously we take the form of GURMANTAR itself.
"As is the one whom he serves
so does he himself become." (223)
"When differences between me and others
are removed, then whosoever I see there
I see but you O Lord."' (1375)
(9)
There is another doubt that is prevalent- the affixing of adjectives in front or at the back of the shabad or mantar- for example...Sri Waheguru, Satnam Waheguru,Ek Ongkar Waheguru etc. some even meditate on a multiple word mantar - for example RadhaKrishan, Sitaram,Om Siva
Jai Gobind, Jai Gopal, Ha-re Krishan etc. In some groups a 5 word mantar is also prevalent.
It must be remembered that GURMANTAR is not just a word; lying hidden behind it is the subtle form of guru's
presence
personality
soul
light
essence of love
divine glance
Continuously meditating of GURMANTAR with faith and love will produce a state where the letters of the GURMANTAR "WAHEGURU" will imperceptibly begin to dissolve, melt and transform into a subtle form
- its illuminated form
- its principle form
- its bliss producing form
_ love radiating form
- life giving force
- its Naam form
These divine form/force/vibrations then change into and appear as
Jingling (sounds)
limitless tinkling sound
Divine music
(10)
Just as Bhagat Kabir has said,
"The letters shall perish. The imperishable Lord cannot be described through these letters." ( 340)
When meditating it is easy to do so with a one word mantar and this one word mantar itself will dissolve,melt and assume a subtle form. A multiple word mantar is so much more difficult to melt or dissolve because
- God is one
- His subtle form is also one
- His sound current is also one
- His illumination is also one
- His manifested form is also one
- So His subtle mantar/shabad is also one
Thus the meditation of the one word mantar will spontaneously bear fruits.
Support of this view in gurbani appears as follows:
"He who by guru's instruction utters the one name he gathers the pure glory." (747)
"Nanak, he in whose mind the one word of the Lord abides, becomes mightily pleased." (261)
"Veds,purans and simirts of pure words are the creation of the one word of the Lord's name."(262)
"He within whose mind the one pure name abides he realizes the essence of the vedas." (1205)
"Man has joined the fifty two letters, but he cannot recognize the one word of the Lord."(343)
A certain divine soul has this to say on the above subject:
'The shorter the mantar, the better.Make this one word mantar reside in your heart and while attending to your daily chores keep it side by side and make lit an integral part of your life. If doubt,thought-counter thought appears try to get through to the solution through this one word.Practice repetition, meditation of this one word to such an extent that this word GURMANTAR will penetrate, settle and assimilate itself into your physical,your mental, your heart,your subconscious enabling you to hear it intuitionally.Your personality or self will immerse itself into the mantar.
(11)
For meditation the best time is Amrit Vela (3a.m.-6a.m.)
"Rise early in the morning,repeat the name, And night and day meditate on the Lord."(255)
According to this gurbani hukum,amrit-vela-early morning hours are the most beneficial for doing simran.Besides this one is also urged
night and day - meditate/repeat In gurbani there are numerous places where specific instructions have been given to us:-
" Whilst walking, sitting,sleeping and waking deliberate on the guru's instruction in the mind."(1006)
"Standing, sitting,sleeping or walking we ought to remember the Lord all through our lives." (101)
"Standing, sitting & sleeping- all the time remember the God's name." (594)
"While standing,sitting or sleeping meditate on the Lord.Walking on the way sing the praises of the Lord Master. (386)
"While standing or sitting meditate on God and enshrine affection for the saint's society."(297)
"Standing sitting sleeping, walking with each breath of mine I contemplate on my God." (1298)
"Standing sitting, sleeping and walking, this soul contemplates on you O Lord." (820)
"Sitting, standing I repeat your name .This alone is the deed I do."(813)
meaning all the time , non stop, every minute,second in whatever condition, always, while doing daily chores
like
eating, drinking
awake, sleeping,getting up, sitting
walking about
the firm advice is DO SIMRAN ALL THE TIME.
The practice of this simran meditation is most difficult.
"It is difficult to utter the True Name"(9)
(12)
But in the company of blessed gurmukhs the mind instinctively focuses itself and the practice of simran becomes simpler.
"In the society of saints one does not face any misery.By beholding and meeting the saints, the mortal becomes happy. (272)
"Join the saints society. Meeting with the saints guild you shall be blessed with the Lord's elixir." (1304)
"Join the society of saints and contemplate on the Lord"s wealth. Thus from as sinner you shall become holy." (631)
According to our past deeds, when the fruits of our virtuous deeds flower, we obtain the true & pure 'Sat Sangat' or "Sadh Sangat' and the seekers soul awakens.Spontaneously his incessant (unbroken) simran starts and he becomes a blessed one.
"When the plumule of actions of past sprouted,I met the Lord, the reveller- the detached." (204)
"He on whom the Exalted Lord showers mercy, obtains the society of saints.
The more he frequents the saint's congregation the more love he comes to enshrine for the Lord."(71)
The external activity of simran is in the physical and mental effort.Beyond this there is simrans's divine play which is unique and wonderful.
"O Slave Nanak, this is a difficult game.
Only a few know lit through the guru." (219)
Full article can be found on this link https://powerofthoughts-divinepower.blogspot.com/2008/07/simran-lekh-no-2.html?m=0

A1)The Simran is always done by the mind, in order to get purified(Prabh ka simran man kee mael jaae), and once purified to an extent, it can enter into the spiritual subtle realms within.
A2) We are not the mann, we are the jeev atma, a spark of the consciousness/Jot  of Satpurush. Yet we are tied knot with the mind in each birth to remain prisoners in the creation of Kal and Maya.
And unless we are born as human beings, and with the aid and guidance of the teachings in the Bani which in short and beautifully says: 
Eko Naam hukum hae Nanak Satgur dheea bujhae jeeo.
And the Simran of Nam is also the cutter of that otherwise tight knot between the mind and soul.
The Nam simran, is the one medicine for all our maladies, and the method to eternal bliss and union with our origin, Satnam.
 

Waheguru ji ka khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh.
Sangat ji, With Waheguru ji's Kirpa I have started doing Simran but As i am new at Doing So,  I am so confused where should I Keep my Dhyaan ? 
I saw Videos of Sant Giani Maskeen ji, And they Mentioned That one have to listen him/her own Waheguru's Dhun. (I get That) when i do this there is huge amount of pressure between my eyebrows (Possibly on Third eye IDK) 
But on the other side Bhai Sewa Singh ji Tarmala said to do Saas Giraas Simran. Said When You inhale you have to loudly Say WAHE And when you exhale you say GURU. I am confused because I cant say WAHE when inhaling Loudly. 
Please guide me Sadh Sangat ji. 
Waheguru ji ka khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh.

WHY WE SHOULD DO WAHEGURU SIMRAN  IN THE MORNING ❓❓❓
What is so important about morning Simran ❓
 
🎈Simran  in the morning is so important because you meet Guru Jee  before you meet the Devil.
🎈You meet Guru Jee  before you meet the circumstances of life. 
🎈You talk to Guru Jee before you talk to many people.
🎈You fellowship with Guru  Jee before you fellowship with other people. 
🎈You hear Anhad Naad  from Heaven before you receive any breaking news.
🎈You sit before Guru  Jee before you sit before people.
🎈You kneel before Guru  Jee before you kneel down before men.
🎈You Honour Guru Jee  before you honour people.  
🎈You get into Guru  Jee´s presence before you get into the presence of people. 
🎈You feed your Spirit before you feed your body. 
🎈You  call Waheguru  before you call all other small names.
🎈You see Guru  Jee before even you see yourself in the mirror.  
🎈You sweep your heart before you sweep your yard!
👏🙏Shukur hae tera Sachay Patshaah🙏👏

Simran update
I have finished third round of 125,000 naam simran. It seems like i have too much dirt to wash off,  missed couple of days without simran too, but  most important haven't given up.  Engaged myself in work politics,  lost the concentration and feeling irritated these days. 
Early stage is very difficult,  kalyug is very powerful,  understood the clever game between our mind and kalyug. 
One thing is clear that there is nothing in the world that could save us apart from naam simran. The most powerful,  easy to recite, difficult to concentrate on is the naam simran.  
My counting of simran is encouraging me how much i have done so far.  Waiting for concentration and pyaar to build up,  so i could give up on counting. Lost track of inhale exhale technique, but easily waking up at 4.30 now and able to take cold shower. 
My Journey continues...

Gurbani talks about how all freinds and family will fail you, and that you alone are incapable of many things and that through this we realize that our only Friend is 1. As part of your marriage ceremony with 1. Only Satguru can guide you across the world ocean and merge you with themself. 
The nature of Kalyug's hate for the holy is also referenced numerous ways. As are the pressence of negative energies that only the Gurmantar and Gurbani counter, as Sikhs. If we were another tradition we would use another Naam. 
But as you go through this phase of having your coin poured, minted, and struck, you go through what others have identified as "a dark night of the soul." As a testament to your good works not bad, but hard to accept as that, as it involves a lot of fears and suffering and illusions being stripped away while you appear ever alone. But you are not alone. You have Vaheguru Akal Purakh and always did. Think back to all the magic moments in life and see this is true, all your near misses, graces, lessons. Always was Satguru with you. 
You're obviously familiar with Gurbani. So you can apprecaite how referencing the individual Angs would be too numerous. 
Perhaps there is a perfect Ang to reference but I don't know it off the top of my head. 
In Aikido when we have been doing much rote practice, we do two things. We go back to ichi no suburi, our physical equivalent to Gurmantar, and we do less of them, but we do them way slower. With way more intensity of focus not effort. We strive to do a perfect single cut versus a thousand cuts to make us one day perfect.
We also do more brutal...well direct, applications of technique, like multiple attacker with weapons where we take out each attacker in one direct move. Or shut down an attacker in one move. More Bir Ras. 
What's that have to do with you?
Perfect Gurmantar. Single repetition. 
And a summoning of Bir Ras. Warrior training. Even if it's sword cuts with a salotar at home, but even better do Shastar Vidya, or Iwama Ryu Aikido or Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shuren Kai, Aikido. Or box. Or do hema. 

Some info on meditation . By RIKUMI
 
How do I meditate?
Just simply close your eyes and observe your thoughts. Soon your thoughts will be disappeared, and you start entering deep. What are the benefits of meditation? How do you meditate? Following are the Benefits of doing meditation every day:
Regular meditation relaxes your body, it reduces anxiety attacks. Meditation helps you to get stability in your life. It grows your instinct. As an idol is created after removing unwanted stones, in the same way, meditation helps you to remove unwanted thoughts and a beautiful personality comes before everyone. A meditative person has a powerful aura, he can change other’s life too. You get infinite energy from this cosmos. Your life gets balanced. Your imagination gets improved.

This is correct Gurmat Way, as taught by our Guru Saab. 
 

Waheguru Ji
Nam (God’s Holy Name) is like an ocean; service and charity are its streams. We are seeking something small, but with the help of Nam, oceans of priceless jewels await us. 
Reciting Nam is a way of thanking and praising the Nami—the omnipresent, timeless Creator. It is a path to God for everybody. When you recite Nam and love God without any motives, He will cleanse your mind, there will be great light in your heart, and your whole family will be blessed. Nam will heal your mind, eliminating all negative thoughts; only positive thoughts will remain. The hidden joy and love and fearlessness within you will become manifest.
 Actually, it is not that God wants our praises. The effect of Nam works on us. Our body is just a house where we live. Our life is governed by our karmas—the effects on our life of our sanskars, our habitual thoughts and actions from this life and from previous births. Our karmas are like great waves that are not under our control. Nam breaks those waves. 
As we recite Nam—with our tongue, with our mind, with every breath—those waves start to break up here and there. You may be worrying as usual—"What will happen?"—but as you recite Nam there is a small break in that train of thought. You feel, "It will be okay." But at this stage you are still reciting Nam only with your tongue. Your thoughts and awareness are not on Nam, and soon your mind returns to its old patterns.
 As you go on reciting Nam, you will experience a little light inside, a brief moment of samadhi (spiritual absorption). But then the mind starts running away again at great speed, and the little bit of light disappears. Then longing for God may begin to grow in you, although it is very faint at first. As you are singing or reciting Nam, you may experience a brief communion with the Nami. 
To become closer to God, you should focus your mind on your Isht, that form of God in whom you have faith. At first, your Isht may seem just a faint image in your mind, but gradually its presence becomes a reality. Slowly that Power gives your mind confidence and you begin loving that Isht you are trying to focus your attention on. It takes a long time, but gradually you will feel the presence of your Isht within you.
 Once you feel your Isht inside you, through the power of Nam, you will begin to see that your Isht is actually controlling everything outside you as well. You will see your Isht pervading everywhere and everything. 
As you keep reciting Nam, whenever you begin to feel anger or greed, or ego the feeling does not last long. It moves aside. Why? Nam is washing away the dirt of your past tendencies; the Light of divine wisdom is burning up your past actions. Gradually, you cease to feel anger or greed, and you feel that you are nothing great. You become very humble.
 All ignorance ceases as the light of Nam manifests fully. If you reach this stage of enlightenment through continual recitation of Nam and concentration on the Nami, you will see only God everywhere. Like God, you will feel neither enmity nor fear. You will recognize that the Nami is sustaining and controlling all life. Nam will make your actions bright and will give you clear inner vision, truthfulness, renunciation, the desire to help those in need, and the power to do anything, for the Power of the Nami has manifested in you.
Loving God
The practical teachings of Baba Virsa Singh Ji

About 6 months focus on naam simran now and before that about 1 year on mool mantar. Before that it was just reading books and listening to kirtan katha but I was still lacking inspiration do the practical myself. Only over the past 2 years have I moved up a gear and more so in the last 6 months.

If my post inspires even just one person then I really consider it worth while. Go for it Singh!!!

I'm reading Guru Granth Sahib Ji (english translation) along side naam simran and its really giving me the push I need. The amount of focus that is placed on naam/shabad unity with Almighty is just really shocking me to the max. To the point i'm getting quite annoyed by the fact that if Guru Granth Sahib Ji placed so much focus on naam simran being the only means by which we will reach Waheguru why weren't we told about it in Gurdwaras more. Maybe it was me who just wasn't taking it in. Why aren't we told this is what you need to do and this is how you go about doing it....

There are days when I run out of steam and the desire isn't there but when I read a few more angs it gives me the kick I need to get me going again. Actually i'm hooked reading Guru Ji. Can't even focus at work, just want to keep reading. My respect for my Gurus is increasing daily. Guru Amar Das ji' belows me away every time, actually they all do. Going to get shitter at work if they find out what I'm doing. I find myself totally becoming withdrawn from what is going on in the outside world. Don't care about news, tv, movies, family etc either i'm holding my phone or ipad. I'm really seeing a difference in me. Its growing to such an extent that my own mother is getting concerned and telling me to slow down and keep my feet on the ground and says I got my whole life ahead of me yet.

The only advice I'm able to give anyone is keep the simran going throughout the day whilst your doing your day to day stuff. From the moment I get up I try and start. Getting ready, journey to work, lunch times, take a few minutes off during work and just do simran eyes open or closed, journey home. I bet the other travelers are saying what is that guy mumbling to himself. If your able to dedicate fix time to it then so much the better. This is the part I'm really finding difficult to do. My legs and backside ache and I can't sit for long and the discomfort over powers the concentration your trying to reach. I find myself looking at the clock to see if times up or my thoughts just keep coming and I get frustrated but there are times when you know you had a good session even if it was just for a few moments.

IMG_7635.mp4

Dhan Dhan Sant Jarnail Singh Ji 🙏🏽
as time passes by, their shaheedi is getting even more chardikala, will inspire millions of future generations.waheguru..

You don't.   Love can never be developed, so don't ever fool yourself into just thinking about what love is.
The only way the real prem will sprout, is when you sit down and jap Nirankar's name with absolutely NO conditions.....Just sacrifice and offer yourself to him "tera, tera, tera ..."  ... you have to make efforts and changes to do this. After that, it becomes effortless and God will let you know. 
 
 

Pretty bold statement to make without backing it up. Has me confused. 

That source is from Gurmat Meditation channel run by Bhai Dharamjeet Singh. You can hear his voice in the video. I don't think they would have posted if they not see the resemblance. From what I kind of understand the more you listen to them the more clear they will become and you will come to realise they were not crickets but more profound shabads all along.
I have heard this from a number of different sources. We associate them to crickets like because our mind is not still. The more the mind stabilises by listening the more louder and clear the sounds will become.
Rest is Waheguru's kirpa ji.
 

Not quite anulom-vilom. He quotes the pangti
sūr sar sōs lai sōm sar pōkh lai jugat kar marat s sanabandh kījai .
Heat up the sun energy of the right nostril, and cool down the moon energy of the left nostril; practicing this breathcontrol, bring them into perfect balance.
He is only inhaling via right nostril (sun) and exhaling via left (moon). You do not alternate.

So basically focus on the navel area, and do anulom-vilom pranayama, and it can take few months to settle the kundalini.  So afterall its not bad to have experience in some pranayama exercises for physical well-being and balance. 

As for physical measurable experiences - 
"parkash" is a lot stronger and feels like a "tool". If I'm ever tired, I just sit in the place where there's light (when I say light I don't mean a literal light but more of a light that's colourless but also can get very bright - I know it's probably hard to try and figure out what that would look like). But sitting in that spot feels refreshing for the physical body. 
The mind lets go of the body in a very different way now. It's like it just dissolves and then all that's left is space. It's a very easy and smooth process. Just like sugar dissolving into water. And then eventually gets to the point where all memories, thoughts and sense of self is gone. There's this experience that happens where it feels like the mind is going through mini explosion type phases. The deeper and longer I sit in there, the more of a shock I go into once I wake up. Waking up from that state and transitioning back into the body feels like entering tregun for the first time. It's a literal shock for a second or two until I remember who I am again. 
It's like being in two different worlds - the physical world where the body lives life and then being non existent. 
But even when the mind is with the physical body that "non-existent state" still exists. 
It's very difficult to put labels on it and describe it but the best way I can put it is "I exist but also don't". It's like being a ball of energy in a physical body. And at times it feels like what "I" am or could be also exists outside of the body. 
The part of the body-mind complex that takes in sensory information is a lot more in tune with subtle energies as well. I feel a stronger collection of energy around the head. It's very heavy. I don't know how to explain this. 
And then at times it feels like the entire universe is inside the mind. I lived most of my life with the perspective that the universe is external and outside of the body. They felt like separate parts. But now it's like "everything else" is inside the thing that feels like "me". So as a result, everything feels like it's "me". BUT at the same time "me" feels like it does not exist so it's as if nothing actually exists. Again, "illusion" is the best term but it still doesn't describe what's being processed by the sensory system.
When I type all of this out it really does not make any sense but the experience itself makes sense when experienced. 
This is why I stopped telling my friends and family my experiences or updating on here. There's just no way to explain things anymore that make sense through language.
 
Edit: And to add to all of this - only the experiences that have a "visual" or "sound" or some other form of connection to tregun can actually be described. Anything that goes beyond the senses or cannot be connected to tregun using an analogy can't actually be put in writing. They're experienced but then the mind can't even properly remember them. 

They are as different as North and South.
Nam is the only everlasting and changeless Truth, which can be described as a  supreme  consciouss creative power with infinite virtues, and among all of them  love and  mercy,  like cream on  milk, as per description by His Bhagat Jan, Gurmukhs and Guru Sahiban.
While riddhis and siddhis are just lifeless and consciousless energies without any virtues by themselves. 
Take for example a knife, which can cut vegetables to be eaten, or can be used to harm someone. 
So you see, while Nam/Shabad/Satnam is a consciouss life force of the highest order, riddhis and siddhis are inert in essence.
 

You can achieve power by practicing mantras. In english you could say that you 'sidh a mantra'.
As I mentioned above:
Haumai naavay naal virodh hai. Doay na vasai khataey.
 
If you practice a mantra, any mantra, with the aim of getting power, anger or anything related to the five thieves or ego then it is not naam. Naam is your 'true self', the Satnaam. Man tu jot swaroop hai, aapna mool pachaan.
 
The examples of abuse Sikhilove is making above refer to people who get some amount of power and use it for personal gain of some sort. Not all of them do so overtly, there are gupt ones who are potentially more dangerous. By definition this is not naam even though it may involve mantra simran. Not all mantra simran is naam simran.
 
I would say Sidhi refers to the power, which may or may not be used selflessly. In general Sikhs are not supposed to use these at all even though a Sikh will gain the ability to access them along the path (ridh sidh nav nidh) but should leave everything to Hukam, and approach Maharaj with Ardas in case there is any issue bothering the Sikh.
 
 

Condensed Quote from Raymond Kinman who had a near death experience :
Brother, life is VERY realistic... but it ain’t real.  None of this is real.  I don’t put much stock in the idea that this world is all there is.  This is a very, very small part of the infinite whole.
I like to think of myself as an actor in a play.  I am playing a very small, but very important part in this play.  This is not real, it is just a very realistic drama.  A play.  A movie.  
This movie is a place where God can pretend that he is not God.  
God isn’t a person.  God is everything and everyone who has ever been.  Every tse-tse fly and bacteria.  Every stone and all the cosmos.  We are all God.
You have forgotten who you really are.  You are an infinitely powerful being.  You have a purpose in life but you have forgotten what it is.
You are here to Love.
 
Peace,
Raymond

Would jus tlike to point out that i'ts not possible to use naam for ego. We shouldn't confuse gyaan and ridh-sidh with naam.
 
Haumai naavay naal virodh hai. Doay na vasai khataey.

Some people use naam for selfish negative deeds. Look at Prophet Mohammed and some of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Many fall due to lust, lust for power, greed, anger, attachment, etc. Naam, simran can destroy you when you fall down the deep dark well of desire. 
 
However, walking in the straight and narrow path, applying Gurbani to your life, not being Seduced by Maya, you can live a life of contentment and Chardi Kala.