Ghosts attack men who are impure and their attack is spoken of as insanity. (Note: In the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, it says that when a devotee appears to be ghostly haunted, this is a symptom of a very elevated state.)
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Antya-lila, Ch.18]
As soon as the fisherman touched the Lord's body, he became mad in ecstatic love of Krsna. His own madness frightened him, however, because he thought that he was being haunted by a ghost. As he was about to seek a ghost charmer, he met Svarupa Damodara Goswami and the other devotees on the beach, who had been looking everywhere for the Lord.
TEXT 44
Passing along the beach, they saw a fisherman approaching with his net over his shoulder. Laughing, crying, dancing and singing, he kept repeating the holy name "Hari, Hari."
TEXT 45
Seeing the activities of the fisherman, everyone was astonished. Svarupa Damodara Goswami, therefore asked him for information.
TEXT 46
"My dear fisherman," he said, why are you behaving like this? Have you seen someone hereabouts? What is the cause of you behavior? Please tell us."
TEXT 47
The fisherman replied, "I have not seen a single person here, but while casting my net in the water, I captured a dead body.
TEXT 48
"I lifted it with great care, thinking it a big fish, but as soon as I saw that it was a corpse, great fear arose in my mind.
TEXT 49
"As I tried to release the net, I touched the body, and as soon as I touched it, a ghost entered my heart.
TEXT 50
"I shivered in fear and shed tears. My voice faltered, and all the hairs on my body stood up.
TEXT 51
"I do not know whether it was the ghost of a dead brahmana or an ordinary man, but as soon as one looks upon it, it enters his body.
TEXT 52
"The body of this ghost is very long, five to seven cubits. Each of its arms and legs is as much as three cubits long.
TEXT 53
"Its joints are all separated beneath the skin, which is completely slack. No one could see it and remain alive in his body.
TEXT 54
"That ghost has taken the form of a corpse, but he keeps his eyes open. Sometimes he utters the sounds 'gon-gon', and sometimes he remains unconscious.
TEXT 55
"I have seen that ghost directly, and he is haunting me. But if I die, who will take care of my wife and children?
TEXT 56
"The ghost is certainly very difficult to talk about, but I am going to find an exorcist and ask him if he can release me from it.
TEXT 57
"I wander alone at night killing fish in solitary places, but because I remember the hymn to Lord Nrsimha, ghosts do not touch me.
TEXT 58
"This ghost, however, overcomes me with redoubled strength when I chant the Nrsimha mantra. When I even see the form of this ghost, great fear arises in my mind.
TEXT 59
"Do not go there. I forbid you. If you go, that ghost will catch you all."
TEXT 60
Hearing this, Svarupa Damodara could understand the full truth of the matter, He spoke sweetly to the fisherman.
TEXT 61
"I am a famous exorcist," he said, "and I know how to rid you of this ghost." He then chanted some mantras and placed his hand on the top of the fisherman's forehead.
TEXT 62
He slapped the fisherman three times and said, "Now the ghost has gone away. Do not be afraid." By saying this, he pacified the fisherman.
TEXT 63
The fisherman was affected by ecstatic love, but he was also fearful. He had thus become doubly agitated. Now that his fear had subsided, however, he had become somewhat normal.
TEXT 64
Svarupa Damodara said to the fisherman, "My dear sir, the person whom you are thinking a ghost is not actually a ghost but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Text 65
"Because of ecstatic love, the Lord fell into the sea, and you have caught Him in your net and rescued Him.
TEXT 66
"Simply touching Him has awakened your dormant love of Krsna, but because you thought Him a ghost, you were very much afraid of Him.
TEXT 67
"Now that your fear has gone and your mind is peaceful, please show me where He is."
TEXT 68
The fisherman replied, "I have seen the Lord many times, but this is not He. This body is very deformed."
TEXT 69
Svarupa Damodara said, "The Lord's body becomes transformed in His love for God. Sometimes the joints of His bones separate, and His body becomes very elongated.
TEXT 70
Hearing this, the fisherman was very happy. He brought all the devotees with him and showed them the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 9]
TEXT 262
"'When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is very dear to him, he is agitated and loudly chants the holy name. He also laughs, cries, becomes agitated and chants just like a madman, not caring for outsiders.'
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 16]
TEXT 166
"All these people become like madmen. They simply dance and chant the holy name of Krsna. Sometimes they even cry and roll on the ground.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Antya-lila, Ch. 14]
TEXT 15
Such is the state of transcendental madness. Why is it difficult to understand? When one is highly elevated in love of Krsna, he becomes transcendentally mad and talks like a madman.
TEXT 82
These ecstasies are not described in the sastras, and they are inconceivable to common men. Therefore people in general do not believe in them.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Antya-lila, Ch. 19]
Text 65
In this state of madness, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mind was unsteady. Whatever He said or did was all symptomatic of madness.
Srila Prabhupada: In the company of the devotees there is no need to conceal ecstatic symptoms. The devotees are family. During a kirtana, when chanting anything can happen. However nothing should be done artificially. When asked about the way that devotees are dancing during the kirtanas Srila Prabhupada said that they were inventing, and that this is not good. He also said that he taught the swami step and that if they do that while listening very attentively to the chanting anything can happen. The quotes regarding the dancing during the kirtanas were posted at the New Goloka ISKCON temple in Hillsborough, North Carolina and also read aloud during an Istagosthi in the Denver Colorado ISKCON Temple.
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Dear Prabhus
Please accept my respectful obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Have I committed any offenses,
taken any quotes out of context,
made any mistakes, and/or
done anything I shouldn't have?
If so, I'm sorry.
Aspiring to be the sincere
servant of the servant,
Yours Truly,
Gauranga Prema Dasa
Hare Krsna