In some yoga traditions, there is a teaching that emotions, light, and bliss are all unimportant. This teaching can be traced back to the Yoga Sutras.

However, if one interprets this literally, it can lead to a situation similar to Zen, where people avoid so-called "liminal states" and view them as undesirable, ultimately preventing them from reaching the next stage.

In reality, these emotions, the experience of light during meditation, and even more profound states of bliss and gratitude are all stages that one must pass through. They should not be dismissed simply because they are stages, and there is no other way. However, if one reads the text literally, they may mistakenly believe that these paths should be avoided and are unimportant.

In well-taught traditions, these emotional and intellectual aspects, as well as the stages of light and bliss, are carefully addressed and guided by a qualified teacher who ensures that they are properly understood and navigated.

On the other hand, in some traditions, people mistakenly interpret these teachings as meaning that these aspects are "unimportant." This misunderstanding can occur even in places where there are teachers or instructors. As a result, when these phenomena arise, people may shun them and dismiss them as "lower-level experiences" or "mere sensations," leading to a denial of these experiences. In some cases, this can even lead to a form of one-upmanship among practitioners, where someone who has had such an experience may be met with condescending remarks like "That's not important," as if to assert their own superiority. This foolish behavior stems from the initial misunderstanding.

If one understands the teachings correctly, these emotional expressions or experiences of light, and states of bliss are paths that everyone must walk. They are neither more nor less than that. They should not be shunned, but rather carefully navigated. It seems to me that some people are unable to enter these stages and their growth is stagnating, simply because they are engaging in such one-upmanship.

For example, I once heard a person who seemed to be in a position of authority in a certain yoga tradition say something like this: "You are not at that stage. Such light is not important, and chakras are likely just your imagination." I have heard similar phrases in Japan and even in Rishikesh, India, which is interesting.

I remember that the root of this issue lies in the Yoga Sutras, but I haven't been able to find the specific passages that support this. I would like to investigate this further when I have the opportunity.