From the Article Series: When a Sacred Artefact becomes lifelike – A Spiritual Research Study on the Progressive Transformation of a Consecrated Surya Dev Artefact
At the outset, SSRF and MAV launched a social media poll across different languages. Viewers were invited to view the image of the Surya Dev artefact for about 30 seconds, note their experience, and rate it from 1 to 5, where 1 represented a negative experience and 5 a very positive one.
As of 30 August 2026, the poll received 380 responses across four languages — English, Spanish, German and Indonesian — with respondents from 14 countries identified in the data. The chart below shows the distribution of responses from those who provided a rating (324 total).
The average rating was 4 out of 5. 223 of the 324 respondents (69%) gave a positive or very positive rating.
The written responses provided further insight. Many respondents spontaneously described feelings of peace, calmness, happiness, love, warmth, heat, spiritual emotion, Bliss and increased energy. Some reported a quietening of the mind, feeling drawn to continue looking at the image, subtle physical sensations, spiritual healing or entering a meditative state. A few even described perceiving changes in the eyes or facial expression. These respondents got the subtle experiment right. The Surya Dev artefact gives out highly positive vibrations.
Not everyone experienced the image positively. Some reported a neutral experience, while others described discomfort. From the perspective of Spiritual Science, such discomfort may sometimes occur when a person finds the high level of positive Spiritual Energy and the Cosmic Fire Principle difficult to tolerate. Discomfort may also be experienced when positive energy interacts with and removes a covering of negative energy around the person.
These responses provide an interesting complement to the experiences documented by seekers and Saints over several years. To those who got a negative reading, we suggest continuing to increase your efforts in spiritual practice. As one does more spiritual practice, one acquires a sixth sense, which is a by-product of spiritual practice. When the sixth sense develops, you will find that you get more accurate answers.
Given below are Saints’ and seekers’ experiences of the Surya Dev artefact over the years.
In 2021, Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale began noticing subtle yet distinct changes in the appearance of the Surya Dev artefact installed in the small temple within His room.
Until then (i.e., between 2008 and 2021), the expression on the face of the Surya Dev artefact had appeared serious. However, on 29 August 2021, He observed a shift: the previously stern expression had become noticeably more pleasant and serene. Although the face of Surya Dev in the artefact has prominent features traditionally associated with strength and radiance, it no longer conveyed a fierce appearance. Instead, now, looking at the artefact evoked a feeling of happiness.
Thereafter, He began to document these subtle positive changes seen in the Surya Dev artefact.
When a Saint of the highest spiritual level perceives subtle changes in an object, such as the Surya Dev artefact, it is worthwhile to look beyond the phenomenon itself and understand its larger Spiritual significance for humanity. By bringing such a Divine phenomenon to the attention of seekers and humanity, He enables us to become aware of subtle developments that may otherwise remain beyond our perception and to benefit from the Divine Energy associated with them. Often, much more unfolds in the subtle dimension than what we are able to perceive through our limited sixth sense. At a time when the world is experiencing significant geopolitical and environmental unrest, such Divine phenomena offer a ray of hope. From the perspective of Spiritual Science, the progressive transformation of the Surya Dev artefact indicates the increasing activation of the Sun Deity Principle, which serves to provide protection and support to seekers.
This also highlights the importance of devotion. When we devote ourselves to a particular Deity, the Deity Principle becomes active for us. It bestows blessings upon us and can also protect us during difficult times. This further emphasises the importance of spiritual practice through devotion.
As these changes continued over the following years, the new observations became increasingly frequent, and more subtle experiences unfolded in relation to the Surya Dev artefact.
The expression on Surya Dev’s face grew progressively more joyful. The smile seemed to become more natural and radiant, and His gaze was loving.
Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale reflected on that moment, “Looking at the eyes of Surya Dev awakened my spiritual emotion (Bhav). When I extended my hand towards the face image of the Surya Dev artefact, I felt good vibrations coming from the hand, and my hand became light.”
Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale said, “Looking at Deity Surya from any direction gives a feeling that one is receiving only His love.” Gazing at the artefact began to evoke increasing feelings of Bliss (Anand), Serenity (Shanti) and Spiritual Emotion (Bhav).
“Suryadev looked like a small child, and I felt like picking him up.”
A thought came to Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale: ‘A human feels happy when a desirable event occurs. God, however, is in the state of Sat-Chit-Anand (Absolute Truth-Absolute Consciousness-Bliss). Therefore, whenever one looks at Him, one experiences only Bliss.’ Along with this, the expression also carried an innocence. One particularly striking observation was recorded on 1 June 2026. He said, “Suryadev looked like a small child, and I felt like picking him up.”
As the months passed, the smile on the Surya Dev artefact seemed to grow more joyful. Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale said, “Looking at Surya Dev’s face made me feel blissful, and my face also became pleasant, mirroring the smile on Deity Surya’s face.”
By July 2026, Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale remarked that the smile had become so pronounced that it seemed almost as though, “If Surya Dev smiled any more, His teeth would become visible.” The transformation was described not merely as a change in facial expression but as the emergence of increasing joy being expressed through the artefact itself.
During a Divine tour of numerous temples, Srichitshakti (Mrs) Anjali Mukul Gadgil (one of the spiritual successors to Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale) noted that although many Deity idols have beautiful, serene expressions, none seemed to smile as much as the Surya Dev artefact in Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale’s room. Even where, in some of the temples, the idols of Deities had a gentle smile, in contrast, She felt that the smile on the Surya Dev artefact was noticeably more pronounced.
As the observations accumulated, attention gradually shifted from the smile alone to the entire face.
Several Saints and seekers independently perceived subtle movements that gave the impression that the Surya Dev artefact was no longer merely an inanimate object but conveyed the presence of a living Being.
Among the most frequently reported observations were:
On several occasions, Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale carefully documented the blinking of the eyes (at the subtle level). Sometimes only the right eye appeared to blink; at other times both eyes appeared to close together. The duration and frequency of the perceived blinking varied from one observation to another.
Similarly, subtle lip movement was observed. At times, the lower lip appeared to descend slightly, making the smile seem even more pronounced. During the chanting of “Shri Suryadevaya Namaha” (the chant for the Sun Deity), several seekers independently felt the smile deepen further, and the entire face become increasingly expressive.
Reflecting on these experiences, Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale wrote:
“I felt that His facial expressions changed depending on whether one was merely looking at Him, bowing to Him, praying to Him, or chanting while looking at Him. Upon looking at him, my hands automatically joined together in respect”.
“Generally, devotion/emotion (Bhav) towards God is present in the eyes of a devotee. Here, spiritual emotion (Bhav) is felt in the eyes of Surya Dev Himself.”
He also recorded another remarkable observation regarding the artefact’s gaze:
“Usually, the Sun Deity’s gaze is towards me. If someone comes into the room to perform Seva and looks at the Sun God, His gaze also shifts towards that seeker for that moment and then returns to me.”
What made this observation particularly noteworthy was that both Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale and the seeker who entered the room experienced it simultaneously, each independently perceiving that Surya Dev’s gaze had momentarily turned toward the seeker.
Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale felt a sense of motion from Surya Dev’s artefact.
“Also, looking at Surya Dev from any direction showed that while the halo of rays around his face remained stationary, only the face moved and looked at us.”
Recognising the unusual nature of these experiences, Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale encouraged Saints at the Spiritual Research Centre and Ashram to study the artefact independently.
Among them was Sadguru Dr Mukul Gadgil, who reported that the previously serious face now conveyed a clear smile reflecting increasing Bliss (Anand). He further observed that the artefact possessed an unusually high proportion of the Manifest (Sagun) Principle and the Saviour (Tarak) Principle compared with what is generally experienced in ordinary Deity images. He also independently perceived the blinking of the eyes, the increase in Divine love in the gaze, and the projection of Divine Consciousness (Chaitanya) from the radiating rays surrounding the face.
Sadguru Dr Mukul Gadgil shared spiritual knowledge that He received: “An image of the Surya Dev’s (Sun God’s) face such as those available in the market generally contains 2% of the Sun Deity’s Principle (Surya tattva), whereas in this image of the Surya Dev’s face in Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale’s altar, the Surya Dev’s Principle has reached 21% in Jun 2026.” Later He added, “Now in July 2026, Surya Dev’s Principle in the artefact has increased to 24%. Therefore, more aliveness/vitality is felt in the image now.”
Similarly, Sadguru Rajendra Shinde described experiencing profound Bliss while looking at the artefact. He too perceived that the eyes appeared to blink, the smile seemed to increase while observing it, and that the expression conveyed deep contentment and gratitude.
The fact that multiple Saints and seekers independently reported similar findings added a new dimension to the study.
One particularly interesting observation made by Sadguru Rajendra Shinde, and independently noted by Sadguru Dr Mukul Gadgil, was the apparent change in the expression of the Surya Dev artefact as the full moon (Pournima) approached.
Sadguru Rajendra Shinde recorded:
“On 26 June 2026, there was a broad smile on the face of Surya Dev. However, on 27 June 2026, the smile appeared less pronounced than on the previous day, while the proportion of Divine Energy (Shakti) being emitted seemed to have increased.”
When he enquired about the reason for this subtle change, Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale explained:
“This is because the Divine Energy of Surya Dev has become more active in combating attacks from subtle negative energies. As Full Moon (Pournima) approaches (on June 29-30, 2026), attacks by subtle negative energies generally intensify from about two days beforehand. The increase in the emission of Divine Energy for this subtle battle resulted in the smile appearing less prominent.”
This observation was independently corroborated by Sadguru Dr Mukul Gadgil, who similarly noted that as Full Moon (Pournima) approached, the proportion of Divine Energy (Shakti) in the artefact appeared to increase, while the expression became relatively more serene and less overtly smiling.
Sadguru Cyriaque Vallee is the guiding Saint for the Spiritual Science Research Foundation. He recounted his spiritual experience: “When looking at the Sun Deity artefact, I experienced a lot of radiance. While looking at his (Sun Deity’s) face, it felt as if it had become alive. I could perceive movement in His cheeks and face, similar to what one experiences when speaking to a person standing in front of them. The facial expressions of the Surya Dev artefact kept changing, and His cheeks and mouth appeared to move as though He were alive.
As one looks at the Surya Dev artefact, the smile on his face keeps increasing, and more Bliss is experienced.
Each time I closed my eyes to experience the vibrations and then reopened them, it felt as though His eyes were also closing and opening in response to my actions.”
I felt a lot of energy radiating from the artefact, as though it were transmitting Divine consciousness (Chaitanya) and Divine energy. I experienced a deep sense of calmness and entered a meditative state.
To assess whether these experiences were shared universally, an experiment was conducted in which Saints and seekers were asked to observe the Surya Dev artefact while chanting “Shri Suryadevaya Namaha” and then record their experiences independently.
Although individual experiences varied, several common themes emerged.
Many participants experienced:
Some participants also reported entering meditative states or experiencing an increased awareness of the Surya (Sun) Principle while observing the artefact.
While these spiritual experiences were inherently personal, the consistency of many observations across multiple participants encouraged further investigation using independent measurement techniques.
Throughout this period, an intriguing comparison quietly emerged.
The Surya Dev artefact installed in Kalamandir (Studio at the Spiritual Research Centre and Ashram), although originating from the same Saint and consecrated in the same manner, did not exhibit the same degree of progressive positive transformation as the artefact installed in Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale’s room.
Both artefacts remained spiritually positive. However, the progressive increase in observed liveliness, expression, Bliss and Divine presence was significantly more pronounced in the artefact that had remained in the presence of Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale for many years.
This naturally raised an important question.
Why did two almost identical consecrated Surya Dev artefacts, originating from the same spiritual source, appear energetically different over time?
To explore this question further, the research team turned to an independent method of investigation. Using the Universal Aura Scanner, they examined whether the progressive changes observed by Saints and seekers could also be detected through objective aura and energy measurements. In our next article in this series, we share the findings from the Universal Aura Scanner and how it corresponded with the spiritual experiences of Saints and seekers.
