The Bagha

Goldman’s protocol, as given in the Quantum Jumping program:

1. Settle and close the mouth. Sit (or recline) comfortably, eyes closed, mouth gently closed. Take a few slow, conscious breaths to begin letting go.
2. Hold an image of total comfort. Bring to mind a scene or feeling of complete ease and comfort — a peaceful, safe sense of relaxation.
3. Touch tongue-tip to the roof of the mouth. Place the tip of your tongue against your upper palate (the gum-ridge just behind the upper front teeth, at a spot that feels natural). Goldman stressed using the same spot each time so it becomes a conditioned cue. He described this as signalling the mind — “Hey, get ready, we’re about to do something.”
4. Hold and count one-to-three (the anchor count). Holding the tongue in place, count 1… 2… 3, deepening the sense of comfort with each number. This short count is the core “Bagha” signal that you are entering the level.
5. Deepen with a descending count. For a fuller entry, count slowly from 10 down to 1, and with each descending number relax your body further, letting yourself sink deeper toward alpha.
6. Progressive head-to-toe relaxation. Move attention through the body and consciously release tension in turn — scalp, forehead, eyes, jaw and cheekbones, neck and shoulders, arms and hands, chest, abdomen, thigh muscles, legs, feet. Let each area go heavy and loose.
7. Rest at the level. You are now at “the alpha level.” From here Goldman would set an intention, give a suggestion, or begin the Quantum Jumping visualization. Stay as long as the practice requires.
8. Come back cleanly. To exit, relax the tongue, count yourself up (e.g. 1 to 5), tell yourself you’ll come out feeling alert and refreshed, open your eyes, and smile. (Sourcing note: the tongue-to-palate anchor, “image of total comfort,” the 1-to-3 hold, the 10-to-1 descent, the named relax sequence, and the Yogananda attribution are Goldman’s documented teaching. Wording is faithful paraphrase; only short phrases are quoted.)

Burt Goldman (1927-2016), “The American Monk,” was a student of José Silva and Paramahansa Yogananda, and became the world’s leading instructor of the Silva Method.

The Bagha sits squarely in the Silva tradition of deliberate alpha entry (Silva’s own “3 to 1 method” and “centering”) fused with a yogic tongue lock reminiscent of khechari/kha mudra from hatha yoga.

Goldman packaged it as the entry ritual for Quantum Jumping (2010).

Silva Method “3 to 1” / centering — descending count into alpha; Goldman’s direct parent lineage.

• Yogic tongue locks (khechari / nabho mudra) — tongue to palate to steady the mind; the Bagha’s somatic root.
• Self-hypnosis induction — relaxation + counting down + a conditioned cue word/gesture; structurally identical.
• Progressive muscle relaxation (Jacobson) — the head-to-toe release step is straight PMR.
• Anchoring (NLP) — a repeated physical gesture paired with a desired state becomes a trigger; the “same spot every time” instruction is exactly this.

Straining the tongue or jaw. It’s a light touch, not a press. Tension defeats the relaxation.

• Changing the spot each time. The whole point is consistency — pick one place and reuse it so the anchor conditions in.
• Rushing the count. Counting fast keeps you in beta. Go slowly; let each number deepen the release.
• Skipping the body scan. The progressive relaxation is what actually drops arousal; the tongue alone won’t.
• Forcing the state. As with all relaxation, trying hard backfires (law of reversed effort). Allow, don’t push.
• Practising sporadically. The anchor strengthens with repetition; daily use makes entry near-instant.