How to dress – spiritual effect of the clothes we wear

How to dress - spiritual effect of the clothes we wear

In order to better understand this article we suggest you familiarise yourself with the following articles:
  1. Sattva, Raja, Tama – the 3 subtle basic components of the Universe

1. An introduction to how to dress

how-to-dress-spiritualityWhat will I wear today?

Some of us give this question much thought while others may pull out the first set of clothes from their cupboard.

We generally pick the clothes that we will wear for the day based broadly on where we are going or the weather forecast. There are a myriad other influences such as the prevailing fashion style, whether we fit into the clothes, our mood, time in hand, etc. which finally seals our decision.

We go through this process daily, however we rarely consider the spiritual effect of clothes on us as a reason to wear or buy clothes. In fact most of us (and this includes the manufacturers of our clothes) are unaware that we are affected spiritually by the clothes that we wear. In this article we will share with you knowledge obtained through spiritual research on how the clothes we choose to wear can be either to our spiritual benefit or detriment.

2. Spiritual research on clothing

Spiritual research on clothing and how to dress at the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) is undertaken using advanced sixth sense. The research is carried out by seekers who use their advanced sixth sense gained through years of spiritual practice and most importantly under the guidance of His Holiness Dr. Athavale. They perceive the spiritual vibrations emanating from various types of clothes based on aspects such as colour, shape and material and note down the readings gained through sixth sense. Some seekers have an advanced sixth sense of vision and can actually see the various spiritual vibrations. By drawing pictures based on subtle-knowledge, they give us a glimpse into the spiritual dimension, a realm beyond our common perception. In this section we will be sharing a number of such pictures based on subtle-knowledge  which will provide a greater insight into the effect of the clothes we wear.

3. Purpose of clothes from a spiritual perspective

We are all aware of the purpose of clothes from a physical and psychological perspective. From a spiritual perspective the purpose of clothes are twofold:


  1. To imbibe and emit sāttviktā Depending on how we dress, clothes can act as a receptor to imbibe positive and divine frequencies from the atmosphere around us. In doing so they can transmit these positive vibrations and purity into our consciousness.
  2. To protect from attacks of negative energies: If the clothes we wear are able to harness positive energy, then in doing so they are able to protect us from negative energies. If clothes are tāmasik in nature then they attract negative energies or ghosts from the spiritual dimension.

4. How we dress and its spiritual effect

Every object has its own distinct and unique spiritual vibrations. The vibrations of clothes depend on factors such as type of cloth, shape, colour, design, stitching of cloth, etc. The more sāttvik these factors are, the greater is the Sattva component of the final product that is the clothes. This article is about how to raise the purity in our clothes while also reducing the Tama component which causes spiritual ignorance and inertia and distress from negative energies.

4.1 Type of material

how-to-dress-type-of-materialNatural fibres such as silk and cotton have a greater ability to attract, imbibe and retain divine frequencies from the atmosphere. On the other hand clothes made from artificial fibres nylon, terylene, rayon and polyester have a diminished ability to attract divine frequencies. They attract Raja-Tama frequencies from the atmosphere making the people that wear them more likely to be attacked by negative energies.

4.2 Amount of stitching

how-to-dress-cuts-stitchesCutting cloth and creating innumerable small holes in the cloth through stitching attracts negative vibrations from the atmosphere. Hence it is better to wear clothes where there is minimal stitching. This is one of the reasons traditional attire of Indian women or the sāṛī, a silk 9-yard dress, is considered to be the most sattvik dress. For the same reason, clothes that are held up with a knot like the rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4-5 metres long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist by Hindus or the dhoti have a greater spiritual benefit as opposed to clothes stitched with buttons.

Along with this, clothes that are hand-made while chanting the Name of God, have a better ability to attract positive spiritual vibrations. Extensive and rapid piercing of clothes with a sewing machine attracts distressing vibrations.

4.3 Colour of the cloth

how-to-dress-coloursWhites, yellows and blues have a higher ability to attract spiritually positive vibrations. This is because these are sattvik colours. Black, on the other hand, is the colour that most attracts distressing vibrations. Black and white when worn as a combination of colours, clash with each other at the level of spiritual vibrations and thereby attract negative vibrations.

Refer to the article on colours and why we should not wear black to a funeral.

Gaudy colours also attract Tama predominant vibrations. Colours should be complementary to each other.

4.4 Design and print on the cloth

how-to-dress-designThe patterns, size or frequency of patterns on cloth can have a significant impact on the spiritual positivity or negativity emanating from a dress.

  • Sattvik designs such as leaves, flowers, dots and vines are more helpful
  • Sattvik designs generally do  not have pointed tips
  • Designs should not be congested
  • Morbid and violent looking designs such a skulls etc. attract negative vibrations
  • Vertical stripes on a shirt are better than horizontal. Oblique stripes have distressing vibrations
  • Self-coloured clothes with sattvik colours which are devoid of design generally attract positive vibrations

Refer to the picture given at the beginning of this article.

4.5 Condition of the clothes

how-to-dress-torn-clothesThe condition that clothes are in also plays a role in affecting us at a spiritual level.

Unwashed clothes attract negative energies. For example a big brand jeans company encourages their customers not to wash their jeans. From a spiritual perspective, as dirt and sweat builds up in clothes so do the Raja-Tama vibrations. On the other hand, washed clothes are not charged with the individual’s vibrations and dirt, and therefore their ability to attract the Sattva component is high.

Wearing torn clothes is also considered a fashionable trend with the younger generation. However torn clothes attract negative vibrations.

When it comes to old and new clothes, the latter is more conducive to attracting divine energies. For example a washed new silk garment will be better able to attract divine frequencies as opposed to a washed old silk garment.

4.6 Length of hemline

how-to-dress-hemlineOver the decades hemlines have reduced and while this is considered fashionable, it has its  disadvantages from a spiritual perspective. Clothes act as a protective covering from negative energies. Short clothes not only have the potential to arouse sexual desire in the opposite sex but also the attention of ghosts and negative energies in the vicinity. Negative energies get attracted towards women wearing revealing clothes and harass them from the subtle in order to fulfil their sexual desires. At SSRF we have come across many instances where women have been sexually abused by a subtle-entity with or without their knowledge.

4.7 Style

how-to-dress-tight-clothesThe style of clothing has many aspects to it, one of which is the fit of the clothes. Garments need to be comfortable and not too tight. If they are too tight, then the friction between the cloth and skin creates sound waves of subtle-air, which causes distressing waves from the atmosphere to be  propelled towards the person. A looser fit allows for a subtle-void to be created between the cloth and the skin which allows the Divine consciousness (Chaitanya) from the atmosphere to be attracted and retained.

Draping of cloth on the body is also another aspect to consider as depending on the way it is done helps in either the flow or obstruction of energies. Let’s take the example of the sari. Our spiritual research showed that there is a reason why a sari is designed with pleats in the front. This instigates a flow of energy from the folds of a sari towards the ground and it protects women from negative energies emanating from the subtle-region of Hell (Patal

Fashions may ebb and flow with each season as fashion designers chase the next fad. However our spiritual research has shown that through the centuries, it is the 9-yard silk sari followed by the 6-yard sari which have been and still are the most spiritually conducive garments to wear for a woman.

Refer to the article – How to dress? – The sari and the skirt

4.8 Borrowing clothes – a spiritual taboo

Borrowing clothes, shoes, caps from a friend may help to temporarily extend one’s wardrobe, however the spiritual disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

In today’s world a large section of society is affected by negative energies. As a result the vibrations of these negative energies remain in the clothes as distressing energy. Wearing the clothes of a person who is possessed by negative energies can be extremely detrimental from a spiritual standpoint. As we do not have the sixth sense ability to understand who is affected or possessed with negative energies it is best to refrain from borrowing of clothes altogether.

Refer to the article on how many people are affected or possessed by demonic energies.

We may experience a similar effect when buying second-hand clothes. If we have no alternative to buying second-hand clothing, it is highly recommended we spiritually purify the clothes before wearing them.

Refer to the article on removing subtle-smell from clothes.

5. In summary – how to dress

The information provided in this article shows us some of the main ways that clothes can affect us at a spiritual level. Every effort we make to abide by these guiding principles helps bring us an inch closer to the ideal sattvik lifestyle. At a practical level there are some of the aspects above which one can heed and put into practice immediately, for example; avoid wearing black coloured clothes. The faster we incorporate these changes into the way we dress, the better off we will be.

On the other hand it may not be so easy to adhere to some of the other points given above. It is important to understand that whatever efforts one can make to increase the Sattva component in us adds to our overall purity and at least that should be acted upon when choosing our clothing.

When we practice Spirituality according to the six basic principles of spiritual practice it helps to open up our sixth sense ability. We are able to experience the above information at a vibrational level. Once we gain the ability to experience subtle-vibrations, we empower ourselves to make better decisions about everyday activities which finally help us lead a sattvik and fulfilling life.