-

BIO-PSYCHOLOGY TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR'S NOTE...........................................Error: Reference source not foun

Definitions
Su!re"e #$nf$n$te% consc$ousness: The all-knowing entity that is the creator and sustainer of everything in this phenomenal world. Religions call it GOD, biologists call it the intelligent force and yogis and spiritual scientists call it rahma. Cos"$c: !ertaining to the subtle world beyond our perception and conception. "t is accessible only by direct e#perience. #Un$t% consc$ousness: The portion of infinite consciousness that has transformed into a unit structure and is e#pressing through the mind of that structure. S&"s'&r&s: $ sanskrit word for potential reactions of all our actions, physical as well as mental. The reactions that are coded in the deeper layers of mind, waiting to be e#pressed like the fire in the fuel. %ind carries them with it as it reincarnates from life to life. Su()ect$*e "$n : The portion of mind that keeps us in contact with our inner self. "t perceives and conceives and therefore feels and e#periences pain and pleasure. &ence it is the reservoir of samskaras. O()ect$*e "$n : The portion of mind that keeps us in contact with the world around us. "t is e#trovertive and analytical, therefore flickering and fragmented. "t creates samskaras. Pro!ens$t$es: The inherent tendencies of mind that 'ustify its e#istence. They are the driving force of the mind. There are fifty basic propensities of mind such as love, hatred, 'ealousy, envy etc. C&'r&: $ (anskrit word for centres of psychic energy. "f mind can be compared to a power-house, cakras are its substations. They are located along the vertebral column. %ind e#erts its control on body through cakras. )ach cakra controls and e#presses specific number and types of propensities.

Foreword
This book by a medical professional, is a fresh attempt to unfold the mystery of *body-mind+ system. The intricacies of mind-brain-body interactions are too complicated for the current state of knowledge. ,et, the ideas put forward by (hrii !.R. (arkar in his treaties on * io-psychology+ provides a broad pathway for researchers dealing with this difficult sub'ect.

.ithout going deeply into (hrii (arkar/s theory of mind and consciousness, Dr. 0itendra (ingh prods the reader into the world of propensities, longings, hormones and behaviour. These concepts are a window to the psycho-somatic phenomena or mind-body interactions. .hile we have greatly understood the functioning of glands, hormones, nerve cells, lymph, sensory and motor organs, we still know very little about the influence of *mind-system+ on the *bodysystem+. 1urthermore, the knowledge of the influence of different planets, stars and celestial bodies on the human physiology is even more in the infancy. Dr. (ingh has presented a difficult concept in a very lucid form which can be understood by lay readers. &is work is indeed a milestone in the effort to grasp the unknown world of bio-psychology. 2Dr.3 $carya (hambhushivananda $vadhuta 4hancellor $nanda %arga Gurukul

Intro uct$on
"n recent decades there has been a growing trend towards a holistic approach in the health sciences. &owever, it has been impossible to define the whole person because it is more than the sum of its parts. .hatever may be the origin of our body and mind, one thing is certain, they do not add up to make the whole person that we are. There appear to be other dimensions that the current concepts of human biology and psychology can not account-for. 1or e#ample, the definitions of life and death are two of the biggest controversies in these sciences today. The origin of the mind is another. The claim that the mind comes out of matter seems entirely logical because our brain appears to be emanating the waves that carry out our mental functions. &ow did it get there in the first place5 4an something come out of matter that was not already contained there-in5 Does the mind die with the death of the body5 "s human life an isolated event of a few decades or only one loop in a long chain of events5 $nswers to the above metaphysical 6uestions are not forthcoming from the current understanding and yet they are crucial to the understanding of our biology and psychology. .e need a new science with a much wider and more subtle perspective to e#plore the world of the metaphysical. .e need a science with holographic capabilities to illuminate the obscure dimensions of human e#istence. .e need a science that breaks away from the narrow confines of ob'ectivity and yet remains rational and verifiable by direct e#perience. The 7ew (cience of io-psychology is such a science that is truly holistic, that e#plores all aspects of human e#istence. The term io-psychology was coined in -89: by (hrii !.R. (arkar in one of his discourses to his disciples of $nanda %arga. &e stressed that one must e#plore the metaphysical to properly understand the secrets of the physical world. &e also emphasised that one must venture into the spiritual world to

understand the secrets of the metaphysical world of mind. <ike many of his theories, the 7ew (cience of io-psychology is also based on the notion that this finite universe that we can perceive and conceive is the outcome of an infinite consciousness that we can not perceive and conceive. The latter is the most subtle and all-knowing entity. "ts intelligence, when pro'ected, manifests as the universe that undergoes constant change. Origin of life and evolution of species are a part of this ever-changing universe. $ccording to the law of nature, all movements are rhythmic and cyclic and not linear. .hatever has been pro'ected, must be retracted. "t must return to the base. The infinite consciousness has pro'ected and sustained this universe out of its own intelligence. To be freed from this pro'ection, that is to return to the base, it has to evolve a perfect psychology like it=s own. $ perfect psychology is what (hrii (arkar calls the ape#ed psychology. "n this state all mental propensities are goaded towards one and only one goal> that is the final merger with, or return to the infinite consciousness. $ perfect psychology can only be e#pressed through a perfect biological structure. The ceaseless search for such a biological structure is what is called evolution. 1inally, such a structure is found in the human species. "t consists of a comple# nervous system, a battery of hormones and an e#tensive lymphoid system to nourish and protect the nerve cells and the glands that secrete these hormones. 7otwithstanding the perfect biology, the human psychology is far from being perfect. "nfiniteness is the true nature of human beings. &owever, because of its evolutionary 'ourney through the finite universe, the human mind has developed a comple# of smallness, an illusion of finiteness. The thinking and living style of human beings constantly feeds this illusion. The potentials of their nerve cells and hormones is wasted in nurturing these comple#es. Their lymph is diverted to feed the pursuits and propensities that they have carried through their animal evolution. The ape#ed psychology is denied to them. The 7ew (cience of io-psychology deals with the interaction between mental propensities, hormones and nerve cells, and their effects on human behaviour and vice versa. "t points out the factors that are detrimental and those that are conducive to the development of ape#ed psychology. Thus it shows the path to the final merger.

Crisis In Evolution

Thus in the process of evolution, we can see that the crude physicality of creatures is being converted into subtlety. P.R. S&r'&r.

There is a global crisis today from which no nation, no race and no society are spared. This is the root of all crises that the whole living world is facing. "t relates to the evolution of humankind. .hile the scientists are still bickering about the trodden path of species over the past millions of years, humans, the most developed of the species, are stagnating, uncertain of their future and oblivious of their goal. The present situation of humanity is hardly worth clinging to. "f it is the evolution of consciousness that has been taking place in nature, then human beings as they are today cannot be the final term of the evolution. They are a too imperfect e#pression of that consciousness. "n them, moreover, the evolutionary urge does not appear to have subsided. This urge however is on a crisis course. &uman mind, instead of being a medium of finer and finer e#pressions of consciousness, has become a source of its limitations and finiteness. The evolution of consciousness has taken a long and tortuous course. )ight thousand million years ago, this earth was only a blaAing ball of fire, like the sun from where it had detached. Today, two-thirds of this earth is under water and a fairly large portion of the remaining one-third is covered under snow for the most part of the year. $round four thousand million years ago, this earth consisted mainly of volcanoes and molten lava, constantly bombarded with electrical storms and thundering lightning. Today, these events are rare and make headline news when they occur. .hat a drastic change in the physical conditionsB The hostile physical conditions of the past, however, were necessary to put life into the inanimate matter. Thus life began with the advent of building blocks as D7$. 1our thousand million years on, the D7$ is still present in every living cell that e#ists. "t has retained its fundamental characteristics of replication, by making e#act copies, and by programming the functions of the cells. "n the beginning, only unicellular life e#isted performing only simple functions. Therefore, these immortal coils of D7$ had to be programmed for simple functions like ingesting, breathing and multiplying. Today, the human body contains about si#ty million million cells and each of them contains a selection of D7$. These cells are not all similar. They have organised into a most comple# biological machine with a variety of functions, all programmed by the ancient D7$. This process of growing comple#ity from a unicellular structure to the comple# human form, is commonly termed evolution. Cp until three hundred and forty million years ago, life e#isted only in water as the physical conditions on land were too unkind to sustain life. This was the age of fish, worms, sponges and soft green plants. Their physical structures were too simple to combat the hostile environment on land. &owever, life could not be contained within the sea. "t had to crawl out of the water onto the land. The D7$ had to be re-programmed to develop limbs so that animals could move about and face the tune. This was the age of amphibians. These creatures went through rigorous testing by the tough environmental conditions. "t was their innate urge to survive and e#plore that enabled them to develop more and more rugged and comple# physical structures. The demand of the day was physical survival in a physically hostile environment. The physical strength and endurance clima#ed in the giant reptiles of two hundred million years ago when the dinosaurs ruled this earth. These physical giants terrorised the planet. &owever, their strength was dependant on the environmental temperatures. The weaker reptiles took advantage of their

brother/s sluggishness in the cold climate and migrated to the colder conditions in the hills. This led to the evolution of two new species> birds and mammals, about seventy million years ago. The "ce $ge that followed removed the physical giants from the face of this earth for good. Their physicality was not the need of evolution any longer. Their primitive mind had to evolve with the changes in their brain, nerves and glandular system. %ammals were the outcome of this evolutionary change that occurred over the following millions of years. (lowly and gradually, the physical structure grew in comple#ity and specialisation. %ind grew in accordance with the physical structure and new behaviour patterns evolved. )motions and feelings developed and the true ancestors of human beings, hominids, came into e#istence about ten million years ago. $ll through the process of evolution, growing physical comple#ities were accompanied by gradual mental e#pansion. This is associated with a growing number of propensities in the organisms. The unicellular organisms are goaded by a few base propensities of survival, whereas human beings have many desires, hopes and aspirations. )ach newly created species has more propensities than its predecessors. &uman beings at the top of evolution have the most number of propensities and the most comple# mind and body. $bout one million years ago, humans arrived on the scene of evolution. 1or most of this period, their physical evolution has outpaced their psychic progress because of their longing for physical survival. &owever, in the last fifteen thousand years, the tide has turned. !hysical preoccupation has not fulfilled their purpose in life. %eaning of life is being sought in every corner of the globe. 4onsciously or unconsciously, this search has been the driving force of civilisation. &uman beings have become predominantly a psychic being rather than a physical one. iological transformations and psychic metamorphosis are elements of a process that started way beyond the origin of matter. "t is consciousness that transforms into matter and in this ceaseless process countless species of life arise, undergoing tremendous physical transformation as well as psychic changes. ,et, it is the physical transformation that is in the forefront of scientific thinking although it is not too difficult to see that in the process of evolution there has been a gradual conversion of physical strength of creatures into psychic strength. 7ature has worked out human beings in the living laboratory of animals very carefully step by step. .hen the species have attained a certain degree of perfection in their order they stagnate and give way to new more evolved species. The species that are detrimental to this evolutionary movement are sometimes removed from this march. "n the physical sphere human beings have almost reached the point of stagnation, however in the psychic sphere, the potential is enormous. "n the present state of humanity, despite the peak of mental intelligence and aesthetic refinement, there remains a sense of inade6uacy. Our mental possibilities appear to be taking us towards a state of stagnation. .e are creating more problems than we are solving. 1or the first time in one million years, human species are in a real danger of stagnation and being superseded by more evolved ones. 4onsciousness e#presses through the mind, and mind must evolve to let it shine through. &uman beings are in the state of mental evolution and there is no reason to believe that this evolution will stop here. $ higher state beyond mind must be reached if evolution had any purpose to begin with. $ny pause in this 'ourney is self-destructive.

What Is New?

In the extroversial phase of expression, the uni-psychic becomes multi-physical, in the introversial phase, multi-physical is transmuted into uni-psychic- P.R. S&r'&r.

One of the greatest dilemmas of modern science has been to find the link between body and mind. The scene for the controversy was set in the seventeenth century by De4artes, a 1rench scientist and a philosopher. &e, and his contemporaries in Galileo and later in 7ewton, separated the matter from the mind as the Fthinking substanceF 2mind3 was not tangible and 6uantifiable. The controversy divided and dissected the science of body 2biology3 from the science of mind 2psychology3 that we see today. The two resulting branches progressed parallel rather than convergent to each other. (ome might argue they have grown apart. Their divergent growth is partly due to the obsession of modern science with 6uantification. F.hat cannot be 6uantified is not scienceF is a common slogan of material sciences today. )ven psychology had to succumb to the pressures and start 6uantifying the mental functions with "G- tests, personality inventories and various psychological scales. The arrival of molecular biology has brought psychologists closer to the biologists and a 'oint search to find the chemical basis of all human emotions, thoughts, feelings and behaviours, has started. $ day might come when the molecules of love, hatred, and anger are detected in our brains. - &owever, nothing can grow out of the molecules that is not already contained there-in. "f this universe was made up of lifeless inert matter, it would have never become anything but that. "t seems there is no reason why life should evolve out of inert matter unless it was already built in it. <ife is certainly built in the matter as consciousness. .hen the latter finds e#pression we say that the matter is alive, it has a mind and when it is dormant we call it inert. 4onsciousness, matter and mind are on a continuum in that order. "t is the consciousness that has condensed into matter in the process of creation. "ts de-condensation leads to the development of mind. "n this ceaseless movement from being to becoming, and back to being, countless species of life develop undergoing numerous biological and psychological evolution. This evolution has been taking place in the nature since the beginning of this universe. Therefore, the most fundamental element of this universe is the consciousness that permeates through everything that e#ists. "t is the link between all things of this universe and therefore, between human body and mind as well. &uman species are gregarious. They thrive and prosper in groups that is why man is called a social animal. "ndividually and collectively, humans behave differently. The *mob+ psychology is different to the individual psychology. The crowd appears to bring out in us some e#tra potentialities that otherwise would not have manifested. 7ations have regained their freedom and races have overthrown slavery and feudalism by collective longings. This collective longing is synergistic, i.e. it is more than the sum of the longings of its individual units. The individuals within a group interact in a variety of ways that unfold the potentialities that would remain otherwise une#pressed. This interaction not only changes the behaviour of the individuals but the biological characteristics as well. Growth and development, reproduction and general resistance are all effected by the siAe of the group and by the isolation they face.;
- )very mood might have its own concoction of chemicals that move from the brain into the body.- %estel, R. 2-88@3, <et mind talk unto body, 7ew (cientist, ;? 0uly, p;E. ; *The sense of belonging and of togetherness engenders a feeling of security which usually increases the chances for biological success and also for happiness.+Dubos, R. 2-89H3, %an $dapting, ,ale Cniversity !ublication, 7ew &aven and

The 7ew (cience proposes that evolution is also effected by the collective will. "t propounds that each member of a particular species of living beings has an inborn, self-controlling faculty that is linked to a collective controlling faculty. The latter must approve the change desired by a species. Thus, a change collectively willed by a species and approved by the collective controlling faculty, brings about the metamorphosis in the physical structure and conse6uently in its longings. The evolution takes a step ahead and the consciousness evolves further. This is the first novelty of this science. "n humans the physical evolution gradually gave way to the psychic evolution. The refinement of intellect is nothing but a progressive e#pression of the inherent consciousness. &owever, as individuals we are standing at different points in this evolutionary march and hence our diversities and differences both in body and mind. $s humans we all are similar, as persons we are all different. $s persons we are free to act. &owever, we are accountable for our actions. The ability to act and its accountability lies in the mind. The actions that are not accounted for remain embedded in the mind and create samskaras, which simply means reactions in potential form. The waves created by these reactions are the basis of the e#istence of our mind. One can be sure that these waves are the mind. The effects of samskaras on our biology are the second uni6ue feature of the 7ew (cience. The psychic evolution of human beings has to continue until the consciousness is fully manifested with all its charm and glory. "n this 'ourney numerous changes occur in the human organism involving their nerve cells and hormones to adapt to the newer and newer states of their consciousness. (uch biological adaptation is the demand of evolution and in turn perpetuates further psychological evolution, causing greater and greater e#pression of the inherent consciousness. The role of nerve cells and hormones in progressive biological and psychological evolution, is the third uni6ue feature of the 7ew (cience. The 7ew (cience of io-psychology propounded by (hrii !.R. (arkar is a unified concept of biology, psychology and cosmology. "t accepts the current scientific notion that body and mind are ine#tricably interdependent. &owever, it emphasises that the consciousness is inherently present both in matter and mind. Our biological activities and psychic occupations must allow a ceaseless and progressive e#pression of this inherent entity. .hen our physical and mental phenomena are conducive to this progress we en'oy a harmony between our e#ternal and internal worlds. The life becomes more subtle and more meaningful. This is the most fundamental characteristic of this science. The new science embraces some of the current ideas, discards some and suggests a new meaning of others. &owever, a change of perspective, a bigger and broader one, will be re6uired to comprehend its true meaning. The individuals with a strong adherence to a particular system of thinking, will find it difficult to reconcile, because it is more conducive to e#perience than learning. To e#perience the harmony however, one needs an intuitional science. The founders of material science neither had the training nor the knowledge of this science and hence they e#cluded the consciousness from the matter.

<ondon.

-H

EVOLU ION !ND "IC#OVI !

There are so many celestial bodies and they have direct contact with the glands and sub-glands in the human body by throwing out reflected and refracted light.... icrovita use these inferences as their media- P.R. S&r'&r.

)ver since the development of our uni6ue mental capacities, we have wondered about our origin, our place in nature and our destiny. This in6uiry has given rise to a science of evolution and

--

hundreds of evolutionists over many thousands of years. The inherent spirit of the word FevolutionF is transformation. 1or millions of years, transformation has occurred in the organisms both in the physical and intellectual realms and yet the debate on evolution remains confined to physical changes, that are seen from species to species. &uman beings came on this earth appro#imately one million years ago. 1or most of this time physical evolution has been their dominant feature. "t is only in the last fifteen thousand years that they have progressed from being mere physical beings to predominantly intellectual beings and there are signs that this progress is continuing in the psycho-spiritual direction. $ day is sure to come when humans will predominantly be spiritual beings. The evolutionary hypotheses can be classified into two main groups. $ descending hypothesis that believes evolution is an act of God and an ascending hypothesis of growing comple#ity and a state of perfection. $ccording to the descending hypothesis, God created perfect beings called humans, from which less perfect animals descended. !lato in @;9 4 was the propounder of this theory. The !latonians believed that the more flawed the soul, the more lowly the incarnate. $ristotle in ?9; 4 reversed this hypothesis in his F(cale of 7atureF. &e arranged the organisms from the simple to the comple#, where simple, imperfect organisms are striving towards accedence to comple#ity and perfection according to a design and purpose. This came to be known as the ascending hypothesis. "n his view, there was no place for the mutability of species. This was followed by a chain of evolutionists modifying and refining the concept. uffon, in the mid eighteenth century was the first to suggest that species developed, transformed and became e#tinct according to environmental conditions, indicating that transmutation may be at play. $ century later, Darwin and .allace developed this suggestion into a plausible hypothesis that came to be known as the Ftheory of natural selectionF. This theory implies that nature selects the species according to its fitness for the environment in which it e#ists. "t allows the FfitF to reproduce in greater numbers and transmit their superior 6ualities to the ne#t generation. The cumulative effects of these 6ualities over several generations will result in the origin of a new species. The Darwinians did not understand the basis of inheritance or its variation. During the course of the last two hundred years, this theory has undergone a rigorous transformation in order to e#plain transformations in the species. $ll branches of biological sciences have had their say in the development of this neo-Darwinism that incorporated random mutations, genetic variations, genetic drift and genetic flow along with natural selection. They may have revolutionised thinking but in the process, they also rendered evolution very mechanistic. $ristotle/s design and purpose disappeared into thin air. Theories of evolution can be condensed into three mere phrases - natural selection, genetic inheritance and random mutation. )volution is a fact but what caused it5 .hy do mutations occur5 .hat is the nature of the force that transforms animals and plants into new shapes5 These 6uestions have haunted biologists for more than three hundred years. The search for the answers has led to numerous hypotheses trying to find a driving force of evolution that has been variously named as the vital force, morphogenetic force, force of formative causation and contingent system. "n some ways it is a return to the Fdesign and purposeF hypothesis. $lthough the vitalists do not believe in an act of creation, they do agree that there is a comple# and well-organised intelligence system operating in the background of evolution. &owever, their search for this intelligent force has been futile. This dilemma of vitalists is due to their inability to break away

-;

from the laws of physics from which intelligence was e#cluded more than three hundred years ago. Their adherence to the physical law that matter and energy are two different forms of the same thing, has made it impossible for them to find room for intelligence in the basic scheme of evolution. .hile vitalists were still pondering on the nature and origin of the vital force, another hypothesis emerged that had almost stolen the show. "t suggested that from somewhere, small bits of genetic material that were capable of changing the genetic structure of the cells, appeared. They were basic life forms and were called viruses. They merged with the D7$ of host cells and passed genetic information onto them that the viruses carried. "f the host cell happened to be a germ cell 2sperm or ovum3, the offspring differed from the parents and a new species was born. "t is now accepted that viruses play a crucial role in the origin and evolution of life. (ome biologists believe that we live in a soup of viruses from which life constantly originates and evolves, giving rise to new species and eliminating the forms that are non-productive for evolution. This is 6uite an intelligent piece of action. Iiruses do act as intelligent beings. 1or e#ample, &"I and flu viruses keep changing their antigenic structure to defy the development of vaccines against them. These intelligent little freaks can create and destroy life at will, although, the destruction of host is not in their interest. Their very e#istence depends on the host cells. (uch a great sacrifice must have a greater cause and a purpose for which to give their life away. Therefore it appears that there are friendly viruses that help the development of species that are conducive to the evolutionary march and there are those which destroy the individuals that fall out of this march. $ detailed analysis of the behaviour of viruses suggests that they are either intelligent beings capable of modifying themselves according to the circumstances or they are 'ust carriers of intelligence from an unknown source that controls and modifies their behaviour. The latter seems more likely. There are many different varieties of viruses with diverse properties and functions. "f they are acting on their own for self-preservation, they can be regarded as Fmindless biological vandalsF. The contrary view is that they form a part of a comple# but well-organised system that is taking this universe on a predetermined path. On this path, kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall but life goes on. "ntegrating their genetic material with those of the host, replicating within the D7$ of the host, viruses can hardly be called FmindlessF. They are a part of an intelligent system with some purpose. They are on a mission to perfect the species. The origin of viruses is unknown. Opinions abound, but bits of genetic material, escaping the cells to take up an independent e#istence, is favoured by the biologists. These Fvandals from withinF, don=t seem to get a fair go from the mechanistic biologist. 7o matter what they do, they remain vandals. .ith the sophistication of technology, smaller and smaller viruses are being discovered. $re we going down the path of sub-atomic physics5 <ike the smallest particle of matter, are viruses going to disappear into nothingness5 %icrovita is a term propounded by !.R. (arkar for the smallest virus, yet to be discovered. (ome are big enough to come within the scope of very sophisticated microscopes while others are so small and subtle that they can only be 'ustified by their actional inferences. They originate from an unknown world of idea, the world of cosmic intelligence. This is the world of absolute and infinite singular entity. The cosmic idea crystallises into microvita and the world of known begins, first perceptible to the mind and later to our senses. Thus microvita form a link between idea and matter, the unknown and the known worlds. &ence they can be as subtle as thought or as crude as viruses.

-?

(hrii !.R. (arkar proposes a sub'ective cause of everything that e#ists in the ob'ective realm. The ob'ective world consists of a physical component comprising of matter and energy and a psychospiritual component comprising of thoughts and ideas. The physical world is perceptible to our senses and therefore is the done-world. The psychic and psycho-spiritual world can be conceived of and therefore is the known-world. The cause and control of the done-world rests in the doer principle whereas that of the known-world in the knower principle. The knower and the doer principles are the sub'ective factors that we can not perceive or conceive. These two factors are self-differentiated from the (upreme 4onsciousness. The microvita are the emanations from the doer principle like the photons emanate from the sun. .hen they come in contact with the energy they create and transform physical structures. Iery subtle forms of microvita can modify the psychic waves as well. There are about two hundred and forty different kinds of cells in the human body and an average human cell contains eighty to ninety different kinds of atoms. The atoms in our body are not set in concrete either. They pass in and out of us all the time. (ome people believe that atoms consist of billions of smaller parts that drift in and out of it freely. %icrovita are these tiny parts that are e#tremely mobile and move throughout this universe. They are capable of entering the atoms of D7$ and changing the structure of genes. They can influence the gene pool and cause genetic drift. They can bring about micro and macro mutations. They can create and destroy bodies and minds. Thus they can control every aspect of the evolution of species. "t will be more appropriate to say that through microvita, the cosmic intelligence controls the evolutionary process. F)volution is a cosmic plan.F This claim can be further supported by the fact that it is not confined to the physical structure. %ental evolution is the continuation of physical evolution. The e#ample can be found in the changes that have occurred in the body and mind of humans since their arrival on this planet. .hen their bodies were large and their brains proportionately small, their mental propensities were consumed almost e#clusively by their physical e#istence. Their longings were psycho-physical. &owever, over the last fifteen thousand years, humans have come to realise the smallness of their physical e#istence. They have realised that their physical achievements have choked their psychic potentialities. "t is the characteristic of all living beings to free themselves of all fetters of smallness. &umans are also transforming their physico-psychic longings into pure psychic ones. The grandeur of their physical e#istence is being 6uestioned and the meaning of life being sought. $ lack of answers to this 6uestion is causing a great deal of disillusionment in the in6uiring minds. $s the in6uiries increased, there has been a progressive increase in the siAe of the human brain in proportion to the body. Thus the mere physical evolution was replaced by bio-psychic evolution. %icrovita influenced this phase of evolution by entering the nerve cells and hormone-producing glands. )volution does not stop here. "n its final phase, the psychic strength of human beings is converted into spiritual consciousness. 1or this, psycho-spiritual pursuit is necessary. "n order to achieve such a state, further biological changes have had to occur that we find today in our comple# neural network and a well-developed hormonal system. %icrovita are said to facilitate and accelerate these changes.

-@

%enes and Cons&iousness

EACH AND EVERY FRACTIONAL WAVE OF THE VAST COSMIC MIND THEN TAKES THE FORM OF AN INDIVIDUAL ANIMATE AND INANIMATE STRUCTURE - P.R. SAR+AR

-D

-E

The human body has about si#ty million million cells and every single one of them contains a selection of genetic material. Twenty thousand pairs of genes are arranged on twenty-three pairs of chromosomes in each cell. (ome estimates suggest that more than a million genes are unused by humans. These genes carry a complete blueprint for making us again down to the last detail. The genes, which consist of D7$ molecules have a limited life of months. They can replicate, however, making e#act copies of themselves as often as necessary and can continue to e#ist for more than five thousand million years. During this long 'ourney, they are shuffled millions of times with other similar genes through breeding and reproduction, like a huge pack of cards. Their combinations and permutations are countless. The same genetic material may have passed through a number of species carrying some of their attributes. Therefore a man may carry a beast, an insect or even a plant in his genes. Genes do not appear to be conscious of us or of each other. They do not know that they are involved in evolution. They 'ust e#ist and to maintain their e#istence they e#ercise full control on the survival machines. Genes dictate the way in which our biological machines are built and the manner in which they operate. They have ultimate power over our behaviour. FGenes are the policy-makers, we are their e#ecutives. ut as evolution progresses, the e#ecutive apparatus has become increasingly sophisticated and management has begun to make more and more decisions on its own. 7ervous systems have evolved to levels where learning, memory and model-making becomes possible and take over many of the policy decisions. $nd the logical conclusion to this trend would be for the genes to send out a very elaborate survival machine with only one allencompassing instruction J Kdo whatever you think best to keep us alive=. ut no species on earth has yet reached that level.F "t appears that the evolution serves the purpose of Fselfish genesF. They have to be preserved at any cost. $s long as these chemicals can survive, it hardly matters which physical structure happens to carry them. They are even prepared to make ad'ustments in their se6uence to suit their carrier and the environment. This is called mutation. (ometimes they accept foreign genetic material in the form of viruses and take a giant leap in the development of new species. They are not loyal to any species. Their ultimate purpose is simply to survive. Genes, however, are like computer software, programmed to direct specific functions. $dmittedly, the potential of this software is enormous. "t has been discovered that even in the most comple# organism, less than three percent of it=s D7$ in the cells is being used and the parts being used are randomly selected in a way that the genetic engineers do. 1or a given instruction, little bits of genetic material are cut up from all over the place and pieced together to carry out a specific function. There is, it appears, an editor in action. "t seems improbable, moreover, that the genes with all their chemical potentialities have what it takes to make a man on their own. The evolutionary biologist <yall .atson says, FD7$ is not the ible of life, not an encyclopaedia of precise instructions.F &e
? .atson, <. 2-8:83, <ifetide, &odder and (toughton, <ondon.
?

-:

suggests that instead of being airtight, the D7$ system is fle#ible and dynamic, struggling to survive, like it/s carrier. "s this struggle being engineered by the consciousness5 The debut of consciousness is a great controversy of the twentieth century. "ts seat and site are an even greater controversy. The neurologist Roger (perry says, @FThere seems to be good reason to regard the evolutionary debut of consciousness as very possibly the most critical step in the whole of evolution.F The philosopher Larl !opper says that, DFThe emergence of consciousness in the animal kingdom is perhaps as great a mystery as the origin of life itself.F The biologist <yall .atson saysE, F4onsciousness e#ists in man and not in molecules.F &e believes that it began not with matter, nor with the origin of life, but at some mid-point in evolution. 4urrent theories of consciousness are goaded by one assumption or another, depending on one=s perspective. (ome assume that consciousness is a product of neural elements like reticular activating system 2R$(3 of the brain. "t is connected with learning and therefore can be 6uantified by behaviour modifications. Others assume that it is intangible and therefore incapable of investigations. (ome assume it is a feedback system with survival value. "t lets one know how one is doing. (till others assume that it arises when the organism has its own mental model of the world against the dictates of the genes. "n all the above assumptions there is one common denominator. They all assume that there is a beginning and therefore an end of consciousness. This is where the new science of biopsychology differs from the rest. "t proposes that consciousness is beginningless and endless. "t is all-pervading and all-knowing. "t is the primordial stuff that this universe has metamorphosed from under the influence of primordial energy. 1rom the smallest sub-atomic particles to the largest of planets, from the smallest of viruses to the largest of mammals and from tiny moulds to the largest of trees are the outcomes of interactions between these two primordial principles. 4onsciousness is therefore inherent in every tangible and intangible entity of the universe. .e live in a soup of consciousness, from within and from without. .e emerge from this soup and dissolve back into it. .hen the soup is solidified we are tangible matter and when it is thawed, we are abstract ideas. The soup is infinite but its forms are limited. Thus with the emergence of matter, consciousness is compartmentalised into an infinite entity and numerous forms or units. "n (hrii (arkar/s io-psychology the infinite entity is called (upreme 4onsciousness and each of its forms a Cnit 4onsciousness. !erhaps the 6uantum mechanics is right in suggesting that consciousness is a basic property of matter. "n the inert matter it is dormant. .ith the first sign of life, the soup begins to thaw and consciousness begins to evolve. The transition from non-living to living matter occurs due to the development of the famous double-heli# of D7$ which
@ (perry, R. 2-8E@3, The Great 4erebral 4ommissure, (cientific $merican, Iol ;-H, p@;-D;. D !opper, L. 2-8:;3, Ob'ective Lnowledge, O#ford Cniversity !ress, O#ford E .atson, <. 2-8:83, <ifetide, &odder and (toughton, <ondon.

-9

becomes increasingly comple# and newer and newer species evolve. &owever, the mutations in this genetic material, responsible for new species, cannot produce a single gene. 1rom the appearance of the first strand of D7$ to the final emancipation of man, the development and refinement of the nervous system, hormones and immune system among innumerable other biological changes, have been brought about by the genetic mutations. &owever, the genes have served one and only one fundamental purpose - liberation of the consciousness, that is froAen into unit form. Due to their enormous capacity to carry information from generation to generation, from species to species, the genes are indispensable for the liberation of consciousness.

'
-P.R. S&r'&r

Funda(ental Fa&tors of )io*+s,&holo-,

!uman body is a biological machine and is goaded by propensities.

!erhaps the greatest attribute of the living world that differentiates it from the inanimate matter, is its capacity to interact and adapt to its environment. $fter millions of years of interacting and adapting, the living world has evolved its most treasured child, the humans in whom this capacity has been further escalated. One can almost take it for granted that humans will adapt to the unforeseeable threats of the future, an indispensable condition for their survival and biological success. $s a result, humans have ac6uired the most comple# mind and a body with an intricate biological system. (uch a mind and a biological system are essential for further evolution of humankind. (uch seemingly unlimited capacity for adaptation is possible because of their inherent ability for interaction between body and mind. The environmental changes that affect the body are reflected in the mind and those that affect the mind find e#pression in the body. 1or such interaction, a comple# medium is re6uired through which mind can translate its ideas, feelings and fantasies to the body> in turn, the body can transmit its pain and pleasures to the mind. The media through which mind and body interact are nerve cells and hormones. "t is through these elements that man meets the molecule, the abstract becomes manifest and the formless takes a form. The capacity for adaptation, moreover, lies in these nerve cells and glands that secrete hormones. The new science depends heavily on these two factors. $ part of our mind is inherited, or rather incarnated carrying the unrealised reactions 2 samskaras3 of past lives. ,et another part is ac6uired through this life accumulating the reactions of what we do in the present life. $ combination of the two makes us the whole person that we are. The samskaras, a term incomprehensible to the materialists, are the driving force of the mind to enable it to e#press its longings. This mental force2s3 or propensities must find conversion into the physical force2s3. 1or

-8

further discussion on this conversion please refer to chapter seven. The points at which these psychosomatic conversions occur are called cakras or plexuses. )ach of these points or centres of conversion is related to some endocrine glands that secrete hormones. The secretion of these hormones is not autonomous as believed by the materialists. "t is rather influenced by our thoughts and emotions. "n turn, hormones influence and e#press our mental functions like thinking, memory and behaviour. Thus they are a two-way control system between mind and body. Our brain is a collection of nerve cells that depend and thrive on a number of hormones. They regulate and are regulated by hormonal secretions. (everal cakras or plexuses are located in our brain for the psychosomatic conversions. %ost important endocrine glands with their regulatory powers lay embedded in our brain. (uch a pro#imity is a testimony to their intricate relationship and a common cause. The nerve cells are responsible for all our actions and reactions and modulate our behaviours. <ymph is an entity that means different things in different cultures. &owever, they all agree that it is something that is e#tracted from everything vital and living in our body. The ob'ective knowledge of lymph is very limited because vitality and 6uality of life cannot be measured. The new science propounds that the lymph is essential for the nerve cells and for the secretion of hormones. .ithout ade6uate lymph, the body looses vitality and glamour, and various disorders of the nerve cells and endocrine glands result. The ac6uired immune deficiency syndrome or $"D( is primarily a disorder of lymphoid system in which all the energy and vitality of the lymph are sapped by the &"I 2human immunodeficiency virus3. The &"I is especially lethal to the immune system, of which lymph glands are an integral part. The lymph glands add lymphocytes 2immune cells or natural killer cells3 and antibodies 2immune proteins3 to the lymph as it passes through these glands. The &"I destroy the cells in the lymph glands that produce these elements, leaving the host defenceless against the infectious intruders. The destruction of the immune system renders the host susceptible to numerous disorders involving almost every system of the human biology. Gradually all the vitality of the organs, such as the brain, heart, lungs, endocrine glands and the gastrointestinal system is drained away. The sufferer has a deathly and dying appearance. Therefore, mind, plexuses, glands, nerve cells and lymph are the five fundamental factors on which psycho-somatic or mind-body interactions depend. This can be summarised as shown in figure -.

;H

-$n &n

Bo . Inter&ct$ons

: *The whole sub'ect of mind over body once languished on the far fringes of scientific respectibility. 7ow it has come in from the cold.+ - %estel, R. 2-88@3, <et mind talk unto body, 7ew (cientist, ;? 0uly, p;E.

;-

.
r

"ind * he First Fa&tor

MIND EXISTS AS LONG AS PROPENSITIES EXIST - P.R. SAR+A

"n the play of evolution, consciousness is the theme, body is the stage and mind is the actor. The actor plays the role written by samskaras to the tune prepared by its propensities and choreographed by its longings. ,et it is the actor that is the centre of attraction, playing one role after the other, changing the stage life after life accumulating more and more samskaras. The 'ourney thus continues until it is freed from the clutches of samskaras. Then it ceases to e#ist and the actor is merged with the theme of the play. "t is impossible to define mind. "t can only be defined by its functions. "t is an entity that thinks and recalls. "t perceives, dreams and sleeps. "t e#periences and learns new tricks. "t can concentrate and rationalise. "t is capable of transmutations and diversions. &owever, the most fundamental of all mental functions are thinking and memory. "t is because of these faculties that all other functions are caused. Therefore, these two should be considered in some detail.

;;

Our thinking process is not uniform. (ometimes we think with concentration and other times fragmented, patchy and dis'ointed. (ometimes we think of subtle and noble ideas and other times very mean and mundane sub'ects. "n other words, our thinking can make us a monk or a monkey. There are two basic characteristics of our thinking process. $t any given time, we can think of one and only one idea. .hen this single idea is subtle and noble with a longer span, we call it a concentrated thinking or meditation. The longer the span, the better the meditation. &owever, if the ob'ect of ideation is mundane, thinking remains fragmented and dis'ointed. This is the first characteristic of the thinking process. The second characteristic is that our thoughts are constantly being translated into our biology. Thus they modulate our behaviour, physiology and conse6uently, even anatomy. The behaviour of every cell in our body is being prompted by our thoughts. Today, few scientists need convincing that the brain and the body talk to each other. The patterns of our thoughts have effects on our physiology. There are patterns that make us feel tense and stressed out with their classical biological effects. "n contrast there are patterns that make us feel very calm and rela#ed with their own biological correlates. The capacity to mediate opposite effects lies in our biology. Therefore, we are the results of our thoughts. The phrase Fas we think, so we becomeF, is true not only for our psychology and personality but for our biology as well. $t molecular level all our cells are constantly being renewed and replaced. !atterns of our thoughts must have significant influence on their reconstitution. "t would not be an e#aggeration to say that each atom of our body resonates with the vibrations of our mind. $bnormalities of the mind are associated with abnormalities of the biology. These in fact precede and lead to physical illnesses. !rolonged stress causes numerous psycho-somatic diseases. There is strong evidence now that stress contributes in causing cancer by reducing the natural killer cells. )ven psychoses are associated with depressed immune response and susceptibility to various infections. $ mentally depressed person e#hibits numerous physical symptoms. 4onversely many chronic physical illnesses affect the mental faculties of both thinking and memory. %ind discovers and invents newer methods of thinking. "t is this capacity that has led to the development of numerous analytical methods of thinking in modern science, for e#ample, reductionism, inductivism, positivism and falsificationism. "t is the same capacity that enables the antisocial elements to orchestrate their crimes in society and the yogis to concentrate and transcend their minds to e#perience the metaphysical and supernatural secrets of this universe. The difference is in the method of thinking. The analytical thinking has either positive or negative outcomes, whereas synthetic thinking of yogis has only positive effects. Our thinking is not fi#ed for life. "t is capable of transmutations and diversions. $lthough most of us remain absorbed in the pursuit of mundane needs all our lives, every now and then we see individuals transforming completely into social reformers or religious saints. )ven great scientists of the past, after following the materialistic theories for decades have turned to the spiritual e#planations of this universe. (ome of )instein=s statements point to such transmutations in his thinking process. The $merican astronaut, 7eil $rmstrong, returned from his moon landing mission in a completely different frame of mind.

;?

The process of psychic transmutations and diversions, however, usually occurs gradually. "n this, a particular system of thinking is followed with intense concentration until the mind becomes pinpointed or ape#ed. $ll the propensities of the mind are goaded into one intensely desired goal. (uch an ape#ed mind comes face to face with our consciousness - the repository of all knowledge. 4onse6uently the mind becomes overwhelmed and humbled by the magnanimity of this e#perience and transmutation andMor diversion of our mental occupations becomes a necessity. There remains no alternative other than to follow the path of the direct e#perience. The lives of true scientists, philosophers, great musicians and above all yogis, are testimony to such e#periences. .e utilise our thinking process to solve numerous problems we face in our daily lives. This method of thinking is called rationality and rationalisation. &owever, it does not necessarily solve all our problems because we do not know the proper use of rationality. 1or problems in the physical realm, in the process of rationalisation, the thought waves must originate from the psychic level. This will enable us to cure the cause of the disease rather than suppress it. (imilarly, for problems in the psychic realm the solution must come from the spiritual level. The second fundamental function of mind is remembering or memorising. The recreation of things already perceived by the mind is called memory. "f the event to be recalled belongs to the present life, we need the help of our brain, because the perception of an event or ob'ect is registered in the mind through the nerve cells and their vibrations remain embedded in them. To recreate such events, the nerve cells have to be stimulated through sensory organs and the ob'ect to be remembered should be associated with similar ideas. This method of association has to be properly learned. The capacity to remember is crucial for our learning process and conse6uently our behaviour. .e learn a behaviour by repetition. The stimulus is associated with a response by repetition of the stimulus. 1or e#ample, suckling refle#es in babies is a learned behaviour, although the response is instinctual. The baby will suckle a nipple or a finger alike. This is called classical conditioning. $nother way of learning is by reward and punishment. $ response reinforced by a reward or punishment is called operand conditioning. 1or e#ample, a pat on the back, a smile or a priAe, will reinforce that particular behaviour. .e also learn by observing others. This is true for comple# responses, such as learning to play a musical instrument. This is called observational learning. Our memory and learning play an important role in e#pressing the mental propensities. Our propensities are transformed into our longings by the environment we live in and our longings turn into our behaviour by our learning processes. 1or e#ample, hunger is a propensity creating a longing for food. &ow we eat the food will depend on our social and cultural conditioning. Thus memory, learning and behaviours are on the same straight line of a continuum. These functions are mediated through nerve cells involving protein synthesis, hormonal secretions and generation of electrical impulses. $ll memories do not re6uire the help of nerve cells. Those that are independent of nerve cells are called extra-cerebral memory. 7erve cells do not help in recalling them because they were present in the mind even before the brain was formed. %ind has several components. The crude component is active during our wakeful state and links us with our world. The subtle component is like the meeting ground for the other two components and is active during dream state. The causal mind or third component is inherited from our past lives. $fter the death of the body, the causal mind floats in vast space with its une#pressed samskaras until it finds an appropriate physical base.

;@

The crude and subtle components of mind re6uire nerve cells for their functions. This is why their functions are cerebral in origin, such as thinking and dreaming. They die with the death of the brain. They store the memory of the present life. 4onversely the causal mind does not die with the body. "t transmigrates from life to life accumulating samskaras and memories of the past lives. This component is responsible for the e#tra-cerebral memory, through which some of us can remember our distant past. .hen the baby is in its mother=s womb, even though the brain is fully developed, the crude and subtle minds are relatively inactive and causal mind is active. $fter the baby is born, the crude mind is made active but is still undeveloped. The causal mind is predominant and is reflected in the subtle mind> this is why babies sleep most of the time. They smile or cry in dream state because of the reflections of their past lives in the subtle mind. $s they grow, the interactions with the world make their crude mind more active. $s children they become restless and in6uisitive of the mundane world. The subtle mind starts reflecting the e#periences of their crude mind, rather than the causal mind, in the dream state. The vibrations of the causal mind do not surface in the subtle mind and memories of past lives begin to fade. "n adolescence, the crude mind becomes very active. The mundane world becomes very important. The causal mind is subdued and past lives are completely forgotten. The crude mind starts to settle down around fifteen to seventeen years of age. Rationality grows and independence and rebelliousness replaces obedience and dutyfulness. The causal mind becomes buried under the crude e#periences of the present life and there remains no trace of the memories of the past lives. 9This forgetfulness is a providential decree. $ single body can not tolerate the clashes in two minds, when the crude and causal minds are battling to control one body. &owever, one can make the causal mind active and recollect everything of past lives by fully controlling and concentrating the crude mind into a point. The cerebral memory is not stored in any particular part of our nervous system, although certain parts of the brain help in its recollection and association. (cientists now believe that memory is not stored as a package. "t is disassociated into fragments, each of which is allocated to a specialised region of the brain. (ome form of memory is present in every cell of our body. 1or e#ample, every cell has the capacity to recognise the self and non-self. "t re'ects the non-self. This type of memory can be called cellular memory. %any comple# cellular phenomena such as reactions to infections, immune responses, etc., depend on the cellular memory. Iarious forms of memories, that is cellular, cerebral or e#tra-cerebral are not independent, but ine#tricably linked with each other. 4hanges in one influence the other and vice versa. "n spite of various faculties and components of mind, the actual mind stuff is uniform. &owever, in the process of knowing, it has to divide itself into two portions. One portion has to play the sub'ective role that is abstract and is the knowing self. The other portion plays the ob'ective role that is material, howsoever subtle, and is called ectoplasmic stuff. This apportioning of mind into two chambers is crucial to proper ac6uisition of knowledge and for our mental health. The ob'ective portion brings us in touch with this world, whereas the sub'ective portion links us to our consciousness. The ob'ectivated portion of mind must not be allowed to run wild. "t should be well controlled to prevent serious psychic problems. %ost psychic diseases result from the defective control of the ob'ectivated mind. $ lack of such control disturbs the mental balance and the natural growth of mind, and allows it to run constantly after various forms of ac6uisition instead of advancing on the path of evolution.
9 <ong repressed memory is a cerebral memory and can be recovered by certain psyco-therapy techni6ues.

;D

The ob'ectivated mind can only be controlled by looking at the sub'ect. The chain of sub'ectivity is as followsN

OB/ECTI0ATE1 -IN1 SUB/ECTI0ATE1 -IN1 UNIT CONSCIOUSNESS SUPRE-E CONSCIOUSNESS

Su()ect$*$s&t$on of "$n

"n summary, the mental function that is mediated through the nerve cells involving protein synthesis, hormonal secretion and electrical impulse conduction are the domain of the ob'ectivated mind. These are called cerebral functions. %ost of our conscious activities are controlled by this portion of mind including learning and behaviour. This mind is sub'ect to mental disorders that are commonly found in the materialistic societies. On the other hand, the mental functions that do not re6uire the help of nerve cells are the domain of the sub'ective mind. These e#tra-cerebral functions include phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, premonitions and other e#tra-sensory perceptions 2)(!3. $ word of caution is necessary here. The learned visualisations of past, present and future by crystal ball-gaAing and hypnotism, etc., are not e#tra-cerebral phenomena. They are nothing but the e#pansion of the cognitive field caused by the partial absorption of the crude and subtle minds into the causal mind. They have nothing to do with the parapsychological capabilities.

;E

0a(s1aras2 3ro+ensities !nd Lon-in-s

"ue to this eternal game of #arama #urusa matter is converted into mind and mind into consciousness - P.R. S&r'&r.

%ind is an ever-changing functional entity and therefore it must have a momentum that drives it to move. 1rom where does it derive this momentum5 )very stage results from the previous stages. The effects of actions of the past stages are called samskaras. "t means reaction in potential form. That is, an action is done but the reaction is yet to come. They are like the energy in the fuel waiting to be e#pressed. $s the mind is essentially a stage in the process of movement its momentum or samskaras create many thoughts in it that constantly emerge and dissolve. To find e#pression of these thoughts the mind adopts certain occupations like love, hatred, fear, etc. These occupations are called propensities or vrttis in $anskrit. Thus the propensities are formed according to one=s reactive momenta or samskaras. .hen they

;:

are e#pressed we say that the human mind is alive because mind e#ists as long as propensities e#ist. .hen they are destroyed however, the human mind ceases to e#ist. (ince the mind is in a process of evolution it has two ob'ectives. "t should continue to evolve and it should continue to e#press its propensities. 1or the latter it has to create e#ternal waves, and needs the help of nerve cells and hormones resulting in our multifarious activities called behaviour. There are fifty main propensities in human mind. The seed of all of them is in the mind, but their e#pressions and control occur through sub-stations called cakras. That is to say that the waves of the mind find e#pression by creating waves in cakras, which are the controlling points of regional glands. Therefore their waves cause secretions of hormones. 7atural or unnatural e#pressions of the propensities depend on the degree of normal or abnormal secretions of these hormones. &ormones create their vibrations in the nerves and the blood that modulate our actions and behaviour patterns. &ere it is important to mention a few words about sentiments and instincts. %ental propensities are e#pressed sentiments. &owever, they lack rationality and a sense of propriety. They are impulsive in nature and run blindly ahead without discriminating between proper and improper behaviour. .hen a particular sentiment repeatedly finds e#pression through a subsidiary or lower gland 2from the neck downwards3 it becomes fi#ed in that gland, and it is called instinct. $n instinct can be inborn or ac6uired later in life. The e#amples of inborn instincts are suckling of a baby, urinating, defecating and crying, etc. <aughing and eating are ac6uired later in life. $n instinct may or may not be guided by the rational faculty. "ts aim is to maintain e#istence. $lthough the inherent momentum of mind is provided by the samskaras, the e#pression of propensities is affected by the environmental factors. The latter create various types of longings in the mind. $ longing is the urge that pulls the mind rather than pushing it as the samskaras do. &uman longings are many and multifarious. They manifest as our hopes and aspirations and vary tremendously from person to person in number, 6uantity and 6uality. &owever they can be brought within the range of four main categories depending on their ob'ect of en'oymentN -. Those goaded by the urge for physical survival. They are inborn in nature, eg. suckling, urinating etc. ;. The longings for physical en'oyment. They are ac6uired throughout life, eg. eating, laughing etc. .ithin certain limitations these two physical longings are complementary to each other. They can lead to some progress in the physical stratum. 1or e#ample good food can improve health. (ociety can develop various means to obtain physical comforts through technological developments. Thus, civilisation can move ahead. &owever, indulgence in food can lead to ill-health and physical comforts can degenerate our adaptive 6ualities. Therefore, living organisms have certain fundamental principles of survival. .hen the physical en'oyment goes ultra vires to these principles it can not maintain its structural solidarity. "t starts disintegrating and decomposing. This state is called illness and its finality is death. ?. The longing for psychic ob'ects, that is the ob'ect of en'oyment is mental growth and e#pansion. These longings must keep parallelism with the principles of physical e#istence.

;9

@. .hen the ob'ect of en'oyment is spiritual in nature, the mind in this state is pinnacled and all faculties are goaded towards a spiritual goal. This can be called spiritual longing. Our samskaras, our propensities and our longings have enormous effect on the way we conduct ourselves in life. &owever, they are not infallible. They can be shaped, sublimated and e#pressed in such a way that we can en'oy a very meaningful life as well as continue to evolve towards our spiritual destiny. That is why it is said Fas you think so you becomeF.

Ca1ras * he 0e&ond Fa&tor

If both sides of the pituitary plexus are fully developed one attains an apexed intelligence and becomes selfknowing - P.R. S&r'&r.

;8

&uman body is a comple# biological machine and human mind is a comple# psychological force. %ind is the repository of samskaras and propensities. $ll these propensities do not find e#pression in the lifetime of a person. Ordinarily the environment determines the transformation of propensities into the longings luring the person to various pursuits of life. <ongings are a pulling force whereas propensities are a driving force. <ongings depend on e#ternal factors whereas propensities are driven by the momentum of the mind. The transduction of propensities into longings occurs in various sub-stations called cakras or ple#uses. They are located along the spinal column, from the verte# of the skull to the bottom of the spine. The site of conversion depends on the subtlety of the propensity to be e#pressed. The cruder the propensity, the lower the cakra that will e#press it. 1or e#ample the longing for the physical world is e#pressed through the lower most cakra at the bottom of the spine whereas the feeling of universal welfare is e#pressed through the cakra in the neck. %akras and ple#uses are not e#actly synonymous. %akras represent an energy current in circular movement whereas ple#uses are a network of energy channels. &uman body is a comple# collection of these channels that move an electrical impulse through a nerve, causes a rhythmic contraction of the heart and enables the lungs to inhale and e#hale in an orderly fashion. $t the time of conception this dynamic energy is provided by the sperm that causes a rapid multiplication of the Aygote 2the single cell formed by the union of sperm and ovum3. "n this early embryo, a disembodied mind enters with its repository of samskaras that has been floating in the vast space. %omentum of the mind causes the differentiation of these rapidly multiplying cells into various organs of the developing foetus. "n the early phase of the development, all cells of an embryo are similar but within a matter of weeks their differentiation starts with a frenAy of movement to take up specific positions. (imilar cells start cloning together, some migrating as far as the opposite end of the embryo as if they are addressed to specific locations. The specificity of their location is important for the specific functions they perform. 1or e#ample the testes develop in the abdomen but by the time the baby is born they must migrate to the scrotum. "f they fail to do so by a certain age they will not produce sperm. The nerve cells migrate e#tensively in the embryo to take up specific positions to form the brain and nervous system. The developing embryo is a comple# construction site with its uni6ue scaffolding, plumbing and electrical connections on which bricks, mortar, plaster and tiles are laid in a very systematic fashion. .ho navigates such an orderly migration of cells5 .here do the signals come from5 .ho provides the bricks and the mortars5 (cientists are still looking for the answers to these 6uestions. The answers must be found in the momentum of the mind that has entered the new being under formation. The mental energy permeates every atom of the embryo and flows in specific channels that criss-cross, intertwine and weave between each other. "t guides the multiplying cells to congregate in specific locations to form the future organs of the embryo. Thus a comple# network of energy channels is formed as the foetus gradually continues towards its birth. The parts of this network that e#press similar mental propensities are called ple#uses and their controlling points cakras. The level of energy in these channels is a reflection of the samskaras that the new mind brings with it. Therefore all ple#uses do not have the same level of energy flowing in them. 4onse6uently the propensities e#pressed by a particular ple#us varies from person to person and hence the differences in our personalities.

?H

"n the early stages of foetal development neither the ple#uses nor the organs are fully formed. $t the time of birth ple#uses are fully formed, although they are not fully functional. (imilar is the case with the foetal organs. The foetus is nourished and sustained through the mother/s system. $fter birth the ple#uses of the baby gradually become functional and so do various organs including lungs, liver, heart and endocrine glands to sustain an independent living of the newborn. The maturation process of the ple#uses and glands continues throughout the childhood, until the age of twenty to twenty-one years. During this period tremendous psychological and hormonal changes occur as a result of the interactions between the mental propensities, longings and environment. "n a fully formed human body, anatomically there are two almost identical halves. )ach half is a mirror image of the other with few e#ceptions. This semblance in structure is not only e#ternal. "nternally also there are paired organs like lungs, kidneys, testes, ovaries, adrenal glands, etc. Then there are organs with two identical halves, eg. brain, spinal cord, thyroid and heart. "n spite of the anatomical duality, the body functions as a single unit in a perfectly coordinated cooperation. This is possible because of a centralised control of all structures and functions by the nerve cells and hormones. The ma'or energy channels traverse through the nervous system and the endocrine glands. There are three ma'or energy channels that yogis of the past have identified. $ straight central channel that traverses through the spinal cord, from the bottom of the vertebral column, to the verte# of the skull and is meant for the spiritual energy. The other two intertwine around the central channel and are meant for the mental energy. 4onfluence of all three channels occurs at some specific points in the brain and spinal cord, called cakras. Two lateral channels carry different forms of mental energies. One carries the mental energy that e#presses our mundane propensities and is the dominant force in the lower three cakras. This channel enables us to maintain our e#istence in the mundane ob'ective world. "t 'oins with our respiration through the right nostril. The mental energy in the other lateral channel e#presses our more subtle propensities and is a dominant force in the upper cakras. "t 'oins with our respiration through the left nostril. The tributaries of these channels permeate into the regional glands affecting their hormonal output which in turn modulate our behaviour. !le#uses play a ma'or role in translating our propensities into our chemistry and conse6uently our behaviour. There are seven ma'or ple#uses in humans 21igure ?3. They are interdependent with their local hormones. The bottom most ple#us is called terranian ple#us that is the repository of all kinds of physical, psychic and spiritual longings. "t lies at the last bone of the vertebral column. "t controls the se# glands and streamlines their secretions to feed one or the other type of longings. The second from the bottom is the fluidal ple#us that lies opposite the genitals and has control over the se# glands. .hen dominant, this ple#us e#hibits the traits of indifference, insecurity, hopelessness and lack of confidence and common sense in the person. The ne#t ple#us at the nave controls the secretions of pancreas and adrenal glands that are responsible for vitality and our mundane activities. This ple#us also uses the hormones of se# glands. .hen dominant it e#hibits shyness, envy, hatred, fear, yearning for ac6uisition, blind attachment and sadistic tendencies among other personality traits. "t compels the individual to indulge in the world of senses. This ple#us at the umbilicus is called igneous ple#us.

?-

The solar ple#us lies in the center of chest and uses the hormones of pituitary, thyroid and parathyroid glands to manifest a mi#ture of positive and negative 6ualities. $mong the positives are hope, endeavour, love, discrimination and repentance. The negatives are an#iety, argumentativeness and hypocrisy. This ple#us controls the thymus and lymph glands in the chest. The fifth or sidereal ple#us lies in the region of the throat and controls the thyroid and parathyroid glands. "t uses the remaining pituitary and thyroid hormones after solar ple#us has taken its share. .hen dominant, it can produce a state of spiritual trance or into#ication. (uch a person e#hibits an attractive personality with more subtle 6ualities. The si#th ple#us is lunar ple#us that is located between the eyebrows and uses pineal and hypothalamic hormones. "t controls the pituitary gland. "t is responsible for the mundane and spiritual knowledge. "ts dominance produces a state of spiritual stance. The seventh or occult ple#us is beyond the scope of biology and psychology. "ts functions can only be described in philosophical and spiritual language. 1rom the above, we can infer that as one descends the body/s vertical a#is, the respective cakras mediate progressively less refined propensities. The two upper-most cakras mediate pure spiritual functions whereas the lower three mediate physical functions almost e#clusively. The middle two carry out the psychic and psycho-spiritual activities. 4akras, thus act as step-down transformers for mental propensities. $part from controlling the secretions from the ma'or regional glands, ple#uses also regulate the subsidiary glands in their vicinity and their hormones. .hen a nerve impulse is transformed into a hormonal secretion, this process is called neuroendocrine transduction. (uch biological processes are well known to occur in the hypothalamus of the brain and the pineal and pituitary glands. !erhaps such a transformation is only a part of a bigger and broader phenomenon where the mental propensities are first converted into neural impulses that are then transduced into hormonal responses. 8The above organs are possibly the sites of these phenomena and cakras possibly play a vital role in it. 4akras and propensities are not set in concrete. They are mutable by yogic methods. They can be sublimated by lifestyle changes. ,ogic lifestyle has a two-pronged approach> an e#ternal and internal approach. 4akras utilise the vital energy 2prana3 for the e#pression of propensities. This energy is constantly replenished by food, air, sunlight and sleep. The e#ternal approach consists of measures that rectify these factors. The internal approach enables a rechannelling of the flow of the mind from crude and mundane ob'ects to subtle and spiritual strata. This consists of following a set of moral disciplines 2principles53 and meditating on the (upreme 4onsciousness. "n the process of sublimation, there is a stepping-up of the transformers where the higher cakras get more and more of the subtle vital energy in order to manifest the most subtle propensities. The individual undergoes transformations from a mere physical being to a psychic being and ultimately to a spiritual being. This is the very design of evolution.
8 (cientists have discovered a comple# chemical system that can transmit messages between the brain and endocrine glands.

?;

The sublimation process is enhanced by the entry of certain types of microvita into our body. 4akras are also the gateways through which our e#ternal world communicates with our internal environment. %icrovita can enter our body through the solar and sidereal ple#uses 2fourth and fifth cakras3. Those that enter through the solar ple#us mostly take a downward course to the lower cakras. They enhance the e#pression of mundane and physical propensities and therefore, they are called negative microvita. On the other hand, those entering the sidereal ple#us mostly have an upward movement, enhancing psycho-spiritual elevation. Our psychic environment determines the type of microvita that will gain access to our inner world. $ mind consumed by self-gratification and self-preservation allows access to negative microvita whereas service-mindedness and spiritual pursuits attract positive microvita.

??

%lands * he hird Fa&tor

There are, in human physiology, countless glands and sub-glands. "ifferent and variegated are the causes of

their actions. &y their manifold inter-relations and interactions upon the lymph or the vital fluid, they produce variety of hormones - P.R. S&r'&r.

?@

There are two types of glands from which hormones can be secreted. $ well-defined structure that secretes and delivers its hormones directly into the blood stream to be distributed to all parts of the body, is called an endocrine gland. The others that do not have a well-defined structure but consist of scattered clumps of cells in certain organs and secrete hormones for local use, can be called sub-glands. )ndocrine glands are numerous and their anatomical locations are shown in the 1igure 2which53. They can be divided into two groups, primary and secondary. !rimary glands are those which control the secondary glands besides having their own specific functions. !ineal, pituitary and hypothalamus are primary glands. The secondary glands secrete specific hormones under the instructions from the primary glands and these are thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, pancreatic islets and se# glands. (ub-glands are scattered in stomach, liver, kidneys, pancreas and nerve cells. .e will now discuss some important glands individually.

Pineal gland !ineal is predominantly a spiritual gland and therefore it is commonly called the gland of mystics. %oreover, it has been a mystery to the scientists for nearly three hundred years and considerable controversy still surrounds its functions. The pineal is thus named because it resembles a pine cone. "t is a small white structure situated almost in the centre of the brain surrounded by some very important parts of our conscious and unconscious brain. This is so because the pineal develops as a part of the embryonic brain but looses all nerve connections soon after birth. Thereafter no neural information from the brain is directly delivered to the pineal gland. The interaction between the brain and the pineal from then-on is mediated mainly through hormones and neuro-transmitters. The scarce nerve fibres that it has connect it with the eyes so that it can sense the light and darkness cycle. !ineal is a tiny structure of about one 6uarter of an inch in siAe and one hundred milligrams in weight. "t matures by the age of five years and calcifies by the age of puberty. Therefore it was considered non-functional by the early scientists. The biological functions of the pineal are rather controversial. &owever, the consensus is that this is our biological clock. That is to say, that our sense of time, our biorhythms and our natural cycles are possible only due the functions of the pineal gland. Our biology is a collection of many rhythms and cycles, all perfectly coordinated, tuned and timed. Our waking, sleeping, eating, digesting, and e#creting are all tuned in perfect rhythmic fashion. This is possible because the pineal is a photo-receptor and picks up cues from the environmental lighting. During the day its functions almost come to a standstill whereas at dusk it starts functioning again, clima#ing about midnight. The pineal probably secretes a number of hormones but only one has so far been isolated in a stable form. "t is called melatonin and has been attributed with diverse functions. "t has been claimed to delay aging and increase longevity, improve body=s immune response, sense cosmic phenomena, increase

?D

pain threshold, prevent epileptic seiAures, reduce se#ual drive and aggression, induce sleep and many others. The most stunning of its functions is its ability to translate the environmental cues like light, temperature, humidity and magnetism into a neuro-endocrine response, possibly through the hypothalamus of the brain. $nother striking feature of the pineal activity is that it peaks in the darkest of hours when we are fast asleep. "n fact the deeper the sleep the more melatonin it produces. This is in sharp contrast to the activities of other endocrine glands that are more active during the daylight than in the darkness of the night. This is so because the latter have to meet the demands of our daytime activities when our mind is in a wakeful conscious state and we are consumed by our mundane worldly pursuits. This suggests that there is an inverse relationship between the pineal and the other glands as well as between the pineal and our conscious state. The hormone melatonin is synthesised from a precursor called serotonin that is a neuro-transmitter found in the nerve cells of certain parts of our brain. The enAymes that convert serotonin into melatonin, and possibly into many other hormones, are found e#clusively in the pineal gland. Therefore, in the brain tissue serotonin acts as a neuro-transmitter whereas in the pineal it is converted into a hormone. During the daytime our conscious brain is overactive and our mind fragmented. This re6uires more serotonin to be available to the nerve cells. During the night time in contrast, our conscious activities gradually end till we slip into a slumber. (erotonin is then channelled into the pineal for the synthesis of melatonin. $part from wakeful, sleep and dream states there is another state of consciousness that affects melatonin synthesis by the pineal. This is called meditative state with its uni6ue physiological changes. The evidence is rapidly emerging that melatonin synthesis in the meditative state may be higher than that in sleep. Therefore, it appears that active and fragmented mind works against the pineal whereas a calm and concentrated mind facilitates pineal function> whether this occurs regardless of environmental lighting, could be a sub'ect of future research. The evidence is, however, rapidly emerging that the pineal is possibly sensitive to many forms of subtle vibrations other than the light. 1or e#ample, that ultrasonic waves influence melatonin secretions, has been reported by some scientists. The universe is full of a variety of waves and sub-waves, some known and others unknown to conventional science. The Omkara sound of yogis has e#tremely subtle waves. ,ogis regard it as the primordial sound that they hear in the transcendental state called samadhi. (amadhi itself has a number of stages through which a yogi progresses step by step. )ach of these stages is characterised by different sounds and represents different states of consciousness. These stages also have their biological correlates. $s the state of consciousness ascends, the metabolism becomes slower and slower. The o#ygen consumption falls, the respiratory rate decreases, the heart rate and the blood pressure falls and the tension in the nerves decreases. )lectroencephalogram 2))G3 shows more fre6uent slow alpha waves and in higher states even theta waves. The degree of these changes depends on the stage of the samadhi. Therefore, it appears, as a yogi ascends from a lower to a higher state of consciousness, his neuro-hormonal activity is withdrawn step by step. The physiological function of the pineal gland appears to be responsible for these changes. There are two fundamental principles of spiritual meditation in yoga. One - the gradual withdrawal of the mind from the e#ternal occupations until it is concentrated in a point. Two - the incantation of a mantra with full ideation. The mental repetition of a mantra creates very subtle waves in the mind and

?E

body of the meditator, that are picked up by the pineal. The latter then ad'usts its hormonal output that regulates other endocrine glands and conse6uently the changes in the physiological states. &ow many more forms of subtle waves can the pineal sense, is only a matter of speculation at present. "t is not unthinkable that mental vibes between persons, a sense of dO'P vu and premonitions may be due to the pineal activity. "nterplanetary reflections of light, sound and electromagnetic waves from this and other solar systems can also come within the scope of pineal activity. %icrovita, however, cannot directly affect the pineal gland. Their influence stops at the pituitary gland. $ physical pressure on certain surface points appears to trigger pineal functions. One such point is located in the sole of the big toe. The acupressure techni6ues massage these points to achieve rela#ation. 1or this reason, some yogic practices recommend a rhythmic slow dance with chanting called kiirtan. "n this dance, the balls of the big toes are gently struck on the ground alternately. .ith chanting this process helps the practitioner to achieve a total concentration of mind. "n yoga psychology it is well known that a totally concentrated mind in a meditative state strikes at the pineal gland. This enables the pineal to secrete e#cessive amount of hormones which in turn overwhelms all conscious and subconscious activities producing a state of spiritual trance. The hormonal activity in all the glands is temporarily suspended due to the over-activity of the pineal. (uch a concentrated mind that causes these hormonal changes can be called ape#ed or pinnacled mind. "n this state one becomes omniscient through which one can see the past, present and future. "t is for this reason that pineal is called (hiva=s third eye in yoga. Thus this gland of the mystics is responsible for restraining and controlling all our biological functions. "t can also suspend our mind to produce a state of beatific into#ication and a transcendental consciousness. That is why it is said to belong to the occult ple#us. Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is predominantly a neural structure. &owever, its endocrine functions are also important. "t produces a number of release hormones that help the release of various hormones from the pituitary gland. "t also produces corresponding inhibiting hormones to suspend the secretions from the pituitary. 1urthermore, it produces two hormones that have direct actions. These are $D& 2anti-diuretic hormone3 and o#ytocin. The $D& helps maintaining fluid balance in the body and o#ytocin helps the contraction of uterus during childbirth as well as e'ection of milk in breast feeding women. "t is believed that these two hormones are secreted in the hypothalamus but stored in the posterior part of the pituitary gland to be used on demand. Our brain e#ercises its control over our body by two routes> a *sea+ route and a *land+ route. The sea route consists of hormones that ply through the bloodstream and the land route consists of neurotransmitters that run down the nerves. The hypothalamus is a confluence of these two routes. "t can set the sail up in a neural impulse to convert it into a hormonal output and take to the sea. "t can also sidetrack the hormone molecules to take to the land. "ts land route forms a comple# network of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves to reach every part of the body. "ts sea route uses the port of the pituitary to e#ercise control over all other glands. Today, there is tantalising evidence that the pineal influences hypothalamic functions to put a dampener over the rest of the endocrine glands.

?:

The hypothalamus, along with the pituitary gland, belongs to the lunar ple#us of the yogis. "t is the centre of psycho-spiritual activity. Through it, the physical structure can be activated and the mind takes a physical direction, engaging itself in numerous physical pursuits. On the other hand, the physical body can be restrained and even temporarily suspended through the hypothalamus. "n this situation, the mind takes a spiritual direction and e#periences the metaphysical and spiritual worlds. &ence, the spiritual meditation consists of withdrawing the mind into the lunar ple#us. Pituitary gland This is located 'ust behind the bridge of the nose 2 trikuti in $anskrit3 and hangs by a short stalk under the brain between the two cerebral hemispheres. iologically it acts like a thermostat. "n a central heating system a thermostat is essential to maintain a steady preset temperature inside a building. (imilarly, the pituitary is essential to maintain a steady state of our biological environment. "t does so by controlling all other glands that are located below it, for e#ample thyroid, adrenals, gonads, etc. 1or each of these glands the pituitary secretes a trophic 2stimulating3 hormone. y varying the level of trophic hormones it increases or decreases the hormonal output of these glands. Thus there is a two-way functionMcontrol system in the pituitary. (ince glands are the gateways for the e#pression of propensities, pituitary controls these e#pressions. %ore simply, the pituitary gland controls the 6ualities, attribution/s and 6uanta of the mental propensities. The lower the gland in its location, the cruder the propensities it e#presses. &owever, all the glands have to interact to cause a balanced and coordinated e#pression of the mental propensities in a person. !ituitary is responsible for the interaction, coordination and fine tuning of all the other glands. Therefore, if the mind is driven by the cruder propensities, through its hormone=s, the pituitary will stimulate the secretions of lower glands, for e#ample se# glands, pancreas and adrenals. "n this situation the mind is said to move downwards. "n contrast, if the mind is driven by more subtle propensities the pituitary stimulates the upper glands, for e#ample thyroid, parathyroid and their sub-glands and the mind is said to move upward. The pituitary therefore can have degenerating or elevating effects on the mind. "t is however, not alone in this function. "t is supported by its sub-glands. iologically every nerve cell is a gland. They are grouped together to form various parts of the brain to perform specific functions. These collections of nerve cells can be regarded as sub-glands of the pituitary of which hypothalamus and limbic system are most prominent. They are discussed elsewhere in this book. The pituitary gland with its sub-glands forms a network of energy channels called lunar ple#us or $'ina cakra in (anskrit. This ple#us can be divided into two halves, right and left. )ach controls opposite tendencies, that is the right wing controls leftist tendencies and the left wing controls rightist tendencies. The leftist propensities are cruder, degenerating and depraving whereas the rightist propensities elevate the mind to pave the way for a superconscious state. "t is the balanced function of the two halves that is most desirable and leads to an ape#ed intellect and self-knowledge. (uch a person has e#tra-cerebral memories of the past lives. (piritual meditation causes a balanced development of both the wings of the pituitary ple#us and conse6uently leads to various para-psychological phenomena.

?9

The glands of fire The flame of life burns slowly in the internal furnace of the body. The fuel for this flame is constantly supplied by the food we eat and the air we breathe. The vital energy is involuted as solar energy that is used by the living organisms including plants and animals. These plants and animals convert the vital energy into various kinds of chemical substances called protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that are nothing but the storehouses of energy. The products from these plants and animals when consumed by humans, constantly replenish the eternal flame of life by supplying the needed energy. $n average person eats about fifty tons of food in a lifetime. %ost of the nutrients consumed are modified and inter-converted through multitude of chemical pathways known as metabolism. This chemical factory takes in the nutrients, air and water at one end and turns out the desired energy at the other end to be used for various needs of the body. $ll cells of the body are capable of breaking down the nutrients. 1or the flame to last the whole life span there has to be a strict control on the supply and consumption of the fuel. .hat is more important is that the production and utilisation of the energy has to be fully regulated to avoid wastage. &ence, the metabolic process occurs step by step so that the energy of the fire of life is released a little at a time in a way that is most useful. $ stepwise regulation of metabolism is achieved by numerous enAymes and hormones. Therefore indirectly the mental propensities will determine the rate and 6uantum of metabolic process as well. The glands that need special mention in producing the fire of life are thyroid, parathyroid and pancreas. T2.ro$ &n !&r&t2.ro$ The thyroid gland is situated in the neck like a butterfly with its wings abutting on either side of the windpipe or trachea. "t is a highly vascular gland meaning that a large amount of blood flows through it. This enables it to trap the iodine circulating in the blood and uses it to produce the hormones thyro#ine and tri-iodothyronine. The thyroid gland matures by the age of twenty years. The parathyroids are four pea-siAed glands located at the back of the thyroid, one at each pole of the butterfly. They help in the absorption and the distribution of calcium and phosphate and thus maintain bone thickness and strength. oth these glands are essential for life - for physical e#istence and psychic development. Their secretions have to be finely tuned. $ny deficiency or e#cess results in various physical and psychic ailments. Their psychic effects need special mention. Over-secretion of thyroid hormones results in a fragmented and flickering mind that is unable to rationalise and think deeply. The sufferer becomes very irritable and unstable. 7ot only the cognitive functions but the affect is deranged as well. %ania and psychosis can develop in such persons. On the other hand an under secretion of thyroid hormones can cause apathy, stupidity and depression. The psychic effects of parathyroid glands are more subtle. They affect rationality and behaviour. Their under secretion can make a person 6uarrelsome and selfish. These are more marked in women. "n men, their under secretion is likely to cause a despotic nature with vanity, flamboyance and selfaggrandisement. (elf-reliance and self-confidence develop due to the hormones from the parathyroid. $

?8

less developed gland may be a part of the e#planation for the lesser degree of these attributes in women. &owever, they are partly environmental and partly biological. Thus, the thyroid and parathyroid glands influence the e#pression of both cognitive and affective faculties of mind. Their proper secretions will take the mind to more subtle spheres of spiritual knowledge, universal welfare and attraction for the supreme sub'ectivity. "n contrast their abnormal secretion goads the mind towards the mundane world making it selfish, despotic and vain. These glands, as mentioned earlier, are responsible for producing energy for the body to carry out various activities. (ome of us use this energy to do something good and others to do something bad depending on our mental propensities. The negative mental propensities can be sublimated into positive ones if they are properly directed by a suitable environment and appropriate mental practices. (uch persons can do a lot for the society because their energy for self-preservation is channelled into the universal welfare. Their poisonous mentality is transformed into sanguinity. P&ncre&s The pancreas lies in the upper part of the abdomen behind the stomach, below the liver and gallbladder. "t overlies across the backbone from the right to the left. 7inety-nine per cent of its tissue is composed of e#ocrine elements> that is they secrete digestive 'uices. Only the remaining one per cent is the endocrine part that secretes the hormone insulin. The endocrine cells are scattered in clumps throughout the pancreas like islands and hence they are called "slets of <angerhans after the name of their discoverer. The islets consist of two types of cells - alpha and beta. The beta cells secrete the hormone insulin that is responsible for clearing the sugar from the blood and 2transferring it53 into the tissues so that they can use it for energy production. The alpha cells produce a hormone called glucagon that has the opposite effect. "t prevents the insulin from carrying out its functions. Thus insulin lowers the blood sugar whereas glucagon raises it. "n persons with diabetes there is a deficiency of insulin causing a rise in the blood sugar. "f the thyroid hormones burn the metabolic fire in the cells, the insulin supplies the fuel so that it can burn eternally, slowly and economically. &owever, the intensity of this fire will be determined by the mental propensities. $ person with dominant tendencies of fear, hatred, greed, infatuation and envy will re6uire a greater intensity of the metabolic fire. This will put increased demand on these glands, which in turn will fuel these tendencies.

The Glands of Love The solar ple#us of energy channels is located in the middle of the chest and is biologically associated with the thymus gland and lymph nodes in this region. The detailed discussion of these glands is included in the chapter on the lymphoid system. &owever, a brief description of their hormonal functions is appropriate here. The thymus gland is located behind the breast bone. "t is most active in foetal life when it is laying down the blueprint of our immune response that lasts for life. y the time the baby is born, its function as

@H

the heart of the immune system is completed. $fter birth, it secretes a hormone called thymopoetin that only reinforces the immune system to carry out its programmed functions. &owever, its presence is not essential in adults for physical survival. The most fundamental function of the thymus gland is to stamp every cell of the immune system with the recognition power of one=s cells. This prevents the immune cells reacting and destroying our cells. 1ailure to do so results in a group of diseases called auto-immune 2*auto+-self, *immune+-destruction3 diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis, nephritis, lupus, pernicious anaemia and some thyroid diseases are only a few e#amples from a long list. "n the developing foetus, all primitive immune cells have to pass through either the thymus gland or some other non-specific immune areas possibly dispersed in the primitive gastrointestinal tract. "n these regions they are conditioned to recognise the *self+ from the *non-self+, that is, their own cells from foreign intruders. These immune cells migrate to the lymph glands after passing through these structures. The cells that have been processed by the thymus gland are called T-lymphocytes and migrate to the outer parts of the lymph glands. Those that are processed by other areas are called -lymphocytes, which migrate to the central parts of the lymph glands. The T-lymphocytes multiply and produce the cells that engulf the foreign intruders such as bacteria and viruses. The -lymphocytes produce antibodies against these intruders. Thus there is a double protection against invasion by unwanted elements. Therefore, our biology has a strong bias of *me and mine+. "t loves and protects what is it/s own and re'ects and destroys what is not it=s own. The thymus gland is responsible for this bias. Therefore it can be said that the thymus gland establishes our biological relationships with the world around us on the line of *self+ and *non-self+. &uman mind also has the propensity of self and non-self. This propensity is e#pressed through the solar ple#uses in the chest. This ple#us is fully developed in children of four to five years, when they show signs of attachment to their immediate family and friends. This love deepens as they grow and involves many more people and things of this world. $s a result, many more propensities find e#pression as the love for this world grows. "t brings out the feelings of hope and aspiration, an#iety and depression, ego and vanity, voracity and hypocrisy, conscience and repentance. .ho can deny these e#periences5 The stronger the love for the world the more intense are these e#periences. The thymus is only e#pressing this worldly love. &owever, this love is not immutable. "t can be sublimated into a universal love.

The glands of Water $drenal glands are primarily the glands that maintain the fluid balance in the body by manipulating the salt e#cretion and preservation by the kidneys. There are two adrenal glands in humans, one on each side, sitting on the upper poles of our kidneys. They are triangular in shape and microscopically they are divided into two distinct regions. The outer few millimetres is called corte# and the inner core medulla. The corte# secretes steroidal hormones of which three are most important> cortisol, androgens and aldosterone. The cortisol is responsible for protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in the cells. The androgens are se# hormones and help in se#ual functions. The aldosterone is responsible for salt and water balance in the body.

@-

The medulla secretes two hormones> adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. These hormones are responsible for our day to day activity and stress response. Therefore adrenal glands have multiple functions. They aid the metabolism and thus sustain the fire of life and on the other hand maintain the fluid balance in the body. &uman body is made of seventy per cent water and thirty per cent solid and yet we can not survive water deprivation for more than few days. .e can survive food deprivation for several days to weeks. This is because energy can be stored in the body as carbohydrates, proteins and fats that can be called upon to provide the fuel for the fire. "n contrast, there is no water tank in the body that can be tapped when needed. Therefore water conservation and its regulation are more miserly. %oreover, water is needed by every process of the body and its deficiency leads to various physical and mental changes. .hen dehydrated, a person becomes disoriented and tends to hallucinate. .hen in e#cess, a person becomes confused, stuporous and may slip into coma. This state is called water-into#ication. Therefore water balance must be kept under strict control. 1or such a control two things are necessary, a sensing mechanism that detects the changes in the water content of the body, and a fi#ing mechanism that restores the balance. $lthough the sensing mechanism lies in the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, the restoring is carried out by the adrenals and the pituitary hormones. &ence the adrenal gland performs a triple function. "t fuels the fire of metabolism as well as 6uenching the thirst of the body for water. "t also plays a part in the se#ual functions. "n yogic language these triple functions of the adrenal glands can be attributed to the lower three ple#uses. The se#ual function relates to the lowermost terranian ple#us, the water regulation to the fluidal ple#us above it and the metabolic function to the igneous ple#us at the nave. &ence, adrenal glands appear to e#press the propensities related to the lower three cakras.

The Glands of Creation - Sex Glands. 1or the survival of the species, human beings must reproduce and transmit their physical and mental attributes to the future generations. "n this 'ourney from generation to generation, humans ac6uire newer and newer physical characteristics and mental capacities. To save their off-springs time and trouble, they transmit these attributes to them through genetic materials. This is called inheritance. "t allows not only the survival of the species but its modification and improvement as well, a prere6uisite for progressive evolution. y the blending of inheritable characteristics of both parents, better adaptive and survival features develop in the offspring and the evolution marches ahead. Cnlike animals, human beings do not have a breeding and a mating season during which they are instinctively attracted to the opposite se#. They are free to mate anytime according to their learning, convention and culture. 1or this they need two things, an urge to mate and a rationality to 'udge and discriminate who to mate with and when to mate. These two factors determine the total se#ual behaviour of human beings. $lthough all human beings have similar se#ual biology, their se#ual behaviour differs widely. 4elibates, swingers5, prostitutes, rapists and homose#uals all have similar biology. The difference in their

@;

psycho-se#ual orientation is due to their motives, which may be religious, social or economic. "n the matter of se#, the psychology is more dominant than the biology. !sychology is driven by the se#ual urge whereas biology by evolutionary forces. &owever, it must be remembered that both biology and psychology are meant to serve the purpose of evolution. &ence se#ual urge is secondary to procreation. Our se# glands have to serve dual functions> reproduction and psycho-se#ual orientation. These functions are closely interconnected. &owever, in the twentieth century, science has split it into two independent functions by the invention of contraception. This has allowed millions of people to plan the siAe of their family. On the other hand, it has removed the creative elements from the se#ual functions. (e#uality has become a mere source of sense-gratification. <ike other drive-states, se#ual urge is also driven by motivation. The appetite for se# is recurrent and unsatiable. .ith the surge of materialist biologists and psychologists in the middle of this century, the mass attention focused on the psycho-se#ual functions and reproduction took a back seat. This has allowed the imagination to run wild. )very relationship was suggested to have been powered by the se# drive. 1reud suggested that even mother and child relationship were eroticised. uoyed with these scientific thoughts, the mass psychology on matters of se# diversified and 'ustifications have been found for all diverse and perverse se#ual behaviours. One cannot help feeling that splitting the two functions of se#, may not have been a great achievement after all. (e#uality permeates deep into every aspect of individual and social life of human beings. .ars have been fought and empires have fallen because of se#ual motives. 4riminals have developed due to se#ual dysfunction and saints and holy persons have e#ercised complete se#ual constraints. Relationships succeed and fail because of se#ual compatibility or a lack of it. .hy is se#uality so important for human life5 The answer lies in its origin. The se#ual urge is a part of a more fundamental urge that drives us to create something. )ach one of us has this basic urge. Out of this creative urge, we engage in various goals of life. !erhaps 1reud was not totally wrong in saying that Fse# drive is a fundamental source of energy which man has drawn upon to create his civilisation and his culture.F &e erred in calling it the Ffundamental source of energyF rather than a diversion of a more fundamental creative energy. The creative aspect of se#ual functions is reflected not only in our reproduction but in many other aspects of our biology as well as our psychology. .e will now elaborate upon these. (e# glands are the first endocrine glands to develop in the foetus. .hen the embryo is only seven weeks old in the womb, the primitive se# glands develop as a ridge on it=s under surface and start secreting male or female hormones. <ater in pregnancy, this ridge differentiates into a complete reproductive system. .hy is there such a hurry to secrete hormones, when the testes and ovaries are not even differentiated5 Right at the same time, the nerve cells are congregating to form the future brain of the foetus. These cells have to be treated with either male or female hormones to lay down the blueprint for the future male or female behaviours. This masculinisation or feminisation of the primitive brain is essential and the period during which it occurs is critical. This period must fall between twelve and twenty-two weeks of pregnancy so that the individual can behave as a male or a female in their adulthood. This is the first creative activity of the se# glands.

@?

$fter birth, se# glands are partly active. There are two testes in males and two ovaries in females. Their double representation is a testimony to their importance. "f one is lost due to disease or in'ury, the remaining gland takes over the functions. There are two types of cells in the testes and ovaries, one that creates the reproductive cells or gametes 2sperm in males and ovum in females3 and the other that produce hormones that nourish the gametes. These hormones regulate the production of sperms and eggs along with many other functions around the body. "n fact they reduce the production of gametes by suspending the secretions of trophic hormones from the pituitary. "n children, the cells that produce gametes are not active and therefore no sperms or eggs are produced. &owever, there is a low level of activity in the hormone producing cells and the small amount of hormones they secrete causes a number of physical and psychological changes. $t around four to si# years of age, the skin of the child thickens. "n males, it becomes somewhat rugged and in females, soft and smooth. The children develop anger and avarice but remain obedient. The love for the family members begins finding e#pression and they start making friends. These traits are essential for the development of social skills in a child, another creative aspect of the se# glands. "t is important to note that at this stage children have no sensual feeling of their se#. $t puberty there is a surge of se# hormones resulting in number of physical changes. The skin becomes more rugged with deep hue in males. $cne develops in both se#es. &air grows in armpits and around the pubic area. "n males hairs also start growing on face, chest and abdomen. "n females breasts develop. Testes in males begin to produce sperms and ovaries in females produce eggs. Ioice in males starts cracking. The high levels of se# hormones affect the nerve cells and as a result sensual thoughts and genital sensations develop. The psychic changes of puberty are more profound but more subtle than the physical changes. $ sense of dutifulness and responsibility develops. Obedience gives way to independent thinking and rationality. &ence rebelliousness develops. ,oung boys and girls in this age develop the urge to do something great with a feeling of universalism. $ number of hormones come into play around fifteen years of age. !ineal gland becomes fully functional. Thyroid and parathyroid glands mature and read'ust their hormonal output. (e# glands become active and solar ple#us matures. $ll these glands and their hormones interact with each other to cause a 'oint effect on the psychic development of the young people. The 6uantity and timing of the se# hormones secretions is crucial to the development of certain forms of behaviour. "f it develops between thirteen and fifteen years in ade6uate 6uantity, the youngsters become kind and compassionate. They are full of vitality and courage and are receptive to new ideas. On the other hand a delayed and deficient development leads to cruelty and cowardice. (uch people support dogmas and orthodo# beliefs. Rationality is primarily a function of brain. "t may be appropriate to say that it is a function of mind but finds e#pression through the brain. .hen the nerve cells are immature, that is below twenty years of age, rationality is not fully developed. &ormones from the thyroid and se# glands cause the maturation of the nerve cells between fifteen and twenty years and thus assist in the development of rational behaviour. &owever, there is a time lag between the development of se#ual urge and rationality. Therefore se#ual behaviour in the early teens is not fully rational. "t is likely to break the bounds of social conventions and moral constrains. (uch a se#uality without rationality has far-reaching implications.

@@

(e#ual urge is inherent but se#ual behaviour is learned. The urge can be properly utilised by learning appropriate behaviour. "n the early stage the learning should be appropriate to the neural and hormonal maturation. "nappropriate learning will lead to wastage of the urge and a loss of creativity. Once se#ual activity is established as a source of en'oyment, its intrinsic rewards make it largely independent of hormonal status and intellectual elevation. The part of brain that controls the se#ual urge is called limbic system. "t has a pleasure centre. Repeated stimulation of this centre leads to a rather se#ual automation and addiction. The signal that was initially motivational and environmental is replaced by the tissue needs of the limbic brain. The latter is no more dependent on the hormones and rationality. "t relies on the pleasure principle. (ince learning is largely environmental, se#ual behaviour also depends on the environmental factors. $n environment of sensuality will make the youngsters promiscuous and indiscriminate in se#ual matters. %uch of their se# hormones will be consumed by the sensual functions at the cost of creative functions. On the other hand an environment of spirituality will result in se#ual constraints or rational se#. This will spare the se# hormones for the creative purposes. On this point (hrii !.R. (arkar appears to agree with 1reud. 1reud said that there is a limited amount of psychic energy for which id, ego and superego compete. "d is the impulsive, pleasure-seeking principle that is largely se#ual. )go is the realistic, rational component and superego is the moralistic, 'udgmental part. (hrii !.R. (arkar says that the urge that drives the creative attributes also drives the se#uality and reproduction. %uch of this urge is wasted on se#uality. !erhaps for this reason most creative people prefer solitude to social occasions. They are introverted and intuitive. %any of them have practiced complete chastity. The se#ual urge is fuelled by a number of propensities like physical longing, yearning, infatuation and voracity. &owever, the fuel can be sublimated so that it can transform the se#ual urge into a creative urge. 1or e#ample, physical longing 2karma3 can be transformed into psycho-spiritual longing 2dharma3, yearning 2trsna3 into attraction for the supreme consciousness 2amrta3, infatuation 2moha3 into love 2mamata3, and voracity 2lolatah3 into universal welfare 2svaha3. 1or this sublimation a spiritual and ideological environment is necessary. .e all are different persons and we have our own uni6ue mental model of the world that we can call our own panorama. This panorama may be confined to our small world of Kme and mine= or e#pand to the whole universe. .hen confined to the small world it is usually of physical and static nature. .e interpret this world in terms of physicality. .e do not have the capacity to comprehend anything beyond physicality. "n this situation we may be said to suffer from static physical panoramic minimitis. Our mind is minimised to the physical e#istence alone. This condition is found when igneous ple#us is dominant. )#cessive se#ual urge and indulgent se#ual behaviour is associated with a high level of activity in the igneous ple#us. This perhaps e#plains the practice of chastity and celibacy by those who wanted to transcend physicality and set out to 'ourney into oneself.

Prostate Gland.

@D

$lthough the prostate is a gland, it is not regarded as a hormone producing gland in biology. "t is an accessory gland to the se# glands and facilitates se#ual functions. "ts psychic effects, unknown to biology are many and interesting. (ince this gland is found only in males they are relevant only to male psychology. "n early childhood boys do not have much shame and shyness. They can walk naked in the street without any inhibitions. $s they grow, the feeling of shyness and shame grows due to the development of prostate functions. The inappropriate development of prostate gland causes melancholia in children and adults where a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness develops. "f the gland is underdeveloped it leads to a schiAoid personality with paranoia and hallucinations. There is no e6uivalent gland in females. "t is possible that some uterine glands serve these functions in women.

16

7or(ones !nd )ehaviour

@E

"ue to biological change the psychological reaction or reflection will change - P.R. S&r'&r

4akras transform our propensities into neural impulses as well as hormonal secretions. "n other words the mind is converted into chemicals that cause the regulation of our physiological functions. .hether our thoughts are self-generated or imposed by the environment, they have to be processed by the cakras and translated into our bodily functions. This processing culminates in the secretions from the endocrine glands and the nerve cells. There are numerous glands secreting a variety of hormones scattered throughout the body. &owever, there are some hormones that are not secreted by any specific glands. They are released locally to regulate the functions of the local organs, for e#ample stomach, pancreas and kidneys. (ome are secreted in the nerve cells and their interconnections. These hormones help in the transmission of electrical impulses through the nerve fibres and hence called neuro-transmitters. $ll the hormones together help to maintain a state of e6uilibrium in our internal environment> a phenomenon termed homeostasis. $ny deviation from such a state will cause an ad'ustment in the secretion of hormones, to return to the harmonious state. This implies that there must be a sensing mechanism that detects the fluctuations in the inner state and ad'usts it accordingly.

@:

1or too long, the endocrine glands were believed to be self-regulatory. That is to say that they ad'ust their hormonal output by directly sensing the need of the body like a thermostat. &owever, now we know that it is not the glands themselves, but a part of our brain called hypothalamus that contains the sensing as well as regulatory devices. "nterestingly enough, the hypothalamus has both components, neural as well as glandular and hence it is the centre of neuro-endocrine activities. The glandular component controls all other glands through various releasing and inhibiting hormones. Once upon a time, the pituitary gland was called the master of the endocrine orchestra. The pituitary may still be the conductor of the orchestra, but the hypothalamus appears to be the composer of the music that the orchestra plays. 7otes, beats and rhythms are provided by the samskaras and the propensities of the mind. &ormones have an enormous influence on our physical and mental functions. .ithout them life is unsustainable. There is ample medical knowledge of their physical effects. &owever, their mental effects need to be properly investigated. There are three critical stages in human life that are largely dependent on hormonal changes. .hen the foetus is si# weeks old in the womb, its brain is being formed. The blueprint of male or female behaviour has to be laid down at this early stage. 1or this, the primitive brain of the foetus must be e#posed to the male or female se# hormones. Therefore our gender specific behaviour is determined by the hormonal secretions at that early stage of our life. The second crisis occurs around puberty, when various hormonal secretions come into play, leading to a number of physical, psychological and behavioural changes. The final hormonal crisis occurs around the time of menopause, more marked in women, when some hormones are being withdrawn. This again is associated with many changes in body, mind and behaviour. esides the critical periods, there occur constant ad'ustments and read'ustments in the hormonal secretions throughout our lives. $t birth all glands are fully formed but all are not functional. They undergo a process of maturation. y the age of three to five years, adrenal glands become functional and secrete adrenaline. This causes increased activity and vitality in the child. $round this age the se# glands start secreting tiny amounts of hormones and as a result, the child e#hibits traits of anger, avarice, obedience, love and friendship. The prostate in males becomes functional also and may lead to melancholy and depression if overactive. "ts under-secretion causes fear comple# and hallucinations. (hyness and shamefulness at this age are due to the prostate functions. These changes occur according to the lower ple#uses that develop at this age due to the interactions with their environment. They learn new behaviours and their nerve cells develop more interconnections. "n adolescents, lower ple#uses undergo maturation and simultaneously upper ple#uses begin to develop. $s a result the pineal gland and the pituitary increase its activity. The se# glands increase their functions. 4onse6uently, rationality develops and attachment to this earth strengthens. <ove and compassion also find e#pression in the behaviour of adolescents. On the other hand, by improper development of the ple#uses due to a defective environment, some undesirable behaviours occur, for e#ample cruelty, melancholy and paranoia that lead to antisocial behaviours. Therefore, the persons company and their peer groups has the most influence at this age and many new behaviours are learned. $n environment of spiritual purity and initiation leads to a balanced glandular secretion and proper development of the personality. "n mid-teens a number of physical and psychic changes are associated with the hormonal secretions. Development of the solar ple#uses at this age is associated with the maturation of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. $s a result of this the voice deepens and facial hair begins to grow in boys and

@9

breasts develop in girls. 1eelings of love and self-reliance develop in both se#es. $n under-secretion of these hormones leads to the vanity of self-aggrandisement and a 6uarrelsome and despotic nature. y the age of twenty-one years, the ple#uses and glandular system are fully mature and become fi#ed as one=s uni6ue internal environment. &owever they are not immutable. .hat are hormones5 &ormones are chemical compounds that have the capacity to modify and alter the cell functions and thus our thinking and behaviour. 4onsidering their chemical structures, they can be classified in two typesN -3 Those that are derived from protein molecules and are called peptide hormones. ;3 Those that are formed from fat 2cholesterol3 molecules and are called steroids. The characteristics of peptide hormones are due to their ability to bind themselves to the covering of the cells called the cell membrane. The cell membranes have receptor sites that bind with these molecules. This binding is only the first stage in a series of chain reactions that follow inside the cell resulting in a new protein synthesis and cellular functions. Thyroid hormones are e#amples of peptide hormones. On the other hand, steroidal hormones penetrate the cell membranes and enter the cells to merge with the D7$ 2deo#yribonucleic acid3 or the genetic material in the nucleus of the cells. Thus they have the capacity to modify the genetic coding in the cells and conse6uently their functions. (e# hormones are steroidal hormones. $ccording to their scope of actions, hormones can be either local with actions limited to the vicinity of their secretions, or general with a widespread area of action. $cetylcholine is a local hormone secreted at the nerve endings and its action is limited to the nerve fibres and muscles. (ecretin is a pancreatic hormone concerned with the digestive enAymes. Gastrin is secreted from the lining of the stomach to regulate the acid secretion in the stomach. These are e#amples of local hormones. The hormones of the endocrine glands are general hormones with the capacity to influence every cell of the body. $s humans we are similar, but as persons we are different. This truth is not limited to our personalities> it is reflected in our chemistry also. <ike our personalities, our body chemistry is uni6ue in spite of some fundamental similarities. $ blood pressure reading of -DHM8H may be normal for one person but too high for another. One person performs best when rela#ed whereas another when they are pumped up with adrenaline. This individuality in our chemistry is reflected in the normal range values that are used in modern medicine. The individuality of our chemistry is a reflection of the individuality of our minds and the hormones are the intermediate phase in the psychosomatic conversion. They undergo structural changes as the ple#uses develop. &ormones are in turn, used by the ple#uses for the e#pression of mental propensities. Thus the ple#uses and hormones are interdependent. "ncreased glandular secretions generally make the propensities more active and vice versa. &ence, hormones have profound effects on human behaviour.

@8

11

he Cauliflower hat hin1s * he Fourth Fa&tor

DH

The #hysical body should be sanctified by good thoughts, good actions and good food as well, and also by various physical practices that affect the nerve fibres of the body' because through the nerve fibres, through the afferent and efferent nerves, the first phase of realisation occurs- P.R. S&r'&r

There is a cauliflower in our head that thinks. Our brain with its ridges and grooves, looks like a cauliflower. "t consists of more than one hundred billion nerve cells, several kilometres of nerve fibres and some supporting tissues to form a very comple# network of electrical circuits. Our nerve cells and nerve fibres enable us to think, feel, rationalise and e#ecute an act. They are the medium through which our mind actualises its e#istence. They are the units of our nervous system. $ nerve cell with its fibres is called a neuron. The location of the neurones is crucial to the type of function they perform. roadly, they are located in two closely interconnected groups. The neurones in the brain and the spinal cord form what is called the central nervous system. The neurones that come out of the brain and the spinal cord as nerves and link the central nervous system to every part of the body constitute the peripheral nervous system. .ithin these two systems as well, the neurones are grouped in different locations and perform different functions. The peripheral nervous system has somatic nerves consisting of sensory and motor neurones. "t also has sympathetic nerves with neurones that activate and parasympathetic neurones that deactivate our body. (imilarly the central nervous system has these and many more groups of neurones performing specific functions. "n spite of the diversity of their groupings, the whole nervous system acts as one integrated unit. The network of neurones in our nervous system is immensely comple#, involving billions of nerve cells. )ach neuron may be linked to fifty thousand other neurones. The comple#ity of the network is brought about by the great migration of early nerve cells in the nervous system of the developing foetus. .hen the foetus is only si# weeks old in the mother=s womb, the brain starts to form. $t this stage, there are only a few cells in the brain and they do not even stay at the place where they are formed. They must get themselves to appro#imately the right place to carry out their functions. Therefore, they undergo a great deal of multiplication and migration and send out long fibres to make contact with appropriate target cells. y the time human babies are born, their full complement of neurones is complete and they have taken their respective positions. 7ot a single neuron will be added after birth and if any of them is damaged by disease or in'ury, they will not be replaced. &owever, their interconnections and networking

D-

will continue after birth and probably for the rest of their lives. This allows them to connect with the other neurones in their vicinity as well as the distant ones enabling the hundred billion neurones in our nervous system to form the most comple# and sensitive network known to humankind. Our nerve cells are indispensable. $ll of them have a fundamentally similar structure. They produce similar electrical impulses. "t appears we are stuck with a pre-programmed, infle#ible and unmodifiable brain. On the contrary, our nervous system is very fle#ible, both structurally and functionally. )ven though the nerve cells are fairly stereotyped, their interconnections are modifiable throughout our lives. )ven though they all produce similar electrical impulses, their neuro-transmitters are numerous and variable. 7euro-transmitters are the chemicals that nerve cells and nerve fibres produce at their endings to transmit the neural impulse. The ability to modify the neural network along with the diversity of neuro-transmitters provides our nervous system with an enormous capacity to form new memories and learn new skills, forget irrelevant information and unlearn outdated harmful behaviours. Therefore, no one should ever think that his or her life has become useless. There is an inherent provision in our nervous system for becoming whatever we want to be. The center of all activity in the neural network lies in the cell body. The nerve cell is a star-shaped structure designed to receive messages from other neurones through short filaments called dendrites. There are a number of dendrites on a nerve cell so that it can receive messages from a number of neurones simultaneously, possibly for clearer perception. "n addition to these antennas, each nerve cell has a single long transmitting filament which links it with only one cell. These filaments are called a#ons. The a#on of one neuron connects with the dendrites of the ne#t neuron, forming micro-'unctions called synapses. $ synapse is a micro-space in which the terminal part of the preceding a#on releases a message as chemicals called neuro-transmitters. These chemical messages travel across the micro-space and attach to a number of dendrites of the ne#t nerve cell. Thus a number of messages come through at the same time. These messages are integrated in the cell body and the resultant output is electrically transmitted through the a#ons to the ne#t nerve cell. Thus the transmission of the nerve impulse continues. The comple# network of neurones provides our nervous system with innumerable neural circuits and combinations thereof, to call upon in the time of need. Only a small portion of these circuits is in use at any particular time. This arrangement provides great fle#ibility to our nervous system to modify a nerve impulse at any stage after it has left the nerve cell. $t the synapse an impulse can be inhibited if it is deemed irrelevant. This phenomenon is called synaptic inhibition. On the other hand if the message is appraised as urgent and important, the impulse is accelerated at the synapse. This is called synaptic facilitation. 7ew circuits can be formed by developing more dendrites on the nerve cells or sometimes by branching of the a#ons. (ome pre-e#isting but unused circuits can be activated if needed, as occurs during rehabilitation after stroke or head in'uries. (ome undesirable circuits can be closed for good. The fle#ibility of our nervous system allows us to modify our behaviour. .e can learn new behaviours and unlearn the old ones. &owever, for behaviour modification, the motivation should be overwhelming so

D;

that the new circuits can be established. Repeated use of a neural circuit forms a learned habit. $ll habits, good or bad, can use their own neural circuits. The differences in the actions of neurones are not solely due to the way they are wired-up, but also due to their locations in the nervous system. Depending on where they are situated, they produce different neuro-transmitters. There are more than forty neuro-transmitters already detected in our brain and the list grows by the year. These chemicals enable the brain to function in a variety of ways. 1or e#ample, adrenaline makes one alert whereas serotonin produces sleep. The neuro-transmitters are synthesised in the cell body of neurones and are transported along the a#ons to their endings where they are further modified chemically before being released into the synapses. 7euro-transmitters are hormones themselves and are synthesised under the influence of hormones from the endocrine glands. &uman behaviour is remarkable for its fle#ibility. 7ew behaviours are constantly learned. $ new behaviour changes the balance of activity in the neural network. 4onse6uently modifications occur in the synaptic connections and neuro-transmitter secretions to accommodate the new impulse and new circumstances. .hen these modifications become fully established, the new behaviour becomes incorporated in one/s personality. The electrical activity in our neural circuits can be measured through the surface electrodes applied on the head. The recording of the brain waves obtained in this way is called an electro-encephalogram 2))G3. The greater the activity in the neural circuits, the faster the waves recorded in the ))G. Their pattern in the ))G graph relates well to the state of our consciousness. They are summarised in the figure. "t is important to point out that an ))G measures the electrical activity only in the cerebral corte#, which forms the outer few millimetres of the brain. The corte# is thickly populated with neurones. The activity in the deeper structures of the brain can not be recorded by an ))G. The cortical neurones mediate our conscious functions whereas the deeper parts of our brain carry out subconscious and unconscious activities. The nerve cells are not uniformly distributed in our nervous system. They are grouped at some places to form substructures and perform specific functions. Thus they form various parts of our brain. .e will now consider some of them that are relevant to our sub'ect. Cerebral Hemisphere The cauliflower in our head is divided into two halves> the left and right hemispheres. $lthough identical in structure, they differ in their functions. (ome functions are bilaterally represented. That is to say that both hemispheres contribute in their performance. 1or e#ample, special senses like hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste. 1unctions like speech and writing are e#ecuted by one or the other hemisphere. )ven in the functions that are e#ecuted by both hemispheres, each half plays a different role. These functions have two components namely cognitive and emotional. 1or e#ample when we see a form, the cognitive component of seeing creates a replica of the ob'ect in our mind and the emotional component helps us to determine whether the form is pleasant or unpleasant.

D?

The left hemisphere is responsible for the cognitive aspects of cerebral functions. "t is the rational, analytical, logical, se6uential and verbal part of the brain. The right hemisphere is more metaphysical, synthetic, artistic and intuitional. They both control the opposite sides of the body. The left hemispheric propensities have a degenerative and depraving effect whereas rightist propensities pave the way for a superconscious state, yet in modern techno-society there is an emphasis on the cognitive functions. This has resulted in the destruction of the synthetic spiritual science by the analytical material science. "ntuition has been suppressed by logic and rationality. oth hemispheres are further demarcated into functional Aones called frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes. The frontal lobes are located in the forehead of our skull. They e#ecute intelligence and rational analysis. The occipital lobes are located e#actly at the opposite end of our skull, at the back of the head. They are concerned with vision. The parietal lobes are situated 'ust above the ears and are responsible for the sensory perceptions from the skin, 'oints and muscles. They also e#ecute the motor response. The temporal lobes, which lie behind the eyeballs inside the temple of the skull deserve special mention. $part from e#ecuting the sense of taste and smell, they have some very subtle functions. They help in the formation and retrieval of memory. $long with the limbic system they are responsible for the e#pression of emotions like fear, anger, pain and pleasure. They also play an important role in the manifestation of certain personality traits. Iarious studies have shown that they are responsible for moralistic and religious traits. They inculcate insight and power of scrutiny in a person. )stablishments of personal identity, deep thinking and contemplation are some of the other functions of temporal lobes. They enable a person to seek philosophical e#planations and make them assertive. Limbi System roadly speaking, the human brain has two components> the conscious and the instinctive. 4erebral hemispheres mediate the conscious functions whereas the instinctive functions are the domain of hypothalamus. The giant reptiles of the past had a very developed instinctive brain called diencephalon but almost no conscious brain or neo-corte#. $s the evolution progressed, the neo-corte# became more and more specialised. There arose a need for some specialised nerve cells, which could integrate the two components of the brain. "n humans these transitional cells are called the limbic system, which literally means margin. The limbic system has been dubbed *the inner world+. "t lies deep in the cerebral hemispheres, between the corte# and hypothalamus. This location is perfectly suited for integrating the functions of these two parts of the brain. "t has an inherent property of classifying the sensory input into rewarding and punitive sensations and thus it is responsible for the feeling of pain and pleasure. This property makes it an important player in learning and memory. "t receives sensory impulses including our thoughts and emotions from all parts of the cerebral hemispheres and interprets them in the light of past e#periences and memory. "t, then, modulates them into appropriate motor and emotional responses called our behaviour. "t must be stressed that the limbic system is not capable of perceiving and rationalising. "t is only an interpreter and feeler, hence it is sometimes called the feeling brain. "t is perhaps the ground where emotions meet rationality, instinct meets conscience and feelings meet logic. "n it 'oin various forces to

D@

form a whole. &ere, the demarcation between emotions and rationality falls away blending them into a unified personality. Hypothalamus "t is a mid-line singular structure of the brain that lies behind the bridge of the nose. Our emotions after they have been evaluated by the limbic system, are translated by the hypothalamus into bodily responses. %odern psychologists recognise five basic emotions> happiness, sadness, anger, fear and disgust. The emotions urge the body to act which re6uires physiological support by ad'usting heart rate, breathing, digestion, etc. This support is provided by the hypothalamus. Through sympathetic nerves it brings about the re6uired physiological changes. &owever, after the emotional event has passed and the involuntary urge has subsided, the hypothalamus also causes the return to the normal state, called homeostasis, through the parasympathetic nerves. Thus it is an organ of contrasts and contradictions parallel to the world outside. "t translates emotions into physiological responses as well as e#ercises constraints on them. "t allows variability in behaviour with ability to limit them. 7eural as well as hormonal mechanisms are involved in hypothalamic functions.

DD

12

L,(+h * he Fifth Fa&tor

!Human "ualities gro# along #ith the gro#th of lymph$- 38#8 0ar1ar

The Lymphoid System <ymph can be called white blood, because it has no red pigments, otherwise it contains most ingredients of the blood. "t is e#tracted from the blood, refined, processed and modified by the regional lymph glands before returning to the blood stream. "t has its comple# methods of circulatory system to collect lymph from all the regions of the body called the lymphatics. The lymph glands are scattered all around the body but are grouped in certain areas. There is a concentration of them around the 'oints, such as the arm pits, groins, elbows and knees. Three other important groups are situated in the neck, chest and abdomen. "n addition, lymphoid tissues are present in various other organs. 1or e#ample, in the liver, spleen, gut, tonsils, adenoids, etc. This whole system of lymph with lymph glands, lymphatics and scattered lymphoid tissues are called the lymphoid system. "n modern medicine generally, the lymphoid system is not regarded as a part of the glandular system, even though the heart of this system is the thymus gland. There are three ma'or functions of this systemN -. Transport of lymph from all parts of the body to the blood for circulation.

;. Defence of the body against foreign intruders like viruses, bacteria, etc.

DE

?. Recognition of (elf and non-self. <ymph is formed from blood in the peripheral tissues. 1rom small blood capillaries in the tissues, about twenty litres of fluid is filtered per day in the intercellular spaces. (eventeen litres of this fluid with all its electrolytes are soon reabsorbed back into the venous blood of the tissues. The remaining three litres, along with all the filtered proteins remain in the intercellular spaces. !rotein molecules are too large to be reabsorbed through the small pores in the walls of the venous capillaries. The remaining three litres of fluids in the tissue, with its protein content, must be continuously removed. Otherwise, within a matter of hours, the dynamics of the fluid e#change would become so abnormal that life could no longer continue. This fluid remains there because of the e#cess of the protein content and there is no other route besides the lymph channels called lymphatics, through which the e#cess of protein can return to the circulatory system. !roteins are one of the most essential ingredients of human chemistry and the body conserves them at all costs. Thus, by recouping the lost proteins from the tissues, the lymph plays a crucial role in maintaining the tissue structure. !roteins are present in every cell of the body. They provide the cells with the skeleton, which maintains the shape and structure of the cells. "n the blood proteins help to transport minerals, like iron, calcium, and magnesium, by forming a comple# with them. !roteins are made of amino acid molecules, which are used by some endocrine glands, such as the thyroid, parathyroid and pituitary glands, to manufacture their hormones. "f the proteins filtered in the tissues are not removed readily by the lymphatics, the tissues swell up causing a condition called oedema. $part from transporting the proteins from the tissues to the circulation, lymph also transports fat, particularly from the regions of the gastrointestinal tract where it is absorbed from the diet. 1at is another important ingredient of the human body. The cell wall is made up of fat, through which e#changes of various nutrients and minerals occur. (ome cells have a special fat component for specialised functions. 1or e#ample, brain cells have the fat, which has a special conducting property for the propagation of the nerve impulses. (ome endocrine glands utilise fat to synthesise their hormones. These are the adrenals and se# glands. (uch hormones are called steroid hormones. Thus, we can infer that lymph plays a very important role in the transport of the two most important nutrients in human biology. The flow of lymph is e#tremely important for human health. This re6uires an efficient and competent system of channels. There is a network of such channels present in all tissues, which ultimately opens into one of the two main channels in the chest, running along either side of the spine. These are called thoracic duct and lymphatic duct, which open into big veins at the root of the neck pouring their content back into the blood. $ll tissues have lymphatic channels e#cept the brain, spinal cord, bones, deeper parts of the nerves and some parts of the skin and muscles. These tissues also have minute channels called perilymphatics. 4irculation of lymph is of paramount importance for recycling of the important nutrients as well as for the dynamics of the fluid e#change.

D:

&owever, lymph flows at only a fraction of the rate of the blood flow. Total estimated lymph flow is -;H millilitres per hour. This can be increased about five to fifteen fold by e#ercise and decreased by rest. The lymphatic pump is enhanced by muscle contraction, movements of the parts of the body, compression and by arterial pulsation. Respiratory movements of chest and lungs also enhance this pumping effect. (ome organs are located in remote nooks and corners of the body from which lymph drainage is not easy under ordinary conditions. The flow of lymph is minimal from these organs. 1or e#ample, kidneys, adrenal glands and the pancreas are adhered to the back wall of the abdomen. 7ormal day to day living does not produce a significant movement or compression of these organs. Therefore, the lymph flow from these organs is further reduced in people leading sedentary life styles. To reach every nook and corner of the body one needs special postures, which may not be vigorous, nevertheless, very effective in enhancing the lymph flow from these remote placed organs. .hen these postures are coupled with coordinated breathing which s6ueeAes the main lymphatic channels in the chest, the lymph flow can be greatly increased. These are the special 6ualities of asanas or yogic e#ercises, to reach the most remote corners of the body so that they can compress and massage the organs to increase the lymph flow from them. .hen the lymph flow is decreased in the face of normal lymph formation, the tissue looses its lustre and becomes swollen or oedematous. This is associated with the loss of energy. !roper lymph flow maintains a flow of energy and glamour in the body. On the other hand when lymph formation is decreased as occurs in dehydration and debilitating conditions, the energy is sapped and glamour is lost. The tissues shrivel. Thus far we have been discussing the role of lymph in the transport and conservation of some precious nutrients of the body. 7ow we come to a more important function of the lymphoid system. During lymph transport from the tissues, various foreign materials such as dust particles inhaled in lungs, viruses and bacteria, which have invaded the tissues, are washed away. These have to be removed before they reach the blood circulation. <ymphatics have to traverse through a number of lymph glands in the region before they 'oin the main lymph channels. "n the lymph glands, lymph is e#posed to many kinds of defensive cells. (ome large cells called macroplages engulf the foreign intruders 2dust, viruses, bacteria3 and digest them out of e#istence. These scavenger cells are well programmed to recognise what is foreign to the body and what is its own so that they do not start eating their own cells. "n the lymph glands, many cells and proteins are added to the lymph, which plays a very important role in the immune reactions of the body> and hence they are called immuno-lymphocytes and immunoproteins, respectively. These two immune materials are produced by two different regions of the lymph nodes. These two regions are conditioned from early foetal life to perform different and complimentary functions. (uch conditioning is caused by and maintained from two important organs. The region of the lymph node, which produces lymphocytes is dependent upon the thymus gland. Thymus conditions this region to keep producing lymphocytes called T- lymphocytes, which pass into the lymph and then into the blood circulation. The region of the lymph glands, which have cells that produce immuno-proteins, or immunoglobulins as they are called, are dependent on the signals from the bone marrow. These cells are called -

D9

lymphocytes and produce various classes of immuno-globulus 2"gG, "g%, "g$, "g)3. These proteins immobilise and inactivate the intruders while the T- lymphocytes engulf them. Thus we see that after passing through the lymph nodes, the lymph has gained and lost something. The undesirable and harmful intruders, plus the tissue breakdown products, are removed from the lymph, whereas vital immune cells and proteins are added to it. The thymus is regarded as the heart of the lymphoid system because whatever happens in the lymph glands, and in the lymphoid tissues scattered all over the body, is pre-planned, pre-programmed and predetermined in the thymus gland. "n the foetus, the thymus gland is very active in sorting out its affairs and laying down the rules for the behaviour of future immune cells. "n fact thymus is so choosy in this early stage that ninety per cent of its own cells that multiply are re'ected and killed. Only the very *fit+ and *competent+ ones are allowed to leave the gland to migrate to the lymph glands. These migrating cells are *stamped+ and primed to recognise between self and non-self. This message stays with them as long as they live and when they multiply in the lymph glands, their off-spring carry this message from generation to generation. (ome very interesting changes occur in the thymus gland with age. $t birth, the thymus has almost finished all of its functions. "t weighs about -H--D grams and at puberty it more than doubles its birth weight to about ?H-@H grams. &owever, the growth of the gland after five to si# years of age is due to the increase in its supporting tissue rather than in the cell mass. "n fact, the lymphocytes in the gland, progressively decrease after this age. There are some other changes occurring simultaneously in the body at this age. The androgen hormones start being secreted by the adrenals and se# glands indicating an antagonistic relationship between these glands and the thymus. "n fact it has been shown e#perimentally that the removal of se# glands and adrenal glands delays the normal involution of the thymus gland whereas in'ection of cortisone 2an adrenal hormone3 or androgen se# hormones, causes shrinking or atrophy of the thymus. y mid adult life the thymus shrinks to about -H grams in weight. The remaining cells in the thymus continue to secrete a hormone called thymopoetin or thymosin whose main function is to keep reminding the migrated lymphocytes in the lymph glands what they have been programmed for. "t is because of this hormone that the thymus is classed as an endocrine gland despite being the centre of the lymphoid system. This dual role of the thymus is perhaps suggestive of the close relationship between the lymph and the hormones. Lnowledge of the lymph and lymphoid system in modern science is relatively recent and primitive. "t is only since the advent of cancer and auto-immune deficiency syndrome 2$"D(3 that the lymphoid system has attracted the attention of medical researchers. )ven now the focus of attention is the lymphocytes and the immune response. The relationship between hormones and lymph is not recognised as yet by medical science and it is in this area that (hrii !.R. (arkar has given numerous clues for future research. *<ymph is the cream of all you eat and drink+ says (hrii !.R. (arkar. $ll the vital energy derived from the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breath and electromagnetic radiation we are e#posed to, combine to form lymph. &e regards lymph as the mother of all hormones, which comes in contact with the activated endocrine glands and is converted into respective hormones. Thus it provides the raw material for the synthesis of hormones. 1or e#ample, at puberty the se# glands are activated which utilises

D8

the lymph to form sperm and testosterone in males and ovum, oestrogen and progesterone in females. "nterestingly enough, the thymus gland starts involuting because the lymphoid system is fully developed by this age. $nother interesting coincidence is the finding of high concentration of $"D( virus in the lymph glands and the seminal fluid even though the virus enters the body through the blood stream. oth, lymph glands and testes, probably have tissues, which the $"D( virus has an affinity for. On the other hand, it is possible that the lymph is concentrated in the testes making it more vulnerable to the virus. .hatever the mechanism, there is apparently a close relationship between the lymph and the testes. The contention of (hrii !.R. (arkar that lymph is a hormone seems entirely logical. The components of the lymphoid system have a structure of glands. Their contents, the lymph, is poured directly into the bloodstream. This is the re6uirement for being an endocrine gland, even though transport channels are involved in this function. <ymph contains the precursor of all hormones in the form of proteins and fats, including its own hormones in the form of immuno-globulius and thymosin. $part from the above facts, the lymph is as essential for life as the hormones. &owever, the difference is that hormones are secreted in minuscule 6uantities whereas lymph is formed in copious amounts. $fter all, a lot of raw material is re6uired to produce small amounts of 6uality products. (hrii !.R. (arkar also advocates other factors, which enhance lymph production and circulation. &e particularly emphasises that a vegetarian diet containing abundant green leafy vegetables and fruits enhances lymph production. This is because of the presence of chlorophyll in them, which he says is essential for lymph production. $ccording to him, the vegetarians and their children have higher intellectual standard than non-vegetarians. This is because brain cells utilise lymph. Of course the intellect he refers to is the spiritually guided intellect or pinnacled psychology rather than the high "G. The relationship between the brain and the immune system has been the sub'ect of intense interest for scientists in recent years. Researchers now believe that they *talk+ to one another. The brain can communicate with the immune system in two ways> through hormones and through nerves. "n response to an emotion, the hypothalamus of the brain responds by releasing a chemical called corticotrophinreleasing hormone 24R&3. The 4R& 6uickly travels to the pituitary gland and triggers a release of another chemical called adreno-corticotrophic hormone 2$4T&3. The $4T& washes down through the bloodstream to reach the adrenal glands where it triggers the release of cortisol and adrenaline. These latter hormones bind to the receptor sites in the T-lymphocytes and -lymphocytes in the lymphoid tissue, changing their proteins and genes. These intracellular changes suppress the immune response. The 4R& can also trigger an electrical impulse through sympathetic nerves to the lymph glands, spleen, bone marrow and other lymphoid tissues. The result is release of another hormone called noradrenaline at the nerve endings in these organs. The noradrenaline binds to the immune cells and thus suppresses the immune response. The list of chemicals that can transmit messages between the brain, adrenal glands and the immune system, grows by the year. $s a result, a new branch of medical science has emerged to bring it all together. The psycho-neuro-immunology is trying to work out this incredibly comple# phenomenon. One of the most remarkable assertions (hrii !.R. (arkar makes is the influence of physical and psychic environments on lymph formation. &e states that the physical environment such as the cinema halls, brothels, commercial sports-gatherings and crowded shopping centres have negative effects on

EH

lymph formation. (imilarly the negative psychic environment such as those created by pornographic materials, se#ual fantasies and se#ual indulgence act as a negative catalyst for lymph formation. On the other hand, spiritual company, spiritual discourses and discussions on spiritual topics, creates a kind of positive environment facilitating the lymph formation. "t is now widely believed by scientists that the immune system is modulated by the brain. $lleviating stress and depression improves the outcome of therapy for skin and breast cancers and for leukemias. (elf-e#pression and control over the world around us promotes a healthy immune system. "t has been shown in actors that when they play out an emotional role, they release natural killer cells 2Tlymphocytes3, in their blood, a sign of a good immune system. The lymphoid system returns the favour by defending the brain against harmful intruders and by conserving the essential nutrients that the nerve cells can use. (hrii !.R. (arkar/s novel concept of bio-psychology comes to the fore when he says that *human 6ualities grow along with the growth of the lymphatic system+. This sounds entirely logical when one considers the biological and psychological changes that occur from the age of five years right through to puberty. Thus in the new science of biopsychology, lymph plays a pivotal role in the development of the human body and behaviour.

13

!-e #elated )io*3s,&holo-i&al Chan-es

(ll higher human wonts have got their base in the solar plexus -P.R. SAR+AR

E-

"t is needless to say that we go through enormous biological and psychological changes from the time we are conceived in our mother/s womb to the time of our death. These changes have shaped us in the persons that we are. $lthough these have already been elaborated in the te#t, it is appropriate to summarise them here. %oetal life The foetus has no direct interactions with the world outside. Therefore the crude and subtle minds are relatively inactive. The causal mind is active and the memories of the past life is present. The ple#uses are developing and the foetus depends on mother/s ple#uses. Therefore its propensities remain une#pressed. %other/s propensities influence the foetus. $mong the endocrine glands, the se# glands are the first to develop around the seventh week of the pregnancy, to lay down the blueprint of the gender-specific adult behaviour. Other glands develop between the eighth and the twenty second week of the pregnancy. During this period mother/s hormones nourish the foetus. The brain starts forming after about si# weeks. "t must be e#posed to se# hormones for the reasons mentioned above. The nerve cells are still immature and are incapable of e#pressing the crude and subtle minds. The lymphoid system is underdeveloped and the foetus depends on its mother/s lymph. Therefore, whatever the mother eats, drinks or breaths affects the foetus. &e#born and 'nfants %ind starts interacting with the environment and crude mind gets activated. (ince the latter is still underdeveloped, subtle mind reflects the dominant causal mind. $s a result babies sleep most of the time.

E;

Their smiles, giggles and cries in sleep are due to the e#tra-cerebral memories of the past lives reflected in their dream state. $ll ple#uses become functional with the first inspiration after birth. Only base propensities find e#pressions through the sensory and motor organs. The longings of babies are only physical and emotional. $ll glands are fully formed but all are not functional as yet. They have to undergo a maturation process and therefore the hormonal system undergoes rapid change. The brain has a full complement of nerve cells but their inter-connections and neuro-transmitters continue to develop. The infants start interacting with the physical environment through their sense organs. They become in6uisitive of their surroundings. The cognitive functions start developing as they learn new behaviours. They form their own lymph because they eat, drink and breath independently. The lymphoid system is still immature. Therefore they have poor immunity and are susceptible to recurrent infections. The vaccinations enhance the development of immunity. Pre-s hool Children The mind of children between three and five years is restless and hyperactive because of the increased activity of the crude mind. "n the dream state the subtle mind starts reflecting the e#periences of the crude mind. The vibrations of the causal mind do not surface in it and the memories of the past lives begin to fade. The lower ple#uses begin to develop in accordance with the mundane environment. "n males the prostate becomes functional e#pressing the propensities of shyness and shamefulness. !hysical and psychic longings increase and as a result children become very in6uisitive. $mong the glands the adrenals become functional. !rostate function is important in this age group. "ts over-secretion causes melancholy and depression, a condition increasingly being recognised as a cause of many behavioural problems in children. On the other hand, an under-active prostate in this age group can cause a fear comple# and hallucinations. The se# glands increase their activities, resulting in the development of certain traits such as anger, avarice, obedience, love and friendship. The brain, although it gets no further increase in nerve cells, develops new interconnections and neuro-transmitters to accommodate the learning of new behaviours. The lymph increases in 6uantity and 6uality. "ts immune component rises. (doles en e

E?

The age between thirteen and fifteen years is crucial to the adult personality. %any changes occur in the biology and psychology of young people in this age group. The crude mind is very active in this age group. The world becomes very important. The subtle mind is flooded with the reflections of crude e#periences. The causal mind is subdued and past lives are completely forgotten. "n rare instances where it persists, either death occurs or the person becomes a hermit or spiritual missionary. The lower ple#uses mature and upper ple#uses begin to develop further. Rationality develops and youngsters become receptive to reasoning. $ttachment to this earth becomes stronger. The proper development of upper ple#uses leads to a feeling of love for others whereas the lack of it results in the development of cruelty, melancholy and fear comple#. %any glandular changes occur in this age group. The lymphoid system matures and as a result, the thymus gland starts involuting because its functions have finally completed. Three important glands become active almost at the same time. They are the pineal, pituitary and se# glands. Testes and ovaries start converting the lymph into se# hormones and se#ual fluids. The pineal and pituitary help in this conversion. $s a result, pubic and a#illary hairs develop and genital sensations occur. (imultaneous activity in these glands is critical as it will determine the future behaviour of the individual. The environment has an impact on these glandular activities. The brain continues to spread its network as the young people continue to e#perience and learn more and more of this world. 7ewer forms of behaviours develop, which may be constructive or destructive. The lymphoid system is fully developed with all its lymph glands, lymphatics and immune cells. Transitional (ge Transition to the adult age occurs gradually after fifteen years. The crude mind starts settling from years of hyperactivity. Rationality grows. "ndependence and rebelliousness replaces obedience and dutifulness. 4ausal mind gets buried deep under the e#periences of this mundane world. The most important ple#us to develop at this age is the solar ple#us. This is associated with certain physical and psychic changes. The beard grows in males and the breast grows in females. The capacity to produce milk and maternal 6ualities also develop in girls. The feeling of love grows in both se#es, which could potentially e#pand to a universal love. The endocrine glands that become active in this age are the thyroid and parathyroid. They are concerned with psychic development and intellectual elevation. $s a result young people become selfreliant. These glands are relatively less developed in females. Their under-secretion leads to certain undesirable personality traits such as vanity, selfishness, a 6uarrelsome and despotic nature, and a lack of self-reliance. 7ow the brain is fully developed but fine-tuning and refinement continues. The lymphoid system is fully mature.

E@

(dult (ge &uman psychology continues to grow through the adult age. The hormonal secretions become established by the age of twenty-one years although the biological functions continue to grow until we have reached forty years. $fter this age degenerative processes begin to take root. %ental degeneration usually starts after fifty years.

1$

#easse(9lin-

&y spiritual cult, spiritual sadhana, you may bring certain changes in your nervous system' nerve cells and nerve fibres, control the secretions of the hormones from different glands and subglands and get yourself elevated -P.R. SAR+A r

ED

Cntil now we have reduced the 7ew (cience of iopsychology into its various components. <et us now reassemble it into a whole. &umans are the most adaptable of all the organisms. This uni6ue adaptability is primarily due to its well developed nervous system and a comple# combination of hormones. The nervous system is full of contrasts and contradictions. On one hand it has nerve cells that mediate rationality and ob'ectivity and on the other those that conduct the human feelings and emotions. The same nerve cells can carry out two opposite functions at different times. 1or e#ample, heating and cooling, hunger and satiation and many others. Therefore it appears that two opposite but parallel forces are running through our nervous system. These parallel forces are nothing but the reflections of similar forces in the mind. &uman mind as well, is full of contrasts and contradictions. Two opposite sets of propensities e#ist in it. One that is degenerating and depraving and the other elevating and enlightening. The degenerating ones are e#troversial, sensual and pleasure seeking whereas enlightening ones are introversial, spiritual and blissseeking. Those, which will find e#pression in one=s behaviour, will depend on the samskaras and the environmental factors. Thus, what we are in the present partly reflects our past. The nerve cells cannot function without hormones. (ome hormones they derive from the bloodstream and others they secrete themselves. &ormones, although few in number, have a multitude of effects on our biology. <ike the nerve cells, the hormones are the vehicles for the forces of the mind. These factors allow an innumerable number of permutations and combinations of our body chemistry and conse6uently behaviours. &ence, as persons, we are individuals with a uni6ue mind, chemistry and behaviour. (ince hormonal secretions are affected by the mental propensities, their combinations 2or balance3 may be conducive to either degenerative or elevating behaviours. This state of balance can be modified by rechannelling the propensities, thus altering the behaviour. The mental currents created by the propensities, flow in two intertwining channels. .hen the degenerative tendencies dominate, the mind flows downward in one of the channels. .hen the opposite tendencies are dominant the flow is upward in the other channel. The intersections of these channels are cakras or ple#uses, which control the regional hormones. .hen the flow is downward, the lower cakras and glands are active. .hen the flow is upward, the upper cakras and glands are dominant. Thus, in hormones as well, we find two opposite forces that are active. The way in, which we act and react tells the story of our samskaras, propensities, dominant cakras and hormonal balance. "f our chemistry is the cause of our behaviour, our mind is the cause of the uni6ue chemical laboratory that we carry around. The mind operates this chemical lab through the nerve centres or cakras that in turn regulate the nerve cells and hormones. &owever, it will be erroneous to think that our

EE

chemistry is a fait accompli. The chemistry can be changed or modified by regulating our propensities and e#hausting the store of our accumulated potential reactions. "t only needs a change in the perspective of life accompanied by the sublimation of propensities in such a way that the mind moves upwards and grows in magnitude. 1or this, one needs specific intuitional practices. The intuitional practices re6uire a certain degree of sophistication of the neural network as well as a comple# battery of hormones. iologically, humans have both and hence they are perfectly suited to carry out these practices. This will bring about their final merger with the infinite consciousness. !erhaps for the achievement of this goal, nature has devised the master plan called evolution. "t is, for accommodating an ade6uate amount of nerve cells and neural network, that the human skull has proportionately increased in siAe over the last one million years even though the body siAe has decreased. The spinal column has gradually straightened from four-legged animals to two-legged humans. This allows the cakras to line up straight and the mental energy to flow up and down e#pressing the propensities. The simpler hormonal system of animals has gradually evolved to that of humans, providing them a perfect body chemistry for the final merger. iological perfection doesn=t guarantee psychological perfection. iologically, humans may be the final term of evolution but their psychic imperfections make them vulnerable to stagnation and e#tinction. 1or psychic evolution to continue, we need a totally new culture that has a profound effect on our psychology as well as biology. (uch a culture should teach us from alpha to omega of living. "t should inculcate in us the skills that goad the mind upwards to more subtle levels. Only the mind flowing upward can transcend to the infinite consciousness. (uch a culture should teach us as mundane things as eating and bathing and as subtle practices as spiritual meditation. Our mundane activities have profound effect on our psychic growth. The food we eat, the drinks we consume and the air we breath, all affect the lymph formation in our body. The e#ercises that we do determines the lymph circulation in the body. <ymph is the food of nerve cells. "t is also the raw material from, which hormones are synthesised in different glands. Therefore, mundane factors like these can change our body chemistry making it conducive to one or the other sets of mental propensities. (imilarly, whatever enters our body through our sense organs has a profound effect on our chemistry and conse6uently on the e#pression of our mental urges. The social impact of violent films and pornographic materials, is a testimony to this fact. Therefore, the root of all evils and all goodness appear to be our samskaras. .e appear to be slaves in the hands of these reactions in potential form. Good or bad, both reactions are bondages that go on milling us in the merry-go-round of life and death and deprive us of our final destiny. $s a result we ac6uire a body and a mind that goes on enduring and en'oying the pains and pleasures of life and in the process create more samskaras. Thus the vicious and self-perpetuating cycle continues forever, so much so that it creates an illusion of imperfection. $s humans we have come to accept our imperfect destiny with no hope of perfection. .e are content with our lot of despondency and disillusionment. .hat then is the purpose of this biological perfection5 "t is said that psychic evolution follows biological evolution. %oreover, biological perfection can only be sustained if psychic evolution continues. ut alasB .e are tangled in the mesh of our samskaras. "sn=t there a way out of this mesh5 (ure there is. .e have to e#haust these accumulated reactions, slowly but surely, by gradually e#pressing them in a way that they have minimal effects on our body, mind and society. 1or this e#pression we have to have a well integrated discipline to prepare our body, mind and behaviour.

E:

efore they are e#pressed, samskaras have to ripen, not unlike the fruit from the trees before falling. Cnfortunately, this ripening does not occur as long as our mind is preoccupied with the pains and pleasures of the body. The mind must withdraw from this sensual world if we want our samskaras to ripen. This usually occurs after death when there is no body, and mind with its samskaras floats in the vast space until they ripen. "n this state, it takes a new life and therefore many of our happiness and sufferings have no e#planations from this life. .e do not have to die to ripen our samskaras. .ithdrawal of mind from the body can be artificially achieved by absorbing the conscious mind into the causal mind. This process is called spiritual meditation. The absorption of conscious mind allows the causal mind to come to the surface. This hastens the ripening process of samskaras as well as its e#pression. Therefore, we find that there is a sudden surge in the happiness or sufferings in the life of a beginner of spiritual meditation. To handle them properly and appropriately, our body, mind and behaviour must be primed otherwise the effects may be detrimental to our purpose. This priming re6uires a set of disciplines including food, drinks, e#ercises, social codes and lifestyle. Our perfect biology and evolved rationality allows us to pursue these disciplines so that we can minimise or even diffuse the impact of samskaras as they are e#pressed. The constant endeavour to follow the physical, mental and social discipline allows us the soft landing as we gradually free ourselves from the clutches of samskaras by regular spiritual meditation. Other than spiritual elevation, there is no purpose of our biological perfection and psychic evolution. 1or this reason (hrii !.R. (arkar stresses the importance of spiritual practices in human life. %ay " dare to say that his teachings can be condensed into two mere sentencesN -. One infinite consciousness has manifested into many and many will eventually merge into one infinite consciousness. ;. The purpose of human life is to perform sadhana 2spiritual practices3 to bring about this merger.

1'

7E FIN!L "E#%E#

!&o# the element of physi ality is predominant) but in future) the psy hi element #ill be ome predominant......and that day) #hen the entire living #orld) dashing through a transitory phase of psy hi ) #ill be ome spiritual) #ill not be in the distant future.$ - 38#8 0ar1ar

(o close and yet so far. .e have a perfect nervous system, a comple# battery of hormones and an e#clusive biology. .e live in a soup of consciousness from which we have originated. .e are surrounded by the tiny microvita waiting to help us. .e have this evolutionary force or cosmic wish to push us forward. ,et the final merger of our unit consciousness with its infinite source is so remote. This painful separation is due to our primitive psychology. Our mind is so crude and mundane that it constantly and incessantly embarks upon the spiralling, slippery-slide of merry-making. .e are reduced to animals that are engineered by their physical urges. "t is our animal samskaras that have imprisoned our unit consciousness in this spiral. $s we stand at different points in the evolutionary cycle, feeling helpless, waiting to be set free from the noose of samskaras, personalities appear from time to time to show us the direction, path and destination of the final merger. The science of yoga is the outcome of the thoughts, words and actions of such personalities. To bring about the merger, yoga recommends an unending fight on two fronts> an ob'ective or e#ternal front and a sub'ective of internal front. The ob'ective front consists of a lifestyle of discipline, purity and service to all living creatures. The sub'ective front constitutes a regular and sincere practice of meditation. <et us see how the mind unfolds through these practices, until it is set free. efore our spiritual awakening, we are nothing more than animals. .e are driven by our physical urges of which the se#ual urge is the most dominant one. $lmost all our thoughts and action have an element of sensuality. Our terranean ple#us is in full control and our se# glands are very active. $ll passion is consumed by physical achievements. The pineal gland is suppressed and hypothalamus and pituitary are consumed in the control of gonads. (elfpreservation is our most important mental occupation. 7othing other than the physical world e#ists for us. .e snarl at the suggestion that something more e#ists beyond our sense-perceptions. .e are unable to hear our own inner sounds. Iarious degenerating propensities dictate our thoughts and actions. There is a constant fear of losing what we have. $s a result, we run around accumulating more and more ob'ects of comfort and security. "n the process,

we become so indulgent and selfish that we become indifferent to other/s needs for security. &owever, when we find others have what we don/t have, we become envious of them. 0ealousy can reach to the heights of hatred and we don/t hesitate to hurt them. .e become cruel and sadistic. .e lose confidence in others and then in ourselves. .e feel helpless and become melancholic. 7evertheless, our yearning for ac6uisition compounds so that we can prove ourselves better than others. "n this state, our lower glands 2gonads, adrenals and pancreatic islets3 are overactive to cope with the high physical demands we put upon ourselves. Our metabolic rate, o#ygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate and nerve tensions run high to meet the demands of an overactive mind, constantly running after physicality. %ost of the lymph is consumed by the lower glands in the synthesis of their hormones. "n cases of meat-eating people, there is already decreased formation of lymph. This leads to a relative deficiency of lymph. The brain cells are deprived of an ade6uate supply and the mind dwells on a physical plane. "n summary, all our creative urge is e#pended in se#uality, creation of physical wealth and ac6uisition of mundane knowledge. $n initiation in spiritual meditation and its sincere practice gradually and slowly leads to a series of biological and psychological changes that bring about a change in one/s thinking. The indifference is directed towards the vices rather than the virtues. The helplessness is replaced by hope, hatred by attachment and physical yearning by endeavour. The person becomes repentant of all wrong-doings and a conscience develops. &owever, these 6ualities bring with them some undesirable tendencies. 1or e#ample, vanity, ego, avarice, altercation and hypocrisy.

The lower cakras and glands are somewhat restrained due to the inhibitions imposed by the hypothalamus and the pituitary. The pineal gland finds more e#pression. The nerve tension decreases. The metabolic rate, o#ygen consumption, heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate fall. <esser lymph is re6uired by the lower glands and it is channelled to the upper glands and nerve cells. There are three main steps in the process of meditation> sensewithdrawal, concentration of the mind on a point and rhythmic chanting of a mantra. During sense-withdrawal, the mind is withdrawn from e#ternal

occupations step by step. This reduces the sensory input into the reticular activity system 2R$(3 of the brain stem that is necessary to keep our cerebral corte# in an awakened state so that we can maintain our contact with the e#ternal world. The reduced R$( input during meditation alters our state of consciousness that helps the concentration of the mind on an internal point in one of our cakras. "n this state, an internal repetition of a mantra vibrates the mind. The subtle waves of these vibrations are picked up as cues by the pineal to secrete its hormones. The altered states of consciousness thus achieved are associated with a sensation of some inner sound and feelings mediated through the temporal lobes and limbic system of the brain. "n the first stage, one hears during meditation, the sound of crickets. The deeper second stage produces a sound of ankle bells and as the concentration gets deeper and deeper, sounds of temple bells, the ocean, flute and ultimately *O%+ is heard. These sounds represent various stages of samadhi or absorption of the mind into one/s unit consciousness. $s the mind gradually becomes absorbed, the level of one/s consciousness e#pands, raising one/s awareness of this universe. The initial perception of the e#clusively physical universe gradually transforms into feeling, contact and finally direct e#perience of the cosmic entity. "n this state, one is finally unified with the cosmic entity. This process is called yoga and the meditator is a yogi. The final merger, however, does not come easy. "t re6uires an intense motivation, discipline and practice to eliminate and sublimate the lower propensities by step-wise control of the cakras and glands. "n the process, behavioural changes are bound to occur. One becomes a practical person and avoids intellectual e#travaganAa. One develops the spirit of welfare and performs noble deeds. One/s e#pression becomes sweet. There develops an intense urge for spiritual knowledge. Cltimately, one surrenders to the supreme being and finally one is set free.

1.

:uestions and !nswers

There are a number of 6uestions that " have been asked from time to time during the seminars " have conducted on this topic. " will endeavour to answer them in this chapter. They involve some compelling social issues that need to be commented upon from the point of view of biopsychology. "t is fully realised that some comments may create considerable controversy. "gnoring or shirking them, however, will not be responsible. $ note of caution is necessary here. The spiritual ideology is an integral part of the new science of biopsychology. Therefore, all opinions e#pressed here will include this perspective and must be taken in this conte#t. %oreover, the opinions are personal and they are deductive. :n8 What is the relationship bet#een sexual a tivity and spiritual gro#th* !ns8 "n every religion of the world, celibacy is regarded as the forebear of spiritual enlightenment. &owever, a rational e#planation has been lacking.

(e#uality is necessary for the survival of the species and for its evolution. 7o se# and no reproduction will lead to the end of the species from this earth. To encourage the reproduction se#uality has been flavoured with sensual gratification. $s the demand for se#ual gratification increased in this century, science has been able to disassociate it from the reproductive function by inventing various methods of contraception. The freedom to en'oy se# without producing children has had its own social conse6uences including indulgence, promiscuity and perverted se#ual practices. There appears to be an inverse relationship between these se#ual aberrations and one/s capacity to appreciate spiritual truths. 4ollectively also, the decline in spirituality corresponds with the increase in se#ual permissiveness in the society. The societies with epidemics of se#ual freedom, pornography and indulgent se#ual behaviour produce negligible numbers of spiritually enlightened personalities.

&ow does se#uality influence our mind5 .hy does the perverted se# prevent spiritual growth5 The answer lies in the psychology and biology of se#. (e#uality is a base propensity and re6uires the mind to flow in the ob'ective chamber. .hen the reward of se#ual gratification is so great that all the mental stuff is channelled into the ob'ective chamber, the sub'ective 6ualities such as rationality and reasons subside. The sub'ect becomes subservient to the ob'ect of en'oyment. "f the need for gratification becomes repetitive, fre6uent and automated, the mind remains permanently ob'ectified. "t remains tied to this mundane world. "ts sub'ectivisation becomes e#tremely difficult and its elevation to the spiritual realm an impossibility. (uch a mind can lose control of itself resulting in mental diseases and psychopathic behaviour. $n ob'ectivated mind flows downwards to e#cite lower cakras or ple#uses - igneous, fluidal and terranian. These ple#uses cause an increase in the activities of the lower endocrine glands, 1or e#ample,. adrenals, prostate and se# glands. 4onse6uently there is an over consumption of lymph by these glands and a relative deficiency in the upper glands. 1or e#ample, thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary and pineal as well as in the nerve cells of the brain. This results in psycho-spiritual backwardness and it defeats the purpose of human life.

(piritual development is most effectively enhanced by re-routing the se#ual urge through a celibate lifestyle. This is borne out by some biological facts. The pineal, which is the seat of spiritual activity, is antagonistic to the se# glands. "ts hormone, melatonin, has an anti-gonadotrophic effect. $t puberty, melatonin secretion is at its lowest. &uman se#ual activity declines in winter months when pineal secretion is at its highest. "t may be inferred that se#ual indulgence and se#ual perversion act against pineal functions. 7ow a 6uestion may be asked> what is a normal se#ual activity5 $ccording to the new science of io-psychology a normal se#ual activity has the following 6ualificationsN

-. "t should not be an obstacle in the achievement of a pinnacled psychology. $fter all, that is the very purpose of human e#istence. ;. "t should be conducive to the general scheme of evolution. "t implies that reproduction is the primary purpose of evolution and se#ual gratification is only a flavouring. .hen the fre6uency, enactment and orientation of se# are detrimental to the achievement of psychological perfection and biological evolution, it can be called a perverted se#. $ccording to this definition, only a heterose#ual se# with a controlled fre6uency can be called a normal se#. &owever, it must be stressed that many perverted practices currently e#ist among heterose#ual relationships that are conducive neither to the evolution nor to the psychological perfection. (hrii !.R. (arkar says that se#ual coitus more than four times a month on an average, will deprive the brain of the chemistry that is re6uired to do spiritual meditation. &e recommends this for the householders. 1or monks he prescribes complete celibacy. $ householder is defined by him as men and women in a marital relationship. .here does homose#uality fit in all this5 &omose#ual practices do not have the evolutionary component. They are devoid of reproduction. They only consist of the secondary component of sensual gratification. &ence it cannot be called normal in spiritual conte#t. "t is hard to defend homose#uality on the grounds of a biological predetermination. There have been claims in recent times that se#ual orientation is inherent. On closer analysis, these claims are superfluous and

defy the mind-body concept of the *7ew (cience of io-psychology+. %oreover, the evidence that homose#uality is caused by *gay genes+ is not conclusive. Dr !eter <ittle, a molecular geneticist at <ondon/s "mperial 4ollege, said, *to say this new research proves that there is a genetic basis for gayness is premature. .e really don/t know enough about chromosomes and how they are inherited.+ Genes are only part of the overall story about se#ual orientation. Genetic traits can be graded on a heritability score of one hundred. 1or comparison, the eye colour has a score of one hundred per cent. Genes have total control over the trait. The heritability score of homose#uality has been given a low score of thirty-one per cent. This infers that environmental factors are still strong influences on the emergence of such behaviour. Therefore, the geneticists warn that the evidence for *gay genes+ is tentative. <ike many other human behaviours, the genetic basis of homose#uality is now thought to be at best 6uestionable and at worst wrong. 7o part of our biology is immutable. )ven our genes can undergo mutations naturally or artificially. $ deep longing and a strong motivation can alter any part or whole of our biology. This is the demand of adaptation. (e# drive, like other drive states, feeds on our motivation to seek pleasure. This is mediated through neural and hormonal changes in the body. The se#ual urge however, is repetitive and self-perpetuating, which eventually brings about changes in the hypothalamus and the limbic system. $ny biological differences found in homose#uals may be the result, rather than the cause, of their se#ual orientation. "t must be stressed however, that the above argument must be taken in a spiritual conte#t and should not be used for the social oppression or deprivation of homose#uals. :n. What are the bio-psy hologi al differen es bet#een the t#o genders* !ns. The rivalry between men and women has become pathological in modern societies. $lthough there are no doubts about the social and spiritual e6ualities of the se#es, there remain biological and psychological differences between the two genders of this species. .omen have a relatively smaller cranium with a lower number of nerve cells in the brain than men. There are some differences in the

intracellular structures of the nerve cells as well. (ome propensities are strongly developed in women as compared to men. "n particular women have much more love for their children than men. .hen this love is e#cessive they fail to provide their step-children with the same care as to their own. The number of sentiment oriented nerve cells are more in women than in men. Therefore, in spheres which need sentimentality women progress fast. 1or e#ample, art and music. On the other hand in the areas that re6uire rationality men progress rapidly. $part from the pineal and the pituitary all other glands differ in men and women. The parathyroid gland is less developed in women. These differences do not suggest superiority or inferiority of any gender. They are rather an appropriate inner environment for the psycho-spiritual growth of both se#es. Qn. What changes occur in the bio-psychology, after a sexchange operation? !ns. The determination of our se# is by a process of natural selection. This process is driven by our samskaras. $s described elsewhere, the causal mind with its repository of samskaras floats in the vast space until it finds an appropriate physical structure that has 'ust been conceived. $fter it enters the newly formed embryo, its momentum differentiates the latter into a male or a female baby. "t is through this structure that the samskaras are best e#pressed to lead the individual towards perfection. $ny apparent need for change in the naturally selected se# is due to samskaras ac6uired later in life. They are ac6uired through the ob'ectivated mind. The latter cannot lead to spiritual elevation. "t is like changing the rules half way through the game. iologically also, a se# change can bring about the transformations only in the sensual and not in the reproductive aspect of se#. %any hormones can be artificially replaced but the siAe of the cranium cannot be altered. Therefore, women changing to male se# will suffer from headaches as the number of nerve cells in the brain try to increase within the smaller cranium. Therefore se# change is not desirable on ideological as well as biological grounds.

:n. What are the effe ts of ontra eptive pills* !ns. "t cannot be denied that human beings have their destiny in their own hands and they should retain this power. &owever, the methods of use of this power can be 6uestioned. .e should all have the total control on how many children we have but the choice of the methods of limiting our family should be an informed one. There is an enormous amount of material available in the field of contraception, however, all are within the narrow confines of modern medicine. 7o doubt the popular methods are simple and effective in preventing pregnancies and there is other information that needs to be taken into consideration before making the choice. 4ontraception with hormones or by sterilisation operations do disturb the delicate hormonal balance in the body. !hysical and psychic effects of these methods are well known to medical science and many of them are undesirable. These methods are primarily suppressing the gonads and have secondary effects on the pituitary gland. This much is known to medicine but its effects on the cakras and the mind is beyond its 'urisdiction. :n. Can abortion be +ustified* !ns. $bortion for medical reasons to protect the life of the mother, will not find much opposition from any corner. The abortion on demand however, will not en'oy the same level of acceptance. The controversy centres around the 6uestion of when the foetus becomes a person. $t the onset of pregnancy a causal mind enters the embryo to start its 'ourney of life. "t will not be appropriate to say that its life has no meaning. $ premature termination of this life is neither moral nor ideological. &owever, the e#pression of consciousness at this stage is very little and no ple#uses have yet developed. Only the lower ple#uses of the mother are able to sustain its e#istence. $s the pregnancy progresses the consciousness e#presses more and more, organs and ple#uses develop and physical and psychic bonding occur between the mother and the foetus. The termination of pregnancy at this stage will be detrimental to the physical and psychic health of the mother, in addition to the deprivation of life to the foetus.

.omen undergoing abortion need time to recover, not solely due to the physical effects of the procedure. Their whole glandular system, hormones and ple#uses undergo a severe shock, from which they recover very slowly. (ome show its mental effects for a considerable period of time and some never recover. The choice however, is personal and it should be based on proper information with full knowledge of physical, mental and spiritual conse6uences of the procedure. "n no case should abortion be used as an alternative to contraception. :n. Can #e re on ile assisted fertilisation* Ans. $rtificial insemination 2$"3, in-vitro-fertilisation 2"I13, gamete intrafallopian transfer 2G"1T3 and embryo transplantation 2)T3 are some of the commonly used techni6ues for bringing light in the lives of childless couples. $lthough the motives in these cases are benevolent, the end does not always 'ustify the means and hence the emergence of various social repercussions of these practices. These include surrogacy, hire-a-womb, commercial interests, incest, cloning, old age pregnancies, homose#ual pregnancies and many more. %aybe our civilisation is not yet ready for these technological developments. %aybe science has overstepped civilisation. The evidence, moreover, is emerging that the artificially conceived babies are at a greater risk of disabilities or even death. These babies are usually born pre-term and re6uire neonatal intensive care. There is a higher incidence of multiple babies, low birth weight and prenatal deaths. (cientists are reporting an increased rate of hospital admissions in their first year of life. (ome reports indicate a higher incidence of blood disorders and even cancer in women with aided conception. They re6uire fertility drugs which are usually hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs for conception. This may cause immediate adverse effects such as stroke and other serious vascular disorders. This ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, as it is called, can be life-threatening. .omen with assisted conception re6uire delivery by caesarean operation more often than the normal population. (ome reports put it to forty percent and this involves an additional risk to the mother. $n increased risk of breast cancer has been reported from some centres. Therefore, the assisted

fertilisation is not a risk-free process after all. The psychological conse6uences of the process are not properly understood as yet. The couples opting for these procedures need to be fully informed of the total effects of this technology. The artificial insemination with the donor sperm however, is a different matter. $ biological offspring of a couple must derive its genetic material from both its parents. 7o amount of legislative changes can mask this fact, howsoever convenient they may be. $" in this sense is hardly different to adoption or fostering of a child. "t is open to more abuses than any other method of assisted fertilisation, by the consumers as well as by the providers 2" have deliberately used the word assisted fertilisation because it is only the fertilisation process that is assisted by the technology3. )mbryo formation depends solely on the entrance of a causal mind into it. Thousands of eggs from hundreds of women are helped to fertilisation everyday in test tubes or fallopian tubes, but only a minuscule of them develop into embryos because technology can only provide the medium for the incarnation of causal mind, it cannot create one. <aboratory babies are a reality. They are here not only to stay but to prosper in future. "t is our responsibility to ensure that this technology is appropriately used and no abuse occurs whatsoever. These babies must have a congenial environment for the e#pression of their samskaras. oth, internal as well as e#ternal factors contribute to this environment. $lthough the e#ternal factors can be provided by any kind of parents, such as heterose#ual, homose#ual, donor sperm-inseminated, defacto, surrogate and foster parents> the internal environment however, can only be provided by the biological parents.

-: FREU13 /UNG AN1 P.R. SAR+AR

!'n my pi ture of the #orld there is a vast outer realm and an e"ually vast inner realm, bet#een these t#o stands man) fano# one and no# the other) and) a ording to his mood or disposition) ta-ing one for the absolute truth by denying or sa rifi ing the other.$ - Carl ;un-8

"n the .est, philosophy, religion and science have grown divergent and in many aspects rivalled each other. "n contrast, in the )ast, they are largely complementary and are synthesised into a unified and comprehensive concept what can be called intuitional science. (igmund 1reud had almost e#clusively a .estern background whereas 4arl 0ung came in close contact with )astern thinkers. (hrii !.R. (arkar, in contrast, was more of a universalist. &is universalism permeated in each and everyone of his discourses and writings. "n )urope the religious thoughts prevailed in the pre-scientific era. The philosophy was an outcome of the clashes and cohesion of theologian thoughts. .ith the decline of the religions and the advent of the modern science in the seventeenth century, the philosophy took a back seat. (cience prevailed and philosophy only served the purpose of science. .ith this change in master, the philosophy could not provide the basis of understanding of human mind. !sychology developed under the shelter of science where it remains today, restricted and truncated in scope, devoid of metaphysics and spiritual cult. The knowledge of human mind is chained in the materialistic paradigms of physics and chemistry. "t must be unchained if its full potential is to be realised. %./01 (igmund 1reud was born in -9DE in 1reiberg, %oravia and lived in Iienna, $ustria until -8?: when he moved to <ondon after the 7aAis took over $ustria where he died in -8?8. This period was the peak of scientific thinking that transformed the life of every human being on this planet and revolutionised man/s conception of man. .hen 1reud was three years old his parents moved to Iienna. The same year 4harles Darwin/s *Origin of

(pecies+ was being published. Darwin stripped the man of the virtue of his soul and reduced him to an animal in the forefront of evolution. .hen 1reud was four years old, in -9EH a German scientist, Gustav 1echner founded the science of psychology and brought the human mind within the confines of scientific study. 1reud/s intellectual development was greatly influenced by these two men. During the second half of the nineteenth century when 1reud was vulnerable, many other scientific discoveries occurred in )urope. <ouis !asteur and Robert Loch established the *germ theory+ of diseases giving rise to the science of bacteriology. Gregor %endel/s e#periments on the garden peas gave rise to the science of genetics. One that influenced 1reud/s thinking most was the principle of conservation of energy. $ German physicist &erman von &elmholtA proposed that energy is a 6uantity as the mass is a 6uantity. "t can change forms but it cannot be destroyed and when it disappears from one part of a system it will appear elsewhere in the system. This started *the golden age of energy+ that saw the discoveries of thermodynamics, radioactivity, electromagnetic fields, subatomic physics and 6uantum theory among many others. $s these theories were emerging 1reud had become a young scientist engaged in biological research. <ike other science laboratories, his was also influenced by the new theory of energy and dynamics. 1reud, by preference a scientist, was forced by the pressure of circumstances to take up a medical carrier. $s a medical student in the Cniversity of Iienna he met his mentor in )rnst rucke who was a physiologist reputed for his radical view that the living organism is a dynamic system to which the laws of physics and chemistry apply. "nfluenced by the laws of energy dynamics and by his physiologist mentor, 1reud proceeded to create a dynamic psychology, twenty years later, that studied the transformations and e#changes of energy within the human personality. 1or this he earned tremendous accolade then and continues to do so even today. 1reudian concept colours almost everything that e#ists in the psychology of the .est today. &is admirers call him a genius and his critics a pervert. (ome regard him a philosopher, psychologist, psychoanalyst and much more, all rolled into one. &is concept of the development, organisation and dynamics of personality underlines almost every social institution in the .est.

1reud believed that there is a limited amount of psychic energy that human beings possess. This energy is channelled into three ma'or systems that form the personality of the individual. .hen these three systems are in harmony with appropriate amounts of psychic energy in them, the person is mentally healthy with well-ad'usted personality. (uch a person can carry out an efficient and satisfying transaction with his environment to fulfil his basic desires and needs. .hen the three systems are in conflict with each other, there develops a tension in the psychic energy, resulting in malad'usted personality and mental disease. 1or mental health, this tension must be released. 1reud also believed that the psychic energy is largely se#ual in nature and man has drawn upon this energy to create his culture and his civilisation. Therefore, he eroticised almost all human relationships. "t is this aspect that took the .est by storm in the !ost-1irst .orld .ar era. &is, *Three )ssays on (e#uality,F is regarded by many in the .est as his most important work. !sychoanalysis was associated with se# and it was considered fashionable to be psychoanalysed. The three systems that the personality consists of, 1reud called "d, )go and (uperego. The "d, he described as the pleasure principle in which the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain are the sole motives. "ts aim is to rid the person of tension by sense-gratification or *wish-fulfilment.F Reason and logic are not its domain. "t is the seat of instincts. The energy of "d is utilised solely in meeting the instinctual needs of the organism such as food, sleep, shelter and se#. "d does not have the ability to discriminate between ob'ects. "t can not discriminate between a finger and a nipple. "t is infantile in character and remains so throughout one/s life. <ike a baby, it wants immediate gratification. "t is impulsive and demanding, irrational and selfish. "t distorts the thinking process. 1reud called such thinking as predicate thinking and suggesting that racial pre'udices, dreams and waking symbolism and fantasies are forms of predicate thinking. 1reud regarded "d as the primary source of psychic energy, as well as the primary sub'ective reality. &e acknowledges that it is obscure and inaccessible and yet the foundation upon which the personality is built. "t is the repository of repressed e#periences. "t resorts to anything> imagination, fantasy, dreams and even hallucinations to fulfil its wishes. "t wishes and acts without thinking. Therefore, the sub'ective mind for him is animal and evil, and yet necessary for the basic evolutionary functions of survival and reproduction.

The )go on the other hand is the reality principle that performs the e#ecutive function. This is constant contact with the environment, engaged in thinking and problem-solving. "t controls and governs "d as well as (uperego. $s long as it remains in control, harmony and ad'ustment prevail in the personality. &owever, it has no energy of its own. $lthough it has such potentialities as memory, 'udgement, discrimination and rationality, they remain latent until psychic energy is channelled into this ego from the "d. .hen the tension in the "d fails to be relieved, the psychic energy is channelled into the ego system that enables the person to discriminate between the sub'ective and ob'ective worlds. The logical thinking replaces the wish-fulfilment and reality replaces the images. 1reud called it the *secondary process,F the primary process being the image-formation and the wish-fulfilment. .hen the )go fails to satisfy the demands of the "d, the energy is diverted back into the "d system and the primary process reigns again. The (uperego is the moral, 'udgmental and perfecting principle of the personality. "t strives neither for pleasure nor reality. "t is a person/s moral code that develops out of the )go, under the influence of parental and environmental factors in one/s childhood. "t has two components> )go-"deals and )go-4onscience. The former relates to what is considered morally good and the latter to what is morally bad. The (uperego controls the )go and therefore, the thoughts and actions of the person, by the reward and punishment mechanism. "f the )go has been *good+ for a long time it allows him a short period of pride and indulgence> physical, emotional or se#ual. &owever, if the )go has transgressed the moral codes, it may punish him with a curse or guilt of an illness or accident. 1reud e#plained illness and accident on the basis of the psychology of self-punishment for having done something wrong. "n his view pride, guilt and inferiority are the tools that the superego uses to reward and punish the ego. They represent parental love and parental re'ection. &e believed that traditional values and ideals of the society are handed down from parents to children through the formation of the superego. $ll figures of authority in the society can play the role of parents. $ll authorities, parental or otherwise primarily use the dynamics of superego to control and regulate the society by placing inner restraint on its members so that they can become law-abiding citiAens.

The id, ego and superego can be well summarised in the words of 4alvin (. &all. *"f the id is regarded as the product of evolution and the psychological representative of one/s biological endowment, and ego is the resultant of one/s interaction with ob'ective reality and the province of the higher mental process, then the superego may be said to be the product of socialisation and the vehicle of cultural tradition.F-H The id, ego and superego are not separate entities but a blended system where they interact to form the total personality. The transformations and e#changes of energy in these systems are the fundamental feature of 1reudian psychology, hardly surprising when one considers the *golden age of energy+ that he lived and worked-through. 1reud revised and modified his concept several times because of the interactions he had with his patients. !sychoanalysis of his patients was his forte. Throughout his work it is obvious that 1reud/s is the psychology of a morbid mind. )ven 0ung commented *1reud/s is not a psychology of a healthy mind+. -- "t is true that *his philosophy of life was based on science rather than on metaphysics or religion+.-; &owever, his science was not based on love for the truth or for that matter love for true knowledge but on the love for measurements, a legacy of the nineteenth century science. &e always followed the path of knowledge through measurements and tried to confine human mind in 6uantities so that the scientists of the day were compelled to accept and open the door of science to the psyche. 1reud was so overwhelmed with what he saw in his patients that he could only see the animal and evil in human nature. This made him very critical and pessimistic of mankind. &e has focused this view in his book The 7ature of an "llusion. &e felt that rational forces in man/s nature have little chance to overcome the dominance of irrationality. %asses are comfortable with their delusions. This turned him into a social critic who believed that society has been fashioned by irrational people and in turn corrupts the new generations. 1reud may have been a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a psychoanalyst, a philosopher or a scientist, he was however, certainly not a seeker of the truth. Darwin gave man an animal body and 1reud put in it an animal mind. Truth is not all evil and negative as his theory of unconscious promulgates.
-H 4alvin (. &all, $ !rimer of 1reudian !sychology, %entor ook -8D@N?@ -- 4.G. 0ung, %odern %an in (earch of (oul, & 0 ook -8??N--: -; 4alvin (. &all, $ !rimer of 1reudian !sychology, %entor ook -8D@N;H

The evil is perhaps a mere shadow of the truth. 1reud neither had association nor inclination to break out of this shadow. 20&G 4arl Gustav 0ung, like 1reud, was also a man of medicine. &e was born in -9:D in (witAerland and died in -8E- in Qurich. During this period of eighty five years he passed through a childhood of physical and emotional deprivation, a turbulent student life, a mystery illness which disappeared mysteriously, and a few close brushes with death. &is mother suffered from a mental illness and his father was difficult to get along with, at least for the young man. 1rom his very childhood he had strange dreams and paranormal e#periences. &is early conflicts with religions had important influence on his subse6uent thinking. &is grandfather was a professor of medicine but he never thought of studying medicine because of his unconscious determination not to imitate anyone. &owever, due to a sudden burst of inspiration he chose to become a doctor. Iarious occult e#periences, dreams and parapsychological phenomena influenced him to become a psychiatrist. "n December -8HH he took up his first appointment in a mental hospital in Qurich. &is ma'or mentor was none other than (igmund 1reud who called him his adopted son, his crown prince and his successor. &owever, 0ung could not be anyone/s disciple. &e was too independent for it and later terminated this association. 7otwithstanding his conflict with .estern religions and theology, 0ung always had a keen interest in )astern religions which precipitated his trip to "ndia and 4eylon. &e wrote e#tensively about the differences in the personalities of .estern and )astern people and pointed out that )astern people are predominantly introverted, whereas the .estern mind is predominantly e#troverted. &e took keen interest in the sub'ects of astrology, telepathy, clairvoyance, yoga, spiritualism, alchemy and many others that were not generally accepted as a part of scientific study. &e also travelled to $frica, )gypt and 7ew %e#ico. &is $frican trip gave him the e#perience of collective consciousness that became a ma'or part of his psychological concept. 0ung was one of the pioneers of psychoanalysis. $t the time psychiatry was trying to establish itself as a branch of medicine. The

scientific psychology did not provide the psychoanalysts with the kind of knowledge of human mind that they needed for founding the practice of psychiatry. The laboratory e#periments on human behaviour and personality did not provide them the necessary information. &ence, they turned to their patients to formulate the concepts of human psyche. 1reud, 0ung and many others obtained their knowledge of human psychology from the study of their patients. Therefore the epistemology of psychoanalysis is from the study of pathological mental states, although they derived their sustenance from other sources. 0ung was no e#ception to this. &is e#tensive travel and knowledge of other cultures, religions, occultism and mythology helped him to modify, from time to time, his psychological concepts that he primarily formed by the study of abnormal mind. 0ung called the whole personality as psyche. "n his view this wholeness of the psyche is inherent in every human being. $s long as this wholeness is maintained, the man is well-ad'usted and is in harmony with his environment. .hen the wholeness gets fragmented, the personality becomes dissociated and deformed. The 0ungian psychology could be condensed into three ma'or headings> structure of psyche, psychic energy and psychodynamics. The structure of psyche, according to 0ung consists of various levels and sub-levels. &e distinguished three main levels> conscious, personal unconscious and collective unconscious. The conscious is present since birth but grows through thinking, feeling, sensing and intuiting. The predominance of one or the other of these four functions will determine the basic character of the child as a thinking type, feeling type and so on. The orientation of the conscious psyche is determined by the attitudes of e#troversion and introversion. The e#troversion propels the mind to the ob'ective world whereas the introversion towards the sub'ective world. Thus the consciousness of the person becomes individualised. 0ung called this process individuation *to denote the process by which a person becomes a psychological individual+.-? The individuation organises the consciousness into an ego to feel, think and remember. "t is because of the ego that the identity and continuity
-? 4alvin (. &all R Iernon 0. 7ordby, $ !rimer of 0ungian !sychology, %entor ook -8:?N?@

of the personality is maintained. The day to day e#periences are processed by the ego before they reach the consciousness. The ego selects what feelings, thoughts or memory will be brought into awareness. Thus ego plays a gate-keeping role. The e#periences that are not acknowledged by the ego are not lost to the personality. They are stored in another level of the psyche which 0ung called the personal unconscious. Repressed memory, comple#es and dreams are some of the e#amples of this storage. &e wrote e#tensively on comple#es and devised the word association test to elicit them. &e pointed out that comple#es can have an overpowering effects on our thoughts and behaviour. <ike 1reud, 0ung in the beginning believed that the comple#es originate from traumatic childhood e#periences. &owever, he realised later that they must originate from something deeper. This something deeper he called collective unconscious. &e proposed that this collective unconscious is inherited in the same way as the physical characteristics are inherited. Thus 0ung brought psychology within the folds of evolution and heredity. iologists have put forward two views of mechanism of evolution. The one called <amarkism suggests that all learned e#periences are inherited by future generations so that they do not have to learn them all over again. The other view proposes a mutation in the germ cell to adapt to the environment. The fit are naturally selected and unfit are eliminated. 0ung belonged to the <amarkist school. &e believed that our predisposition to think, feel or react in certain ways is due to the latent images that are formed from the e#periences of our ancestors and passed down from generation to generation. &owever, it is only the current individual e#periences that will manifest them. &e believed that the form of the world in which one is born is already inborn in him as a virtual image. Therefore the collective unconscious that we inherit contains pre-formed images in latent forms. The latent of the unconscious becomes manifest in the conscious when e#posed to corresponding e#periences, for instance the fear of dark and the fear of snake. 0ung appears to have suggested that something cannot come out of nothing unless it is already built there-in. 0ung tried to e#plain the evolution of collective unconscious in the same way as the biological evolution, by mutation and natural selection. ecause the brain is the principal medium through which mind acts, its evolution will determine what contents of the collective unconscious will manifest. The contents of the collective unconscious he called archetypes.

$rchetypes are original models capable of replicating. &e suggested there are as many archetypes as there are typical situations in life. They are forms without content like the negative of a photograph. "t has to be developed by the e#perience of the conscious mind into a real photograph. 0ungian archetypes interact with each other to produce differences among individual personalities. &e identified four basic archetypes common to all personalitiesN -. The !ersona. The word persona is derived from a mask worn by an actor to play a specific role. The persona archetype allows one to play a socially desirable role different to his real character. "t enables one to conform to others and to the society without really meaning it. Thus it allows him to lead a dual life and in some cases multiple lives. $ persona-ridden person becomes alienated from his nature. 0ung called persona as the *outward face+ of a person. ;. The $nima and $nimus. The *inward face+ of a male he called as anima and that of a female as animus. )very person has some 6ualities of the opposite se#. The feminine side of male psyche is anima and the male side of female psyche is animus. &e wrote *)very man carries with him the eternal images of the woman, not the image of this or that particular woman, but a definite female image.+-@ ?. The (hadow. This represents all that is best and worst in a person. On one hand it contains man/s basic animal nature and on the other his creativity and deep insight. Therefore, a genius is also mad. y inspiring the person it can turn a beast into a holy man. "t is e6ually effective in promoting evil as well as good. "t is responsible for vitality and vigour in the personality. @. The (elf. "t is the unifying principle of personality rendering it a sense of *oneness+. "f it fails the man goes to pieces. "f it succeeds it gives direction to life. 0ung concluded that *the self is our life/s goal, for it is the most complete e#pression of that fateful combination we call individuality.+-D <ike 1reud, 0ung was also born and bred in the golden age of energy. "n order to make it palatable to scientists he had to formulate his concepts with the flavour of the time. &e suggested that like the physical energy that drives the body, the psychic energy carries out the functions of personality. &e called it libido. &owever, unlike 1reud, 0ung/s libido did not mean se#ual energy. The libido enables the person to think, will, desire, remember, feel,
-@ 4ollected .orks of 4.G. 0ung, Iol.-:N-89 -D 4ollected .orks of 4.G. 0ung, Iol.:N;?9

strive and so on. This is always active even during sleep. 0ung pointed out that the psychic energy and the physical energy are inter-convertible. The sources of psychic energy are e#periences 'ust as the source of physical energy is food. The libido has enabled man to create his culture and his civilisation. 0ung/s psyche is a relatively closed energy system. "t derives energy from two sources> from sensory e#periences and from instincts. The system is constantly evaluating the various psychological needs and commits energy accordingly. The amount of energy committed to a particular psychic function he called its value. The value of a psychic element varies from time to time. Today we may give more importance to reading and tomorrow to playing. The distribution of energy to various levels of psyche is determined by the laws of thermodynamics> e6uivalence and entropy. The principle of e6uivalence states that when energy is lost from one psychic component an e6uivalent amount will appear in other parts of the psyche. Therefore, loss of interest in something is always associated with a new interest in something else. That is to say that the energy can be rechannelled. The principle of entropy states that the rechannelling of psychic energy tends to occur from a component of high value to one of low value until the gradient is Aero. This is essential to balance the system and avoid tensions and conflicts. Of course, a perfect balance is never achieved because energy is constantly being added to the system from e#ternal sources. The flow of energy can occur in two directions> e#ternal and internal. .hen it flows outward to adapt to the e#ternal situation, 0ung called it progression and when it is diverted inward to activate the contents of unconscious, he called it a regression. "n 0ungian psychology the source of natural energy is the instinct that flows in all directions but can not perform any work. To work, is to be rechannelled, transformed or converted. This process he called canalisation. .ithout canalisation there would have been no developments of the society and culture. (chools, churches, technology, art and science are all outcomes of canalisation. 0ung also pointed out that only a small part of instinctual energy can be canalised, most of it remains in its natural flow for sustaining life. .hen one identifies a strong symbol then only a part of the energy will be converted by the *act of will+. 4alvin &all et al. described this conversion as followsN * )#cess libido has enabled man to advance from being a creature of natural instincts, through the stage of superstition and magic, to the modern era of science, technology and art. (ometimes, of course, e#cess

energy is used for destructive and even diabolical ends. = $ct of will = can be used to destroy as well as create.+-E 1reud believed that the psychic energy is largely se#ual. 0ung believed that se#uality is only one of the psychological functions, although an important and far-reaching one. 1reud made se#uality rampant and 0ung tried to put it in its proper place. 0ung found that the instincts are continually colliding with something. &e was prepared to accept this *something+ as the spirit. &owever, he admitted not knowing what this spirit is in itself. On this point he distanced himself from 1reud who re'ected the idea of spirit. Cnlike 1reud, he did not turn his back on philosophy. &e wrote *"n my picture of the world there is a vast outer realm and an e6ually vast inner realm> between these two stands man, facing now one and now the other, and, according to his mood or disposition, taking one for the absolute truth by denying or sacrificing the other.+-: 0ung defined a Smodern man/ as one who is fully conscious of the present rather than one who e#ists in present time. One who is detached from the traditions and becomes Sunhistorical/ is modern. 1or 0ung, much of the evil in this world is because the man is Shopelessly unconscious/. The purpose of all social institutions including religions, science, art and education has been to make the man more conscious. &owever, he could find only failure on the part of these institutions, and sometimes even obstruction in the development of psychic life. &e e#pressed these in the following wordsN *.hile man still lives as a herd-being he has no Sthings of spirit/ of his own> nor does he need any, save the usual belief in the immortality of the soul. ut as soon as he has outgrown whatever local form of religion he was born to - as soon as this religion can no longer embrace his life in all its fullness - then the psyche becomes something in its own right which cannot be dealt with by the measures of the church alone.+ -9 &e further wrote> *The various forms of religion no longer appear to the modern man to come from within - to be e#pressions of his own psychic life> for him they are to be classed with the things of the outer world+.

-E 4alvin (. &all R Iernon 0. 7ordby, $ !rimer of 0ungian !sychology. -: 4.G. 0ung, %odern %an in (earch of (oul, & 0 ook -8??N-;H -9 4.G. 0ung, %odern %an in (earch of (oul, & 0 ook -8??N;H;

Through his psycho-analysis 0ung helped many sick persons and brought hope to thousands. &owever, like 1reud, he turned into a pessimist himself, a legacy of the 1irst .orld .ar that terrorised his imagination. The tragedy shook the very foundation of his thinking and he held the 4hristian nations responsible for it. &e wrote thus> *.... " realise only too well that " am loosing my faith in the possibility of a rational organisation of the world, that old dream of millennium, in which peace and harmony should rule, has gone pale.+-8 0ung/s writings clearly suggest that he oscillated between great optimism and pessimism. &e was a man of science and always believed in scientific methods and yet after living through the 1irst .orld .ar he lost faith in the ability of science to make the man more conscious. &e e#pressed this loss of faith thus - *(cience has destroyed even the refuge of the inner life. .hat was once a sheltering haven has become a place of terror.+ ;H &e could recognise the problems of science but not of the scientific methods and physical laws he so passionately used for e#plaining the psyche. &e blamed the .est for everything from wars to the economic ruins of the world. &e made stinging remarks on religions for being a thing of the Souter world/. " am not going to even try to argue his assertions right or wrong. &owever, " hasten to point out that if the science and the religions of the .est are on 2in53 the wrong, he has contributed to it along with 1reud, $dler, Darwin, 7ewton and many more scientists who were driven by two main forces> reaction to the irrational religions and fascination with physical laws. This repulsion and attraction are the two opposites of which 0ung so e#tensively wrote. "f the principles of e6uivalence and entropy are applied to the collective consciousness of the scientist community, it becomes easier to see why science has been more destructive than constructive in the past three centuries. "nstead of rationalising the religions the energy was displaced to work out the physical laws. $s a result, religions, philosophy and science grew apart in the .est. "n this outward movement outer life prospered and inner life became derelict of which 0ung so bitterly complained. Religions remained irrational and science became heartless. "n the .est scientists, philosophers and religions have consistently failed to recognise that it is only in the synthesis of the three that the welfare of the humankind rests. 0ung was no e#ception to this fact.
-8 4.G. 0ung, %odern %an in (earch of (oul, & 0 ook -8??N;H? ;H 4.G. 0ung, %odern %an in (earch of (oul, & 0 ook -8??N;HD

P. .. S(.3(. !rabhat Ran'an (arkar, unlike 1reud and 0ung, was not a man of medicine, or for that matter not even a man of material science. &e was born on a full moon night in the year -8;- in 0amalpur, "ndia, a small town about three hundred kilometres south 2north53 west of 4alcutta. &e was the fourth child in a family of eight that saw premature death of its three youngsters. &is parents were religious and socially well ad'usted. &is father was known to be a selfless social worker, a compassionate physician and an accountant. &e passed away when !rabhat was only fifteen years old. The young man continued his secondary education with his usual brilliance and also shared the responsibilities of the family of which he was the eldest male member. $fter passing year twelve in science with distinction, he left his formal education in 4alcutta for better things and returned to his native town of 0amalpur. &e 'oined the "ndian Railways during ritish Ra' as an accounts clerk in the year -8@-. The ne#t fifteen years of his life was a period of consolidation and planning. &e was not a scholar and did not own or read books of great scholars and learned people. &owever, he had deep penetrating intellect to e#pose the true spirit of any writing and (criptures. &is immaculate personal discipline and sweet behaviour earned him the respect of all his colleagues and contacts. 1rom his childhood (arkar had strange dreams and visions. $t the age of fourteen years he lived through a devastating earth6uake that demolished his home. $t school he had a small circle of friends to whom he carefully listened and instructed. &e liked solitude and yet he was not a loner. &e was vocal but not talkative. &e appeared to have struck a perfect balance between e#troversion and introversion. $s a young man he wrote stories and essays and composed poems and music. <ater in his life he composed more than five thousand songs with complete notations that came to be known as !rabhat (amgeet or songs of the crimson dawn. "n the early part of this century the clouds of )uropean culture, religion and politics were slowly spreading all over the globe with the help of science and technology that )urope had developed. 0ung argued that these were the black clouds of deluge and destruction. 7evertheless, different cultures, religions and philosophies came face to face and in many cases

resulted in most horrific conflicts. &owever, when one rakes through the dead bodies, one finds that the death and destruction have not been all futile. "t has brought mankind in direct conflict with his inner self, with his conscience. "t has delivered the message, loud and clear that outer growth without inner development can only be catastrophic and the e#pansion of the empire destroys the kingdom within. The ob'ective reality has no meaning without its sub'ective counterpart. Guantum physics and the theory of Relativity have delivered the same message. &istory testifies that whenever science oversteps civilisation, destruction is inevitable. ,et, in the twentieth century the same has happened repeatedly and continues to happen even today. (cience, in spite of its tremendous achievements, has left the inner life hollow and empty. "t has confined itself to the e#ploration of matter. "t has replaced its most fundamental in6uiry, *"s it true5+, with the 6uestion, *Does it work5F "t has become a thing of the relative world. 0ung wrote of it thus> *.henever relativism is taken as a fundamental and final principle, it has destructive effect+;-, although he was a man of science himself. )very thinking mind is asking the 6uestions that science is unable to answer. .hat is our true nature5 .hat is our sub'ective self5 .hat is the relationship of our inner and outer worlds5 &ow can we have a sub'ective approach without neglecting the ob'ective5 $nswers to these 6uestions have not been forthcoming from any corner of the globe and yet they are crucial to our e#istence. (arkar gave not only philosophical but practical and comprehensive answers to these 6uestions. &e was not a social critic and yet propounded a comprehensive social philosophy. &e was not a psychologist and yet gave a soul searching account of human psychology. $bove all, he gave a most elaborate philosophy and practice of spirituality> the science of inner life. &e did all this because of his intense love for the humankind. &e never criticised anything of the world to demean and derogate it. &is criticisms always contained in-built solutions. &e was never a pessimist. &e always held the view that the future of mankind is glorious. To bring about this glorious change, he founded $nanda %arga, an organisation which reflects the collection of his works and everything he stood for. 1rom -8DD when he formed this organisation, until his death in October -88H, he spent every moment of his life to build in it the total solutions to the problems of the day and of the future. &e had no mentor, however, he was a mentor to thousands.
;- 4.G. 0ung, %odern %an in (earch of (oul, & 0 ook -8??N;-D

(arkarian psychology provides a uni6ue concept of psychic structure, psychic energy and psycho-dynamics. <ike 1reud and 0ung, he also held the view that the human psyche operates from different levels. &owever, (arkar/s concept differs from the rest not only in the terminology but in the methodology of their operation. $t the lowest level stands what (arkar called the protoAoic mind. )very living cell has its own little mind that enables it to imbibe nutrition, metabolise and multiply. 4ollectively the minds of all the cells, called protoAoic microcosm, reflect the animal aspect of human nature. "t has a strong motive power but lacks rationality. Therefore, like the id of 1reud, it is instinctive and spontaneous. "t draws the higher levels of mind to be consumed in the survival game. &owever, it represents the physical aspect of human nature and succumbs only to physical disciplines. 1ood, drink and lifestyle can influence it to be creative or destructive. *"n the protoAoic minds there is a dominance of instinct+, says (arkar. *$n animal does not understand discrimination, but the stick+, he adds. The second level is called metaAoic mind. $ll cells are not similar in a human structure. They are organised in a most comple# machinery with a variety of parts. During evolution a growing comple#ity of the structure led to the development of the metaAoic mind. This level of mind is also principally consumed in physical survival and base gratification. &owever, it has also developed some intellect to feel and learn. ecause it can feel pain and pleasure, it looks for en'oyment of pleasure and avoidance of pain. "t learns by e#perience and ac6uaintance therefore it can be trained by repetitive stimulus. Refle# activities are the domain of the metaAoic mind. The more comple# the structure, the more developed the metaAoic mind. <ike the protoAoic mind, it also influences the higher levels to be consumed by its occupations. "t can be tamed by a combination of physical and mental disciplines. The third level is what he called the personal mind that controls and e#ecutes both protoAoic and metaAoic minds. "t has a capacity to think, rationalise and remember. "t can also discriminate between proper and improper. "t is a uni6ue and e#clusive feature of human beings whereas protoAoic and metaAoic minds are common to animals. "t differentiates humans from other species. (hrii (arkar stresses that only those who are driven by this level are human beings in the true spirit of the word. &e also called it the unit mind.

The unit mind consists of three sub-levels> crude or conscious, subtle or subconscious and causal or unconscious. The crude mind is ob'ective, fragmented and e#troversive. "t links us with the outer world of which it is constantly in6uisitive and en'oys pleasures and feels pains arising from it. "t is most active in the wakeful state and is therefore driven by the sensory organs. "ts contents belong to the crude material world. "ts knowledge is ob'ective knowledge ac6uired in three stages> sensory perception, inference and authority. .hatever is perceived by sense organs goes through a process of thinking and association with past e#periences and finally it is reinforced by some authority. The subtle mind contains the faculty of thinking and memory. "t has the capacity of recollection and contemplation. Dreams are the creation of subtle mind. oth crude and subtle minds re6uire nerve cells to e#ecute their programmes. The memories they contain are called cerebral memory. Therefore, they cease to e#ist when the brain dies. (hrii (arkar strongly held the view that nothing in this universe is lost or destroyed. <ike the energy, ideas are never lost. The hopes, aspirations and frustration of people has remained stored in the deepest levels of mind that he called the causal mind. Cnlike the unconscious mind of 1reud and 0ung, the causal mind of (arkar is not the source of all evils. "t is the repository of infinite knowledge and creativity. "t is common and archetypal to all human beings. 7evertheless, it contains the effects of all our past deeds, both noble and evil, in the form of potential reactions. These potential reactions, that he called samskaras, are created by our crude and subtle minds in the wakeful and dream states. The causal mind never sleeps. "n fact it is most active during sleep. "n the wakeful and dream states it is masked by the restlessness of the crude and subtle minds. The causal mind does not re6uire nerve cells for its functions. Therefore, its contents> memory, samskaras and intuition are e#tracerebral. They manifest only by special intuitional rather than rational events or practices. %any great discoveries of the past testify to this fact. .hen causal mind sleeps death occurs. &owever, causal mind does not die with the body, as long as it contains samskaras. 1or the e#pression and annihilation of these potential reactions, it has to return again in a physical structure. Therefore, the theory of birth and rebirth is an essential feature of (arkar/s psychological concepts. $ccording to him the entire past history of

a human being is stored in a se6uential order in his causal mind, 'ust like a colourful panorama, one layer representing one life followed by a gap, then another layer representing another life and so on and so forth. One/s personality is the resultant of these layers and hence its individuality and uni6ueness. "n other words this level of mind is the cause of everything that the crude and subtle minds perform. &ence it is called causal mind. "n the depths of causal mind lies the unit consciousness, the witness to the actions of all the layers of mind. "t is like the stage- light in which actors perform their acts without being aware of it. .ithout this light their acts are non-events. (imilarly, without the unit consciousness, unit mind is non-e#istent. The relationship between these two is very intricate and needs elaboration. .hen the body awareness is dominant the mind is ob'ectivated and sensory and motor organs are very active. The sense of *" work+, *" en'oy+, *" suffer+, *" win+, *" loose+ regulates our mind. &owever, this sense of *" feel+ is dependent upon the sense of *" e#ist in this world+. This is the domain of crude and subtle minds. .hen the mind detaches itself from the outer world to become a pure feeling of *" e#ist+ without the sense of *this world+, the causal mind is dominant. &owever, the sense of *" e#ist+ is not self-limiting. "t is dependent upon the pure feeling of *"+ without e#istence. This pure * "+ is the witness to all the levels of mind. "t is the base of all layers. This is our unit consciousness, our spirit, soul or $tman with whose light unit mind functions. "t is what 0ung found the instincts are continually colliding with, because it is all-knowing and all-pervading. Cnit consciousness is inherently 'udgmental. "t knows right from wrong, proper from improper. <ogic and rationality cannot reach it. "t does not argue a point, it knows the point. "t does not act and yet controls all actions. "t does not think and yet controls all thoughts. %ore precisely, it controls the forces that control all physical and mental actions. "t oversees them. (ince it does not directly perform any action, it neither en'oys nor suffers the conse6uences of any actions. "t merely witnesses the reactions although it appears to be in the bondage of these reactions. The stronger this apparent bondage, more malad'usted is the personality and more the comple#es and conflicts in this personality. The person feels they are falling apart, going to pieces or out of sorts. The unit consciousness can be compared to *the self+ of 0ungian psychology, the central archetype of order,

organisation and unification that renders *oneness+ and *firmness+ to the personality. (arkar agrees with 0ung/s conclusion that *....the self is our life/s goal, for it is the most complete e#pression of that fateful combination we call individuality...+.;; &owever, his concept of unit consciousness differs from that of 0ung/s *self+ on two counts. The unit consciousness, unlike the self, does not, and need not, undergo a process of maturation and development. "t is already pure and absolute. The apparent maturation is merely a process of releasing it from the bondage of samskaras. The cleansing process makes the mind more transparent and allows the unit consciousness to shine through it. (uch a mind becomes perceptive, increasingly aware and sharpens understanding. The goal of life becomes clearer. Therefore, the changeable and relative element of our psyche is the mind and the unchangeable and absolute component is the unit consciousness. .hen the maturation process has been completed and the samskaras have been totally annihilated, there is no difference in the FselfF from one person to the other. This is the second point of difference between the concepts of 0ung and (arkar. The identical nature of these *selves+ is due to the fact that they all are the reflections of one and the same entity which (arkar calls cosmic or supreme consciousness. "t is like one moon reflecting in many vessels of water. The clarity and 6uality of reflections depend on the impurities in the water. (imilarly, one cosmic consciousness is being reflected in many unit minds. These reflections are distorted by the samskaras contained there-in giving rise to that person=s psyche. The differences in the psyches and personalities are due to the differences in the samskaras of the individuals. The unit consciousness constantly draws these differences to itself so that they can be harmonised and absorbed. The unit consciousness itself is drawn towards the cosmic consciousness. The force of attraction that permeates through the unit mind and unit consciousness is generated and centred in the cosmic consciousness. "t is because of this force that the mind is sub'ectivated or should we say internalised. .hen one becomes aware of this attraction, the movement on the path of self-realisation and the search for self-knowledge begins. (uch persons e#perience lesser frustration and mental aberrations. They develop
;; 4ollected .orks of 4.G. 0ung, Iol.-:N;?9

balanced and harmonious personality. They recognise the source of all their troubles in their own samskaras. They never loose control of their lives. On the other hand, those who choose to tread the path of ob'ectivisation, or e#ternalisation of mind, fail to appreciate this cosmic attraction. They are vulnerable to disharmonies and discontent. The psychic energy that was largely se#ual for 1reud, the libido that was more than se#ual for 0ung, is fundamentally creative for (arkar. *There is an urge in every human being to create something. Out of this urge some engage in new discoveries, inventions and research while others waste it in creating children+ he said. y creating children he obviously meant se#ual functions. To be creative one needs the faculty of cognition. &owever, (arkar insists that energy by nature is a blind force without cognition. ut the psychic energy has dual characteristics of cognition as well as energy. Therefore, it can not be e#plained away by the laws of thermodynamics alone, as 1reud and 0ung tried to do. .ithout the cognitive power how is the *value+ of a psychological function, that 0ungian psychology so heavily depends on, determined5 &ow could 0ung even comprehend the concept of *canalisation+ without the cognition5 !erhaps he considered cognition as an integral part of this energy. y the very nature of its development psyche has two components> cognition and operation. $ccording to (arkar, mind has developed in the matter as a result of clashes between two sets of forces. One is trying to maintain the structure and the other annihilate it. "n this clash a part of the matter is powdered down to an e#tremely subtle form which he called ectoplasm. The ectoplasm is matter, much finer and more subtle than the subatomic particles. "t forms the crudest portion of mind called the ob'ective mind. 1urther grinding and refining leads to the formation of what he called the sub'ective mind. $t all stages of its development energy is operational and continues to do so in all psychic functions. .hen mind chooses to 'ourney into the e#ternal world, the energy helps it to flow in the ob'ective chamber and the psyche is said to be ob'ectivated. On the other hand when it chooses to be detached from the outer world energy helps it to be sub'ectivated and intuitive. The above concept of (arkarian psychology is in sharp contrast to the modern theories of physics. "n classical physics matter and energy are two

distinct entities. %atter is made up of independently e#isting, indestructible material stuff of which all things were thought to be made. )nergy regulated the matter according to its own laws of dynamics. 1reud/s and 0ung/s psycho-dynamics followed these laws. &owever, relativity theory showed that matter and energy are relative forms of one and the same thing. %atter is nothing but energy in dynamic 6uantity. ut the laws governing them differ because the energy is in wave form and the matter is particulate. Therefore, the laws of energy do not e#plain matter. Guantum physics shows that at subatomic level solid material ob'ects are a comple# matri# of wavelike patterns from which particles keep emerging as electrons and nucleons. Depending on how we look at them, they appear sometimes as particles and other times as waves. These particles have no meaning as isolated entities. They can be understood only as a part of the whole. *Thus 6uantum theory reveals a basic oneness of the universe+.;? (hrii (arkar says that matter and energy are not the relative forms of the same thing. (ure, immense energy is released by splitting the atom. .hen a particle dissolves, waves of energy are released. 7evertheless, it does not prove that matter and energy are interchangeable. "t only proves that they are closely interrelated. "n (arkarian physics, matter is only a container of energy. )nergy always re6uires a material shelter, a container. .hen released from one container, it finds another. &ence, matter and energy appear ine#tricably interrelated. &owever, (arkar agrees with the 6uantum physics in that matter appears to be emerging from a web of something in the background. This something he called cosmic consciousness. Thus in (arkarian psychology mind is matter as distinct from energy. 4ognition is the function of this very subtle matter. The cognitive functions consist of perception, thinking and association with past e#periences. These functions are influenced by samskaras. Therefore we perceive the world tainted in our own colour. .e analyse the world according to our own mental model. The energy that mind harbours is derived from the vital energy or pranah that operates all other functions of the body. The vital energy is replenished constantly by the food, water and mental intake. The portion of vital energy that finds shelter in the mind is called psychic energy. Therefore,
;? 1rit'of 4apra, The Tao of !hysics, 1ontanaM4ollins -89-N:-

environmental factors strongly influence the psychic energy. This energy has three fundamental principles> static, mutative and sentient. $ny one of them can be dominant in a mind at the cost of the other two, depending on one/s lifestyle. $ static personality e#hibits inertia, apathy and indifference. (elfpreservation remains the goal of life and they fail to perceive the subtle truths and noble ideas. $ mutative personality is overactive, talkative and sociable. "t is restless and e#citable and therefore impulsive. Their perception of the world is clouded and limited. $ sentient personality is calm and controlled. "t is even-tempered and reliable. "ts thinking is deep and coherent and perception clear. "ts mind constantly flows towards subtle and noble ideas. The psycho-dynamics/ of (hrii (arkar is based on the philosophical as well as the scientific facts that everything in this universe is in a constant state of motion. There is e#pressed dynamicity all around, nothing is static. This is true not only in the physical realm but in the psychic realm as well. The psychic movement takes place through mental propensities which are of two types> e#troversial and introversial. $s a result of e#troversial propensities mind moves in the outer world of senses and conse6uently human beings maintain their relationship with this earth. .ithout them no living being can live properly on this earth. &owever, constant preoccupation with this earth renders the mind too earthly and crude. 1iner senses and refinement are gradually eroded to fragments and oblivion. One looses one/s mental faculties. The ob'ectivated mind becomes the ob'ect itself. The introversial propensities propel the mind to the most subtle inner world. The psychic flow is towards the more subtle levels of e#istence. $ preoccupation with this world however, makes it difficult to maintain a proper relationship with this earth, one/s relationship with one/s family and society. oth the above states are undesirable. The ideal situation will be a state of e6uilibrium and e6uipoise where, although the mind moves towards a more subtle e#istence, it maintains an ad'ustment with the e#troversial propensities. There is a great deal of difference in the concepts of e#troversion and introversion in the modern psychology and that in (arkarian psychology. "n the psychology of 1reud and 0ung the mode of e#pression of one/s thoughts and emotions determines whether one is an e#trovert or an introvert. Depending on their behaviour 0ung further classified them into thinking, feeling, sensation and intuitive types of e#troverts or introverts. &owever, mental occupations in all these groups are

related to the things of the outer world and one/s relationship with them, only the direction of their movement is different. The (arkarian psychology fundamentally differs from the above concept. "t recognises the ever-mobile nature of human mind. "t also recognises that this mobility is due to a constant search of a base or a pabulum. (hrii (arkar stressed that it is the pabulum rather than the behaviour, that determines whether the mind is e#troverted or introverted. .hen the pabulum is a thing of the outer world, an ob'ect of sensegratification, the mind is said to be e#troverted. (arkar prefers to call it an ob'ectivated mind. 4onversely, when the pabulum is from the inner world of self-knowledge and self-realisation, mind is said to be introverted or sub'ectivated. Therefore, ob'ectivated mind of (arkar constitutes both e#troverted and introverted mind of 0ung. "t is crude and fragmented, fleeting and running after physical goals. The sub'ectivated mind is intuitive and directed towards the S(elf/. "t is not possible however, to suppress the e#troversial movement of mind because the propensities that drive it are generated by one/s samskaras. (hrii (arkar e#plains samskaras as follows> * $ccording to both science and philosophy, every action has reaction and is co-e#isting with the original action, whether the action be a physical one or only a psychic vibration...........This potentiality of reaction or samskara that you beget through physical or mental action, has to be endured by some other act inevitably. Thus you see that the conse6uence of all actions has to be reaped by some other actions. ut when you do another act for reaping the conse6uence of the previous one, you are not an independent agent of yours. $t that time you act mechanically propelled by the reaction of the previous act and you are obliged to some undesirable acts that bring to you disgrace, accusation and affliction. ,ou become incapable to avoid it as if your hands and feet are fettered.+;@ (amskaras differ from 1reud/s id in that they are not instincts. "nstincts according to (arkar are survival principles whereas id is a pleasure principle. They have been passed down from preceding stages of evolution. The (arkarian psychology is a combination of philosophy, science and metaphysics. (hrii (arkar has rationalised science and put spirituality in
;@ !.R. (arkar, (ubhasita (amgraha !art-N?H

perspective. &e recognised the problems of modern science and provided solutions to them. &e identified the problems of religions but did not criticise them. &e created a spiritual culture that included philosophy, psychology and science and has enriched the inner life of millions around the world. There is no reason to believe that it will not continue to do so in the future.

14

)IOLO%IC!L 0CIENCE0 !ND 38#8 0!#<!#

any are the investigators who descend from man to molecules, but few are those who ever try the more difficult tasks of using molecular knowledge to deal with the problems of real life. -Rene 1u(os

The success and achievement of the biological sciences are undeniable. The great heights that they have reached in e#plaining the structure and function of the living organisms, is mind boggling. )ach cell has been e#plained, right down to its subcellular structures, in great detail. The physiological functions have been e#plained by the intricate molecular reactions, electrophysiology and ionic e#changes in the minutest detail. 7evertheless, some fundamental 6uestions go begging for answers. These relate to the origin of life, origin of species and origin of disease. "n spite of a great knowledge about the mechanism of life, how life came into being, what is its nature and what causes its decline, remains the greatest mystery for the human race and biggest challenge for the biological sciences. (hrii !.R. (arkar throws new light on some of these basic 6uestions and opens up new areas of research and empirical verification. 4rigin of Life The current biological theories suggest that life originated in space filled with primeval broth. !hysico-chemical reactions in this broth led to the development of organic molecules which settled on this planet to develop into D7$ and thus began the march of life. $ variant of this theory is the origin of life from interstellar dust. The interstellar space is filled with gas and dust. The dust grains are about the same siAe as the wave length of visible light. The gas is largely made up of the molecules of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and o#ygen in inorganic form. This gave rise to the theory of the *dusty universe+. "n early -8:H/s astronomers reported that their spectroscopic analysis had indicated a loss of the inorganic gas molecules from the interstellar space. This was believed to be due to a binding of these molecules on the surface of the dust grains giving rise to what was called *dirty ice+. The radio-astronomers have since produced electronic spectrum of the interstellar dust using microwaves. These spectra indicate that the simple inorganic atoms are developing connections

with each other to form simple organic molecules. This bonding continues between the molecules to form more and more comple# organic compounds. (omething like a hundred tons of such interstellar dust comes pouring into earth/s atmosphere every day. iologists believe that these *cosmic cocoons+ contain the seeds of life. Theories differ in transportation of these cocoons from interstellar space to the earth. (ome believe in condensation and showering while others think that the periodic visits of comets bring them into the atmosphere of the earth. &owever, all believe in the mechanistic origin of life through physico-chemical reactions. 7one of these theories, however, actually answer the 6uestion of the origin of life. "f the non-living chemical aggregates transformed into the living organisms 'ust by chemical reactions, something more than bonding must have happened because the characteristics of these aggregates and the reactions involved do not add up to e#plain life. There was either something built-in in these *hypercycles+ that was unknown and started to unfold as a result of chemical processes or something e#tra entered these chemical aggregates. The materialists believe that this mysterious factor was already built there-in that was activated by physico-chemical reactions. &owever, they can powder down the matter to its finality and all that comes of it , is some form of energy without the *life+ 6ualities. 4onversely, all forms of energies could be made to interact with the *smallest particles+ and yet there is no emergence of any sign of life. The vitalists believe that something e#tra enters into the matter to render it alive. They called it the vital factor, a nonmaterial factor that does not follow physical laws. "t is non-energy in nature. "t is the *hidden variable+. "t is the causal factor in living things. &enry ergson called it Olan vital and Driesch called it entlechy. This non-physical factor controls the physico-chemical processes of life whereas D7$ only supplies the protein needed for them. "t determines the organisation of cells, tissues and organs and co-ordinates the development of the organism as a whole. Therefore, the vital factor is neither matter nor energy. Iitalists, however, neither know the nature of this third factor nor the laws that regulate it.

<ife, nevertheless, is present only in matter ine#tricably bound. .here and how did this binding occur5 &ow did life manifest in matter5 1or e#planation of these phenomena one will have to enter into the noumenal world. (hrii (arkar stresses that there is a noumenal cause of everything in this phenomenal world, including life. The Cniverse is finite and phenomenal. "t is under constant change. $ll its phenomena are sub'ect to physical laws. D7$ and atoms, as well as the stars and planets, must follow these laws. The noumenal cause of these phenomena however, is infinite and eternal. This causal entity maintains a close pro#imity with every particle of this universe so that it can guide and goad them to a predetermined goal. Origin of life, evolution of species, genetic programming, physico-chemical reactions, human thinking, learning and behaviour are parts of this process. The infinite and eternal entity that is the cause of this universe, (hrii (arkar called (upreme 4onsciousness. "t is transcendental and complete. $ll systems, all organisms at all levels of comple#ity and all physical phenomena are derived from and dependent upon this absolute entity. The transition from the transcendental to this physical universe occurs in many stages. The early stages of this transition that he e#plained in great detail, are governed by spiritual laws and therefore out of bounds for the present discussion. &owever, it may be ostensibly summarised here. The (upreme 4onsciousness is a singular, undifferentiated and intelligent entity that is a composite of primordial cognitive and creative principles. "n this state there is no universe and there are no laws. (ubse6uently the two principles start differentiating and spiritual laws come into e#istence that regulate the emerging spiritual factors. 1rom the spiritual factors emerges the physical universe and from the spiritual laws the physical laws. "n the (arkarian concept, the physical universe is a continuation of the spiritual world in that the primordial cognitive principle metamorphoses into matter and primordial creative principle into various forms of energy. Thus, the cognition is inherent in the matter. The spiritual laws metamorphose into the physical laws. %atter and energy interact according to these physical laws and create everything from atoms and D7$ to

gala#ies. &owever, the ultimate control of both spiritual and physical worlds rests in the (upreme 4onsciousness. The transition from the spiritual to the physical world is characterised by the appearance of the basic building blocks of this physical universe. The thought waves of the noumenal cognitive faculty metamorphoses into the first particulate matter that (arkar called microvita. These tiny entities are conscious but smaller than viruses. "n fact they are smaller than electrons and nucleons. They are the fundamental seed of life. %illions of them bond together to form one carbon atom. This illustrates their tiny siAe. (ince they are derived from the primordial cognitive factor they carry the mind of the matter. Thus mind is inherent in the matter. Gualitatively microvita are of two types> positive and negative. The negative microvita have a tendency to form denser and denser matter that bond together to form inorganic matter. 4onversely, the positive microvita rarefy the matter to allow the e#pression of cognition. "n this process of rarefication the inorganic bonding transforms into organic bonding and the scene is set for the development of life. The surging cognition in the organic matter provides the impetus for the development of D7$ and thus starts the march of life. Therefore, the origin of life is nothing but the onset of cognitive e#pression. The microvita move with a speed faster than light. They know no barriers of time and space. &owever, they use inferential waves such as light and sound to travel the interstellar space where they may condense into interstellar gases and dust that astronomers have detected. Therefore, it is the microvita rather than the interstellar condensations that are the fundamental cause of life. &ence, the Cniverse in (arkarian concept is regarded as a thought pro'ection of the (upreme 4onsciousness. %ind is inherent in matter but remains dormant. "ts awakening is the real cause of life. (hrii (arkar agrees that this physical universe is a great big organism but it is alive and everchanging unlike the fi#ed organism of the organicists. The physical laws and phenomena in it are consciously predetermined. They have changed in the past and will change in the future. &e also

agrees that there is a vital factor in all organic forms but unlike the vitalists he suggests that this factor did not enter from outside. "t was already built there-in. <ife e#ists not in D7$ but in the basic stuff of which all things are made. &owever, it first manifests in the nucleic acid. Thus (hrii (arkar defies the chance and probability theories of mechanistic sciences. 4rigin of Spe ies )volution has been discussed in the earlier chapters. &ere a brief account is presented of the mechanism of the formation of a new species. The current biological theories in this regard are similar to those already discussed in the preceding segment on the origin of life. The most popular mechanistic theory suggests a process of chance and probability called random mutation. The mechanism of this mutation has always been controversial. The Darwinians proposed that the nature selects the *fittest+ to reproduce and transmit their superior 6ualities to their offspring. %icro-mutations occur as a result of biological and environmental interactions between species. $ series of such micro-mutations results in the development of a new species. (ome have called it *genetic revolution+. Others believe that macro-mutations occur in chromosomes leading to a significant departure from parents almost immediately. The resulting new species have been called *hopeful monsters+. ,et others believe that somehow genes are transferred across the species by a non-reproductive mechanism resulting in a completely new species. (till others propose that viruses transfer genetic material between remotely related species to bring about random mutations. 7evertheless, all mechanists believe in the randomness of the mutations, without any design and purpose. The vitalists believe that the non-matter, non-energy vital factor is responsible for the development of a new species. Therefore, they must accept a design and purpose for this act of evolution. (imilarly, morphogenetic fields and morphic resonance of organicists that create new forms, must have a design and a

purpose. Thus it appears that the battle line is drawn between those who believe in the *design and purpose+ hypothesis and those who do not. !erhaps $ristotle is reincarnating. (hrii (arkar says that the genetic mutations must precede physical transformations because biological processes are controlled by the genetic coding. &owever, genetic coding is not a fait accompli. Genes are not set in concrete. They are transmutable by psychic metamorphosis, and not by a chance act. $n intense longing can change the genetic coding. "f a species collectively desires strongly for a morphological change, it will surely happen. &e goes on to say that if human beings collectively desire to sweat through their genitals rather than their skin, it will happen as well. &owever, there is a proviso, that such a longing must be evolutionary. "t must goad the species towards perfection. This perfection he defines as a spiritual state and movement towards it as a conversion from crude to subtle. The collective longings of a species must, therefore, find approval from the (upreme 4ognitive entity whose *design and purpose+ is the driving force of this evolution. This approval has been granted millions of times in the past resulting in an innumerable number of species. The approvals have also been withdrawn when a species has served its purpose in this great design, leading to its e#tinction. )nvironments have changed drastically to allow the e#tinction process that we call natural selection.

T2e cos"$c &!!ro*&43 $n S&r'&r$&n t2eor.3 $s ue to "&cro-!s.c2$c conn&t$on or & const&nt t2ou52t !rocess of su!re"e co5n$t$*e ent$t. &(out $ts o6n cre&t$on. It $s 5r&nte &s & &!t&($4$t.3 *&r$&($4$t. $n 5ene !oo43 5enet$c r$ft &n 5ene f4o6 &n "&n. ot2er ($o4o5$c&4 !rocesses t2&t &re res!ons$(4e for t2e e*e4o!"ent of & ne6 s!ec$es. On t2e ot2er 2&n 3 t2e $s&!!ro*&4 co"es &s r&st$c &n r&!$ en*$ron"ent&4 c2&n5es 4$'e $ce &5es3 e!$ e"$cs &n e&t2 of t2e s!ec$es. T2e 5enet$c c2&n5es &re c&rr$e out (. t2e !os$t$*e "$cro*$t& t2&t e"&n&te fro" t2e su!re"e co5n$t$*e f&cu4t. &n "er5e 6$t2 t2e 5enet$c "&ter$&4 of t2e 5er" ce44s t2us c2&n5$n5 t2e 5enet$c const$tut$on of t2e offs!r$n5. T2e ne5&t$*e "$cro*$t& &ct &s e& 4. *$ruses &n &re c&!&(4e of estro.$n5 & s!ec$es. T2us e*o4ut$on $s !ro!e44e on & !re eter"$ne !&t2 6$t2 t2e 2e4! of !os$t$*e &n ne5&t$*e "$cro*$t& &44o6$n5 on4. for & 4$"$te f4e7$($4$t. $n t2e co44ect$*e 4on5$n5 of t2e s!ec$es. 4rigin of 1isease *The very process of living is a comple# interplay between the organism and the environment, at times resulting in in'ury and disease.+ Rene Dubos.;D %edical theories have emerged in every era to answer the 6uestion *what causes disease+ only to be proven wrong or incomplete by the subse6uent ones. They have oscillated between a specific etiologic agent and a failure of general adaptation of the organism. $t times these two concepts have developed parallel to each other. "n the pre-scientific era the etiologic factors were regarded to be the ghosts and evil spirits that invaded the body because of the transgressions from social and moral codes. This led to the development of sorcery, witchcraft and e#orcism as the therapeutic modalities. "n the scientific medicine ghosts and spirits were replaced by e#ternal no#ious agents like bacteria and viruses that enter the body and cause disease. This germ theory was propounded by an astute 1rench clinician !ierre-1edele retonneau who claimed that each specific disease is caused by *a miasmic organism which is incorporated in morbid secretions+. This
;D Rene Dubos, %an $dapting, ,ale Cniversity !ress -89H

organism is transmissible. The germ theory was reinforced and set in concrete by leading medical personalities like <ouis !asteur and Robert Loch. The germ theory however, e#tended to the search of a specific cause of disease where a germ could not be demonstrated or identified. This search led to the classification of diseases based on specific etiologic factors such as nutritional, congenital, genetic, biochemical, metabolic, degenerative, neoplastic so on and so forth. Disease became a specific entity in itself and both physicians and patients found it convenient to look for a specific cause for it. $ parallel concept of disease as a failure of general adaptation of organism due to a multi-factorial aetiology developed and evolved both in "ndo-4hinese and Greco-Roman cultures in the pre-scientific as well as the scientific eras. $ccording to this concept disease is a state rather an entity. These cultures devised life styles that were regarded as healthy and holistic. This is well reflected in the &ippocratic 4orpus -- *&ealth is the e#pression of a harmonious balance between the various components of man/s nature 2the four humours that control all human activities3 and the environment and ways of life.+ Thus the disease is determined by the total environment and by the ways of life. "n spite of an allegiance to the &ippocratic 4orpus however, modern medicine is heavily loaded in favour of the doctrine of specific aetiology. This is due to the natural evolution of the 4artesian approach. Rene Descartes reduced the human body to mechanical models from which mind was removed. This simplified the study of comple# human biology and encouraged the scientists to reduce the body into smaller and smaller fragments and simpler and simpler functions. 4onse6uently, the man is reduced to molecules and the study of man to the study of molecules. "n -8ED Rene Dubos wrote *%any are the investigators who descend from man to molecules, but few are those who ever try the more difficult tasks of using molecular knowledge to deal with the problems of real life+.;E

;E Rene Dubos, %an $dapting, ,ale Cniversity !ress -8EDN??;

"n recent decades there has been a growing emphasis on attempts to e#plain all human phenomena including physical and mental diseases by molecular reactions. &owever, the awareness of the limitations of reductionist approach has also consistently grown. There is now growing appreciation that *disease is the resultant of countless independent forces impinging simultaneously on the total organism and setting in motion a multitude of interrelated responses+ - Rene Dubos. The pendulum is now swinging in favour of host response including the bodily constitution, lifestyle and psychological factors that impair the general adaptation of the organism to its environment. $ synthesis of the above two doctrines namely specific aetiology and multi-factorial aetiology, has begun. &owever, a lot of rethinking and introspection are re6uired by medical researchers before a ma'or break through results. This is particularly re6uired in relation to the role of psychological factors and life style in causing disease. The damage inflicted by the 4artesian approach has to be undone before the disorder of the *wholeness+ of the human organism can be ade6uately defined. &ere, a new model of health and disease is presented that is based on the information from various discourses of (hrii !.R. (arkar. The key feature of this model is the ad'ustment among three kinds of waves> physical, mental and energy waves. <ike any other ob'ect, human body and mind emanate waves. $ parallelism between the physical and mental waves is essential for life to continue. $s long as this parallelism is maintained, the energy waves or pranah is able to maintain their proper functioning. $ loss of parallelism leads to a weakening of the pranah and conse6uently disease and death. Therefore, in this model health is a resultant of interaction between these three fundamental factors. $s discussed earlier, physical and mental waves are derived from the cognitive principle whereas the pranah is derived from the operative principle. The physico-psychic parallelism is constantly challenged by e#ternal and internal influences. The e#ternal influences are mainly environmental consisting of lifestyle, food, water, air, microbes, electromagnetic radiation, climatic conditions, microvita ,etc.. The

internal influences include samskaras, personality constitution and genetic factors. Thus an interplay between a variety of factors determines the body-mind parallelism and conse6uently the state of our health. etter the state of this parallelism, more effective pranah is in maintaining a healthy state. !ranah is a collective name of ten sub-currents of energy called vayus, divided into two groups of five vayus each. One group maintains the internal physiological functions and the other helps the performance of e#ternal bodily activities. The internal group carries out general as well as local functions. The circulation of blood and lymph and the conduction of nerve impulse are generalised functions that pervade every corner of the human structure. They are carried out by a vayu called vyana. $ weakening of this vayu will result in the disorder of blood pressure, lymph circulation and nervous system. &eart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas as well as the upper part of the gastrointestinal system lie between the naval and the neck. "f any one of them are affected by a disease process the others are affected as a conse6uence. This suggests a close co-ordination of their physiological functions. $ vayu called prana is responsible for this co-ordination. (imilarly, the bowel, bladder and se#ual functions are co-ordinated by the vayu apana. (ince the functions of the upper and lower halves of the body are not independent of each other a balancing vayu called samana resides at the naval to co-ordinate the functions of prana and apana. The fifth internal vayu is located in the neck for the functions of vocal cords. "n a healthy state the internal vayus and their functions are clearly defined. 1or the maintenance of a healthy state they must maintain their separate identity. "n disease this identity is gradually lost and they merge into a composite wave that moves throughout the body to find an e#it. .hen it leaves the body, the mind cannot be tied to the body and death occurs. "n a disease process one or more of these vayus are affected. "n advanced stages of a disease, a decreasing volume of voice and rapid naval breathing are signs of weakening prana and apana vayus that results in loss of vitality of samana vayu. Iayus are constantly replenished by food, water and air that

we take-in. )ating and drinking disorders as well as air pollutants weaken the vayus resulting in corresponding physiological changes. Iayus can be strengthened and balanced by lifestyle changes, vegetarian diet and yogic e#ercise. $ more important factor however, in maintaining the separate identity of vayus is the parallelism between the physical and mental waves. .here the body awareness is dominant, vayus are weakened and degenerative processes are accelerated. (piritual awareness strengthens vayus and slows the disease processes. The environmental factors predominantly affect the physical waves whereas samskaras, personality constitution and genetic factors primarily affect the mental-waves.

15

FIN!L C7!3 E#

7E 3INN!CLED O#DE#
The highest realisation however, does not depend upon the nerve cells and nerve fibres. - P.R. S&r'&r

There could be no better way of finishing this book than narrating a relevant discourse of (hrii !.R. (arkar whose concept is the sole inspiration of and part manifestation in the preceding pages. &owever, a full discourse that is relevant to our sub'ect in its entirety could not be found. Therefore, an edited and a truncated version of one of his discourses is given below. The sub'ect of this discourse was *The cult of spirituality- the cult of pinnacled order+ and it was delivered on the third of 0une -88H, the last such discourse before his departure from this world. (ome parts of it have been omitted and others have been rephrased only where it was deemed essential for clarity. " apologise for these distortions. 1or all human endeavours, be they intellectual, intuitional or purely psychic, there must be a base or starting point. $nd there must also be a goal, a supreme desideratum. The movement from the base to the goal in the realm of spirituality is called spiritual cult. 1or this cult of spirituality the base is morality. .ithout morality nothing can be done. %orality concerns two types of waves> psycho-physical and physico-psychic. The former is emanations whereas the latter is a movement. "n the case of the psycho-physical emanations, one should have proper control, proper regulation over those emanative flows. "n (anskrit it is called ,ama. "n the case of physico-psychic movement, one should maintain a proper ad'ustment between the e#ternal world and the internal world, between the e#ternal physicality and the internal sub'ectivity. This is called 7iyama. The goal is the attainment of that supreme stance where there will be 'ustice and fair play for all inanimate and animate beings. y the dint of their moral force, the spiritual aspirants move towards their goal. $t the same time their goal, the supreme desideratum attracts them as well. ecause of these sources of impetus, human beings arrive at their destination. Then the physical body should be sanctified by good thoughts, good actions and good food as well as by various physical practices that affect the nerve fibres because through the nerve fibres, through

the afferent and efferent nerves, the first phase of realisation comes. The highest realisation however, does not depend upon the nerve cells and nerve fibres, although for this good food and self- restraints are necessary. "t is not proper for one to eat whatever one gets. ,ou should eat only that sort of food which will have a beneficial influence on your body, mind and spirit. The sanctification and purification of the body through proper food, proper behaviour and various practices should be complimented by certain other practices to create a perfect ad'ustment in the body by regulating the hormonal secretions from the glands and sub-glands. The propensities of living structures are both directly and indirectly controlled by the secretions of these hormones. 7ow, everywhere, in cent per cent of the cases, there is a wastage of human psychic potentiality. The psychic potentialities of human beings are immense but people mis-utilise them in undesirable thoughts and in psychic e#travaganAa. This should be checked either by physical or psychic approach or by spirituo-psychic approach. The physical approach consists of breath control. The waves of respiration control the waves of thinking. .henever you are doing something crude, your respiration becomes very active and when you are thinking of something subtle, it becomes slow, e#tremely slow. $nd finally, when this respiration coincides or becomes one with one/s thought waves, one attains a state of samadhi or trans. That is, the physical e#ertions, the physical emanations become one with the psychic emanations. (o, some degree of control over respiration is an essentially The psychic approach consists of rationality and rationalisation that needs to be progressively increased. 1or this, unnecessary waves

from the plane of physicality should be removed. 1rom the psychic sphere also, unnecessary eaves are to be removed. This will remove many burdens from the mind. *" must not bother about petty things, because that will waste my time+ - people should remember this. This removal or rather withdrawal of unnecessary and undesirable thoughts emanated from the mind, will help you in rationalising the ma'or portion of your mental faculty. This must also be practised. The cult of spirituality is a cult of pinnacled order. The spirituo-psychic approach consists of ideation and meditation. $lthough ideation depends upon the healthy state ad proper functioning of glands and sub-glands, a clear cut and subtle idea is essential. The ideas are mainly of three types> intellectual-cumintuitional, actional and devotional-cum-emotional. "n most cases, human intellect and intuition are wasted e#travaganAa, in useless pursuits. They are not at all utilised for constructive or worthwhile endeavours. (ome waste their intuitional power in e#hibiting occult powers. 1or others, action is everything. They want to achieve their goal through action. "n the third type of ideation, people get propensive propulsion form devotion or emotion. .hen the mind moves along a particular discipline in a methodical way, this is called devotion or bhakti. ut when it does not follow a particular method, when it moves haphaAardly, swept away by whim, it is called emotion. This is the fundamental difference between devotion and emotion. ,ou must know this clear cut silver line of demarcation between devotion and emotion. Those who adhere to this cult of pinnacled order, know that there must be a happy blending of intellectual-cum-intuitional faculty, actional faculty and devotional-cum-emotional faculty. 7one of these is unimportant. $ll are of e6ual importance. &owever, the finality come in devotion. That is why it has been said tat the devotion is service unto the (upreme, devotion is love personified. Devotion is the embodiment of bliss. Devotion is the life of a devotee. Therefore, human beings should take the ideation of the (upreme. Thus we see

that ideation is associated with one or the other idea> knowledge, action or devotion. 7ow, there is another ape#ed or pinnacled order of the mind called meditation. "t means concentrated thinking. "t is associated with several more subtle and important cells of the human brain. )ach and every nerve cell has got its own controlling point and for all nerve cells, there is a supreme controlling point. The latter, in (anskrit, is called Guru 4akra or the ple#us of Guru. $ll the glands are controlled by this point in the brain. One/s meditation must be properly connected with this point. %editation must be done in a methodical way, utilising these important nerve cells and nerve centres in the brain. Thus we see that the psycho-spiritual approach, consisting of ideation and meditation propels the spiritual aspirant towards the singular (upreme )ntity, the pinnacled goal. Together, the goad the thought waves unto a single idea whose culminating point is the (upreme (elf. This is the highest state of devotion. (o, in the path of spiritual progress, all the three> knowledge, action and devotion are necessary. Devotion provides the sustenance, action provides the stamina of movement, and knowledge shows why and how the spiritual aspirant should move. (o all the three are important. ut ultimately knowledge and action are merged in devotion and thus devotion is devoid of knowledge or action. "t is not blind devotion but an ideal blending of knowledge, action and devotion. This blended devotion enables spiritual aspirants to attain the pinnacled goal of their lives. "t is this devotion that the human beings have been seeking since time immemorial. .hen they finally attain the GCRC and get initiation, they begin to walk on the path of devotion. They are sure to reach their destination. This is the sole reason for their birth in human structure.

Ac'no64e 5"ent
" am immensely grateful to a number of people who have selflessly and most sincerely contributed to this book by their invaluable suggestions and insights without which this book would not have materialised. "t is not possible to name them all here e#cept 0ayanta whose contribution will never be forgotten. " specially want to thank my daughter, (arita whose computing and typing along with her patience strengthened my determination to write this book.

$uthor=s 7ote
The material used in this book is largely taken from the discourses of (hrii !.R. (arkar and prominent medical literature. %y own mind has contributed little to this production. &owever, the interpretation and synthesis of the two are purely mine. Therefore any discrepancies and inconsistencies are solely my responsibility. The synthesis of spiritual and medical information has been occurring in my mind for a number of years. &owever, it was my Guru=s compelling inspiration that put these ideas to pen. Therefore, " offer this effort of mine to my Gurudeva. .hen " set out to write this book, " had two options. 1irst, to e#amine everything (hrii !.R. (arkar said about bio-psychology through the eyes of a medical scientist. This would have been an intellectual approach and probably more appropriate for me because of my medical background. &owever, a number of things (hrii !.R. (arkar said, although entirely logical and rational, needed empirical verifications. These claims are a way ahead of the science in its present state. The relationship between lymph production and diet, social environment and hormones are 'ust few e#amples. The second option " faced was to keep the perspective spiritual and draw the information from the biological sciences that support the ideas put forward. " opted for this approach. &owever, from time to time " have pointed out the claims that cannot be biologically reconciled at present. " make no apology for attributing this to the inade6uacies of modern science. Therefore, " appeal to the readers that they keep their perspective spiritual to get the best value out of this presentation.

Dr. 0itendra (ingh