Brain, Mind and Meditation

This did not happen for over 400 million years to any of the creatures that
from time to time specialized in various ways to master our planet, till about 20
million years ago in a group of monkey-like creatures somewhere in the tropics
one particular organ of body started growing unusually fast. Constant
directional growth of this organ revolutionized the evolutionary process to put
this creature, later called Homo sapiens, to an unmatched advantageous
position over all other species, only to rule the earth unchallenged thereafter.
Today everything from development to destruction can be attributed to this
single organ we carry in our heads and call the brain. That this ugly and simple
looking organ is one of the most complex things existing in the universe
happens to be a fact few of us realize, so much so that with existing knowledge
we can at best hypothesize about its activities.

Human brain is one of the largest body organs, weighing about 1400
grams which accounts for about 2% of the body weight in man but little larger
2.5% in women, packed in an incredibly shockproof box made of hard bony
skull, layers of meninges and cerebrospinal fluid filled within. Economy of
space is exhibited by packing about 1800 cm2 surface area in only 15% of the
space. Very few things can penetrate the blood-brain barriermost toxins,
bacteria, viruses etc. are stopped outside. It sounds strange that brain knows
very little about itself. Science has so far failed to unfold the mysteries of its
strange ways of functioning, mainly because the delicate tissue makes it
difficult to experiment with. No wonder most concepts about brains
functioning remain mere hypotheses.

Anatomically brain looks like a heap of wrinkled gray tissue so soft that it
can be scooped with a table spoon. This is the only organ that is fully formed at
birth with its full set of 50 bil1ion neurons (nerve cells) to which there is no
further addition. But they do grow in size. Damages are believed to be
irreparable but in 1969 Godfrey Raisman of Cambridge University proved that
damaged neurons do sprout new growth. In a normal healthy being gradual loss
of brain tissue takes place at the rate of about 100,000 neuron everyday. A
casual drink would wipe out few thousand and habitual drinking could cause
immense permanent damage. But considering the large number of neurons that
brain has, this loss becomes insignificant, only about 20% by the age of 80
years. Moreover, the loss is somewhat compensated by sprouting new dendrites
(impulse receiving filaments on neuron body) which are known to increase
with age and experience.
Dr.C.V.Narasimha Murthy, JBDC, KAVALI, B.Sc., Zoology Notes 2010.
 Dendrites form innumerable connections with other neurons. Thus billions
of neurons make possible infinite number of circuits, giving the brain
astronomical processing power. But average man utilizes only 2% of this
capacity, an educated person about 5% and an Einstein not more than 15%.

Two overgrown and grossly wrinkled areas of human brain are of

particular importance. They are cerebrum which is divided into two equal
parts and is associated with intelligence and overall control, and cerebellum,
the command centre for musculature which also controls autonomic and
involuntary functions of the body.

The electric potential of brain is extremely low 50-100 millionth of a volt

but brain functions are not entirely electrical. Nerve impulse is electrochemical
and travels at a speed of 400 km/hr, which means it would take an impulse just
1/50th of a second to travel from head to toe. Brain is also known to
communicate through chemicals produced in very small quantity. Messages
sent through these neurotransmitters are received by specialized receptors
located in different parts of body. More than 50 kinds of these chemicals are
now known. Some of them like endorphin and enkephalin, which reduce pain,
are abundantly produced in animals like camel, which chews on thorny twigs
without feeling pain. Similarly, dopamine is overproduced in the brains of
schizophrenics while its underproduction causes Parkinsons disease.

MIND: The discovery of neurotransmitters has compelled us to accept

the fact that brains activity is not confined to head only but the whole body
seems to function with co-coordinated inte1ligence like a single large brain or
could we call it mind? Modern science regards mind as the functional
manifestation of brain. But yogic philosophy considers the whole body as
single overall mind and every cell having its own intelligence. Mind, therefore,
can be regarded as collective intelligence of the body. An example would
substantiate this. Receptors for neurochemical, impramine are known to be
located on every cell. Impramine is overproduced in the brain of depressed
people, which means every cell in the body of these people is depressed.
Similarly when we are happy every organ within us participates in that
happiness through these subtle neurochemical messages. Certain neurochemical
are also produced by body organs, e.g. transferon is produced by stomach,
which indicates that one organ can directly communicate with the other,
independent of the brains command. Interestingly, receptors on cell walls are
also not fixed but constantly invented and produced by the DNA (genetic
Dr.C.V.Narasimha Murthy, JBDC, KAVALI, B.Sc., Zoology Notes 2010.
molecule inside the cell) according to needs of the body. DNA itself is a super-
genius molecule within nucleus of each cell and is a part of the overall mind,
which is capable of translating an abstract thought into chemicals or matter.

Thought originates in brain as a field pattern or stray impulses derived

from memory spectrum. This sets unique path of nerve impulses by opening
and closing specific synapses in the brain cortex. Thought arising out of
nowhere as a quantum of our nervous system, is translated into chemical
messengers by brain in coordination with DNA. DNA keeps in storage large
quantity of information, accumulated through millions of years evolution. It is
well established that only 1% of this information is ever used in DNAs day-to-
day activities. Supported by this rich vocabulary, DNA is capable of inventing
different combinations of chemicals. For instance, when immune cells
encounter a new virus, the DNA by mobilizing its genetic information invents
and manufactures a new antibody that kills the invading virus. That explains
why virus has to mutate so frequently, to fool DNA in order to survive.

ROLE OF MEDITATION: Meditation not only controls the brain but

is known to have profound effect on neurotransmitters and DNAs intelligence.
High levels of the hormone, dihydroepiendrosterone (DHEA) have been found
in meditators. This hormone retards aging and inhibits cancer growth. Recent
researches reveal that cancer can be caused by persons conscious and
subconscious state of depression which causes overproduction of luteinizing
hormones, which in turn bring about unchecked multiplication of cells. Cancer
can in fact be regarded as failed intelligence of DNA, which makes the cells
divide recklessly knowing fully well that it would be suicidal. In this light the
yogic philosophy that quality of mind is determined by the quality of food
stands on solid ground, since food determines body chemicals which DNAs
intelligence utilizes for innovations. Regular meditation removes subconscious
depression, corrects failed intelligence of DNA and expands intuitive
awareness.

MEMORY: Science has not been able to discover the seat of memory in
the brain. Hyden believed that memory was stored in RNA because its
concentration in brain increased with age. But Carl S. Lashley of Harvard
University conclusively proved that memory is not stored as a physical entity in
brain. He experimented with rats by training them to run through maze and then
cutting their brain cortex in various ways till most of the cerebrum was
damaged. None of the incisions impaired memory. According to the yogic view
memory is not contained as a physical deposit but as a field of modulated
Dr.C.V.Narasimha Murthy, JBDC, KAVALI, B.Sc., Zoology Notes 2010.
patterns of high frequency vibrations in cosmic spectrum around or above the
brain. Renowned yogi Patanjali called it Purusha located in the Brahma
chakra. Field patterns of neuron currents produced by the activity of brain have
frequency of few thousand hertz only, whereas memory impressions in purusha
have vibrations up to 1025 hertz. Brain is the device that codes and decodes
this information by transforming high frequency vibrations of purusha to low
frequency vibrations of brain and vice versa. Memory, therefore, can never be
lost, not even by brain damage, since anatomically purusha is not part of the
brain matter. When brain fails to tune with the high frequency of purusha, loss
of memory results. Sometimes in such situations recollection is possible under
hypnosis, which is a state of heightened attentiveness in which brain can tap
memory from purusha easily.

New theories of quantum physics tell us that subatomic particles move in

waves termed as superstrings, because they vibrate like violin strings. They
are undetectable by scientific instruments. They fill the universe and carry all
information in time and space. Ancient yogis also believed that universe was
pervaded by sutras (strings) and spanda (indestructible vibrations) of high
frequencies which carried information about the past, present and future. This
cosmic spanda is represented in our body as nerve impulse and is, therefore,
capable of being in harmony with the cosmic superstrings.

Brahma chakra that lies above the brain is also a piece of universal web
of sutras or spanda that fill the cosmos and carries purusha (memory) within
it. Yogis believe that knowledge housed in purusha is indestructible. After
death of brain this escapes as a field pattern of high frequency that we call
Atma, which wanders free in the universe trying to locate matching frequencies
to align with. If this field pattern is able to tune with the frequency of the brain
of a growing foetus, it accepts and aligns with the latter. An incarnation is then
believed to have taken place.

An untrained brain is incapable of having access to this storehouse of

information in purusha, owing to great difference in frequencies of the two.
Role of meditation commences here. A meditators goal is not simply to arrest
mental modifications but to achieve complete control over brain and mind and
have access to the high frequency of purusha at will by going into trance.
Purusha being composed of high frequency vibrations is directly in tune with
the cosmic superstrings and thereby in touch with the eternal knowledge.
Meditation by arresting mental modifications brings the brain to alpha state (14
cycles per second from 21 cycles of normal activity) and eventually to super
Dr.C.V.Narasimha Murthy, JBDC, KAVALI, B.Sc., Zoology Notes 2010.
consciousness, when it is able to reach purusha and back at will, a state
described by yogis as eternal bliss. The brain then doesnt need to depend on
the sense organs to obtain information. It can pick up cosmic patterns directly
through purusha. For a yogi who has accomplished this, Rishi Gheranda said,
What is then left to learn in this world.

Human beings are the only creatures on our planet capable of training
mind and tapping eternal knowledge through purusha. We are fortunate to have
been born as human species endowed with this unique capability. But how
many of us even think of getting out of the web of materialism and attempt to
avail of this rare opportunity that lies before us?

Dr.C.V.Narasimha Murthy, JBDC, KAVALI, B.Sc., Zoology Notes 2010.