Mysteries behind the Pineal Gland
The gland with light sensors
Pineal Gland Explained
The pineal gland is the physical concomitant of ajna chakra. With ajna awakening comes the dawning of control over the effects of the lower chakras on the mind. There is a parallel here with the function of the pineal gland — the pineal acts to limit the stimulating effect of other hormones (including those related to all other chakras, including sahasrara), thus mirroring ajna’s impact on the mind. For more than 2,000 years the pineal gland has been the subject of intense philosophical speculation. It has often been described as the receiver of subtle vibrations and telepathic phenomena. Now, however, in the light of the most recent medical discoveries, there is little doubt about the role the pineal gland plays in the psychic faculties of man. In the middle of the nineteenth century, as the subcontinent of Australia and its surrounding territory came to be explored, there was a flurry of interest centered upon a lizard native to the area, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatum). This animal is related to the extinct dinosaurs that once roamed the ancient continent of Gondawana when Australia, New Zealand, the Indonesian archipelago and Tasmania were all one land, and has survived on a few remote islands near New Zealand.
The tuatara is known for a perfectly formed third eye in the middle of its head. In addition to two ordinary eyes located on either side of its head, the third eye buried in the skull was revealed through an aperture in the bone, covered by a transparent membrane, and surrounded by a rosette of scales. It was unmistakably a third eye, and upon dissection contained all the anatomical parts of an eye, including the lens and retina, yet did not function as an organ of sight. Another remarkable fact is that this lizard did not reproduce before twenty years of age and the male of the sp ecies did not have a penis. Contemporary students, keen for mainstream science to verify their spiritual convictions, may leap at the speculation that this unusually developed ancient pineal is a feature of ancient civilizations based on wisdom and inner knowledge. They may also note the coincidence of total control over sexual drives being a characteristic of high levels of melatonin production, the hormone produced by the pineal. However, this has not been verified at present. The presence of this eye in the tuatara still poses a puzzle to present-day evolutionists; almost all vertebrates possess a similar structure in the centre of their skull. It is p resent in many fish, all reptiles, birds and mammals, including man. Of all the organs in the body, no other organ has been subj ect to as many changes and developments in the course of evolution as the p ineal gland. Research on fossils reveals that it acted as a third physical eye, which was sensitive to light and dark. This is evident in extinct species such as the brontosaurus and other ancien t amphibian vertebrates. Even in animals today, such as the frog, the pineal gland senses light. In the course of evolution from reptiles to birds to animals and finally to man, the eight sensory cells of the pineal have been replaced by a much more functionally intricate cell (parenchyma cell). In the highest vertebrates, such as man, no light receptive cells remain in the pineal gland, yet the function of the p ineal is sensitive to the rising and setting of the sun.
Pineal gland and hormone production
For some time it has been known that the production of pineal hormones, such as melatonin, increases after dark and production peaks between midnight and brahmamuhurta (two hours before sunrise). The daily commencement and cessation of hormone production at times linked to the movement of the sun is termed circadian rhythm. Amongst yogis and meditation practitioners, brahmamuhurta has long been recognized as the preferred time for meditation, and so the concurrence of peak flows of melatonin at the preferred time of meditation is not a surprise. The pineal is situated in the epithalamus at the centre of the brain and receives sympathetic enervation from the superior cervical ganglia via the conarian nerves. Simply put, the pineal gland is found buried nearly in the centre of the brain of any mammal. It is a white structure shaped like a pine cone. In man it is roughly a quarter of an inch long and weights about 100 milligrams. It is the only unpaired organ in the brain. After puberty this gland hardens by a process of calcification, which does not affect its functioning. Early scientists found that young boys with tumours around the pineal gland exhibited precocious growth of the genital organs, whereas boys with pineal tumours showed delayed development of puberty characteristics. This is because the pineal gland’s function is inhibited by tumours around it, but when the gland itself is tumoral, it is overactive and thus delays pubic growth. Julius Axelrod, a worldrenowned biochemist, has shown in the laboratory that the pineal gland is a sensitive biological clock, which uses daily rhythms of nervous energy to stimulate endocrinal secretions. This pineal stimulating nervous activity is generated by light. Additionally, he has discovered that the pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin, which is not produced by any other physical organ. He notes that melatonin decreases the size of the ovaries in women and increases the length of the menstrual cycle. Generally speaking, it depresses the sexual function in man. It is not connected to the brain but to the sympathetic nervous system. In darkness, the pineal gland produces melatonin only. After six hours of darkness the size of the pineal gland increases and it is activated into the production of melatonin. When light returns, the melatonin production falls off. This is similar to the function of the pituitary gland which produces ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone), a supra-renal gland activator, between the hours of 3.00 am and 6.00 am. T he pineal gland, which in modern times has ceased functioning as a light-sensing organ , is now controlled by light and darkness through the eyes, which affect the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn activates or deactivates the pineal gland . In addition the pineal gland has been found to synthesize an other hormone called serotonin. This hormone is produced during conditions of light. Under conditions of constant light the pineal gland ceases to produce melatonin and con sistently produces large quantities of serotonin. In constant darkness, such as a darkened room, serotonin production continues at its maximum in the daytime and its minimum in the night, even though for the whole time it is dark. Fur thermore, it has been found that removing the eyes of rats or severing the sympathetic nervous system has the same effect as plunging the rat into constant darkness. T he daily rhythm of serotonin production continues normally under these conditions. The daily light cycle also plays an importan t part in the glandular cycles of many lower animals. T he increase of sunlight during springtime triggers the gonadal growth and breeding cycles of many birds and mammals which breed yearly. The da ily cycle of light and darkness synchronizes a variety of daily rhythms in mammals such as the cycle of ad renal sex steroid secretions. This correlates with the sunmoon theory in yoga philosophy: the centre of the moon is ajna and the centre of the sun is manipura . T hese chakras correspond to the physical p ineal and adrenal glands respectively.
Effects of meditation on pineal gland
It is believed by many experienced practitioners of meditation that the pineal gland and the higher nervous system with which it is intimately connected go through a functional change after long-term practice of meditation. This has been recently borne out by scientific investigators doing research on the electrical impulses of the brain. They have found that when a person is in an ordinary waking conscious state, the electrical waves, known as beta waves, produced by the cerebral cortex of the brain are characteristically small and rapid. When he closes his eyes, however, and maintains a relaxed but aware state of mind as is done through the yoga practices of japa and antar mouna, there is an immediate change in these wave formations, which become larger and slower. These waves are known as alpha waves and their presence has been noted in both beginners and advanced practitioners of meditation. Yogis, Zen Buddhist monks and other experienced meditators have been found to experience an even larger, slower type of wave which is called the theta wave. It is interesting to note that these theta waves are normally found only in epileptics at the time when they are having grande mal seizures. One possible explanation for this is that when there are epileptic fits, the lower nervous system takes over complete control of the body, and the higher mind remains completely relaxed, as it is during states of deep meditation. The state of meditation also brings about many other physiological changes which are measured side by side with the EEG brain wave measurements. The influence of a state ofmeditational consciousness emitting alpha waves is to lower the heartbeat, decrease oxygen consumption by the body cells, reduce carbon dioxide elimination, slow down metabolism and relax the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. The blood lactate falls most dramatically, and this is characteristically high in people suffering from nervous tension and neurosis. In meditation, that is, in the state during which the mind emits alpha waves, a process which opposes the mechanisms of the adrenaline secretory system comes about. This enables the body to operate in a less tense manner. Another group of researchers have been investigating p sychic phenomena in man, particularly the relationship between extra sensory perception and alpha wave activity. An experiment was run where many people had to guess which card was inside a closed box. Psychologists found, u sing statistical tests, that when a person closes his eyes and con centrates on any object his alpha waves increase, and those people who emit more alpha waves were able to recognize, more often, the cards inside the box. When alpha wave emission was low, however, as it is normally with many people or when the eyes are opened, the card guessing was just chance. The subjects of the experiment described their state of mind when alpha activity was predominant. They all agreed that it was a rather pleasant feeling with the mind vacant and they experienced an attitude of separation from the surroundings. When the subjects happened to open their eyes under these conditions they could see that environmental objects were disconnected from themselves. This describes the yogic meditational state of pratyahara or sense withdrawal, and the increase in the psychic capacities shown under these conditions correlates with the capacities of a person who has awakened ajna, who has the capacity to see distant objects with his divine third eye. The panacea for most modern diseases is the alpha brain wave, which restores the body and mind to a peaceful condition and opposes the anachronistic emergency reactions which are still going on in our bodies. In the modern society, life is no more subjected to attack by wild animals or by savage tribes; however, the ancient adrenaline secretory mechanism which guards the body against such emergencies reacts to modern dangers in the same old way. Today, man’s dangers are usually in the form of fear of financial crisis, fear of loss of position and family troubles etc. Though these tensions of modem society are unreal dangers to life, to the tense mind they appear to· be real. As these modern day dangers are limitless and never ending many people’s bodies react continuously, and in so doing drain energy, pipe up tensions and cause physiological and mental diseases. In addition, through over use, man’s greatest defence mechanism is becoming worn out, and many people find themselves unable to cope when a really dangerous situation occurs. This fact is evident from the rising number of victims of shock brought about by having to suddenly face truly dangerous, unaccustomed situations. What the doctors and scientists are now saying is that meditation is the only cure for these conditions. From ancient times, rishis, munis and yogis have been saying that meditation leads to peace of mind, and it has always been associated with the spiritual quest. Yogis, who are scientists of the subtle mind, have always spoken of telepathy as a siddhi, a psychic power for thought communication and clairaudience. The medium of such siddhis is ajna, and its physical terminus is the pineal gland, which is connected to the brain. It has been stated by great yogis such as Swami Sivananda that the pineal gland is the receptor and sender of the subtle vibrations which carry thoughts and psychic phenomena throughout the cosmos. The pineal gland converts brain waves into subtle electrical signals travelling faster than the speed of light, which are stored in the individual brain. Persons who have developed such faculties as subtle hearing and sight have done so by virtue of ajna’s transmutation of their increased alpha wave activity. Modern man is intellectual and prefers to base his life on scientific facts rather than beliefs in ancient culture, ancient scriptures and teachings by pandits, monks, rabbis and priests of religions. Today, the only accepted fact is a scientific fact, and the scientific experiment described earlier proves that it is not coincidence but actual fact that some people, who have a meditative mind, whose brain waves are predominantly alpha, can predict and have knowledge of outer and inner events which are beyond the reach of the senses. The psychic powers which so many people strive to attain through the various practices of meditation such as mantra repetition and other types of sadhana are the very first signs of a spiritual aspirant moving on the path. Although the pure spiritual aspirant denies himself the use of these powers, lest they lead to his downfall, these inner faculties are in each and every one of us. We only have to do the practices for awakening the higher centres in the brain which are associated with ajna in order to open these doorways to new expenences. Thus, ajna and the pineal gland act as the channels through which the subtle vibrations are sent out into the cosmos, or are received. Ajna is the best known and most respected chakra; it has always been held in high esteem and probably the best known practices of meditation are designed to awaken ajna and increase the activity of the pineal gland. Persons who enjoy excessive sexual stimulation will have more difficulty in attaining siddhis and may have trouble in maintaining the siddhis they have attained . This fact is well known amongst all spiritual aspirants and is in harmony with the effect of the pineal gland regulating the activity of the sexual function. However, nothing in life is absolute and sexual abstinence for those idealists who are not sufficiently pure may actually be more harmful than helpful in their progress in meditation. Often such aspirants find the effort required to halt sexual activity to be so difficult or indeed impossible that understandable lapses occur yet are fraught with tensions and guilt. Therefore, one should abstain when abstinence would not be a struggle.
Scientific research on the pineal gland
Serena Roney-Dougal is a parapsychologist who has written many papers on the function of the pineal gland in the chakra system. A three part series, ‘On a Possible Psychophysiology of the Yogic Chakra System’ was republished in the Sivananda Math journal, YOGA (May, July, September 2000). Her work validates the role of melatonin during meditative states. Roney-Dougal writes that the main function of the pineal gland is to make neuro-hormones, which affect both the brain and the body. The pineal works with the pituitary through the hypothalamus, controlling the endocrine system. It is one of the regulators of our circadian rhythm, is implicated in our emotional state, reproductive function, possibly dream sleep and in certain psychoses. Melatonin is the best studied of the pineal neuro-hormones and was first isolated from cattle in 1963. Before this the pineal was generally considered in the West to be vestigial: Amphibians and reptiles have light sensitive cells in the pineal gland, which for them is literally a light sensitive third eye at the top of the brain. In humans, fibres from the inferior accessory optic tract go to the pineal; these are separate from the main optic tract bundle, which suggests that the light sensitivity of the pineal is not necessarily related to sight (Eichler, 1985). The pineal gland is shaped like a tiny pinecone and is thus aptly named. Older texts describe this vestigial organ as a relic from our reptilian past. Serena Roney-Dougal is unique in her description of the physical aspects of ajna as a bilobed (two lobes or two petals) and a joining of the two glands, pituitary and pineal; the established system is to ascribe the physical concomitant of sahasrara to the pituitary and that of ajna to the pineal. Most people have heard of the pituitary gland, often known as the ‘master gland’ in that the hormones it makes exert a controlling effect on the endocrine organs. We can think of the pituitary as being an ‘on switch’ and the pineal as being an ‘off switch’ (the mistress gland) in that it works with the pituitary by switching off the endocrine organs. The form of ajna is traditionally depicted as bilobed and we can understand this to be the joining of the two glands, pituitary and pineal, which makes very good sense from a neuro-endocrinological point of view. This makes much better sense than assigning the pituitary to sahasrara, the crown chakra, as some systems do, since sahasrara is better understood as the culmination of everything, the whole rather than any of the parts. Just as mooladhara is considered to be the top chakra of animals and the bottom of humans, so sahasrara can be understood as the. top chakra of humanity and the bottom chakra of the divine order of being. There is a large body of scientific evidence suggesting that the pineal gland prQduces a chemical in the brain that enhances psychic paranormal or meditative states. Roney-Dougal says, “Neurochemical and anthropological evidence suggests that the pineal gland may produce a neuro-modulator that enhances a psi-conducive state of consciousness.” An abstract of this research was presented at the Parapsychological Association Convention in 1985 (Roney-Dougal, 1986). For full details of this research see Roney-Dougal (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993). In brief, the pineal gland has been found to synthesize various beta-carbolines and peptides, and to contain enzymes that produce psycho-active compounds such as 5-methoxy dimethyltryptamine (5MeODMT). “The two precursors that are most likely to be involved in the synthesis of such compounds are serotonin ( 5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) and tryptamine. These have wide-ranging effects throughout our brain and body, affecting the gonads, adrenals, pancreas, thyroid, and other emotional and endocrine activities.” (Strassman, 1990) At this stage of the discussion it is appropriate to view a historical perspective on the development of scientific knowledge of the functioning of the pineal gland. It was first found that melatonin was a hormone manufactured by the pineal gland in 1959 by Dr Aaron Lerner at Yale University. He concluded that melatonin must have been the result of the reaction of certain enzymes upon serotonin, which must have pre-existed in the pineal gland. Serotonin is not an unusual chemical in nature; it is found in many places, including plants such as bananas, figs and plums. Professor E.J. Gaddum (The biological function of the third eye) at the University of Edinburgh was the first to note a connection between serotonin and mental states of being. In a paper published in 1953 he pointed out that LSD-25 was a potent antagonist to serotonin. LSD-25 was said to be the drug for altering the mind and inducing mental states free from the mentally limiting encumbrance of social and environmental patterns. The experience was termed transcendental and likened to the death of the ego as portrayed by Dr Timothy Leary and others who were the leaders of the ‘hippy culture’ of the 1970s. Subsequently, it was found that LSD occupies serotonin receptor sites, for a brief time suppressing the action of serotonin. This is followed by a surge in serotonin concentrations, giving rise to the so-called LSD experience, which is the psi experience. This is in agreement with the reported experience some 20–30 minutes after ingesting LSD. The initial ‘high’ is reported to be peaceful, totally relaxed as if bathed in golden light and certainly out of this world, and is followed by a trip through the unconscious with a myriad of patterns and images. The LSD practitioner is likely to experience the ordinary mind of everyday humdrum conditioned existence as something shallow, unreal . and separate from them, and with this there is the realization that within lies a glorious and deep existence, which is the truth. From this the alternative hippy culture sprang and many among their ranks took to spiritual disciplines so that the experience of the truth could live with them. Julius Axelrod has studied the roles of melatonin and its precursor serotonin, and found that melatonin suppresses physiological sexuality in m·ammals. Test animals were stimulated to manufacture excessive amounts of melatonin, which resulted in their gonads and ovaries shrinking, atrophying. The oestrous or fertility cycle in females could likewise be altered experimentally by doses of melatonin. Axelrod also discovered that the pineal gland produces chemicals to a circadian rhythm; by altering light conditions he could extend, contract, or even stabilize the chemical p roduction rhythms of the pineal. So lhe pineal gland research to date has uncovered three basic points:
T he pineal produces melatonin, which is associated with the internal unconscious and subconscious experiences similar to the experiences of meditation.
Melatonin suppresses sexuality and the functionality of the sexual organs, creating a balance with the sexually stimulating effect of other hormones and of external conscious or worldly life. The literature of religious mysticism in all ages and all societies has viewed carnal passion as the antagonist of the ecstasy of spiritual experience.
T he production of melatonin is regulated by light; in the absence of light at night production is at its highest. The fact that the pineal responds to light, even if this
response is indirect via the central nervous system, has some fascinating and far-reaching conceptual applications. There are many behavioural changes which overtake animals as the seasons change, and which can be produced out of season in the laboratory by simulating the appropriate span of artificial daylight. This poses the question, “Do such seasonal changes in mood and behaviour persist in humans?” Greg T ooley is a researcher on the effects of meditation on melatonin levels in the blood . He works at the School of Psychology, La T robe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. During the proceedings of the 1996 World Yoga Convention held in Sydney, he reported that his research showed that:
Melatonin production peaked at around midnightThe production level of melatonin increases with the number of years of meditation practice of each subject. In a subsequent research paper (GA. Tooley et al, 2000, Biological Psychology, 53, 69–78, 71), Tooley describes some of the health benefits of melatonin and reports on previous research (Panzer and Viljoen, 1997), on immunoaugmentation (Maestroni etal, 1986), and anti-ageing (Maestroni et al, 1989):
“Although these properties have not yet been clearly established in humans, the fact that melatonin has been found to be an extremely potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger (Reiter et al, 1997) suggests that it may have an important role in reducing the cellular damage associated with the wear and tear of normal day to day life. In this context it is interesting to note that anti-cancer (Solberg et al, 1995; Meares, 1979), immunoaugmenting (Wallace, 1989), anti-ageing (Wallace et al, 1982) and anti-stress (Jevning et al, 1978a,b; MacLean et al, 1997) properties have also been claimed in relation to meditation. While the validity of the anti-cancer and anti-ageing claims in particular are debatable, the parallels with those made for melatonin are intriguing, and invite speculation that one of the mechanisms by which meditation might achieve some of its health benefits may be through an effect on circulating melatonin levels. With the above in mind, the following investigations were undertaken in order to test whether a period of meditation could acutely affect plasma melatonin levels.” In simple language this means that melatonin has the effect of anti-ageing, anti-stress, boosting the immune system and can be helpful in the treatment of cancer as well as repairing the cellular damage caused by the stresses and strains of worldly life. These benefits run parallel to the benefits of meditation and replicate the conclusions drawn in a much earlier book by Herbert Benson titled Relaxation Response. In this book the effects of meditation were measured by fourteen physiological functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, lactic acid content, electrical conductivity of the skin, etc. At the time of the book ( 1976) the benefits of melatonin were not known; however, the benefits of meditation were just starting to come into the view of medical research.
Mysteries behind the Pineal Gland
The gland with light sensors
Pineal Gland Explained
The pineal gland is the physical concomitant of ajna chakra. With ajna awakening comes the dawning of control over the effects of the lower chakras on the mind. There is a parallel here with the function of the pineal gland — the pineal acts to limit the stimulating effect of other hormones (including those related to all other chakras, including sahasrara), thus mirroring ajna’s impact on the mind. For more than 2,000 years the pineal gland has been the subject of intense philosophical speculation. It has often been described as the receiver of subtle vibrations and telepathic phenomena. Now, however, in the light of the most recent medical discoveries, there is little doubt about the role the pineal gland plays in the psychic faculties of man. In the middle of the nineteenth century, as the subcontinent of Australia and its surrounding territory came to be explored, there was a flurry of interest centered upon a lizard native to the area, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatum). This animal is related to the extinct dinosaurs that once roamed the ancient continent of Gondawana when Australia, New Zealand, the Indonesian archipelago and Tasmania were all one land, and has survived on a few remote islands near New Zealand.
The tuatara is known for a perfectly formed third eye in the middle of its head. In addition to two ordinary eyes located on either side of its head, the third eye buried in the skull was revealed through an aperture in the bone, covered by a transparent membrane, and surrounded by a rosette of scales. It was unmistakably a third eye, and upon dissection contained all the anatomical parts of an eye, including the lens and retina, yet did not function as an organ of sight. Another remarkable fact is that this lizard did not reproduce before twenty years of age and the male of the sp ecies did not have a penis. Contemporary students, keen for mainstream science to verify their spiritual convictions, may leap at the speculation that this unusually developed ancient pineal is a feature of ancient civilizations based on wisdom and inner knowledge. They may also note the coincidence of total control over sexual drives being a characteristic of high levels of melatonin production, the hormone produced by the pineal. However, this has not been verified at present. The presence of this eye in the tuatara still poses a puzzle to present-day evolutionists; almost all vertebrates possess a similar structure in the centre of their skull. It is p resent in many fish, all reptiles, birds and mammals, including man. Of all the organs in the body, no other organ has been subj ect to as many changes and developments in the course of evolution as the p ineal gland. Research on fossils reveals that it acted as a third physical eye, which was sensitive to light and dark. This is evident in extinct species such as the brontosaurus and other ancien t amphibian vertebrates. Even in animals today, such as the frog, the pineal gland senses light. In the course of evolution from reptiles to birds to animals and finally to man, the eight sensory cells of the pineal have been replaced by a much more functionally intricate cell (parenchyma cell). In the highest vertebrates, such as man, no light receptive cells remain in the pineal gland, yet the function of the p ineal is sensitive to the rising and setting of the sun.
Pineal gland and hormone production
For some time it has been known that the production of pineal hormones, such as melatonin, increases after dark and production peaks between midnight and brahmamuhurta (two hours before sunrise). The daily commencement and cessation of hormone production at times linked to the movement of the sun is termed circadian rhythm. Amongst yogis and meditation practitioners, brahmamuhurta has long been recognized as the preferred time for meditation, and so the concurrence of peak flows of melatonin at the preferred time of meditation is not a surprise. The pineal is situated in the epithalamus at the centre of the brain and receives sympathetic enervation from the superior cervical ganglia via the conarian nerves. Simply put, the pineal gland is found buried nearly in the centre of the brain of any mammal. It is a white structure shaped like a pine cone. In man it is roughly a quarter of an inch long and weights about 100 milligrams. It is the only unpaired organ in the brain. After puberty this gland hardens by a process of calcification, which does not affect its functioning. Early scientists found that young boys with tumours around the pineal gland exhibited precocious growth of the genital organs, whereas boys with pineal tumours showed delayed development of puberty characteristics. This is because the pineal gland’s function is inhibited by tumours around it, but when the gland itself is tumoral, it is overactive and thus delays pubic growth. Julius Axelrod, a worldrenowned biochemist, has shown in the laboratory that the pineal gland is a sensitive biological clock, which uses daily rhythms of nervous energy to stimulate endocrinal secretions. This pineal stimulating nervous activity is generated by light. Additionally, he has discovered that the pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin, which is not produced by any other physical organ. He notes that melatonin decreases the size of the ovaries in women and increases the length of the menstrual cycle. Generally speaking, it depresses the sexual function in man. It is not connected to the brain but to the sympathetic nervous system. In darkness, the pineal gland produces melatonin only. After six hours of darkness the size of the pineal gland increases and it is activated into the production of melatonin. When light returns, the melatonin production falls off. This is similar to the function of the pituitary gland which produces ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone), a supra-renal gland activator, between the hours of 3.00 am and 6.00 am. T he pineal gland, which in modern times has ceased functioning as a light-sensing organ , is now controlled by light and darkness through the eyes, which affect the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn activates or deactivates the pineal gland . In addition the pineal gland has been found to synthesize an other hormone called serotonin. This hormone is produced during conditions of light. Under conditions of constant light the pineal gland ceases to produce melatonin and con sistently produces large quantities of serotonin. In constant darkness, such as a darkened room, serotonin production continues at its maximum in the daytime and its minimum in the night, even though for the whole time it is dark. Fur thermore, it has been found that removing the eyes of rats or severing the sympathetic nervous system has the same effect as plunging the rat into constant darkness. T he daily rhythm of serotonin production continues normally under these conditions. The daily light cycle also plays an importan t part in the glandular cycles of many lower animals. T he increase of sunlight during springtime triggers the gonadal growth and breeding cycles of many birds and mammals which breed yearly. The da ily cycle of light and darkness synchronizes a variety of daily rhythms in mammals such as the cycle of ad renal sex steroid secretions. This correlates with the sunmoon theory in yoga philosophy: the centre of the moon is ajna and the centre of the sun is manipura . T hese chakras correspond to the physical p ineal and adrenal glands respectively.
Effects of meditation on pineal gland
It is believed by many experienced practitioners of meditation that the pineal gland and the higher nervous system with which it is intimately connected go through a functional change after long-term practice of meditation. This has been recently borne out by scientific investigators doing research on the electrical impulses of the brain. They have found that when a person is in an ordinary waking conscious state, the electrical waves, known as beta waves, produced by the cerebral cortex of the brain are characteristically small and rapid. When he closes his eyes, however, and maintains a relaxed but aware state of mind as is done through the yoga practices of japa and antar mouna, there is an immediate change in these wave formations, which become larger and slower. These waves are known as alpha waves and their presence has been noted in both beginners and advanced practitioners of meditation. Yogis, Zen Buddhist monks and other experienced meditators have been found to experience an even larger, slower type of wave which is called the theta wave. It is interesting to note that these theta waves are normally found only in epileptics at the time when they are having grande mal seizures. One possible explanation for this is that when there are epileptic fits, the lower nervous system takes over complete control of the body, and the higher mind remains completely relaxed, as it is during states of deep meditation. The state of meditation also brings about many other physiological changes which are measured side by side with the EEG brain wave measurements. The influence of a state ofmeditational consciousness emitting alpha waves is to lower the heartbeat, decrease oxygen consumption by the body cells, reduce carbon dioxide elimination, slow down metabolism and relax the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. The blood lactate falls most dramatically, and this is characteristically high in people suffering from nervous tension and neurosis. In meditation, that is, in the state during which the mind emits alpha waves, a process which opposes the mechanisms of the adrenaline secretory system comes about. This enables the body to operate in a less tense manner. Another group of researchers have been investigating p sychic phenomena in man, particularly the relationship between extra sensory perception and alpha wave activity. An experiment was run where many people had to guess which card was inside a closed box. Psychologists found, u sing statistical tests, that when a person closes his eyes and con centrates on any object his alpha waves increase, and those people who emit more alpha waves were able to recognize, more often, the cards inside the box. When alpha wave emission was low, however, as it is normally with many people or when the eyes are opened, the card guessing was just chance. The subjects of the experiment described their state of mind when alpha activity was predominant. They all agreed that it was a rather pleasant feeling with the mind vacant and they experienced an attitude of separation from the surroundings. When the subjects happened to open their eyes under these conditions they could see that environmental objects were disconnected from themselves. This describes the yogic meditational state of pratyahara or sense withdrawal, and the increase in the psychic capacities shown under these conditions correlates with the capacities of a person who has awakened ajna, who has the capacity to see distant objects with his divine third eye. The panacea for most modern diseases is the alpha brain wave, which restores the body and mind to a peaceful condition and opposes the anachronistic emergency reactions which are still going on in our bodies. In the modern society, life is no more subjected to attack by wild animals or by savage tribes; however, the ancient adrenaline secretory mechanism which guards the body against such emergencies reacts to modern dangers in the same old way. Today, man’s dangers are usually in the form of fear of financial crisis, fear of loss of position and family troubles etc. Though these tensions of modem society are unreal dangers to life, to the tense mind they appear to· be real. As these modern day dangers are limitless and never ending many people’s bodies react continuously, and in so doing drain energy, pipe up tensions and cause physiological and mental diseases. In addition, through over use, man’s greatest defence mechanism is becoming worn out, and many people find themselves unable to cope when a really dangerous situation occurs. This fact is evident from the rising number of victims of shock brought about by having to suddenly face truly dangerous, unaccustomed situations. What the doctors and scientists are now saying is that meditation is the only cure for these conditions. From ancient times, rishis, munis and yogis have been saying that meditation leads to peace of mind, and it has always been associated with the spiritual quest. Yogis, who are scientists of the subtle mind, have always spoken of telepathy as a siddhi, a psychic power for thought communication and clairaudience. The medium of such siddhis is ajna, and its physical terminus is the pineal gland, which is connected to the brain. It has been stated by great yogis such as Swami Sivananda that the pineal gland is the receptor and sender of the subtle vibrations which carry thoughts and psychic phenomena throughout the cosmos. The pineal gland converts brain waves into subtle electrical signals travelling faster than the speed of light, which are stored in the individual brain. Persons who have developed such faculties as subtle hearing and sight have done so by virtue of ajna’s transmutation of their increased alpha wave activity. Modern man is intellectual and prefers to base his life on scientific facts rather than beliefs in ancient culture, ancient scriptures and teachings by pandits, monks, rabbis and priests of religions. Today, the only accepted fact is a scientific fact, and the scientific experiment described earlier proves that it is not coincidence but actual fact that some people, who have a meditative mind, whose brain waves are predominantly alpha, can predict and have knowledge of outer and inner events which are beyond the reach of the senses. The psychic powers which so many people strive to attain through the various practices of meditation such as mantra repetition and other types of sadhana are the very first signs of a spiritual aspirant moving on the path. Although the pure spiritual aspirant denies himself the use of these powers, lest they lead to his downfall, these inner faculties are in each and every one of us. We only have to do the practices for awakening the higher centres in the brain which are associated with ajna in order to open these doorways to new expenences. Thus, ajna and the pineal gland act as the channels through which the subtle vibrations are sent out into the cosmos, or are received. Ajna is the best known and most respected chakra; it has always been held in high esteem and probably the best known practices of meditation are designed to awaken ajna and increase the activity of the pineal gland. Persons who enjoy excessive sexual stimulation will have more difficulty in attaining siddhis and may have trouble in maintaining the siddhis they have attained . This fact is well known amongst all spiritual aspirants and is in harmony with the effect of the pineal gland regulating the activity of the sexual function. However, nothing in life is absolute and sexual abstinence for those idealists who are not sufficiently pure may actually be more harmful than helpful in their progress in meditation. Often such aspirants find the effort required to halt sexual activity to be so difficult or indeed impossible that understandable lapses occur yet are fraught with tensions and guilt. Therefore, one should abstain when abstinence would not be a struggle.
Scientific research on the pineal gland
Serena Roney-Dougal is a parapsychologist who has written many papers on the function of the pineal gland in the chakra system. A three part series, ‘On a Possible Psychophysiology of the Yogic Chakra System’ was republished in the Sivananda Math journal, YOGA (May, July, September 2000). Her work validates the role of melatonin during meditative states. Roney-Dougal writes that the main function of the pineal gland is to make neuro-hormones, which affect both the brain and the body. The pineal works with the pituitary through the hypothalamus, controlling the endocrine system. It is one of the regulators of our circadian rhythm, is implicated in our emotional state, reproductive function, possibly dream sleep and in certain psychoses. Melatonin is the best studied of the pineal neuro-hormones and was first isolated from cattle in 1963. Before this the pineal was generally considered in the West to be vestigial: Amphibians and reptiles have light sensitive cells in the pineal gland, which for them is literally a light sensitive third eye at the top of the brain. In humans, fibres from the inferior accessory optic tract go to the pineal; these are separate from the main optic tract bundle, which suggests that the light sensitivity of the pineal is not necessarily related to sight (Eichler, 1985). The pineal gland is shaped like a tiny pinecone and is thus aptly named. Older texts describe this vestigial organ as a relic from our reptilian past. Serena Roney-Dougal is unique in her description of the physical aspects of ajna as a bilobed (two lobes or two petals) and a joining of the two glands, pituitary and pineal; the established system is to ascribe the physical concomitant of sahasrara to the pituitary and that of ajna to the pineal. Most people have heard of the pituitary gland, often known as the ‘master gland’ in that the hormones it makes exert a controlling effect on the endocrine organs. We can think of the pituitary as being an ‘on switch’ and the pineal as being an ‘off switch’ (the mistress gland) in that it works with the pituitary by switching off the endocrine organs. The form of ajna is traditionally depicted as bilobed and we can understand this to be the joining of the two glands, pituitary and pineal, which makes very good sense from a neuro-endocrinological point of view. This makes much better sense than assigning the pituitary to sahasrara, the crown chakra, as some systems do, since sahasrara is better understood as the culmination of everything, the whole rather than any of the parts. Just as mooladhara is considered to be the top chakra of animals and the bottom of humans, so sahasrara can be understood as the. top chakra of humanity and the bottom chakra of the divine order of being. There is a large body of scientific evidence suggesting that the pineal gland prQduces a chemical in the brain that enhances psychic paranormal or meditative states. Roney-Dougal says, “Neurochemical and anthropological evidence suggests that the pineal gland may produce a neuro-modulator that enhances a psi-conducive state of consciousness.” An abstract of this research was presented at the Parapsychological Association Convention in 1985 (Roney-Dougal, 1986). For full details of this research see Roney-Dougal (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993). In brief, the pineal gland has been found to synthesize various beta-carbolines and peptides, and to contain enzymes that produce psycho-active compounds such as 5-methoxy dimethyltryptamine (5MeODMT). “The two precursors that are most likely to be involved in the synthesis of such compounds are serotonin ( 5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) and tryptamine. These have wide-ranging effects throughout our brain and body, affecting the gonads, adrenals, pancreas, thyroid, and other emotional and endocrine activities.” (Strassman, 1990) At this stage of the discussion it is appropriate to view a historical perspective on the development of scientific knowledge of the functioning of the pineal gland. It was first found that melatonin was a hormone manufactured by the pineal gland in 1959 by Dr Aaron Lerner at Yale University. He concluded that melatonin must have been the result of the reaction of certain enzymes upon serotonin, which must have pre-existed in the pineal gland. Serotonin is not an unusual chemical in nature; it is found in many places, including plants such as bananas, figs and plums. Professor E.J. Gaddum (The biological function of the third eye) at the University of Edinburgh was the first to note a connection between serotonin and mental states of being. In a paper published in 1953 he pointed out that LSD-25 was a potent antagonist to serotonin. LSD-25 was said to be the drug for altering the mind and inducing mental states free from the mentally limiting encumbrance of social and environmental patterns. The experience was termed transcendental and likened to the death of the ego as portrayed by Dr Timothy Leary and others who were the leaders of the ‘hippy culture’ of the 1970s. Subsequently, it was found that LSD occupies serotonin receptor sites, for a brief time suppressing the action of serotonin. This is followed by a surge in serotonin concentrations, giving rise to the so-called LSD experience, which is the psi experience. This is in agreement with the reported experience some 20–30 minutes after ingesting LSD. The initial ‘high’ is reported to be peaceful, totally relaxed as if bathed in golden light and certainly out of this world, and is followed by a trip through the unconscious with a myriad of patterns and images. The LSD practitioner is likely to experience the ordinary mind of everyday humdrum conditioned existence as something shallow, unreal . and separate from them, and with this there is the realization that within lies a glorious and deep existence, which is the truth. From this the alternative hippy culture sprang and many among their ranks took to spiritual disciplines so that the experience of the truth could live with them. Julius Axelrod has studied the roles of melatonin and its precursor serotonin, and found that melatonin suppresses physiological sexuality in m·ammals. Test animals were stimulated to manufacture excessive amounts of melatonin, which resulted in their gonads and ovaries shrinking, atrophying. The oestrous or fertility cycle in females could likewise be altered experimentally by doses of melatonin. Axelrod also discovered that the pineal gland produces chemicals to a circadian rhythm; by altering light conditions he could extend, contract, or even stabilize the chemical p roduction rhythms of the pineal. So lhe pineal gland research to date has uncovered three basic points:
T he pineal produces melatonin, which is associated with the internal unconscious and subconscious experiences similar to the experiences of meditation.
Melatonin suppresses sexuality and the functionality of the sexual organs, creating a balance with the sexually stimulating effect of other hormones and of external conscious or worldly life. The literature of religious mysticism in all ages and all societies has viewed carnal passion as the antagonist of the ecstasy of spiritual experience.
T he production of melatonin is regulated by light; in the absence of light at night production is at its highest. The fact that the pineal responds to light, even if this
response is indirect via the central nervous system, has some fascinating and far-reaching conceptual applications. There are many behavioural changes which overtake animals as the seasons change, and which can be produced out of season in the laboratory by simulating the appropriate span of artificial daylight. This poses the question, “Do such seasonal changes in mood and behaviour persist in humans?” Greg T ooley is a researcher on the effects of meditation on melatonin levels in the blood . He works at the School of Psychology, La T robe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. During the proceedings of the 1996 World Yoga Convention held in Sydney, he reported that his research showed that:
Melatonin production peaked at around midnightThe production level of melatonin increases with the number of years of meditation practice of each subject. In a subsequent research paper (GA. Tooley et al, 2000, Biological Psychology, 53, 69–78, 71), Tooley describes some of the health benefits of melatonin and reports on previous research (Panzer and Viljoen, 1997), on immunoaugmentation (Maestroni etal, 1986), and anti-ageing (Maestroni et al, 1989):
“Although these properties have not yet been clearly established in humans, the fact that melatonin has been found to be an extremely potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger (Reiter et al, 1997) suggests that it may have an important role in reducing the cellular damage associated with the wear and tear of normal day to day life. In this context it is interesting to note that anti-cancer (Solberg et al, 1995; Meares, 1979), immunoaugmenting (Wallace, 1989), anti-ageing (Wallace et al, 1982) and anti-stress (Jevning et al, 1978a,b; MacLean et al, 1997) properties have also been claimed in relation to meditation. While the validity of the anti-cancer and anti-ageing claims in particular are debatable, the parallels with those made for melatonin are intriguing, and invite speculation that one of the mechanisms by which meditation might achieve some of its health benefits may be through an effect on circulating melatonin levels. With the above in mind, the following investigations were undertaken in order to test whether a period of meditation could acutely affect plasma melatonin levels.” In simple language this means that melatonin has the effect of anti-ageing, anti-stress, boosting the immune system and can be helpful in the treatment of cancer as well as repairing the cellular damage caused by the stresses and strains of worldly life. These benefits run parallel to the benefits of meditation and replicate the conclusions drawn in a much earlier book by Herbert Benson titled Relaxation Response. In this book the effects of meditation were measured by fourteen physiological functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, lactic acid content, electrical conductivity of the skin, etc. At the time of the book ( 1976) the benefits of melatonin were not known; however, the benefits of meditation were just starting to come into the view of medical research.
Leave a Reply