All World
Gayatri Pariwar

  The scientists of yore had adopted the approach of subtle science of spirituality to gain absolute knowledge about human mind and to creatively control the functioning of the brain. Modern scientists have started from an approach of gross analysis of the physico-chemical reactions and study of their effects manifested in behavioral changes. Progress of this research is now opening newer dimensions of the subtle aspects of human brain.

The study of hormones has offered amazing information to the researchers who consider physiological and biochemical processing to be the basic cause of different functions of brain. The front-line researchers now believe that the root cause of secretion of the enormous varieties of hormones is yet unknown because of the subtle nature of different levels of consciousness affecting the mind.

Even a single drop of some hormones secreted within the brain is found to bring drastic changes in the body-functions. The temperament and the emotional manifestations too are found to vary because of the fluctuations in specific hormonal levels. Many hormones and neuro-chemicals - contained in the tiny neurons - have now been identified and analyzed in the laboratories. These include, those found to be associated with the fatigue or energetic state of the body and the alacrity of mind, and those which can stimulate or suppress the expressions of love, compassion, cheerfulness etc. The hormone secreting glands seem to reveal even newer wonders before the endocrinologists to further accelerate research in the related areas of neuroscience.

It is a surprising coincidence that the existence of the mysterious neuro-chemicals came into light through the study of some diseases like aboulia and amnesia in which the mind goes into depression or becomes dull and dormant by losing memory and intellectual sharpness. Some scientists at the American National Institute of Mental Health had found that the activity or inhibition of an enzyme called MAO (Mono Amine Oxidase) is largely responsible for the changes in people’s temperaments. The normal as well as the unusual emotional expressions of different persons, cheerfulness and irritation, alacrity and lethargy etc, are found to depend on the inhibition or activation – by other enzymes and chemicals – of the neuro-hormonal secretions of MAO.

According to Dr. Andrew Baptist, a behavioral psychologist by profession, there are two major classes of neuro-chemicals: one, the group of MAO-enzymes and the other, that of different neurotransmitters such as, epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, etc. The MAOs suppress the functions of the neurotransmitters. A third group of neurotransmitters has also been discovered which preserves the activity and blood-level of the neurotransmitters. This helper group mainly consists of the enzymes of endorphin category. The research findings of Dr. Andrew and others indicate that excessive secretion of MAO often triggers lethargy, dullness, mental restlessness and tension. The activation of the second group can suppress the effects of MAO and induce alacrity, enthusiasm, relaxation and cheerfulness. The enzymes like encephalon etc of the endorphin group further enhance the activity of the neurotransmitters and accelerate positive effects on mental and emotional conditions. People are found to show greater mental concentration and efficiency in their tasks-in-hand when the secretion and activities of the neurotransmitters and hormones of the latter groups are on.

Acupuncture and Pain Alleviating Hormones:

Medical experts consider that the limbic system in human brain can secrete specific neuro-chemicals, which alleviate the sensation of pain or counter the tension caused by mental stress. Emotions are supposed to trigger the activities of the limbic system. As the sensory nerves carry the sensation of pain to the spinal cord, the efferent receptors of the limbic region in a healthy brain are activated and they secrete two phaline peptides that serve as natural ‘pain killers’. Betalypotramine (LPH) is found to be the forerunner of encephalin.

Experiments in neuro-immuno-histochemistry have shown that a large number of neurons - filled with encephalon - are clustered at different levels of the cerebrospinal axis; these clusters are denser near specific pain-sensing center on the gelatinosa of the spinal column. The neurons are also present near the nerves connected to the digestive system. The techniques like acupuncture invoke the secretion of encephalon at specific centers as and when required and thereby offer healing and remedy from pain without any medicine or other treatments. Many surgical operations are performed successfully by suppressing sensation with the help of acupuncture without using any anesthesia.

Frontline researchers in Parapsychology consider that the secretion and concentration of different hormones like encephalon, endogens – painkillers - can be regulated by harmonizing the activities of brain with the help of dhy³n (deep meditation). Dhy³n is a risk-free spiritual exercise, which offers enormous benefits. Experts of this science prescribe meditation as an effective remedy against pain and mental stress and strain instead of the killer medicines, steroids and intoxicating drugs.

Wonders of Disturbed Secretion of Growth Hormones:

Imbalance of the hormone-secreting glands (the endocrine glands) creates amazing disorders in natural living system. The pair of a 25-inch ‘tall’ man, Tom Thumb and a 24-inch tall woman, Lebonia is counted among the great wonders of Nature in the human society. However, the experts know that such wonders are results of slight disorders in the endocrine system. Tom Thumb weighed 9 pounds 2 ounce at the time of birth; but, due to some deficiency in hormonal secretions, his body-weight remained the same. His body had become a source of earning for him through jugglery. He had married a matching dwarf woman and enhanced his business through their joint shows. The other extreme of hormonal imbalance leads to uncontrolled growth of height and /or weight. Robert Widelio’s height of 8 ft 11 inches was a live example of this effect. He used to look like a moving Palm Tree. A 7 ft tall man Tilwar lived like a ‘show piece’ for the people of Palamou in Bihar (India).

Czar Peter of Russia was very tall. He used to like tall people. When one of his favorite, exceptionally tall sergeant died, the Czar had ordered to preserve his skeleton in the Kuntz art museum. This specimen was about 200 years old when some scientists tried to investigate the cause of its abnormal height with the help of X-rays. The analysis carried out by them identified excessive secretions through the pituitary gland as the cause of this exceptional growth.

Alipus of Alexandria was a dwarf. His height was only 17 inches. Amira Zambilakas had kept him in his house to entertain the visitors. He used to carry Alipus in a small cage while traveling. Fanny Miles, a girl born in 1880 in Cincinnati, Ohio USA, had exceptionally long feet in her otherwise normal body. Her 2-ft long feet used to frighten people. Nobody married her because of this abnormality.

Alfred Lenzmann of Detroit Michigan (USA) had a peculiar ability to breathe through the eyes instead of the nostrils. During test experiments he used to quench candles by staring at them while his nose and mouth were covered. Fred Pagel’s voice was so loud that it could be heard from a distance of over 3 miles whenever he spoke at high pitch with force.

The above examples present only a small sample of the varieties of abnormalities in the body-functions that could be caused by imbalance in the endocrine secretions.

Renowned psychoanalyst, Dr. Edgar has conducted research on effects of hormones on behavior and attitude. His findings indicate that many individuals, despite having excellent physique and charming appearance, do not have the natural masculine (or feminine) tendencies because of the abnormal levels of certain hormones. Impotency is also attributed to hormonal disorders in general.

As stated earlier, the endocrine glands are affected by the internal state of the mind and emotions and accordingly generate the feelings of joy, enthusiasm, courage and alacrity, or that of dole, dullness, despair and apprehension etc. Modern scientists are actively engaged in finding hormone-based therapies to control one’s physical and mental health. Partial success has been achieved in the cases where major cause of hormonal imbalance is identified as deficiency of certain chemicals as a result of some disease or known physiological disorder.

Key to Hormonal Regulation:

Scientific investigations have revealed that hormonal secretions do not have any direct relationship with the quantity and quality of the food intakes and physical activities in general. Neither the geneticists have been able to establish any correlation between driven functions and hormonal regulation, nor has any psychological study yet confirmed any correlation model between specific functions of the endocrine system and the state of the conscious mind, which could be regarded as a universal model. Possibilities of some inherent tendencies of the subconscious and unconscious mind influencing the hormonal secretions do not find ground because of the lack of coherence. Then a natural question arises –– what is the reason of variation in the levels and types of hormonal secretions from the endocrine glands? We will have to look into the deeper depths of the subtle levels of human consciousness in order to find possible answers.

The third and the innermost component of human consciousness is the causal body which is also known as the eternal emotional core of the heart, the inner self, the abode of soul, etc. The natural beliefs, faith, inner emotions, intrinsic instincts and desires, and ascetic appetence etc emanate from this center. The feelings of ego, haecceity and afflatus also have their roots in this innermost core of human consciousness. The inherent characteristics – the reflections of the sins (p³pa) and the virtuous, pious, altruist deeds (puñya) of an individual are manifested in these expressions of the inner self. The intrinsic state, purity and spiritual level of these reflections are found to affect the activities of the endocrine system. Thus, the hormonal secretions appear to be subtly controlled by the pr³rabdha – destiny formed according to the collection of the p³pa and puñya of the previous births. Reactions of the p³pa and puñya of the present birth also get accumulated in the stock of pr³rabdha and play an important role in respectively deteriorating and ameliorating the order and efficiency of the endocrine system and thereby influencing both the physical and subtle bodies.