Medicine and Mind in 21ST Century (Part 1)

Swami Vijnananand Vision

In series of Blogs under “Disease Cure”, we saw in details the relation of Health with Emotions directly and Mind indirectly. The theory of ‘Recipropathy’ is also explained in details. The advice of Swami Vijnananand to “add peace to the prescription” is seen to be acceptable as per the latest findings in the field of human health. Some of these are listed below. 

Swamiji often mentioned while he put forward his analysis fifty and odd years earlier, that “I am telling the facts which shall be appreciated in 21^st century”.

While the mental stress related reasons have assumed major base for the ill-health and as depression has become the second largest disease of 21^st century, thinkers in the field are required to go into the details of remedies and peruse the  policy makers to evolve suitable policies for implementation.

We shall see some of the latest development in the field of health in light of the information provided under the articles in this series. (Source - Daily Science News)

1 Even mild stress is linked to long-term disability, study finds.

2 How our bodies interact with our minds in response to fear and other emotions.

3 Negative emotions in response to daily stress take a toll on long-term mental health

4 Emotions adjust not only our mental, but also our bodily states.

5 Our feelings and beliefs impact our every cell.

We shall see details in brief.

1 Even mild stress is linked to long-term disability, study findsMarch 24, 2011, BMJ-British Medical Journal

Even relatively mild stress can lead to long term disability and an inability to work, reveals a large population based study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

It is well known that mental health problems are associated with long term disability, but the impact of milder forms of psychological stress is likely to have been underestimated, say the authors. Between 2002 and 2007, the authors tracked the health of more than 17,000 working adults up to the age of 64, who had been randomly selected from the population in the Stockholm area.

All participants completed a validated questionnaire (GHQ-12) at the start of the study to measure their mental health and stress levels, as well as other aspects of health and wellbeing.

During the monitoring period, 649 people started receiving disability benefit -- 203 for a mental health problem and the remainder for physical ill health. Higher levels of stress at the start of the study were associated with a significantly greater likelihood of subsequently being awarded long term disability benefits.

But even those with mild stress were up to 70% more likely to receive disability benefits, after taking account of other factors likely to influence the results, such as lifestyle and alcohol intake. One in four of these benefits awarded for a physical illness, such as high blood pressure, angina, and stroke, and almost two thirds awarded for a mental illness, were attributable to stress.

2 How our bodies interact with our minds in response to fear and other emotions
April 7, 2013, British Neuroscience Association

New research has shown that the way our minds react to and process emotions such as fear can vary according to what is happening in other parts of our bodies.

In two different presentations on April 8 at the British Neuroscience Association Festival of Neuroscience (BNA2013) in London, researchers have shown for the first time that the heart's cycle affects the way we process fear, and that a part of the brain that responds to stimuli, such as touch, felt by other parts of the body also plays a role.

Dr Garfinkel and her colleagues hooked up 20 healthy volunteers to heart monitors, which were linked to computers. "Our results show that if we see a fearful face during systole (when the heart is pumping) then we judge this fearful face as more intense than if we see the very same fearful face during diastole (when the heart is relaxed). To look at neural activity underlying this effect, we performed this experiment in an MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] scanner and demonstrated that a part of the brain called the amygdala influences how our heart changes our perception of fear.

"Lastly, we have demonstrated that the degree to which our hearts can change the way we see and process fear is influenced by how anxious we are. The anxiety level of our individual subjects altered the extent their hearts could change the way they perceived emotional faces and also altered neural circuitry underlying heart modulation”

In a second presentation, Dr Alejandra Sel, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology at City University (London, UK), investigated a part of the brain called the somatosensory cortex -- the area that perceives bodily sensations, such as touch, pain, body temperature and the perception of the body's place in space, and which is activated when we observe emotional expressions in the faces of other people.

"In order to understand other's people emotions we need to experience the same observed emotions in our body. Specifically, observing an emotional face, as opposed to a neutral face, is associated with an increased activity in the somatosensory cortex as if we were expressing and experiencing our own emotions. It is also known that people with damage to the somatosensory cortex find it difficult to recognize emotion in other people's faces," Dr Sel told the news briefing.

However, until now, it has not been clear whether activity in the somatosensory cortex was simply a by-product of the way we process visual information, or whether it reacts independently to emotions expressed in other people's faces, actively contributing to how we perceive emotions in others.

The researchers found that there was enhanced activity in the somatosensory cortex in response to fearful faces in comparison to neutral faces, independent of any visual processes. Importantly, this activity was focused in the primary and secondary somatosensory areas; the primary area receives sensory information directly from the body, while the secondary area combines sensory information from the body with information related to body movement and other information, such as memories of previous, sensitive experiences.

"Our experimental approach allows us to isolate and show for the first time (as far as we are aware) changes in somatosensory activity when seeing emotional faces after taking away all visual information in the brain. We have shown the crucial role of the somatosensory cortex in the way our minds and bodies perceive human emotions. These findings can serve as starting point for developing interventions tailored for people with problems in recognizing other's emotions, such as autistic children," said Dr Sel.

3 Negative emotions in response to daily stress take a toll on long-term mental health
April 2, 2013, Association for Psychological Science

Our emotional responses to the stresses of daily life may predict our long-term mental health, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Psychological scientist Susan Charles of the University of California, Irvine and colleagues conducted the study in order to answer a long-standing question: Do daily emotional experiences add up to make the straw that breaks the camel's back, or do these experiences make us stronger and provide an inoculation against later distress?

Using data from two national surveys, the researchers examined the relationship between daily negative emotions and mental health outcomes ten years later. Participants' overall levels of negative emotions predicted psychological distress (e.g., feeling worthless, hopeless, nervous, and/or restless) and diagnosis of an emotional disorder like anxiety or depression a full decade later.

The results were based on data from 711 participants, both men and women, who ranged in age from 25 to 74. They were all participants in two national, longitudinal survey studies: Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) and National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE).

According to Charles and her colleagues, these findings show that mental health outcomes aren't only affected by major life events -- they also bear the impact of seemingly minor emotional experiences. The study suggests that chronic nature of these negative emotions in response to daily stressors can take a toll on long-term mental health.

4 "Emotions adjust not only our mental, but also our bodily states."
December 31, 2013, Aalto University

Researchers found that the most common emotions trigger strong bodily sensations, and the bodily maps of these sensations were topographically different for different emotions. The sensation patterns were, however, consistent across different West European and East Asian cultures, highlighting that emotions and their corresponding bodily sensation patterns have a biological basis.

The findings have major implications for our understanding of the functions of emotions and their bodily basis. On the other hand, the results help us to understand different emotional disorders and provide novel tools for their diagnosis."

The research was carried out on line, and over 700 individuals from Finland, Sweden and Taiwan took part in the study. The researchers induced different emotional states in their Finnish and Taiwanese participants. Subsequently the participants were shown with pictures of human bodies on a computer, and asked to color the bodily regions whose activity they felt increasing or decreasing.

The results were published on 31 December, 2013 in the scientific journal Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences.

Healing of body through Mind.

In the words of one of the leading thinkers in health care of this century:

“We have forgotten the inner ability of the body for self-cure and we are so much engrossed on the technology, we have lost touch with one of the most important things what body knows to do. Every empowered patient and every conscious health care provider should start to think this way about the health. It is the healers’ job to give calming influence to the amygdala, to remember the healing power of love, show support to nurturing, caring. I am not suggesting to ditch the power of   modern medicine and technology. It has its place of importance. But that alone is not enough! Even the good diet, exercise and taking vitamins is not enough!! We have to take next step to see how do we deal with the stress response and develop relaxation response so that we help the body to heal itself.”

(To be continued)

Vijay R. Joshi.

DISEASE - CURE (Cure without Medicine - 5)

Medicine and Mechanics

(Excerpts from book “Cure without Medicine”)

1.  The body is made of cells. The mind and in turn emotions are present in every cell of the body. The perfect co-ordination and unity of ‘self’ is shared and maintained by each cell. Each cell shares these living emotional property. Hence our proposition laid down earlier stands proved collectively (at body of the organism) and individually (at each cell in the body of the organism).

2.  If pulse beats were the only standard, then a hard working laborer would be the victims of the worse disease (since while doing the labor, the pulse beats variation is much more than doing the table work involving intelligence).

3. Pulse is not the only measure

But it may be noted that pulse is not the only measure. When the intellectuals pulse is accelerated, the brain potentials (electric changes) are more rapid in his case. The laborer, comparatively, has a small change in the brain potential. In the case of intellectual, the rate of change of brain potential is comparatively higher. Indeed, here the consideration of minute volume of heart crops up along with the pulse rate but we shall ignore it here to make understanding simple. Pulse beat if compared to prick of a match stick, then brain potential would be equivalent to pin-prick. The sharper the worse.

These are simplified statements. Indeed brain potential bear different contexts.

4. Role of Medicine

We now consider the mode of action of medicine on the condition of disease itself.

Emotions are spread throughout body.

On the showing of science itself, the human body is an integrated whole. One cannot assert that emotion is in one part of the body and a boil on the foot is at another altogether distinct part of the body, unconnected with the lame of emotion. Every part of the body and emotion is jointly responsible for all actions of commission and omission. All action in the body collectively face the reaction under the laws of science.

5. Illustration (Simplified) – to see the effect of medicine on the body.

5.1 Consider the case of a person who has become angry on six different occasions, say for 10 minutes on each occasion.

Assume his normal pulse rate is 72/minute.

When angry, it goes to 78/minute

PV (action)/minute is 6 stroke/minute

Total action produced in 60 minutes = 60 x 6 = 360 PV strokes

Therefore, the stored potential energy in the body = 360 strokes of action

5.2 Now assume that this potential energy (360 strokes) produces 60 minutes of headache. During the period of headache, the pulse will beat say at 78/minute. (This means, on the basis of discussion earlier, through the pain-emotions of headache, the body will react on the mind at the rate of six strokes per minute, i.e. reaction of 60 minutes x 6 strokes/minute = 360 strokes of reaction) Here we see the emotion (anger) has been fully compensated by headache.

5.3 But in practice, the person would take a pill to stop his headache. Say after 40 minutes (i.e. he suffered from the headache for some time and later his pain stopped due to the medicine he consumed), i.e. 20 minutes x 6 strokes/minute = 120 strokes of headache are saved by medicine.

5.4 But since these 120 strokes cannot be abolished, they are not destroyed or totally avoided, but merely withheld. The man gets relief from headache. Let us assume that the joy of relief the person enjoys for 10 minutes at the strokes of action of 6 strokes/minute. Hence 6 x 10 = 60 strokes the person has added to the potential quota of reaction (to be suffered sometime later).

5.5 Medicine itself creates some action on the body. It is not always possible to ascertain correctly in each case how much action a particular drug is likely to add to the body. Hypothetically in this case it is assumed that ¼ pill would have been sufficient to stop the headache. But since, one full pill was consumed ¾ pill was consumed in excess of the requirement. This excess medicine will also have strength to create action in the body.

We may say – 120 strokes saved by taking medicine

                   60 strokes created by Joy of relief

                   360 strokes created by unwanted dose of medicine (action)

                   540 Total strokes

Thus, the picture:

540 strokes – potential stored for future pain in spite of suffering headache for 40 minutes (40x6 = 240 strokes).

(In practice, the reaction thus stored because of joy or because of additional medicine may not be exactly as above. But then all that we are concerned with is that it is more than the original quota of reaction, the man should have been subjected to because of the headache).

5.6 Consider this again.

In the event the headache occurs again the next day, to give the individual the above 540 strokes. He does not wait even 40 minutes before taking medicine. He takes the medicine (pill) just within 5 minutes the headache starts. On each such occasion are added minimum of about 400 strokes. During three years, say 1000 days @ the above rate the body of the person has stored 1000x400 = 400,000 reaction strokes.

By taking medicine, the person has prohibited the body to react to the headache (suffering). So this large amount of reaction is directed to, say heart, in place of head. So the person gets a heart attack.

6. Alexis Carrel

Wrote in his famous book ‘Man the Unknown’ about the potential capacity of the body to retain, yet adjust itself. “Medicine is far from having decreased human sufferings as much as it endeavors to make us believe. Indeed the number of deaths from infection diseases has greatly diminished. But we still must die, and we die in a much larger proportion from degenerative diseases. The years of life which we have gained by the suppression of diseases (like diphtheria, small pox, typhoid fever, etc.) are paid for by the long sufferings and the lingering deaths caused by chronic affections and especially by cancer, diabetes and heart diseases.”

7 The route may be complicated, the analysis complex – yet the fundamental remains unaffected totally. They are identical in case of every disease. By any logic, there cannot be any other conclusion.

It is quite well-known that while the ‘Pill’ stops the headache, it simultaneously also acts on the nervous system. Where other medicines are concerned, they act either on the nervous system or on some other part of the body. There is no provision for the medicine to unconditionally be thrown out of body. On the contrary, the medicine becoming one with the body, metabolism again produces its effect. So all that person achieves by taking medicine is to delay the action of disease or to change its original nature ultimately to be all the worse for treatment.

8. Let me make it clear. In case you ask me whether we should not then take medicines at all?

Leaving details for later discussion, I emphasis that we should at least add to the medicine, appreciation of these findings and ‘Peace of Mind’ resulting therefrom (from this knowledge).

Summary

When emotion (cause) turns itself into disease (effect), the process is subtle (Fine and difficult to understand). Cause-Effect, Action-Reaction take place either immediately or (through medicine if can be) differed. In the first alternative, the manifestation of effect is immediately, or optionally (by postponement by medicine), it can be stored as ‘potential energy’. This is again purely as per another concept of physics).

(To be continued..)

Vijay R. Joshi

LAWS OF MIND (W.M.M. - 8)

Excerpts from book: WHAT MIND MEANS (Author Swami Vijnananand, Manashakti publication).

Chapter 8 - Sleep and Dream Reveal Laws of Mind

1.  Since so far, we have discussed and provided the proof, no rational should hesitate to get convinced about the non-material nature of mind. It would be now worth to understand the Laws of Mind.

These laws will be useful for all of us to understand the rights and responsibilities to which we (as mind) are entitled. If we look around carefully, we get ample hints to observe how Nature fails to guard the Magna Charta (fundamental rights and liberties) of mind.

They are (a) solitude (living alone) (b) Sleep and (C) dreams.

2. Sleep proves Mind independent of body.

Pavlov theory about sleep is taken as a basis to illustrate this point.

Pavlov distinguished sleep in three parts, viz. total, partial and broken up. A section of cerebral cortex called ‘sentry post’ by Pavlov remains awake in the state of partial sleep. Person goes to sleep in night and wakes up in the morning at pre-decided time. This is possible because of the awakening of ‘sentry post’ in partial sleep. When the sleeping effect also covers this ‘waking cortex’ (i.e. sentry post) then there is partial sleep converted in a total sleep.  If this is so, it means that during total sleep no cell of the brain is excluded out of sleep. How then we return to agile (active) activity? To this Pavlov says, “The waking state is maintained by more or less rapidly changing stimuli acting on the cerebral hemispheres mainly from the external world”. What is this stimulus in the external world? And when and how it is available? When it is absent?

For example, a tired person goes to sleep at 7.00 pm then at 4.00 am he will naturally wake up as his sleep duration will be over. At calm and quite morning at 4.00 a.m. which external stimuli wakes him up while all the other members in his home could be in deep sleep?

So this can’t be any external stimuli but it ought to be the internal stimuli which springs to operate and awakes the person. That stimuli (capable of acting when ‘all’ brain cells remain passive) cannot but be non-material and we seek Pavlov granting us a form to reward it the title ‘mind’.

3) Mind controls matter in hypnotic state or partial sleep.

In the hypnotized sleep or suggested sleep we have to carefully look at the hypnotizer’s order to the subject to go to sleep. No command like “go to total sleep or maintain speech contact after sleep” was given. No doubt, in his own mind the hypnotizer did issue these instructions. Does it not then obviously establish that un-uttered intentions of the hypnotizer have, in this case, passed on to the subject. It self-evidently proves how the hypnotized person’s mind independent of matter, took active part in the process. If ‘matter’ was be-all, end-all, the subject would have slept like a dormouse (squirrel) as directed, without additions or subtractions by instinct, right or wrong.

4) Mind is always alert, also in sleep, suggested dreams prove. In a short nap (afternoon sleep), the mind comparatively and perhaps willingly slackens its closely tied authority over body. However, till the organism is alive, body and mind are never distinctly divorced. The discussion on total sleep above has already, though partly, set the question at rest. Moreover, suggested dreams show clearly this fact with still firm convictions. True, that dreams cannot be suggested at will, but in a no way, it diminishes the amazing significance attachable to the suggested dreams. As early as 1925, Russian experts have used medicine of suggested dreams in their cure therapy.

(5) Quite Mind has greatest strength. Normally, each day ends in exhaustion and fatigue. This exhaustion is reduced bit by bit during night sleep. Eight hours sound sleep takes care of energy of 16 hours’ work during the day. Inactive state each night inherit rather inject in us blessing ability to enjoy. Accumulation of potential to enjoy stems from relaxation of bonds between psyche (mind) and soma (body) purposive silence (meditation) and sound sleep apparently confer power, both to fight the battle of life and to enjoy excitement of emotions.

(6) Emotionlessness offers greater bliss: Body not necessary to enjoy

Just calmly and thoroughly consider following. When do you indulge (allow yourself to follow your will) in unimaginable delight?  This is best done only in sound sleep. For rest of the day, your conception of happiness is subjective, relative, comparative and plastic. In serene (peaceful, calm) sleep, it is absolute (complete, perfect).

(7) Dreams indicate: We may suffer without body.

In unsound sleep, body also undergoes dangerous experience as much as thoughts (emotions) physically affect the body. In a deep trance (half conscious sleep between sleeping and awakening), I climb the towering Empire State Building and through myself beneath, my palpitation is accelerated. This happens though my limbs are actually relaxed in my bed. Obviously though mind has chosen to hop over the top of the structure while the other end (mind’s other end) is retained in the material body for the production of appropriate representative repercussions. With this we see a rational inference (conclusion) about minds capacity to drink with pleasure the bitter cup where material flesh is not an absolute requirement. Inferentially, though not conclusively, after-life notions conceived by various faiths (religious) may be true to the extent to which it is deciphered (said/meant) that in after-life, mind is conditioned to extreme agony (extreme, prolonged sufferings) in proportion to its carefree carving. During the life suffering in dreams of cause make marking on body.

(8) Hypnotism, Dreams partial capacity of Mind to go out of body.

Explanation in point 3 above throw light on mind’s restricted ability to go out of physical frame. A thought, though unspoken, can reach other subject and impel him to act. Similarly, it can be said with confidence (asserted) from the paint 7 above that suggested dream put the subject (body) under disturbing/damaging influence and induce mind to spin out (to resolve or rotate rapidly) in the free space of the unfathomable cosmos.

(9) Mind can peep (look partially) into future.

Hypnotic suggestions that work successfully and dreams that come true suggest mind’s capacity to probe into future. Yet this point needs further consideration.

Chapter 9 – Health, Mind and its laws

1)  Truth is frequently stranger than fiction. We consider every disease as physical (related to body). But it is derived (created) from the ‘mind’, which is beyond our world of imagination and understanding. For many centuries the dead bodies (mummies?) are kept in the pyramids in the Egypt. But no studious historian or any person has every reported them taking an infection of influenza, black plague, yellow fever, small pox, cholera, cancer or T-B.  After death, the mind (or life or soul, etc.) makes the (dead) body invalid and passes on to the next adventure (i.e. normally called as rebirth). The body (the one like in Pyramid) never tends to develop any disease after suffering the unbearable tumor of death.

2) The key stone (Base or backbone) of the argument in short is as follows: 

The effects of mind when attached to matter on its own are measurable at a given moment. Resting on this premise (logic) we (S.V.) have described our theory in the four books. One of the major surmises (inference without strong evidence) can be produced in a concise (brief but comprehensive) form:

Emotion = observable Motion (Pulse Variation PV or EEG potentials)

Disease = Observable Motion (     - do -                  )

Therefore 

Emotion = Disease i.e. E = D

Truth: Mind hits body (Desires make body to act i.e. create motion in body for ease i.e. pleasure). In pursuance of the laws of motion as the reaction is equal and opposite, the mind craving for ease earns disease, (not immediately but) after potential capacity of the concerned metabolism (in body) to store disease (i.e. anti-motion created by the hit of desire – emotions) reaches its peak limit. Lastly, it was codified as under:

In truth, there is no emotional outburst. Untruth causes emotions (outburst to the extent of untruth).

Emotions cause disease.

Untruth causes un-ease (disease)

Truth causes ease

(Ease is comparative see question ‘3’ below)

3. In order to understand manifestation (outward perceptible indication) of mind in terms of laws of motion and its relation to health (or happiness), we need to find out answers to following eight questions:

Q.1 – How many gradations has mind like conscious, sub-conscious, Universal and so on ….?

Q.2 – Does mind observe the laws of motion?
Q.3 – If emotion is disease in minute form, should not its reaction bring in ease in obedience to Laws of motion?

Q.4 – Is mind itself machine in the normal sense?

Q.5 – How does mind act while related to body?

Q.6 – Does mind survive after death?

Q.7 – Does not method of auto suggestion subscribe to the view that mind is separate entity?

Q.8 – Can brain be compared to telephone system?

3a) Q.1 – How many gradations of mind exist? 

Mind, reflects obedience to the Laws of Matter at all times and without exception. If the mind resists openly (defies) these laws or it can elude (speedily avoid) them, it must be non-matter to that extent (under reference are laws of matter, limiting speed of matter). No scientist can dis-agree the above statements. May be, in the days to come, improved understanding of nature, will reveal variation of minds. It is conceivable that notion of impurity in mind itself implies sub-division of the mind-entity. Yet it remains a probability at each level a personal lemma (view). Detailed description of mind as advanced by some great spiritualists can never be blindly accepted, nor on the other hand can it be summarily rejected. An unbiased rationalist remains contended to accept. Mind exists independent of matter.

It gives birth to motion (relatively accelerated motion) yet minds unbelievable (strength, ability and characteristics) pre-potency lies in consciously adopted passive (visible/ inactive) state.

Existence of man (birth of human being) is for reasserting these facts and surrendering attachment to the matter. One can trace the links of mind till logic allows. Going beyond is neither necessary, nor possible. For closely understanding the Laws of Nature, it is not necessary to attach fertile fancy imagination to the Nature. (Mind need not be classified further. At least, at this stage)

3b) Q.2 Does mind obey the laws of motion?

Yes. Causality is applicable. Mind motivates body (induces motion in body/disturbs its inertia) which being matter has to abide Laws of Motion. Nobody has explored the mighty mind yet. In the present context, it is futile to imagine its behavior and laws in details after the death or prior to birth. Hardly anything (except/beyond) its bare existence before the birth and after the death can be guessed. Here we are concerned with the mind essentially after its voluntary attachment to matter (body) which is during the life. More particularly with the consideration of health and cure of the serious ailments (diseases) (Refer Book Cure without Medicine, Chapter 8 to 11 for the details).

Scientists do not reject ‘causality’ in one voice. (There may be objection or reservation from same section of scientists) Marxists scientists, Einstein and Plank all support the principle of causality.

In any case, the laws of motion certainly apply in lesser velocities with which we are concerned while considering relation between mind and health or when humanity broods over its 'happiness'. Except nuclear physics which has raised some doubts about the quantum of effect, no thinker worth the name argues that cause produces no effect at all.

Some biologists consider Laws of Physics (Law of Motion included) do not apply to ‘Living’. This hypothesis pre-supposes following:

·         Property of ‘Life’ (mind) beyond the scope of physics.

·         Physics deals with matter and when its laws fail to operate the entity involved in consideration has to be non-matter (mind).

·         The section of scientist who accept effect on body matter to be measure of mind.

For our purpose it is sufficient to emphasis that mind motivates body and the latter (body) abides by laws of Motion.

3c) Q.3 – If mind obeys laws of motion and emotion is a ‘disease’ how can its resultant be also disease. It should give ease following the premise of ‘equal and opposite’.

a) In emotion the mind is notionally at ease in a sense that without revealing that emotional warmth (earnestness) the mind tends to be ‘more’ uneasy. Mind exercises its option (with / without emotions) in favor of nearest route and clings itself to the emotional outburst, to enjoy ease (Ferment's principle of least action).

b) If the material, cell-knit body is assumed to be subjected to motion, distinct from mind, the proposition becomes more or less disentangled (simplified). In such a hypothesis the latter motion that is of mind acts on the former. Reaction on matter in this process is and ought to be bound by laws of motion. In effect the process becomes measure of mind's motion at a given moment.

c)  Both body and mind are in ceaseless motion. Over and above, the former (body) acts under the spell of inherent molecular motion (the body’s cells are made of molecules, which are always in motion) on top of it; is a motion derived from minds motivation. (This means body has three motions – (i) its own organs (for ex. Pulse, heart, brain etc.), (ii) its molecules, and (iii) imposed motion by mind - emotions).

Imagine or believe for a moment that body stays clean (of mind) from the scene. Mind initiates to action itself at the dictate of emotion will duly return to its state of inertia. (Here emotion assumes causal value of mind's brisk activity not necessarily as a different entity; as in steam engine, though steam, as well as engine, are material entities, the first becomes cause of activating the second). Utility of simile is limited. It has already been asserted and asseverated (stated categorically) how mind and matter fundamentally have different properties. Mind set into action cannot indefinitely continue to keep going assuming body obliterates itself (destroyed completely).

Consider an arrow is targeted at a tree and travelling with speed. Even though it misses the aim of tree, still at certain point after its journey the arrow will stop its travel and come to halt. The weakening of motion is attributed to gravitation and atmospheric resistance. Whatever it may be, the fact is certain that a given motion can never continue to be in the same velocity for an indefinite time, and though in its route it may suddenly and temporarily tend to accelerate, it must in due course put on the drag. In short, mind dashing itself on and creating a "fresh" motion for ease, even in the absence of the cell-spun body, at a given stage it would by itself turn into "disease". It cannot be otherwise till "law of force" operates or the law of contradiction remains valid.

In the absence of body too, mind’s irritation certainly would tend to diminish. The retardation quickens due to the ubieties (the property of having a definite location at any given time) of mind. Apparently then, with or without bodily bonds, mind is also loaded with the burden of inner monitoring law of ‘equal and opposite’.

Inherent contradictions of mind: Suppose the ‘Belly God’ feels hungry and has a special liking for chocolates. While eating first few chocolates will be ease, after consuming two dozen cakes of chocolate, he would develop a dislike for chocolates, only temporarily. Eventually, the pampered (excessively cared) will eat other dishes without hesitation or complaint. Had tongue alone (body alone) the choice of liking, there is no reason why the tissues on tongue grow dislike as such. Obviously the ‘dislike’ is to be attributable to mind alone much the same as like. This example shows clearly the internal inevitable contradiction.

(d)  Point (a) establishes that initiative action must be taken to make us comparatively ‘easy’. The moment you accept even unwillingly to the ‘guess’ and insist that in ‘anger’ or (in any emotion) the mind is not ‘easy’ your game is over. You are contradicting yourself. Because once you feel that there is no ‘ease’ in being greedy or affectionate why do you become greedy or affectionate? It is in your hand not to be so. On the other hand, the moment you agree with me (the author) that in emotions dwells the ‘germ’ of disease, you inadvertently agree with the equation, E=D

3(d) Q.4 – If man is a machine, why should he develop disease?

Man is not a machine. Man = Mind + Body (Non-matter + Matter). The body being material accepts the laws of motion. A misgiving is often generated that it strikingly resembles machine. Without the spark of mind, it would be same as machine. Attempts to create mechanical brain have not gone beyond a limit. It is not yet possible to synthesis the first live cell. Whether brains gifted with talent and well advanced and competent discretion comparable to man’s brain can be created artificially? There is no answer to this question.

The machine can’t be on pins and needles (to be nervously waiting to see what is going to happen) nor would it be delighted on its reaching a clue (getting guide to solve problem). Consequently, it would have no ease or disease and so no ill health on that account. Machines need fuel and best quality fuel would be sufficient for its purpose. For a man mere quantity, quality and calories are hardly sufficient.  He hankers (has strong often restless desire) after a good cheer, agreeable surroundings and number of other factors to make him appreciate his bait (allurement), breakfast (food) and banquet (feast, lavish meal). Sense of affection and affliction (suffering, a state of grief) draws a line between machine and living organism. Once the inborn inherent mover embarks in the steam of life (i.e. mind chooses to get associated with body i.e. the moment of conception), it implies death, which is accelerated by emotional characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.

Obviously, a living organism purchases death instead of eternal life. Extra motion of emotion allures (attract) him. Emotional mind in turn differentiates men from machine and becomes final traceable cause of his death.

Having seen some of the important features of mind; we shall try to understand the mind-body relationship in the next article based on the excerpts of the book “WHAT MIND MEANS”. (To be continued)

(Note: This is an attempt to make reader friendly interpretation of the book “WHAT MIND MEANS” based on my perception. Readers are requested to refer to the original book to cross check their understanding.)

Vijay R. Joshi.

 Knowledge: Most sacred path.

New Way Philosophy delineates the knowledge of Body, Soul and the Mind. Science deals with matter, the spirituality deals with mind, soul. The mission of both is to discover the ‘Truth’ for happiness of the humanity. Since human being is composed both of matter (body) and non- matter (mind, soul), both the missions are vitally important. Swami Vijnananand has endeavored to put together the tenets of science and spirituality in the new way philosophy. The findings are useful in day to day life of common person.

Let us probe further in the details of ‘knowledge’ which is considered as the most sacred path for the progress in the human life.

Holy Gita recapitulates the combined knowledge of the Vedas and Upanishads. This knowledge is helpful to lead successful life.  In our effort to review the concept ‘knowledge’, let us refer to Gita chapter four, verses 38 and 35.

na hi jñānena sadṛśaḿ  pavitram iha vidyate

tat svayaḿ yoga-saḿsiddhaḥ  kālenātmani vindati   (4/38)

In this world, there is nothing so much sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the ripen fruit of all mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time. When we speak of transcendental knowledge, we do so in terms of spiritual understanding. As such, there is nothing so much sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Ignorance is the cause of our bondage, and knowledge is the cause of our liberation. When one is situated in transcendental knowledge, he need not search for peace elsewhere, for he enjoys peace within himself.

yaj jñātvā na punar moham  evaḿ yāsyasi pāṇḍava

yena bhūtāny aśeṣāṇi  drakṣyasy ātmany atho mayi (4/35)

Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that all living beings are but part of the Supreme power.

Pure knowledge removes all illusions. Feeling of love and compassion towards all living is generated. Devil deeds get redeemed and the stage of self-realization is attained.

How the pure knowledge enables dis-illusion state?

Any allurement gives pleasure is the assumption of a layman whereas selfless duty adherence is the only way to realize the bliss is the belief of a Gita follower. One who dines with delicious tasty food would never want to eat road side junk food. Gita followers never falls prey to materialistic allurement and ego pleasures!

Sounds good! But can one practice this in prevailing hedonist, materialistic way of modern life? We are allured with not a single but several pleasures and attractions. That is the reason we turn blind eye on Gita based knowledge.

Are we averse to acquire knowledge? No, Not at all! The numbers of schools, colleges, universities have multiplied as never before. In fact we are witnessing the state of information explosion due to fast spread of internet and web service. We try to learn so many things from internet. We are acquiring varied degrees in diverse disciplines. What all this learning would be termed as? Can this be termed as ‘Knowledge’?

It can be termed as the general knowledge useful for day to day purpose in managing our daily needs.

We cannot belittle this knowledge as it serves us for so many purposes. Any information which helps us to fulfill our needs, we call it a knowledge. The knowledge category varies depending upon time to time varying needs. You need one type of knowledge for admitting your child in proper school, which would not serve the purpose to select good week-end outing place. The home maker in a large family should be equipped with some specific knowledge which would not serve the purpose to win a fierce competition in sports or business. The skills necessary for success in politics would be totally different than managing a social service center. An individual is constantly engaged to acquire different skills to meet the changing needs in the life.

Human needs –There are endless human needs. In an organized manner, Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970) classified the human needs in the order of hierarchy as follows.

Physiological needs

These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival, such as the need for water, air, food, and sleep. Maslow believed that these needs are the most basic and instinctive needs in the hierarchy because all needs become secondary until these physiological needs are met.

Security needs.
These include needs for safety and security. Security needs are important for survival, but they are not as essential as the physiological needs. Examples of security needs include a desire for steady employment, health care, safe neighborhoods, and shelter from the environment.

Social life needs.
This category includes needs for belonging, love, and affection. Maslow described these needs as less basic than physiological and security needs. Relationships such as friendships, romantic attachments, and families help fulfill this need for companionship and acceptance, as do involvement in social, community, or religious groups.

Esteem needs.
After the first three needs have been satisfied, esteem needs becomes increasingly important. These include the need for things that reflect on self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition, and accomplishment.

Self-actualizing needs.

This is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualizing people are moral-conscious, duty bound, self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others, and interested fulfilling their potential.

Fulfilling all such desires dose require a variety of skills and knowledge. All these put together can be termed as materialistic knowledge. But can this be termed as real knowledge? Let us see how ‘knowledge’ is defined by authorities.

Oxford dictionary defines knowledge:

1. Facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
2. Awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation:

Wiki:

In philosophy, the study of knowledge is called epistemology; the philosopher Plato famously defined knowledge as "justified true belief." However, no single agreed upon definition of knowledge exists, though there are numerous theories to explain it.

Bertrand Russell (1926) ,‘Theory of Knowledge’:

“At first sight it might be thought that knowledge might be defined as belief which is in agreement with the facts. The trouble is that no one knows what a belief is, no one knows what a fact is, and no one knows what sort of agreement between them would make a belief true.”

The 21^st century is often considered as ‘century of knowledge’. Having entered this century and first decade already passed, in conventional references we find certain vagueness in defining the term “knowledge” itself.

But we find the knowledge clearly defined by eastern thinkers, sages. The definition of knowledge is crystal clear in ancient treaties such as Holy Gita. Some reference from Gita is provided above. The concepts of Dnyana (knowledge) and Adnyana (Ignorance) have been clearly defined in a number of treaties by saints and sages.

-          The vast skills and organized information required to meet diverse life needs, such as ‘14 VIDYA 64 KALA’ is one variety of knowledge.

-          Science; which endeavors to investigate the facts of the matter based on experiment, observation, evidences by the best available method can be considered as another level of knowledge.

-          And the logical, rational objective imagination to foresee the facts beyond the limits of scientific investigations, which can be termed as ‘rational philosophy’ is yet another variety of knowledge.

All these levels have their own vital role and importance to fulfill the needs of human life. In his books “Science and Philosophy” and “ShaktiYoga” Swami Vijnananand has provided information of relevance on this issue. We shall refer to it later in articles to follow.

Vijay R. Joshi.