The journey of the Soul…

The Nature of the Soul according to the Vedas

THE VEDAS are the basis of Hinduism. A Rishi named Krishna Dwaipayanan divided Veda in
to four viz; Rig , Yajur, Saamam and Atharavam and the Rishi later known as Veda Vyasa. The
meaning of the words Veda Vyasa is ‘one who divided Veda ‘ The word Veda means
knowledge.

Knowledge is divided into two:

1. Spiritual(paraa)
2. Material(aparaa)

Modern science seeks to find the truth through the materialistic analysis of the universe. Our
scientific knowledge is confined to three states of living things viz;

1. Swapnam (Dream)
2. Sushupti (Sleep)
3. Jaagrat (Active)

Attainment of a fourth state called Thureeyam (Transcendental) is unknown / beyond the

purview of modern science. Those who attained this fourth state could realize the eternal truth,
and these are revealed in the form of Vedas. The last part of Vedas are called Vedantha or
Upanishads . Spiritual knowledge is the subject matter of Upanishads.

                                                      
Eternal Truths are discussed and revealed in the Upanishads .It is an embodiment of timeless
wisdom, the understanding of which is limited by our level of knowledge or ‘Samskaara”.
Obviously there are several schools of thought, and many scholars have interpreted the vedic
mantras in their own way. A Rishi named Chaarvaka stated that there is nothing other than what
we see around us. According to Chaarvaka Siddhantha the truth is one which we see around us.
The meaning of the word Chaarvaka is one who speaks beautiful words. According to him there
is no Brahman or God or any such supernatural power. 
Materialistic interpretation and dialectical analysis of the universe are the recent developments in
that school of thought, and can be considered as a derivative of Charvaaka Siddhantha. Other
important schools of thoughts in Hinduism are Nyaya(Goutama), Vyseshika(Kanaada)
Sankhya(Kapila), Yoga(Pathanjali), Purva meemamsa(Gaimini) & Uthara meemamsa
(Badarayana). Each one of these schools of thought is complete in itself . On the surface they
appear to contradict one another, but a close and deep study of all these thoughts will reveal that
the differences are superfluous, and all darshanas are tributaries to the Advaitha Philosophy
which traces back its origin in Nasadeeya Suktham in the Rigveda, developed by Badarayana
and explained by many scholars especially by Aadi Sankaraeacharya of Kaladi who is
considered to be the greatest scholar the world has ever seen.

When we teach natural sciences in schools, first the student is told that the sun rises in the east.
After some time he is told that the sun is not moving but the earth is moving. When the student
attains higher level he is taught that both the sun and earth are moving. At still higher levels he
learns that the sun is only a small star and there are several stars and galaxies in the universe
.Later he understands that the entire universe is moving and that is why it is called jagath.
Similarly a student of vedantha passes through various phases of learning . He may learn that
what is seen and experienced by the senses alone is correct as stated by Chaarvaka. Paradoxically
after passing through several beliefs and darshanas, later he realizes that the entire
Jagath( universe) does not actually exist, but is only a derivative of his consciousness as stated
by Aadi Sankara in his discourse on Advaita Vedantha. 

It is a process of development by acquiring knowledge. One can understand and assimilate things
commensurate with his level of “ Samskaara.” All darshanas or schools of thoughts lead
ultimately to Advaitha darshana. Probably only those who understand Advaitha Darshana can
say this because a person at higher levels alone can have better vision of all. When the
spirituality of individuals attain higher planes ie; when the Jeevaatma possesses higher level of
“samskaara “ the differences disappears and the individual realizes the Advaitha nature of
universe.

One who in darkness may misunderstand a rope as a snake may get frightened, he can escape
from the scare only when the darkness is removed and truth is revealed. Light is necessary for
reasoning in this example. Similarly the light of wisdom is necessary for the realization of eternal
truth. This wisdom is very precious and is acquired through the process of innumerable
experiences passing through several incarnations.

The Upanishads are the basis of “ Brahmasutra” The sum and substance of all Upanishads is
discussed in the Bhagavad Gita. The Upanishads, Brahmasutra and Bhagavad Gita are
collectively known as “Prasthana threya”. Aadi Sankara has given scholarly interpretation to
these three books. 

When Aadi Sankara enunciated Maaya Theory which strongly pleads that the jagath (universe)
has no real existence other than a functional existence, people could not understand. When
modern scientists described matter as a derivative of consciousness, people pretend to have
understood the same. When Aadi Sankara said“Brahma satyam, Jagat midhya, Jeevo Brahmaiva
na para” nobody could understand, but when Albert Einstein said “ nature is composed of matter
and energy; and matter can be converted into energy” our modern scientists accepted it. Energy
is the ultimate reality known to modern science and it emanates from Paramaatma according to
Hinduism. Hence Paramaatma is also called Parasakthi. 

The understandings of the vedic dictum is limited by our level of samskaara and level of
knowledge.

PARABRAHMA : Brahma means big. Parabrahma means biggest of all ,which indicates the
Omnipotent ,the Omnipresent, the Almighty. It is represented by the word “ AUM”. When we
say that the entire universe is its own expression the universal brotherhood of all living,
nonliving, visible and invisible things are proclaimed Hence a Hindu says” Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam”-the entire universe is a family.

One who believes this, cannot see himself alienated from the universe - he is part of it. Therefore
he wishes “ loka samastha sukhino bhavanthu”- let the entire universe be happy. His prayer is “
Aum Bhadram Karnebhi…..Aum Bhadram pasyemakshabhir…….” – let all that is heard be
good, let all that is seen be good. This is the greatest and noblest prayer one can make to the God
because all that is heard and seen can be good only when the entire universe is good. This is one
among the many noble, selfless prayers found in Upanishads for universal well being. All
prayers in Hinduism are concluded with the words “ shanty shanty shanty”. It seeks materialistic,
spiritual and godly peace.

When Hinduism says “ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti” it accepts supreme oneness of
parabrahma and at the same time it proclaims the possible plurality of vision and diversity of
belief. As far as a Hindu is concerned Islam , Christianity , Saivaism, Budhism , Vaishnavaism ,
Jainism Zorastrianism Marxism etc are only the parts of this plurality and these do not in any
way hurt or interfere with his belief. Hinduism provides maximum freedom of thoughts and
belief to individuals. A Hindu respects the religion, belief, rituals etc of others because of the
greatness of his own belief . It is the only religion which advocates the critical analysis of the
principles and their acceptance only if found correct. The word 'correct’ means compatible in
respect of self. It also proclaims that the distance traveled by each individual towards the
ultimate destination, and also the level of knowledge and understanding of Paramaatma( ie the
quantum of Samskaara)may differ from person to person and hence the rituals belief and mode
of worship are bound to vary.

These variations are tolerated in Hinduism as long as it does not intrude into the belief of another
person. It does not divide people on the basis of belief. A Hindu can visit and offer prayer in a
Sikh Gurudwara, Jewish Synagogue, Muslim Mosque, Christian Church and temples of any kind
of worship without compromising with his own belief as a Hindu. When one fails to accept the
existence of the plurality of vision and diversity of belief it amounts to negation of Hinduism. In
Hinduism spirituality is purely personal. Therefore the word Hinduism can be used as a better
synonym for secularism. The actual meaning of secularism is a matter of debate. The secularism
as is being practiced in India appears to be a policy of negation and appeasement . But Hinduism
denotes tolerance and convergence of various philosophies of the world.

For a Hindu life is a journey which commences from the Divine and ends in the Divine. In
between we spend time here in this mortal world in search of purushartha, undergoing
evolutions, through the process of reincarnations, in most of the times, without knowing or rather
forgetting our real goal or destination. In each life the Jeevaatma is acquiring more experiences
and knowledge and gradually it becomes aware of its real destination. This knowledge leads to
spirituality and to Ultimate Reality or Self-Actualization. This is the process of evolution which
takes one from a primitive form of life to perfect manhood. The Theory of evolution enunciated
by Charles Darwin is only an exploration of the tips of an iceberg. Actual evolution takes place
through the process of reincarnations.

Hindus believe that all are bound to reach the Ultimate Reality. Life is a trial and error method of
self seeking practiced by jeevaatma the ultimate goal being self-actualization. The materialistic
development, including the inventions and discoveries of modern science is the bye-product of
this trial and error method of self seeking. If all the Jeevaatmas could understand their
destination and path to the destination, the world would have been different from its present
state. Lack of knowledge of the real destination and path leading to the same, is the secret behind
the game. Life will be a pleasant experience to all those who practice Dharma without
attachment. All sorts of maladies and sorrows associated with worldly life is the result of one’s
failure to understand his/her real destination and path to it. The Jeevaatma overcome these
ignorance by evolution / refinement over a period of time passing through the process of several
re-incarnations. Experience of life is the price we are paying to acquire this knowledge . The
Rishi or Guru is a person who experienced the truth .The Jeevaatma has the option to learn the
truth from these Rishis or to gain knowledge from their own experience. One who learns from
his own experience is definitely wise , but those who learn from others’ experience is wiser. The
sum total of the advancement made by one towards the Ultimate Reality through the process of
refinement/evolution is called Samskaara. In other words the Samskaara indicates the progress
made by one in his / her evolutionary process.

A Jeevaatma can understand and assimilate truth commensurate with his / her level of samskaara
only. This is the reason for restricting exposure of eternal truth to certain categories of people.
This categorization was attributed to the caste system and used to deny knowledge to vast
majority of the mankind. Actually knowledge is open to all. Let us broadcast the seeds of vedic
knowledge through out , the seeds that fall in fertile soil will germinate grow and yield fruits. Let
us not sit on judgement on other peoples’ eligibility to understand Vedas. Let the seeds of vedic
wisdom be sown far and wide. Eligible people who acquired the required level of “ samskaara “
will understand and assimilate. It is just like giving a lamp into the hand of a person struggling to
find out his way in darkness . The option to use or through it away is left to the person. Another
argument is that the wisdom will lead to inaction and development of indifferent attitude towards
worldly affairs. It is also totally incorrect. Life has its own rules to safeguard worldly interest and
sustenance of the universe. A seed will have to germinate , grow , flourish , contribute to natural
beauty , provide shade , food , shelter etc before it return and contribute to the soil of its origin to
complete the life cycle. If it prefers a shortcut method and refuse to germinate at all or refuse to
grow and prefers to disintegrate into the soil immediately after germination , there would not be
a world of this kind. Similar is the case of human being. Wisdom should lead to identification of
one’s own Dharma.

Practice of Dharma is inevitable for attaining Paramapurushartha-the ultimate reality. Inaction or

abstention from Dharma will not help attainment of Paramapurushaartha. Earn Artha through the
practice of Dharma , enjoy all worldly pleasures without sacrificing Dharma , it will make one
eligible for attainment of Paramapurushaartha. There are several life to live and several worlds of
different frequencies of vibrations to pass through before reaching the destination. There is no
short-cut to complete the cycle. Remember that Ahimsa or non violence which is a result of
universal love and forgiveness, Thyagam or sacrifice wherein one remains in a state of non-
attachment , Indriyanigraha or self restrains wherein one control his/her harmful instincts and
Truthfulness wherein the thoughts words and deeds are in agreement with each other are the
essential pre-requisites for the practice of Dharma. These are the area which demand greater
attention of each and every human being.

Practice of Dharma is the mission of each individual. Each individual is accountable to himself /
herself for his/ her words , deeds and thoughts. The effect of a negative energy module created
by the thoughts/ words / action can be neutralized by creating another energy module with same
magnitude in its opposite direction. Vedantha indicates that the process of neutralization is not
possible in all cases and therefore one has to be very careful in his words thoughts and actions

Hinduism is not a negation of worldly life and its enjoyment. It places the plain truth regarding
this universe before the mankind and the option to choose the way of life is left to the individuals
If one chooses the correct path of Dharma he may enjoy all good things in worldly life and
liberate himself / herself , in due course , without much sufferings. Otherwise he/ she will have to
suffer a lot in this mortal world undergoing several incarnations in favourable and unfavourable
circumstances depending on the quality of Karma. The sookshmasareeram consisting of mind
buddhi (intellect) chittham and ego(ahamkaram) having karmabandham reincarnate. The
mechanism of independent assortment taking place at the time of fertilization is likely to be the
process by which the sookshmasareeram is inducted into the genome. The word genome and
genes are derivatives of the Greek root “ Jen “ which trace back its origin to Sanskrit word
Jenm .

Astrology or Jyothishastra is a derivative of Vedas. It, inter alia, deals with the relationship
between form / time / place of birth and praarabdham Astrology provides basic information
regarding praarabdham based on the form place and time of birth . It can be successfully used as
a tool for planning and designing one’s own life. Astrological predictions on future course of life
of an individual need not necessarily be correct because the human being has the exclusive
options to modify the effect of his praarabdham to some extend by exerting extra efforts. The
Grahanila-planetary positions - in one’s horoscope indicate the direction of the flow of
“samsarasagara” in relation to the life of the Individual.

Planets like the Sun, Moon , Mars , Mercury, Jupiter, Venus ,Saturn, Rahu , Kethu , and Gulikan
are not directly or indirectly influencing the Jeevaatma but they are definitely indicative of
certain traits and qualities attributed to them. A train which keeps punctuality indicate the time to
a villager who is residing near the railway track, though the train is not an instrument to measure
the time. Similarly planetary positions in horoscope are indicative of many things relating to
one’s “karmabandham” particularly praraabdham. though the planets are not deciding on
anybody’s fate. Each Jeevaatma is the Architect of its own fate. Planetary positions in the
horoscope indicate what the fate could be, depending on the time of birth, because of its
reciprocal relationship with the quality of Karmabandham ( due to the fact that place, time, and
form of reincarnation is decided by the quality of Karmabandham.) But the individual human
being has the option to swim across……by exerting extra efforts , creating new favorable energy
modules and reducing the bad effects of past karma.

This kind of refinement or evolution taking place in human life, leads him / her to prosperity and
perfection. Lord Krishna said : “ The seeds of karma roasted in the fire of knowledge will not
germinate”. Selfless service to the mankind, sincere, heart-felt repentance for the bad karma,
prayer, hard work , devotion, practice of Dharma etc may change the effects of one’s
praarabdham. Followers of all religions are doing these things in one way or other for self
improvement. Dharma is the keynote of Hinduism. Dharma is defined as“ Jagath sthithi
kaaranam, praaninaam saakshaat abhyudaya nishreyasm hethu” –that which sustains the world
and results in prosperity and happiness of all living things. 
Ahimsa (non-violence) 
Satyam(truthfulness)
Thyagam (sacrifice)
Indriyanigraha(self control) are the four pillars of Dharma. 

Thus Non violence ,Truthfulness, Sacrifice, and Self Control are considered to be the most
important qualities of the practitioner of Dharma.

Ahimsa or non- violence is not non killing alone. Ahimsa means not hurting any one by word
deed or thought. Universal love and forgiveness are the essential pre-requisites for a practitioner
of Ahimsa. Satyam or truthfulness is the practice of keeping words deed and thought alike.
Thyagam or sacrifice is the state of being uninterested in all sorts of personal gains name
,fame ,wealth etc when they are within the reach. Sacrifice of one’s own ego is manifested in the
form of forgiveness. Love as such is associated with ego possessiveness and selfishness. It leads
to attachment and consequential problems. Practice of Love without sacrificing selfishness and
ego will not take anyone to the path of Dharma. Therefore universal love and sacrifice of ego -
practice of Ahimsa –gets predominance over love in Hinduism. But one cannot practice Ahimsa
without passing through several phases of refinement. Therefore love for others is important.

Therefore the people may start love each other, love all alike, experience the need for sacrifice,
then practice sacrifices in abundance, selflessness will develop and the continuance of universal
love and forgiveness will result in Ahimsa and the practitioner will naturally emerges in to the
path of Dharma. Self control or indriyanigraha is necessary to curb the undesirable instincts ,It
plays an important role in the evolutionary advancement to the perfection of human being and
attainment of ultimate reality.

BRAHMA is that member of the triad whose name is most familiar to Englishmen, and best
familiar to the Hindoos themselves. Images of him are found in the temples of other gods, but he
has neither temples nor altars of his own. The reason of this is that Brahma, as the creative
energy, is quiescent, and will remain so until the end of the present age of the world -- of the Kali
Yuga, that is -- only a small portion of whose 432,000 years has already passed.
It appears, however, that an attempt was made to represent even the divine spirit of Brahm; for
the god Narayana means the spirit moving on the waters. Narayana is figured as a graceful youth
lying on a snake couch which floats on the water, and holding his toe in his mouth. 

Brahma is figured as a four-headed god, bearing in one hand a copy of the Vedas, in another a
spoon for pouring out the lustral water contained in a vessel which he holds in a third hand,
while the fourth hand holds a rosary. The rosary was used by the Hindoos to aid them in
contemplation, a bead being dropped on the silent pronunciation of each name of the god, while
the devotee mused on the attribute signified by the name. Brahma, like each god, had his sacti, or
wife, or female counterpart, and his vahan, or vehicle, whereon he rode. Brahma's sacti is
Saraswati, the goddess of poetry, wisdom, eloquence, and fine art. His vahan was the goose
(hanasa), in Latin, gans. 

VISHNU is the personification of the preserving power of the divine spirit. The Vaishnavas
allege that Vishnu is the paramount god, because there is no distinction in the sense of
annihilation, but only change or preservation. But of course the argument would cut all three
ways, for it might as well be said that creation, preservation, and destruction are at bottom only
one and the same thing -- a fact thus pointing to the unity of God. Of the two Hindoo sects the
Vaishnaivas are perhaps the more numerous. 

Vishnu is represented as being of a blue colour; his vahan is Garuda, the winged half-man, half-
bird, king of birds, and his sacti, or wife, is the goddess Lakshmi. He is said to have four hands --
one holding a chank, or shell, the second a chakra or quoit, the third a club, and the fourth a
lotus. [Vishnu is also depicted] lying asleep on Ananta, the serpent of eternity. At the end of the
Kali Yuga, Vishnu will rest in that position; from his navel will spring a lotus stalk, on the top of
which -- above the surface of the waters, which at that time will cover the world -- Brahma will
appear to create the earth anew. [Above: Vishnu relief, circa AD 425. Vishnu is lying atop the
serpent Ananta ("Infinite"), with his wife, Lakshmi, at his feet.] 

AVATARS OF VISHNU 
The word Avatar means, in its evident sense, Descent -- that from the world of the gods to the
world of men. In these descents, or incarnations, the purpose of Vishnu has always been a
beneficent one. His first avatar is named Matsya, wherein, during the reign of King Satyavrate,
Vishnu appeared in the form of a fish. For the world had been deluged by water for its
wickedness, and its inhabitants, except the king and seven sages, with their families, who,
together with pairs of all species of animals entered into an ark prepared for them, and of which
the fish took care, by having its cable tied to its horn. In the second, or Kurma avatar, Vishnu
appeared in the form of a tortoise, supporting Mount Mandara on his back, while the gods
churned the sea for the divine ambrosia. In the Varaha, or third avatar, Vishnu appeared as a boar
to save the earth when it had been drowsed a second time. The boar went into the sea and fished
the earth out on his tusks. In the fourth he appeared as Narasingha, the man-lion, to free the
world from a monarch who, for his austerities, had been endowed by the gods with universal
dominion. In this shape Vishnu tore the king to pieces. Subsequently he appeared as a dwarf;
then as Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, who likewise was a beneficent being. His chief
incarnation appears in Krishna, the god who is most loved by the Hindoos. Buddha, the founder
of the Buddhist religion, was also said to be an incarnation of Vishnu. Nine of these avatars have
already passed. In the tenth, or Kalki Avatara, he will appear armed with a scimitar, and riding
on a white horse, when he will end the present age; after which he will sleep on the waters,
produce Brahma, and so inaugurate a new world. 

SHIVA is the destroyer -- the third phase of Brahm's energy. He is represented as of a white
colour. His sacti is Bhavani or Pracriti, the terrible Doorga or Kali, and his vahan a white bull.
Sometimes Shiva is figured with a trident in one hand, and in another a rope or pasha, with
which he, or his wife Kali, strangles evil-doers. His necklace is made of human skulls; serpents
are his earrings; his loins are wrapped in tiger's skin; and from his head the sacred river Ganga is
represented as springing. 

Among the minor deities may be mentioned Kuvera, the god of worth; Lakshmi being the
goddess of wealth; Kama-deva ,the god of love, who is represented as riding on a dove, and
armed with an arrow of flowers, and a bow whose string is formed of bees ; and thirdly, Ganesa,
the son of Shiva and Prithivi, who is regarded as the wisest of all the gods, is especially the god
of prudence and policy, and is invoked at the opening of Hindoo literary works.
Alexander Murray, Manual of Mythology (London, 1874), 326-40. 

PARAMATMAN 
The Supreme Soul/Reality (Paramatman) eternally free and immutable, in the first instance
existed alone. Being eternal it was present even before creation when there was no creative
impulse (Brahma).

It is the eternal Truth and Ultimate Reality. It is the smallest among the small ones and biggest
among the big ones ( anoraneeyaan mahatho maheeyaan). Even though the truth is one, people
call it by different names( ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti)

Owing to the superimposed identity with its own Maya it became, as it were, the seed of the
universe as the unformed and the unnamed. The ‘Seed’ Supreme Soul/Reality (Paramatma), is
neither the cause nor the effect of anything. Only when it is associated with its own creative
power (Maya) does it emanate its creative impulse (Brahma) and is said to be the cause of the
universe (Ishvara).

From this we understand that the cosmos, all sentient beings and insentient objects, emerge from
him. The Supreme Soul/Reality (Paramatman) did not create them itself, but did so through the
agency of the creative impulse (Brahma) by injection into his heart. Through the sustaining
impulse (Visnu) he sustains them, and through the destructive impulse (Siva/ Rudra) he destroys
them. Later Brahma, Visnu, Siva/Rudra are themselves destroyed by him. Another Brahma
appears, and starts the work of creation all over again. From this it must be understood that
Maya, Brhmah, Visnu and Rudra are all emanations of Paramatma. 

The Lord says in the Gita : "It is I who am known by all the Vedas "(Vedaisca sarvair aham eva
vedyah)." Instead of describing himself as "Vedakrd" (creator of the Vedas), he calls himself
"Vedantakrd" (creator of philosophical system that is the crown of the Vedas). He also refers to
himself as "Vedavid" (he who knows the Vedas). Before Vedanta that enshrines great
philosophical truths had been made know to mankind, the Vedas had existed in the form of
sound, as the very breath of Paramatman. 

ATMAN
The individual soul (Atman) is that which is manifest, the breadth, the principle of life and
sensation.

“The notion is that you yourself are identical with that form of forms, Brahman, but you identify
yourself wrongly with the broken images that flicker on the surface. Just think: there are those
wonderful forms there; here are these reflections always changing, and you identify yourself with
the reflection instead of with the true, underlying form. As the wave ripples along, you think, oh,
here I come; oh, there I go. Yet all the time you are the substantial thing that is being reflected
here in broken image.”
Joseph Campbell, Myths of Light: Eastern Metaphors of the Eternal

The entire universe is an expression of Paramatman in the form of vibrations caused by its own
desire just as the waves in the ocean are the expression of water caused by wind .Different
‘worlds ’ co-exist in the universe and all of them are not subjected to our senses as they have
differences in the frequencies of vibrations. The variations in nature are due to variations in
permutations and combinations of triguna namely, Satwam, Rajas and Thamas.

The Living things have three constituent bodies; Sthoolam (Physical) Sookshmam (Astral) and
Kaaranam(Causal). The latter two are described as Jeevaatma and Paramatman respectively.
Jeevaatma or Sookshmasareeram is a reflection of Paramatman impregnated with ego (aham),
intellect(buddhi), chittham and mind loaded with karmabandham. Out of these three constituents,
physical body perish ,astral body with bondages (karmabandham) reincarnates, and causal body
remain eternal as it is Paramatman in its pure form , which is described as ‘Satchitanandam’. The
union of astral with physical is worldly life and that with causal is liberation or Moksham. In
other words the unique experience of identifying oneness of Jeevaatma with Paramatman is
liberation or Moksham.

Each karma-word deed and thought- creates unprecedented invisibles. These invisibles are
energy modules and in the nascent form they are called‘ aagaami’ or incoming energy modules.
At the time of the death of an individual these invisibles remain attached to the
’sookshmasareeram’(subtle body) in the form of ‘ sanjitham ‘or accumulated energy modules.
Because of this attachment which is called ‘karmabandham’ or “Karma” the sookshmasareeram
accepts another body after the death of the individual and this process is called re-birth or re-
incarnation. The form of new life, place and time of re-birth depend on the quality of
karmabandham. In the new life the invisible energy modules or karmabandham carried forward
from previous life remain in the form of praarabdham. The meaning of the word praarabdham is
“that which is initiated”.

The notion that the individual soul (atman) is the creative impulse (brahma) comes from the
mahaa-vaakyo: 

" tat tvam asi" = You (any creation) are That (brhmah)

The Paramatman is then described by all its constituent elements:

The Parmaatman (supreme soul) is that which is un-manifest, which is indistinct, all-pervading,
everlasting, immutable, should be known to become the city (or mansion) of nine portals,
possessed of three qualities, and consisting of five ingredients. Encompassed by eleven including
Mind which distinguishes (objects), and having understanding for the ruler, this is an aggregate
of eleven.

The total eleven is made up of five groups:

The three qualities of Maya:

Sattwa,Rajas and Tamas (darkness, passion and goodness)= (3)

The five gross elements:

Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space                                      = (5) 

The group of organs of action (five organs of action are speech (tongue),hands, legs, organ of
generation, organ of evacuation) and organs of perception (five organs of perception are
tongue(tastes), nostrils (smell), eyes (sight), ears (sound) and skin (touch). These groups are
treated as one. = (1)

Recognising you true self (Atman)                                      = (1)

Understanding - (Knowing you true self Atman)                 = (1)

Each empirically given gross element has within it, according to this view, all the other elements
also. For instance, in the gross Earth, half of it consists of pure earth and the other half consists
of the other four pure elements. This process of the composition of the gross elements is what is
called Panchikaranam or Quintuplication.

[Note: Panchikarana or Quintuplication is the fivefold combination which the five subtle
rudimentary elements have to undergo to become gross ones. Experience of these elements and
their products through sense-perception is characteristic of waking life.]

Atman is brhmah's shakti (creative power) that animates a living being's physical body. Without
atman (individual soul) a living being's body is jad meaning inert. All the functions in a body of
a living being cannot function without the empowerment by its atman which has embodied itself
into the physical body.

As per devi puraan, atman (individual soul) is the reflection of brhmah's (the creators) chaitaniya
(consciousness) in prakruti (physical, waking or subtle, dream bodies). As brhmah's chaitaniya is
beginningless, unborn, eternal, imperishable; deathless, ageless so is an atman. 

Each atman is looked after by 4 vyuh (manifestation) of brhmah (creative power). The four
vyuuh are:

1. Vasudev
2. Sankaraashan
3. Pradyumnaa 
4. Aniruddh.

With the shepherding of these vyuh an atman possess:

1. Gnaan (knowledge),
2. Baal (strength),
3. Aeishvarya (supernatural powers, lordship and prosperity),
4. Virya (potency to create),
5. Shakti (functional powers) 
6. Tejas (energy) which are few of the manifested shaktio of brhmah (creative power).
“In all these phenomena the inner essence, that which manifests itself, that which appears, is one
and the same thing standing out more and more distinctly. Accordingly, that which exhibits itself
in a million forms of endless variety and diversity, and thus performs the most variegated and
grotesque play without beginning and end is one essence. It is so closely concealed behind all
these masks that it does not recognize itself again, and thus often treats itself harshly.”
Arthur Schopenhauer, The World As Will and Representation, Volume II, p. 318

Complex Structure of the Atman (individual soul)

Each atman has 3 Bodies (deh or sharer) and 3 forms of existence (stithi):

BODIES (deh or sharer)

1.The visible physical body of a living being that atman (individual soul) has embodied, is only
for a single sansaar (cycle of birth and death) and perishes on death after which atman
(individual soul) obtains another physical body.

The form is of asat (which are creations created by brhmah which dies after a life cycle upon
receipt of karma-phal (fruits of all karma performed by the sthul-sharir (physical body)
embodied by an atman (individual soul) from each sansaar (birth and death cycle) which
basically limits all its powers and makes it identify with its embodied body as the false "I" for
that life cycle, and are reborn.))

From naarad puraan 1.33 with explanatory infilling from other ved sources:

maya (the creative power of Paramatma) is a primary shakti (power) of nirgun brhmah which has
the brhmah-ordained function to hide the true identity of brhmah from all creations with a shakti
called aavaraN and also to make all creations see multiplicity in brhmah through a shakti of
vikshep 

2. The subtle non-visible body is assumed by an atman (individual soul) when it exists in a
dream state of a living being. The subtle body travels eternally with atman (individual soul)
through cycles of birth and death. It has a complex structure which is described in detail in the
Baghavad Gita, Vedas and Upanishads.

3. The Causal Non Visible Body (sushupti deep sleep state) all karma, feelings, and even sense
of time becomes latent and incognizant in a living being. Similarly, all karma and emotions of all
living beings stay undistinguished from maya. 

But maya has a strange shakti (power) called aavran which hides MY real nature from
recognition by living beings. Being joined to my chaitaniya, maya becomes the material cause as
well as the immediate cause of the prapanch, which means the universe which exists and does
not really exist. 

This maya is called by different names (naam) by different people such as tapas, tamas, jad,
gnaan, maayaa, pradhaan and prakruti.

KOSH (Sheaths)

It has five sheaths or layers (Kosh) which develope from the inner to the outer layers of the
subtle body. Each kosh (sheath) empowers it to experience the universe and its creations. 

The 5-kosh of an atman, are from innermost to outermost:

1. Aanandmay-kosh in which atman (individual soul) resides as chaitanya (consciousness) and

activates all other kosh )sheaths) and everything else it embodies or interacts with in the
universe.

2. Vignaanmay-kosh through which atman (individual soul) comprehends the science of the
universe.

3. Manomay-kosh through which atman (individual soul) attains yog (connection of unified
existence) with other creations and co-exists with other creations.

4. Praanmay-kosh through which atman (individual soul) empowers all the functions of its sthul-
sharir (physical, waking body), indriyo (organs), buddhi (intellect) and manas (mind).

5. Annamay-kosh the Sheaf of Bliss from which atman (individual soul) creates its sthul-sharir
(physical, waking body) in each of its sansaar (cycles of birth and death). 

“Live”, says Nietzsche “as though the day were here.” Life has to be spontaneous. It has to come
from Annamay-kosh, the Sheaf of Bliss, life is an expression of bliss. 

“Since the powers of nature in this dreamer, in that dreamer, and in the macrocosm of nature
itself, are the same, only differently inflected, the powers personified in a dream are those that
move the world. All the gods are within: within you – within the world.”
Joseph Campbell, The Masks of God: Creative Mythology (Vol. IV), p. 650 

CHAKRAS

The word comes from the Sanskrit cakra meaning "wheel, circle", and sometimes also referring
to the "wheel of life".

The seven main chakras are described as being aligned in an ascending column from the base of
the spine to the top of the head. The chakras are thought to vitalise the physical body and to be
associated with interactions of both a physical and mental nature. They are considered loci of
prana (life energy), which is thought to flow among them along pathways called nadis (motion).

Seven: Sahasrara (The crown chakra) is associated with thought and universal identity, it is
oriented to self-knowledge.

Six: Ajna (The brow chakra or third eye center) is associated with light and archetypal identity,
and is oriented to self-reflection.

Five: Visuddha (The throat chakra) is associated with communication, creativity, sound, creative
identity and is oriented to self-expression.
Four: Anahata (The heart chakra) and is associated with air and social identity, it is associated
with self-acceptance. 

Three: Manipura (The power chakra), located in the solar plexus and is associated with fire, ego
identity and is oriented to self-definition.

Two: Svadisthana (the abdomen, lower back, and sexual organs) associated with Water,
Emotional identity, oriented to self-gratification.

One: Muladhara (base of the spine), this chakra forms our foundation and is associated with
earth, physical identity and is oriented to self-preservation. 

NADIS

The Sanskrit term ‘Nadi,’ comes from the root ‘Nad’ which means ‘motion’.

Nadis are the astral tubes made up of astral matter that carry psychic currents and interconnect
the chakras. Fourteen are said to be of primary importance. It is through these Nadis (Sukshma,
subtle passages), that the Pranic current (vital force) moves or flows. Since they are made up of
subtle matter they cannot be seen by the naked physical eyes.

All the Nadis spring from the Kanda (the junction where the Sushumna Nadi is connected with
the Muladhara Chakra.) Some say, that this Kanda is 12 inches above the anus. Out of the
innumerable Nadis 14 are said to be important. They are:

1. Sushumna Nadi
2. Ida Nadi 
3. Pingala Nadi 
4. Gandhari Nadi 
5. Hastajihva Nadi 
6. Kuhu Nadi 
7. Saraswati Nadi 8. Pusha Nadi
9. Sankhini Nadi 
10. Payasvini Nadi 
11. Varuni Nadi 
12. Alambusha Nadi 
13. Vishvodhara Nadi 
14. Yasasvini Nadi 

Again Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are the most important of the above 14 Nadis, and Sushumna
is the chief. It is the highest and most sought by the Yogins. Other Nadis are subordinate to this. 

ida nadi: (Sanskrit) Also known as chandra ("moon") nadi, it is pink in color and flows
downward, ending on the left side of the body. This current is feminine in nature and is the
channel of physical-emotional energy. 

pinga nadi: Also known as surya ("sun") nadi, it is blue in color and flows upward, ending on the
right side of the body. This current is masculine in nature and is the channel of intellectual
mental energy. 

sushumna nadi: (Sanskrit) The major nerve current which passes through the spinal column from
the muladhara chakra at the base to the sahasrara at the crown of the head. It is the channel of
kundalini. Through yoga, the kundalini energy lying dormant in the muladhara is awakened and
made to rise up this channel through each chakra to the sahasrara chakra. 

In pure state atman (individual soul) has all the powers brhmah (creator) has. But atman
(individual soul) in an embodied state as a living being is called jiv or pasu and is in a state of
mal (literally means impurities, moral taint, paap (sin)).

A Pasu (atman in an embodied state as a living being) exists in 3 Kal (states): 

a). sa-kal - bound by mal (sin), maayaa (ignorance) and karma (actions) in an immature state

b). pralay-kal - bound by mal (sin) and karma (actions) in a mature state

c). viGNaan-kal - bound by mal (sin) in a developing state

An atman in a sa-kal state is said to be subjected to kalaa (limited talents or abilities) and
wanders about through sansaar (cycle of life and death) in a different body in each birth-death
cycle. 

Although mal (sin) is a single entity it has diverse shaktio (powers) of limiting atman's
(individual soul) druk-shakti (power) of gnaan-maya (knowledge), and of limiting kriyaa-shakti
(power of performing karma or actions). Mal (sin) is similar to the husk of rice and serves as the
cause of a body an atman (individual soul) takes in each sansaar (creation cycle).

DHARMA

The four pillars of Dharma are:

1. Ahimsa (non-violence) 
2. Satyam(truthfulness) 
3. Thyagam (sacrifice) 
4. Indriyanigraha(self control) 

The four pillars of Dharma and are considered to be the most important qualities of the
practitioner of Dharma.

If someone take the divine rules of nature into his/ her hand and torture the less privileged ,
remember that he/she is committing another mistake or sin which will definitely come back to
him/her in the form of some unpalatable experience in the same or subsequent incarnations. So
take the path of Dharma. Care should be taken to maintain the path of dharma throughout life. 

This life is a journey as depicted by many poets .The journey commences in search of happiness
and without knowing the ways and means to acquire the same. Each Jeevaatma spends several ,
probably several thousands , incarnations in search of artha and kama from which he / she
expects happiness. During this search he invents and discovers many things which add to his
convenience and improve his worldly conditions of life. This journey in wilderness in search of
happiness is not unwarranted. It is necessary for the sustenance of the universe. 

But the problem is that Jeevaatma during its search for artha and kama forget about dharma.
Practice of Dharma is possible only if people follow the paths of Non-violence ( Ahimsa ) ,
Truthfulness ( Sathyam ) , Sacrifice ( Thyagom ) and Self Control (Indriyanigraha ). Nobody can
escape from this world without acquiring these qualities and practicing Dharma. The position of
an individual who acquired these qualities and realized the fact that happiness is not attached to
artha and kama can be compared to the position of the individual nearing his actual destination.
In the next incarnation he / she may travel straightaway from the very beginning to the end of life
without deviating from the path of Dharma and he / she will have all the qualities of a Perfect
Human being or “Sthithaprajnan”. Lord Krishna explains the qualities of a ‘Sthithaprajnan ‘ in
Chapter II of Bhagavat Gita .He is not inactive .He is aggressive in performing his duties without
expecting anything in return , other than the well being of the entire universe.

“Dharmah evam hatho hanthi, Dharmah Rakshathi Rakshithah:” The Dharma destroy its
destroyer and save the saver. Therefore :Practice your dharma , do not practice another’s
dharma , do not abstain from dharma , - it will give you everything required for the fulfillment of
your life namely artha kaama and moksha, through the process of several incarnations -
evolutions.

The word deed and thought that lead to promotion of wellbeing and sustenance of all organisms
in the universe is considered as Dharma. Identification of one’s own Dharma is the most
important task of each individual. Swadharmah nidhinam sreya , Paradharmah bhayavaha. Life
of one who perform his/ her own destined dharma will be meaningful and that of one who
deviate from own dharma is dangerous. In either case, the performer will have to meet the
consequences if the performance is made with attachment. 

MAYA (Maayaa) (creative power of the Universe)

Maya is the Creative Power of the Universe which at the physical level obscures the true identity
of its Creator through the projection of variety. This produces tamas (inertia), rajas
(egocentricity) and ultimately sattwa (goodness) which has a potentially liberating effect. (see
Karma)
Paramatman is the indestructible spirit, the great cause of the universe, the Pure Consciousness
associated with its own power called Maya. Tamas (inertia), rajas (egocentricity) and sattwa
(goodness) are the three constituent gunas (essences or attitudes) of Maya (creative power of the
Universe). [Note: Maya, Avidya, Ajnana, Avyakta, Avyakrita, Nescience and Prakruti are terms
often used synonymously] It is neither real nor unreal and hence inexplicable. It cannot be
proved by reasoning which itself is a product of ignorance or Maya. 

Gunas

A Guna is a state of mind--an attitude. Attitudes are basically qualities or tones of vibration and
are found in everything, especially in the human. There are three Gunas, or attitudes, from which
all the more subtle attitudes are derived. The three Gunas bind your spirit to the body, keeps it
here. A Guna is an earthly quality. The three Gunas are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

Tamas

Tamas or inertia, binds the spirit by laziness, ignorance and too much sleep. It is the trickster of
Jeeva, which is female or soul. Tamas attaches you to ignorance by hiding knowledge from you.
Tamas dominates by suppressing Rajas (activity) and Sattva (goodness). Ignorance, laziness,
carelessness, and delusion arise when Tamas is predominant. If you die while Tamas rules, you
are reborn again as a Taamasika person (someone in whom Tamas is ruling). If you do anything
while Tamas is ruling in your life, the consequence will be ignorance. Negligence, delusion, and
ignorance arise from Tamas. Taamasika persons, living in the lowest Guna, basically experience
hell. They are repeatedly born as lower castes creatures of humankind.

Example of a Taamasika Person

A Taamasika person does not really do anything. They wake up late, eat and often, take alcohol -
all day. This is a very generalized statement. They are lazy and ignorant. They are not interested
in learning anything. People often have a hard time changing a Taamasika person's mind. They
neglect their duties and do not care about other people much.

Rajas
Rajas or selfish activity is seen in people that are chasing materialistic or egocentric dreams.
Rajas is born by desires and the results of work, for example: unnecessary nice material trinkets
and ego decorations. Rajas binds you to action\work. Rajas rules by suppressing Tamas and
Sattva. Greed, activity, restlessness, passion, and the doing of selfish works arise when Raja is
ruling in your life. If you die while Rajas rules in your life, you are re-incarnated as a person in
which Rajas rules. The consequence of Raajasika action (a selfish action) is pain. Raajasika
persons are reborn in the mortal world, or earth.

Example of a Raajasika Person

We often meet people that work extremely hard, they cannot stop working. Most of the time they
are rich by average standards (few people in the world own cars and brick houses and PCs), care
too much about their cars or houses. They would do almost anything for money. They live
selfish, greedy, restless and very active lives.

Sattva

Sattva or goodness, is calm and clear. If Sattva rules in a person, they always do the right thing.
Sattva binds the spirit to the body with happiness and knowledge. Sattva rules by suppressing
Rajas and Tamas. When goodness and wisdom are present in your whole being, flows out from
your whole self - then Sattva is ruling. If you die while Sattva rules in your life, you go to
heaven, the pure world where the knowers of the Supreme live. The consequence of Saatvika
action (a good action) is pure. Knowledge comes from Sattva. Those who are established in
Sattva go to heaven.

Example of a Saatvika Person

A Saatvika person is sometimes hard to identify because they are so humble, they do not make it
known that Sattva rules them. The saints and Yesu were Saatvika people, but Yesu rose above
Sattva. He conquered the Gunas. Those who can conquer the Gunas, according to the Bhagavad
Gita, get to abide in the eternal Happiness. When you realise that you can conquer the Gunas,
you are free from birth, old age, disease and death.

How do you know if you have conquered the Gunas?

When you are completely free from the Gunas, you are neither a Saatvika, or Raajasika or
Taamasika person. When you can stand above the Gunas and see everything as one, for example:
you treat everybody the same way, a clod, stone and gold are the same to you - one is not more
precious than the other. When you do not become proud because people praise you, or angry
when they disgrace you, you treat enemies and friends alike. When you have managed to do all
these, it is said that you have overcome the Gunas.

And with the knowledge of the identity of Jiva (atman -Individual Soul) and Paramatma
(Supreme Soul) through Brhmah, Maya disappears.

Maya/Prakruti

The corporeal or non-corporeal part of any living being which is separate and distinct from
atman.

Prakruti by itself is jad or inert. When the three guno attains a balanced state then prakruti
becomes jad or inert and pralay period starts. When after the 4.32 billion years of pralay is
completed as brahmaa's night, then kaal (time) stirs the three guno and produces imbalanced
conditions between them and prakruti: starts creating for the subsequent brahmaa's day of 4.32
billion years.

Bound up with reflection of Pure-consciousness, maya which hides the Paramatman and is the
cause of both the gross and the subtle bodies, is called the ‘avyaakrta’ or undifferentiated. This is
the causal body of the atman and is removable by the knowledge of the identity of Brahman and
the Parmaatmaan alone.

maya is of the form of both (sat or asat). Hence maya should be understood as being anirdeshya
which means that which cannot be specified, defined, described, explained or compared for its
form or nature or state of being. 

maya gives the idea and perception of:

dvuNdvuN which is delusion of perceived difference between brhmah and what is created by
brhmah or the delusion of perceived difference between: 

KSHetra which is a field or domain or physical body of a living being in which an aatmaa in an
embodied state can perform karma

and 

KSHetragna which is the soul or jiv or atman embodied by karma-phal in a body of a living
being which is made of the karma-phal to be partaken or received in that life journey. 

Hence a mumukshu who is one who desires moksh meaning liberation from saNsaar which is
worldly existence of cycles of birth and death full of sukh ( joy and happiness) followed by dukh
( pain and sorrow) should forsake maya through yogik shakti (power of yog). 

Shakti

From naarad puraan 1.33 with explanatory infilling from other vedic sources:

maayaa is a primary shakti (power) of nirgun brhmah which has the brhmah-ordained function to
hide the true identity of brhmah from all creations with a shakti called aavaraN and also to make
all creations see multiplicity in brhmah through a shakti of vikshep.

In this form (ruup) of mine, supreme consciousness (Paramatman) is the eternal, creative power
(maya-shakti) of the Universe. One cannot say that this maya-shakti exists or does not exist. This
notion of existing and not existing is subject to error and paradox. This maya-shakti always
exists as a pair of opposing forces. agni (fire) does not exist without heat. surya (sun) does not
exist without light. chandramaa (moon) does not exists without its cool light. In the same way the
maya-shakti is identified and contemporaneous with Paramatman.

THE CASTE SYSTEM

The Caste System as it is practiced in India is the result of misinterpretation of vedic tenets by
vested interests Bhagavan Sri.Krishna said “ Chathurvarnyam Mayaa srushtam, gunakarma
vibhagasa.” I have created four types of people based on their qualities of Karmabandham” -it is
based on the permutations and combinations of trigunas.

If a person has more than 80 % of Satwa guna he is a Brahmin even if born in the family of so
called dalits. If one possesses more than 80 % Rajoguna irrespective of the caste of his/her
parents he/she should be treated as Kshetriya. If one possesses 40 % Thamoguna and 40 %
Rajoguna it can be classified as the qualities of Vaisya. If one possesses 80 % Thamoguna he is
Sudra even if he is born to Brahmin or Kshatriya or Vaisya parents.

An analysis of the cross –section of society will reveal that all the above four combinations with
natural variations, are existing in all castes and creeds all over the world. Those who possess
excess of Thamoguna, irrespective of the man made caste system to which they belong should,
strive hard to improve their qualities following the practice of Non-violence( Ahimsa)
Truthfulness, (Satyam) Sacrifice ( Thyagam) and Self control ( Indriyanigraha) – path of
Dharma. This will enable them to improve their samskaara in successive incarnations. This is
evolution. Remember Life is an experience of one’s own Karma. Each Jeevaatma is getting its
due share without fail. But no human being has the right to condemn others on account of their
past deeds.

KARMA

Karma (Sanskrit: from the root kri, "to do", meaning deed) or Kamma (Pali: meaning action,
effect, destiny) comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. Karma is a sum of all that an
individual has done and is currently doing. The effects of those deeds actively create present and
future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life. In religions that incorporate
reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well.

The so-called good effect or bad effect is not a judgment nor is it given as a reward or
punishment by a supramundane authority such as God. The good or bad effect produced by good
or bad karma is purely and simply a natural phenomenon governed by natural laws that act
automatically, with complete justice. If God has anything to do with it, then God must also act
according to this natural law. This cause produces this effect. That cause produces that effect.
God would not change this natural path because of his like or dislike of a particular person.

All living creatures are responsible for their karma and for their salvation (or release from
samsara (the cycles of life, death and rebirth). As a term, it can be traced back to the early
Upanishads.

The praarabdham express themselves as instincts or Vaasanas. These instincts are the driving
forces of new life which lead to new karma and creation of new energy modules. One can change
the effects of his/her praarabdham by controlling his/her instincts by practicing restraint or
developing them by exerting conscious extra efforts. Availability of this option is a unique
privilege of human life. As long as one maintains sense based materialistic individuality he/she
continues in this worldly life. The development of cosmic, transcendental, spiritual individuality
leads to disintegration of materialistic sense based personality and such people move to the
‘cosmic worlds’ and attain Paramapurushaartha sooner or later depending again on the quality of
“ samskaara” . The time required for this transformation or evolution from primitive life form to
perfect human being which is a pre-requisite to attain Paramapurushaartha varies with the
individual .Hence different forms of life and among the same form different characters with
varying degree of “ samskaara” are seen in this world and it is inevitable also.

The life is the experience of invisibles-good and bad- created by one’s own karma. It continues
in search of purushartha viz; Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha. Moksham is the ultimate
reality and is called Paramapurushartha. All are destined to attain moksham-the Final Destination
and Ultimate Reality. Infact, life is a journey commences from the Almighty and ends in the
Almighty. But no one can attain the destination without being a Perfect Man in this world
through the process of evolutions. No one can be a Perfect Man as long as he has
karmabandham. The practice of any one or a combination of four yogas namely Nishkamakarma,
Ashtangayoga, Bhakthiyoga and Jnanayoga are the four methods of liberating oneself from the
clutches of karmabandham. All these yogas ultimately lead to Jnana or knowledge .The seeds of
karma or karmabandham roasted in the fire of knowledge will not germinate. Knowledge is the
most precious asset in life which enables one to liberate from the clutches of worldly life.
Liberation is moksham.

Karma is either puNya (of merit) or apuNya (of paap/mal or sin). karma is what gives an atman
the husk or body made of 3-guno of prakruti out of which the body is created. The atman's body
is always of suitable form to suffer or enjoy the ripened karma-fal in a birth-death cylce. This
mal and karma creates the permanent and continuous flow of cycles of birth-death and binds an
atman to these cycles in similar manner how a seed produces a sprout and in turn a sprout
produces a seed and the cycle becomes eternal. (naarad puraan 3.63.22-24)

Karma-phal

Although atman possesses shaktio of brhmah and many other attributes of brhmah's chaitaniya it
gets sheathed in the karma-phal (fruits of karma) of all karma performed by the sthul-sharir
(physical body) embodied by an atman (individual soul) from each sansaar (birth and death
cycle) which basically limits all its powers and makes it identify with its embodied body as the
false "I". These karmik sheaths are called panch-kanchuk and they are: 

1. Kaal which limits atman to being non-omnipotent by being in one place in a single time frame.
2. Niyati which limits atman's inherent shaktio from chaitanya of brhmah Raag which creates
attachment of atman to the vishayo (objects) of indriyo and thus limits its Nirliptatva which is
detachment from the universe and creations.
3. Vidyaa which limits atman being omniscient as brhmah is
4. Kalaa which limits atman's inherent shakti of being omnipotent. Atman journeys through
sansaar in this universe bound by karma-phal. 

Thus from body to body traveling in sansaar cycles, atman is eternally sheathed by karma-phal
which produces 5-kanchuk, and predominance of 3-guno in 10-indriyo, praan, buddhi and
manas. All these from all previous cycles of birth and death display as inherent predominance of
rajas-gun, or sattva-gun, or tamas-gun, and individualistic attributes of a living being at the time
of each new birth. 

Obstructing (Antraya) Karma Bondage 

This Karma obstructs the adoption of desirable course or attainment of one's objectives and is of
five sub-divisions. It is compared to a "Storekeeper" who does not permit issue from the store.
The five sub-categories are:
1. Dana Antraya (Obstructing Charity) - due to which one is not able to give things to deserving
people.
2. Labha Antraya (Obstructing Profit) - due to which one is not able to profit or earn in spite of
efforts.
3. Bhoga Antraya (Obstructing enjoyment) - due to which one may not be able to enjoy things
like food, drinks etc.
4. Upbhoga Antraya (Obstructing repeated enjoyment) - due to which one is not able to enjoy
things which are repeatedly or continuously enjoyed like house, clothes, cars etc.
5. Veerya Astraya (Obstructing powers) - due to which one is not able to exploit and profit fully
by one's prowess or power or attainments.

Bandh (bondage)

Bandh (bondage) is determined at the time of influx and bondage of Karma with the soul. There
are four types:

1. Prikriti Bandh (Nature bondage)

2. Stithi Bandh (Duration bondage)
3. Anubhag/Ras Bandh (Intensity bondage) 
4. Pradesh Bandh (Quantum bondage)
LAYA

laya is re-absorption into the creator for rebirth. Living forms (asat) are creations created by
brhmah which die after a life cycle upon receipt of karma-phal for that life cycle and are
reborn.Re-absorption is into the form of brahmaa-dev for the cycles of nitya and naimittik laya
and into the form of brhmah for the cycles of praakrt and aatyantik laya, not of the form of sat
which is shaktio of brhmah which are eternal and are not affected by the cycles. Examples of sat
are Parmaatmaa (Supreme Soul), gnaan and chaitanya ( Super Consciousness) which are
brhmah-self

TURIIYA

The word turiiya expresses the following: 

Vedic philosophical meanings

The word turiiya expresses the fourth state of existence of atman. 
The turiiya state is beyond the three state of normal four state of existence of atman in prakruti's
domain. The four states of atman's existence are:

a) jaagruti which is the awake state 

b) avapna which is the dream state, and
c) sushupti which is the deep sleep state. This state to current science occurs in cycles of about
90 minutes during normal sleep. 
d) turiiya is the fourth state which transcends all the three other states but pervades all the three
states and is the sub-stratum of all the three other states.

Each of jaagruti, svapna and sushupti states are changing, perishable, ephemeral mode of
existence of aatmaa. The turiiya state is a-maatra or modeless, which means it is unchanging,
eternal and absolute just like brhmah is. 

The atman is called by a separate name in each of the first three states:
a) In jaagruti state aatmaa is called vaishvaanar. 
b) In svapna state aatmaa is called taijas. 
c) In sushupti state the aatmaa is called pragnaa.

YOGA

The life is the experience of invisibles-good and bad- created by one’s own karma. It continues
in search of purushartha viz; Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha. Moksham is the ultimate
reality and is called Paramapurushartha. All are destined to attain moksham-the Final Destination
and Ultimate Reality. Infact, life is a journey commences from the Almighty and ends in the
Almighty. But no one can attain the destination without being a Perfect Man in this world
through the process of evolutions. No one can be a Perfect Man as long as he has
karmabandham. 

The practice of any one or a combination of four yogas namely;

1. Nishkamakarma
2. Ashtangayoga
3. Bhakthiyoga
4. Jnanayoga

They are the four methods of liberating oneself from the clutches of karmabandham. All these
yogas ultimately lead to Jnana or knowledge .The seeds of karma or karmabandham roasted in
the fire of knowledge will not germinate. Knowledge is the most precious asset in life which
enables one to liberate from the clutches of worldly life. Liberation is moksham.

SAMAHDI

The meanings of the term Samadhi are union, totality; absorption in, complete concentration of
mind; conjunction. 

Patanjali and his commentators distinguish several kinds or stages of supreme concentration.
When Samadhi is obtained with the help of an object or idea (that is, by fixing one's thought on a
point in space or on an idea), the stasis is called samprajnata samadhi ('enstasis with support,' or
'differentiated enstasis').

When Samadhi is obtained apart from any 'relation' (whether external or mental) that is, when
one obtains a 'conjunction' into which no otherness' enters, but which is simply a full
comprehension of being one has realized asamprajnata-samadhi ('enstasis without support,' or
'undifferentiated stasis').

AUM

Pranava or the syllable AUM consists of three components. They are A, U and M

The Mandukya Upanisad initiated the tradition of regarding the three sound elements of AUM as
corresponding to and as signifying the phases of the self conditioned by the three bodies, and as
manifesting itself in the three phenomenal states.

The spiritual problem is to release oneself from these limiting conditions, and to realise one’s
identity with the Ultimate Principle. The symbol AUM is maintained to contain the direction for
developing this transcendent integration of knowledge and life.

A Represents the gross point of view. It connotes the native realism and pluralism of common
sense. It signifies Vishva in the Microcosm and Virat in the Macrocosm at the gross level. 

U From this we ought to move on to the level of thought represented by U. U signifies the
understanding of the world as the projection of the universe by the Spirit itself. The point of view
is found on the dream-experience and its philosophy may be described as Dynamic Idealism.
Spirit, through the instrumentality of mind, sets up within itself the entire cosmos. When this
standpoint reaches maturity, we must pass beyond it. U represents Taijasa in the Microcosm and
Hiranyagarbha in the Macrocosm.

M represented the next phase. The diversity of presentation conjured up in the dream-world is
nothing real. It is a projection of the unreal. Such projection is founded upon the non-
apprehension of the real. The realisation of this fact of radical non-apprehension is promoted by
the consideration of the experience of deep-sleep. M signifies Prajna in the Microcosm and
Akshara or Isvara in the Macrocosm. 

This fusion of the particular and cosmic standpoints is insisted upon and we are to see in the
three constituents of AUM the signification of the three phases of the one integral spirit. Thus the
whole universe is viewed in three levels, the causal, the subtle and the gross. The spirit, which is
the ultimate reality, appears conditioned by these. Now the philosophical problem for man is to
ascend to the apprehension of the real as transcending the conditions in which it is seemingly
embodied.

We dream because we are asleep. The world taken as real in the waking state is really of the
same status as the dream world, and the pre-supposition of such dreaming is the failure to see
that the Parmaatmaan is the sole reality.

This failure is most clearly illustrated in deep-sleep. We must pass into the frame of thought
according to which our empirical life, which is in reality a dream, is due to our being asleep to
spirit, the fundamental substance of our being. We are most asleep when we fancy ourselves
most awake. Even as the chanting of the sacred Pranava (AUM) culminates in the serenity of
silence after the final sound M, the philosophic contemplation of man’s experience in its entirety
must pass after the consideration of the state of deep-sleep into the unconditioned effulgence of
the pure and transcendent Self.

The seed of phenomenal life, namely ignorance most strikingly present in sleep, must be
destroyed and the sleeper must wake up to the infinite reality of the spiritual essence. This
ultimate self-affirmation is the goal of contemplation. The agnosticism of sleep must be
extinguished in this transcendent self-realisation.

Now, ‘A’ the waking-personality, should be resolved into ‘U’, the dream-personality, and the
‘U’ into ‘M’ i.e., the deep-sleep personality. Again, the ‘M’ should be reduced into ‘AUM’ and
the ‘AUM’ into ‘I’. I am, the Atman, the Witness of all, the absolute of the nature of Pure
Consciousness, one without a second and the Innermost Consciousness.
Remaining in this state of absolute identification is what is called ‘SAMADHI’ or the Super-
conscious state.
"What is common to such moments is that consciousness is full of experiences, and these
experiences are in harmony with each other. Contrary to what happens all too often in everyday
life, in moments such as these, what we feel, what we wish, and what we think are in harmony.” 
Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday
Life, p.29

‘Thou art That’, ‘I am Brahman’, ‘Consciousness-Bliss is Brahman’, ‘This Self is Brahman’, etc.
– all these Srutis, i.e., the Upanisadic sayings (known as Mahavakyas or the great dictum) are
direct evidences to the identity of the Atman, the individual soul, and Brahman. This is what is
called ‘Panchkaranam’ or quintuplication.

GLOSSARY

Akshar/Atma/Isvara Pure Consciousness, creator of the Universe.

Asat Living forms 

Atma/aatmaa (soul)

agni (fire)

apuNya/paap (sin)

chaitanya (consciousness)

chandramaa (moon)

dukh ( pain and sorrow)

gnaan knwoledge
jiv ( another name for aatmaa in an embodied state as a living being, see pasu)

kaal (time)

kalaa (limited talents or abilities)

karma (Sanskrit: from the root kri, "to do", meaning deed) or Kamma (Pali: meaning action,
effect, destiny) comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect.

karma-phal (fruits of karma)

Laya (Re-absorption Cycles)

moksh meaning liberation from saNsaar which is worldly existence of cycles of birth and death
full of sukh ( joy and happiness) followed by dukh ( pain and sorrow) should forsake maya
through yogik shakti (power of yog). 

Nadis are the astral tubes made up of astral matter that carry psychic currents. The Sanskrit term
‘Nadi,’ comes from the root ‘Nad’ which means ‘motion’.

naam (name)

paas (bindings)

pasu (another name for aatmaa in an embodied state as a living being, see jiv)

Panchkaranam quintuplication.

pragnaa deep sleep existence of an aatmaa 

Prakruti The corporeal or non-corporeal part of any living being which is separate and distinct
from purush or aatmaa
Pranava the syllable AUM

Pralay - When after the 4.32 billion years of pralay state is completed as brahmaa's night then
kaal (time) stirs the three guno and produces imbalanced condition between the three guno and
prakruti: starts creating for the subsequent brahmaa's day of 4.32 billion years.

puNya (merit) 

purna gnaan which is complete and perfect knowledge which is knowledge that brhmah is
everything and one's body is not one's "I" but one's "I" is one's aatmaa and not the body.

Purush cosmic soul

Rajas or selfish activity

ruup (form)

sansaar cycles of rebirth

sat which is shaktio of brhmah which are eternal and are not affected by the cycles of rebirth.

Sattva or goodness

shakti (power)

Samadhi The meanings of the term are union, totality; absorption in, complete concentration of
mind; conjunction.

sukh ( joy and happiness) 

surya (sun)

sushupti (deep sleep state)

tamas or inertia

turiiya expresses the fourth state of existence of atman.

vishayo (objects)

The Greek Myths and the Self

Plato’s analysis of the meaning of truth centres around his dialogue the Phaedrus, and forms the
foundation for the conception of self in Western culture.

In the Phaedrus, the vehicle for Plato's journey to Truth is a wide-ranging discussion between Socrates
and his young protégé Phaedrus mainly about a speech given by their colleague Lysias regarding the
nature of love which leads to Socrates discussion of the nature of truth and defines a "true" rhetoric.

Rhetoric

From the greek rhetoreia, meaning "oratory," or "public speaking" and rhetor meaning "public speaker".

Corax lived in a Greek colony on the island of Sicily.467BC. At that time the people went to court to
settle land disputes left over from various wars. Corax went to court to examine and analyse how
people pleaded their case. He studied who was successful and who wasn't and why. Thus he made the
first systematic study of rhetoric.

There are five canons of rhetoric:

Invention, arrangement, style, delivery and memory 

Plato defines rhetoric in the Gorgias, and later and more completely in the Phaedrus:

Socrates: In my opinion, then, Gorgias, it [i.e., rhetoric] is a certain pursuit that is not artful but
belongs to a soul that is skilled at guessing, courageous, and terribly clever by nature at associating
with human beings; and I call its chief point flattery.
Gorgias (c. 387-385 BCE) (463 a-b; trans. James H. Nichols, Jr.)
Socrates: Well, then, would not the rhetorical art taken as a whole be a certain leading of the soul
[psychagogia] through speeches [logon], not only in law courts and whatever other public gatherings,
but also in private ones, the same concerning both small and great things, and no less honoured, with a
view to what's correct at least, when it arises concerning serious than concerning paltry matters?
Phaedrus (c. 370 BCE) (261a-b; trans. James H. Nichols, Jr.)

“Rhetoric is the power of discovering in any given case all the available means of persuasion."
(Aristotles Rhetiric, 13556,25)

Plato located truth in a metaphysical world and conceptualized the human self as a thinking being
capable of accessing that metaphysical world through the method of dialectic which in terms of the
Greek understanding is a heuristic method of instruction by question and answer. Within this
metaphysical realm there exist the eternal and immutable “Forms or Ideas” which give meaning and
coherence to the whole of “reality", of which the Good is identified as the highest form of “Truth”,
which ultimately provides the basis for the understanding of “truth” in our world of everyday
experience.

With this formulation, Plato establishes a distinction between the metaphysical realm and the physical
and psycho-spiritual which becomes the mind/body split. This human self is fundamentally an
intellectual entity whose "true" or essential nature exists as separate from the physical world.

Aristotle

Aristotle was born in Stagira in north Greece, the son of Nichomachus, the court physician to the
Macedonian royal family. He was trained first in medicine, and then in 367 he was sent to Athens to
study philosophy with Plato. He stayed at Plato's Academy until about 347. Though a brilliant pupil,
Aristotle opposed some of Plato's teachings, and when Plato died, Aristotle was not appointed head of
the Academy.

Whereas Aristotle's teacher Plato had located ultimate reality in Ideas or eternal forms, knowable only
through reflection and reason, Aristotle saw ultimate reality in physical objects, knowable through
experience. Objects, including organisms, were composed of a potential, their matter, and of a reality,
their form; thus, a block of marble -- matter -- has the potential to assume whatever form a sculptor
gives it, and a seed or embryo has the potential to grow into a living plant or animal form. In living
creatures, the form was identified with the soul; plants had the lowest kinds of souls, animals had
higher souls which could feel, and humans alone had rational, reasoning souls. In turn, animals could
be classified by their way of life, their actions, or, most importantly, by their parts.

He pre-empted Darwin’s theory of evolution by more than 2,000 years in considering that the whole
vital process of the earth takes place so gradually, and in periods of time which are so immense
compared with the length of our life, that these changes are not observed, and before their course can
be recorded from beginning to end whole nations come and go. 

Where Aristotle differed most sharply from medieval and modern thinkers was in his belief that the
universe had never had a beginning and would never end; it was eternal. Change, to Aristotle, was
cyclical: water, for instance, might evaporate from the sea and rain down again, and rivers might come
into existence and then dry up, but overall conditions would never change.

Heracletus “You cannot step into the same river twice”

The Greek myth of Narcissus

The youth Narcissus (narcissus means narcosis or numbing) mistook his own reflection in the water for
another person. This extension of himself by mirror numbed his perceptions until he became the
servomechanism of his own extended or repeated image. The nymph Echo tried to win his love with
fragments of his own speech, but in vain. He was numb. He had adapted to his extension of himself and
had become a closed system. Now the point of this myth is the fact that men at once become
fascinated by any extension of themselves in any material other than themselves.

Self Recognition

We must attempt to break beyond the “Echo” of the narcissus myth, to show that we not only need to
understand that our Ego is a reflection of our inner-self, but that it is also an extension or “repetition”
of the Universe reflecting back upon itself. This combines the Positive and Negative feedback loops
inherent in the creative thinking process. It also includes the either/or and both /and perspectives
involved in the Analogue-Digital relationship of the communication process.

Delphi 

Delphi (Greek Δελφοί — Delphee) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-
western spur of Mount Parnassus in a valley of Phocis. In ancient times it was the site of the most
important oracle, dating into prehistoric times as a site for the worship of Gaia and in classical times,
converted to that of the god Apollo.The earliest reference to the Oracle is in Homer.
Archaeological evidence suggests this worship began ca. 1600 BC and more than 15 centuries later, the
priest of Plutarch reported that the name of the goatherd who first discovered the site: Coretas. 
Delphi was revered throughout the Greek world as the site of the omphalos (ομφαλός) stone, the
centre of Earth and the universe. In the inner hestia (ἑστία), or her hearth, of what would become the
Temple of Delphic Apollo (Ἀπόλλων Δελφίνιος — Apollon Delphinios), an eternal flame (άσβεστος
φλόγα) burned. After the battle of Plataea, the Greek cities extinguished their fires and brought new
fire from the hearth of Greece, at Delphi; in the foundation stories of several Greek colonies, the
founding colonists were first dedicated at Delphi.[1]

There is a steady increase of artifacts found at the settlement site in Delphi. Pottery and bronze work
as well as tripod dedications continue in a steady stream, in comparison to Olympia. Neither the range
of objects nor the presence of prestigious dedications proves that Delphi was a focus of attention for
worshipers of a wide range, but the strong representation of high value goods are found in no other
mainland sanctuary, certainly encourages that view.

The oracle was known as the Pythia. (From Pytho, meaning “to rot”, a reference to the decay of the
snake’s body that Apollo killed there).It is clear that mythologically speaking, it was considered to be
the “rotting corpse” that provided the fumes that put the Pythia in contact with the gods. We can only
wonder whether the Python was therefore similar in nature to the Gorgon, who was said to be able to
give immortality or instant death, depending on which side of the body you took the blood from and
drank it. Finally, the story is very similar to the foundation mythology of St Patrick’s Purgatory in
Ireland, a site in origin very similar to the oracle and equally linked with the conquest of a mythical
monster, this time conquered by the Christian saint St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. 

H.W. Parke writes that the foundation of Delphi and its oracle took place before the times of recorded
history and its origins are obscure, but dating to the worship of the Great Goddess, Gaia.

The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world, and she was consulted before
all major undertakings: wars, the founding of colonies, and so forth. She also was respected by the
semi-Hellenic countries around the Greek world, such as Lydia, Caria, and even Egypt.
Herbert William Parke, The Delphic Oracle, v.1, p.3.

It is a popular misconception that the oracle predicted the future, based on the lapping water and
leaves rustling in the trees; the oracle of Delphi never predicted the future, but gave guarded advice
on:

1. How incumbent disaster could be avoided.

2. How impiety might be cleansed.

Once, this woman’s utterances could change the destiny of nations – she was not just consulted by
leaders of various Greek city states, but also by king Amasis of Egypt, Solon of Athens and king Croessus
from Lydia; all visited Delphi, in search of her divine guidance. Or rather: that of the god Apollo, who
spoke through her.

Delphi had two important sayings which were purportedly carved into the rock above the doorway to
the temple:

1. γνῶθι σεαυτόν ("know thyself") and 

2. μηδὲν ἄγαν ("nothing in excess"), as well as a large letter E

When examined from a psychological viewpoint the cave can be seen as a representation of the
unconscious. It is my belief that these messages in this context were meant as a warning to those who
intended to consult the oracle that, unless they prepare themselves psychologically, emotionally and
behaviorally prior to entering the cave, their chances of correctly understanding and interpreting the
oracles advice would be difficult, if not impossible. The consequences of such a misunderstanding
could be dire.
The message to any traveler embarking on the journey of self understanding in terms of this
interpretation, must be to analyse their own unconscious motives and behaviour, in order to allow
themselves an opportunity to gain a deeper and more genuine understanding of their own impulses and
actions and thereby avoid any impending impiety or disaster. ( the oracles prognostications)

Sigmund Freud, the great Austrian father of Psychoanalysis, was the first to develop the symbolic
relationship between the Oracle and Oedepus myths

Freud’s principle of the Oedipus Complex was developed in relation to the myth of Oedipus.

The myth of Oedipus

Laius king of Thebes, married Jocasta (Epicasta), daughter of Menoeceus and sister of Creon. They had
a son named Oedipus.

Following the birth, Laius learned from the oracle that his son will one day kill him and have children
by his mother. Horrified, he ordered his shepherd to leave the child exposed in the mountains.
However, the shepherd took pity on the child and gave Oedipus to Merope or Periboea, wife of Polybus,
the king of Corinth. 

They adopted the child and brought him up as their own. When Oedipus became a man however, he
also learned from the oracle in Delphi, that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Hoping to
avoid his fate, and thinking that Polybus was his real father, Oedipus decided to never return to
Corinth.

As he journeyed, he came across Laïus in his chariot with his armed escorts on their way to Delphi. A
fight ensued and Oedipus unknowingly killed his father and all but one bodyguard. Creon became king
following the death of his brother-in-law, Laius.

Outside of Thebes, a monster known as the Sphinx had been killing travellers, who couldn't answer her
riddle. The riddle was:
"What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening?"

Oedipus arrived and correctly answered the Sphinx' riddle, saying that it was man. Man, because as
infant would crawl on it hands and feet; in most of his life, he would walk on two legs; but when he
was old, he would have to rely on a walking stick. The Sphinx committed suicide.

When the Thebans heard that Oedipus had solved the riddle of the Spinx and got rid of it, Creon
proclaimed the young hero as king, and unwittingly married his sister Jocasta to her own son. Jocasta
had four children to Oedipus, Eteocles, Polyneices, Antigone and Ismene. They lived happily for many
years during which time Thebes prospered. Oedipus was known as a wise and just king.

After some years a plague occurred and Oedipus learned that it was caused by the murder of Laius, and
that it was due to the fact that his killer had gone unpunished. At the same time, he heard that
Polybus had died of natural causes in Corinth.

Oedipus consulted the blind seer, Teiresias and found out that he had been adopted and that his father
was Laius, and that he was left to die in the mountains. When Oedipus and Jocasta realised that the
oracles prediction had come true, Jocasta hanged herself, while Oedipus put out his own eyes. Thebes
drove Oedipus into exile as a murderer. 

However, in the end he returns to a more solitary and self reflective way of life, and “Sophocles”
Oedipus declares, "Despite so many ordeals, my advanced age and the nobility of my soul make me
conclude that all is well." 

The meaning of the term 'Oedipus complex' is symbolic. Like all the metaphors Freud used in his
writings, this term is valuable primarily for its suggestiveness and referential richness. It is a metaphor
operating on many levels, since it alludes to other metaphors by its overt and covert references to the
myth and the drama. Freud chose it to illumine and vivify a concept that defies more concise
expression. 

To quote Jung, “There are, and always have been, those who cannot help but see that the world and
its experiences are in the nature of a symbol, and that it reflects something that lies hidden in the
subject himself.”
Oedipus, in fleeing Corinth, paid no attention to the admonitory temple inscription 'Know thyself'. The
inscription implicitly warned that anyone who did not know himself would misunderstand the sayings of
the oracle. Because Oedipus was unaware of his innermost feelings, he fulfilled the prophecy. Because
he was unknowing of himself, he believed that he could murder the father who had raised him well,
and marry the mother who loved him as a son. Oedipus acted out his metaphorical blindness - his
blindness to what the oracle had meant, based on his lack of knowledge of himself - by depriving
himself of his eyesight. In doing so, he may have been inspired by the example of Teiresias, the blind
seer who reveals to Oedipus the truth about Laius's murder. We encounter in Teiresias the idea that
having one’s sight turned away from the external world and directed inward - toward the inner nature
of things - gives true knowledge and permits understanding of what is hidden and needs to be known. 

Know Thyself

The issue is not that Oedipus was intrinsically bad, in fact quite the contrary, he was considered as a
wise and just king. Oedipus’s mistake was in not questioning and understanding his own motives and
desires (Self Reflection) before embarking on his journey into the cave of the oracle, and entering into
the potentially perilous world of the unconscious. He failed to notice or understand the message
emblazoned over the entrance, “Know Thyself,” which was meant for all who intended to enter the
cave, to heed. Our apparent sorrows of life occur when we embark on the journey without reflection.

Reasoned Choice

Freedom of choice made in the light of reason, what I will call Reasoned Choice (which includes
consideration, understanding, reasonableness, communication and responsible action) is one of the
guiding principles of the traveller. This would have allowed him to understand the true meaning of the
message, and a chance to save the situation from disaster. In the end he, like his biological parents
before him, was unable to combine reflection and reason with emotion in understanding the essential
meaning of the message, which only the detached light of conscious, reasoned choice could reveal. The
spur of the moment is not the moment of reason.

In the end the light of wisdom, experience and responsible actions, combine to free the soul from the
psychological tension caused by the distinction between self and other which on the one hand is the
source of the creative impulse of man, and on the other, can lead to a perpetual cycle of anxiety and
euphoria which breaks the stillness of the mind and leads to a spiritual and cosmic disassociation 

The Greek myth of Sisyphus

Most accounts of his eventual fate include the fact that he had shown irreverence towards the gods and
stole their secrets, including the secret of immortality. Homer tells us also that Sisyphus had put Death
in chains. Pluto could not bare the appearance nor stand the silence of his realm, so he sent Zeus to
free Death from captivity. 

Following his death, Sisyphus asked and was given permission by Pluto god of the underworld, to return
to the world in order to chastise his wife for a disloyalty of love that she had shown him as he neared
death. But when he returned, and saw in the light of day the stunning beauty of the world, he decided
to stay. He was given several warnings but refused to heed them. The gods eventually sent Mercury to
seize him and return him to the underworld where his fate was waiting. 

He was set the futile and eternally repeating task of pushing a boulder up a mountain. When he
arduously reached the summit the boulder would roll back down to the bottom where he would begin
his task again. 

The question is, did he choose not to return to the perpetual darkness of the underworld through an
act of free will, or was he so transfixed by the images of the light world, like Narcissus, that he was
rendered incapable of making a reasoned choice.

According to Homer, Sisyphus was the wisest and most prudent of mortals. He knew the secrets of the
gods, their strengths and failings, and that his punishment for disobedience would be horrendous. And
yet once his consciousness had been calibrated by the experience of both the light and dark worlds in
elegant harmony, he was free to make his own decisions. He had realized that in the final analysis,
there is no sun without shadow, and it is as essential to know the night as it is the light of day. He
chose the light of day. 

Free Will
As he pauses at the mountain top, and during his decent to the bottom to repeat the cycle, what
preserves his sanity when he contemplates his fate is the knowledge of the fact that his predicament is
of his own making. Although it is beyond his physical powers to ever escape from this endless,
monotonous and futile task, his conscious act of free will in defiance of the gods, helps sustain him in
his human suffering. 

The tragedy of the myth is that even after the most profound experience of life and death he could not
understand their purposeful and harmonic relationship. His choice was selfish, and he chose the life
world. He was unable to move on. His sin was that of attachment to what the Hindus call Maya, which
is the illusion of material existence. He failed to see the light of his own soul.

The Greek myth of Tantalus

Tantalus (tăn'tələs). In Greek mythology, king of Sipylos, son of Zeus and father of Pelops and Niobe.

Tantalus is known for having been welcome at Zeus' table in Olympus. There he stole nectar and
ambrosia, the drink and food of the gods respectively, brought them back to his people, and revealed
the secrets of the gods. 

As retribution he was hurled into Tartus, the Underworld zone of punishment. There he was
condemned by Zeus to perpetual thirst and starvation. He had to stand for eternity, trapped in a pool
of water that receded when he tried to drink, and beneath the bough of a fruit tree whose branches
would rise out of reach when he tried to pick its fruit to eat. A further account of his punishment tells
of a great stone, hung finely balanced over his head, threatening to fall at any moment. This tale is
now seen as proverbial for temptation without satisfaction and is the origin of the word "tantalize."

Power

For me the myth signifies a further landmark in the development of self expression in terms of its
relationship between the treatment of power at the secular (Tantilus was a king who tried to improve
the welfare of his people), and spiritual levels (Tantilus was a sinner who disobeyed the gods and must
be punished). 
His satisfaction, and what sustains him in his suffering, is like Jesus of the new testament, the
knowledge that he sacrificed himself in an attempt to improve the lot of his people, while remaining
strong in his faith. (Although he revealed the secrets of the gods, he offered up his son, Pelops as a
sacrifice.)

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

Plato in his allegory of the Cave makes the point that many of us are psychologically buried as it were
in a dark cave (of the unconscious) and chained so that we can only face one of the opposing cave
walls. The only light is projected from a small fire in the cave, onto the facing wall. The only images
we see are the shadows of events happening behind us, and reflected by the light from the flames onto
the facing wall, which is what we believe to be reality. 

Stated in today’s terms, we are mesmerized by the media led, and commercially, financially and
politically driven, shadowy projections of reality, into believing that what we see and hear is actually
substantial reality, the ‘Truth,’ which in fact is “Their”, often expedient truth, but not necessarily
ours. 

Plato’s allegory continues with the eventual escape of some individuals from the cave into the true
light of day, which he terms ‘The Good’, where they realize that they have been living in a shadowy
illusion in the cave. 

What we need is a truly democratic system, whose primary focus is the general welfare of the people,
whose driving force is the will of the people, and who can offer decentralized structure, inspired,
compassionate and courageous leadership, which will take us from the darkness of this dependent
state, into the light of freedom and personal responsibility, enabling us to ‘Grow Up.’

Sufism and the Upanishads

Isa Upanishad

Peace Chant
OM! That (the Invisible–Absolute) is whole; whole is this (the visible phenomenal); from the Invisible
Whole comes forth the visible whole. Though the visible whole has come out from that Invisible Whole,
yet the Whole remains unaltered. OM! PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!

Mandukya Upanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad reveals the mystery of manifest existence through the word AUM, which
embodies the three principles represented by the three letters, and is beyond time and space, with the
fourth principle indicating the surrounding silence of the unmanifest.

The relevant Mantra is:

Sarvam hy etad Brahman, ayam atman Brahman, so’yam atma catus-pati

(…this self (Atman) is Brahman. This same self has four quarters.)  

 Quarter             State                   Cognition         Sufi-Islam

1. vaishvanara   Waking State         External           Shari’s   

                                                       Objects

2. taijas              Dream State          Internal           Tariqa

                                                       Objects 

3. prajna            Deep Sleep            Bliss                 Marifa 

4. turiya             Self (Atman)          Beyond            Haqiqa

                                                       Cognition          

These four are aspects of one underlying reality, which progresses through each level to the Supreme
state of realization of the self or merging of the soul with the Supreme soul.

Marifa spiritual knowledge of god

Katha Upanishad
“The self is neither born nor does it die. It did not originate from anything, nor did anything
originate from it. It is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and primordial. It is not injured even when it
is killed.” 1.ii.18.

 “The self that is subtler than the subtle, and greater than the great, is lodged in the heart of
every creature. A desire less man sees the glory of the self through the serenity of the organs and
thereby he becomes free from sorrow.” 1.ii.20.

The key is meditation and austerities

Brahman consciousness should not be confused with ordinary consciousness which is veiled by Maya. It
is beyond sat and chit which we know. It is an infinite rejection of things and states that we have to
practice.

Maitri Upanishad
We are given an account of the conception of the trinity, how darkness (tamas) represented by Siva,
passion (rajas) represented by Brahma and goodness (sattva) represented by Vishnu got differentiated
from the Highest (Maitri Upanishad V.2) 

BRAH means bringing forth and AHM means ego – therefore Brahma means one who brings forth egos
using his divine powers and pours life (breath, Prana) into them.

Viraj is the manifest world. It is a world in perpetual motion and subject to illusion due to the interplay
of the gunas.

The Four Purusharthas (the goals or the aims in life)

Dharma
Artha
Karma
Moksha
Dharma – that which holds (the universe and its beings)(duty, righteousness). Duties are universal,
righteous and ethical life supporting principles, including a moral order and right conduct. When
conducted in a sincere manner it brings fame in this life and unparalleled happiness in the life here
after.

It includes:
Ahimsa                non violence
Satya                   truthfulness
Asteya                 non-stealing
Saucha                purity of conduct
Indri-yanigraha  control of senses
Dhih                    wisdom
Vidya                  learning
Akrodha             non-anger

Artha – (possessions or material wealth)

It is an important activity on which social and material pleasure depends. However, it should be viewed
only as a means of maintaining a family and household, and not as an end in itself. 

Wealth should not be hoarded but surplus’s should be shared with those who are less fortunate.

Karma – (Action and desire)

Moksha (freedom from Samsara - the cycles of birth and death)

It is the relief from pain and suffering (hell) and ultimate liberation that is the main reason for all our
actions and that is the aim or goal of the individual soul (atman)

The Isa Upanishad shows that the only hell is absence of knowledge of the effulgent and indestructible
nature of the Soul. As long as man is overpowered by the darkness of this ignorance, he is the slave of
nature and must accept whatever comes as the fruit of his thoughts and deeds.

If we do not have this knowledge, we cannot be happy; because nothing on this external plane of
phenomena is permanent or dependable. He who is rich in the knowledge of the Self does not covet
external power or possession.

Sufi-Islam view

Fana
Fana means annihilation in the way of merging with the Supreme Reality. There are three stages in
Fana. They are:

Qurbe-Farid (nearness to obligation)
The seer acts as an instrument in the hands of god

Qurbe-Nawafil (nearness to superogation)
God becomes the instrument of the seer

Jama-Baynul-Qurbayn (the union of two nearnesses)

The seer merges with the essence of the Supreme Reality – beyond duality

Baqa
Baqa means the outer manifest world. The Kazis (clerics), and Umma (the people) remain at this stage,
living according to the exoteric principles of the Shari’a. The Sufis however, cross the border of the
Shari’a and reaches the stage of Fana. The Sufi recognizes the three great journeys. They are:

Sayr ILA LLah (journey towards Allah)

The seeker has to cross the two stages of Wahididyat and Wahdat – Divine devolution. The journey of
Salik then ends in haqiqate-Muhammadi (the realization of Truth)

Sayr Fi-allah (journey into Allah)

The seeker melts into the essence of god – called Adiyat

Sayr ani ‘llah (journey from Allah)

It is a return to the manifest world in the light of realization of the Divine

We are intoxicated by ego-identity and must seek the sobriety of perfection in the realization that we
and the Divine are one. This is achieved through Understanding, Wisdom, Justice and Compassion 

“I have seen my Lord with the eye of my heart, and I said: “Who are you? He said” ‘You.”’ 
 Mansur al-Hallaj (c. 858 - 26 March 922) was a Persian mystic, writer and teacher of Sufism. His full
name was Abu al-Mughith al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj 

The Kaatha Upanishad inspires us in chapter 3 Verse 14 to:

“Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn. Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, so the
wise say - hard to tread and difficult to cross”

Verse 15 and 16 continue….

15. Having realised Atman, which is soundless, intangible, formless, undecaying and likewise
tasteless, eternal and odourless; having realised That which is without beginning and end, beyond
the Great and unchanging—one is freed from the jaws of death.

16. The wise man who has heard and related the eternal story of Nachiketa, told by Death, is
adored in the world of Brahman.

The Nature of the Divine According to Sufism 

La Illaha Il Allah

No God is, only Allah is.

What then is ALLAH

1, AHAD – One alone, infinite, limitless.

Fa’aynamaa tuwalluu fa’samma waj-Hullaah (2:115)

“whichever side you turn there is the face of ALLAH”

laysa kamislihii shay’a (42:11)

“neither in macro plans nor in micro plans, there is nothing that compares with Hu or
matches Hu”

SAMAD – The impervious whole, without parts.

LAM YULAD – Was not begotten, did not come into existence as the result of another being.

Allah is:

Hayy      (the Alive)

Alim       (the knowing, the conscious)
Mureed  (the willful)
Qaadir   (the Powerful)
Sami      (the Attentive)
Basir     (the Evaluator)
Qalim    (the Meaningful, the Expressive)

Where God is mentioned in the Koran it is immediately followed by Allah, that is because the
point is addressed to theists (mushrikun)

“They have not comprehended Allah with the comprehension that is due to Allah” (6:31)

IbnArabi quotes a Muslim Hadith:

Man’arafa nafsahu faqad ‘arafa Rabbahu

A better understanding of the human ‘self’ leads to a proper concept of God.

Qaf 50:16 Walaqad khalaqna al-insanawanaAAlamu matuwaswisu bihi nafsuhu

wanahnu aqrabuilayhi min habli alwareedi

It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to
him.For We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.
“It is sorrow that guides us. As long as there is no sorrow, no passion, or no yearning love
in a work, we will not strive for it. Without sorrow it remains out of reach”
Rumi, Fihi ma Fihi, 58, p.312

“If the ego (nafs) urges us to complain, do not complain, rather give thanks instead. This is
the way of the Dervishes. When the mind wants to complain, do the opposite-give thanks.
Exaggerate the matter to such a degree that you find within yourself a love of what repels
you. Pretending thankfulness is a way of seeking the love of God.”
Rumi, Fihi ma Fihi 64, p366

“I choose words that suit the understanding and skill of the people. Consider the
intelligence of the people as you talk to them.
Hadith quoted in Fahi ma Fahi, 24, p183

Scientific Reasoning Examined

The scientific method is held out as the “gold standard” against which all scientific theories and laws
are devised, assessed and tested. In addition, science utilizes a range of additional analytical methods
and tools in order to enhance the efficacy of its results. These include; logic, mathematics, geometry
and computation.

What we are able to perceive, we can subject to empirical analysis and reasoning, which is best
exemplified by the “scientific method.” That is, a sequence or collection of procedures that are
considered characteristic of scientific investigation and the acquisition of new scientific knowledge
based upon physical evidence. Observation and experiment through carefully controlled, reproducible
and independently verifiable measurement, are fundamental components of empirical analysis.

“Only against the background of an objective world, and measured against criticizable claims to truth
and efficacy, can beliefs appear as systematically false, actions intentions as systematically hopeless,
and thoughts as fantasies, as mere imaginings.” Jurgen Habermas, The Theory of Communicative
Action, Vol II p51

Inevitably any method of classical inquiry, which relies heavily on our experiential capacities, will
result in what Bernard Lonergen refers to as an “empirical residue” which is an element which is
beyond our perceptual judgement. This element is then in turn taken up and analysed at the Statistical
level. Any residue remaining after this point, it could be argued become matters of faith or further
investigation. 

In today’s secular and technologically driven world we are led to believe that scientific discovery holds
the key to our future survival and progress as a species. This idea is sold to us with the same dogmatic
fervor as the Catholic Church sold us in the west, the idea of original sin, heaven, hell and salvation, a
salvation which could only be achieved by reference and adherence to the churches doctrines. The
Church by way of example stipulates, “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” – There is no salvation outside the
church.

Science and logic are not the ordinary human criteria for truth. In logic the only certain conclusions are
deductions from self evident propositions. On the other hand, scientific hypotheses may have any
degree of probability but cannot be certain, for absolute verification is logically impossible. So as
Lonergan states in terms of describing the minds highest capacity for critical analysis, “ the alternative
criterion is the mind itself’ far higher, wider, more subtle, than logical inference’ which can use all our
knowledge, evaluate in the concrete, and remain in harmony with natural procedure, neither a priori
doubting everything or accepting anything.” Bernard Lonergan - True Judgment and Science” p5 

The scientific revolution of the 16 Century Renaissance period meant that Galileo, from observations
made through his newly developed telescope, was able for the first time, to confirm the theories
of Copernicus. This meant that the earth was replaced by the sun as the centre of the cosmos, which
was now understood to operate principally under Natural Law, and not that of a Deity. This was
considered to be a direct threat to the authority of the church. Any new findings which threatened the
established viewpoint were often considered as heresy and subjected to a “baptism of fire,” which in
the case of Giordano Bruno in 1600BCE, meant a literal interpretation, being sentenced by the papacy
to be burned at the stake.
In the 18th Century Isaac Newton sought to restore the notion of a divinely inspired and mechanically
(the blind watchmaker) driven universe, embodied in his “Laws of Motion.” According to these laws
(known as classical mechanics), the motion of matter depends on a fixed space/time background (non-
dynamical) structure. Space and time are unchangeable entities which define accelerated motion in
absolute terms. Newton’s flawed conceptions of absolute space and absolute time work wonderfully
well at the slow speeds and moderate gravity we normally encounter in everyday life.
Any notion of a natural underlying cosmic source, as exemplified by the idea of the “ether,” was
declared dead. In principle, you could work out the movement and position of every atom in the
universe, and achieve a complete understanding of the nature of the universe and “Gods Laws.”

For the next 300 years this is how things stood in terms of scientific understanding, until Albert
Einstein developed his theories of Special and General Relativity in 1905 and 1915 respectively.

Richard Dawkins has written that "there's all the difference in the world between a belief that one is
prepared to defend by quoting evidence and logic, and a belief that is supported by nothing more than
tradition, authority or revelation."

This is a fundamental question regarding the level and quality of "proof" provided by scientific
reasoning. 
Karl Popper, following others, has argued that a hypothesis must be falsifiable, and that one cannot
regard a proposition or theory as scientific if it does not admit the possibility of being shown false.
Other philosophers of science have rejected the criterion of falsifiability or supplemented it with other
criteria, such as verifiability (e.g., verificationism) or coherence (e.g., confirmation holism). The
scientific method involves experimentation on the basis of hypotheses in order to answer questions and
explore observations.

In scientific and medical applications, the null hypothesis plays a major role in testing the significance
of differences in treatment and control groups. The assumption at the outset of the experiment is that
no difference exists between the two groups (for the variable being compared): this is the null
hypothesis in this instance. This use, while widespread, is criticized on a number of grounds, some of
which are as follows:

It is a matter of considerable controversy in the philosophy of science what to regard as evidence for or
against the most fundamental laws of physics. Isaac Newton's laws of motion in their original form
were falsified by experiments in the twentieth century (eg, the anomaly of the motion of Mercury, the
behavior of light passing sufficiently close to a star, the behavior of particle being accelerated in a
cyclotron, etc), and replaced by a theory which predicted those phenomena, General Relativity,
though Newton's account of motion is still a good enough approximation for most human needs. Even
the validity of the anomaly of the motion of Mercury as verification of Einstein’sGeneral Relativity has
been called into serious question, as all the experimental results were not taken into consideration,
thereby creating bias. In the case of less fundamental laws, their falsifiability is much easier to
understand. If, for example, a biologist hypothesizes that, as a matter of scientific law (though
practising scientists will rarely actually state it as such), only one certain gland produces a certain
hormone, when someone discovers an individual without the gland but with the hormone occurring
naturally in their body, the hypothesis is falsified.

Thomas Kuhn’s influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions argued that scientists work
within a conceptual paradigm that determines the way in which they view the world. Scientists will go
to great length to defend their paradigm against falsification, by the addition of ad hoc hypotheses to
existing theories. Changing one's 'paradigm' is not easy, and only through some pain and angst does
science (at the level of the individual scientist) change paradigms.

Imre Lakatos attempted to explain Kuhn’s work in falsificationist terms by arguing that science
progresses by the falsification of research programs rather than the more specific universal statements
of naïve falsification. 

Paul Feyerabend examined the history of science with a more critical eye, and ultimately rejected any
prescriptive methodology at all. He went beyond Lakatos’ argument for ad hoc hypothesis, to say that
science would not have progressed without making use of any and all available methods to support new
theories. He rejected any reliance on a scientific method, along with any special authority for science
that might derive from such a method. Rather, he claimed, ironically, that if one is keen to have a
universally valid methodological rule, anything goes would be the only candidate. For Feyerabend, any
special status that science might have derives from the social and physical value of the results of
science rather than its method.

Following from Feyerabend, the whole "Popper project" to define science around one particular
methodology—which accepts nothing except itself—is a perverse example of what he supposedly
decried: a closed circle argument. The Popperian criterion itself is not falsifiable. Moreover, it makes
Popper effectively a philosophical nominalist, which has nothing to do with empirical sciences at all.

Many actual physicists, including Nobel Prize winner Steven Weinberg and Alan Sokal (Fashionable

Nonsense), have criticized falsifiability on the grounds that it does not accurately describe the way
science really works. Take astrology, an example most would agree is not science. Astrology constantly
makes falsifiable predictions -- a new set is printed every day in the newspapers, yet few would argue
this makes it scientific.

One might respond that astrological claims are rather vague and can be excused or reinterpreted. But
the same is true of actual science: a physical theory predicts that performing a certain operation will
result in a number in a certain range. Nine times out of ten it does; the tenth the physicists blame on a
problem with the machine -- perhaps someone slammed the door too hard or something else happened
that shook the machine. Falsifiability does not help us decide between these two cases.

Mathematical and logical statements are typically regarded as unfalsifiable, since they are tautologies,
not existential or universal statements. For example, "all bachelors are male" and "all green things are
green" are necessarily true (or given) without any knowledge of the world; given the meaning of the
terms used, they are tautologies. Proving mathematical theorems involves reducing them to
tautologies, which can be mechanically proven as true given the axioms of the system or reducing the
negative to a contradiction. Mathematical theorems are unfalsifiable, since this process, coupled with
the notion of consistency, eliminates the possibility of counterexamples.

We attempt to apply the concept of measurement as defined by science and mathematics to the
context dependent and complex behaviour of individual and social human systems which are dynamic,
changeable and often, in logical terms, unreasonable. In my view, we can draw a reasonable
distinction between what we can;

1. Perceive (directly experience)

2. Imagine (represent without the necessity of experience or understanding) and
3. Conceive (represent without the possibility of experience or full understanding (e.g. a line of infinite
length, as per mathematical notation))

We can use mathematics as one of the mind tools which have been invented or discovered (depending
on which school of thought you attest to) in order to represent and explain what we can conceive, but
cannot experience, (e.g.infinity) yet which has relevance and practical implications. This is one of the
great benefits and mysteries of mathematics. The problem arises when we fail to recognise the limits
of the explanatory power of mathematics.

According to Gregor Cantor you will always have higher levels of Infinity (Infinity of Infinities), as far
as he could determine, without end (he drove himself insane trying to prove it!) That is because, there
is in fact only one infinity, one which exists beyond our explanatory capacity. Such totality Cantor
called Absolute Infinity; it is beyond all mathematical determination, and can be comprehended only in
the “Mind of God.” “The Continuum Hypothesis”

"I could confine myself to a nutshell and declare myself king of infinity". Hamlet

The reason we speculate on multiple infinities is because of the limitations of mathematical reasoning.
As Kurt Godel pointed out in his 1931 “Incompleteness Theorems”, any system based on mathematical
reasoning cannot fully explain itself without reference to a higher order system. The Theorems are
important both in mathematical logic and in the philosophy of mathematics.

Allan Turing followed this up with the concept of “Computational Intractability,” the fact that you
cannot even apply computational algorithms to the problem. He showed that there are computational
algorithms, the outcome of which cannot ever be determined. All you can do is set them in motion,
(space) watch (observe) and wait (time) for complexity to spontaneously emerge.

The universe we live in, is an open system, it is in a constant state of energetic flux. This entire
physical manifestation is created instant by instant from an underlying source (which we will term the
Manifold, often known as the Vacuum). Every particle of this creation is moving, it occupies a point in
space for such an infinitesimal moment as almost never to have been there at all, multiple directions,
multiple velocities, multiple rotations, everything is moving.

So our physical universe emerges moment to moment from the Manifold, an infinite ocean of virtual
energy, or more precisely an infinite ocean of information so densely packed, it requires only a cubic
centimetre to generate our universe.

However true it may be that science can assist our future survival and enhance our lives, it certainly
does not mean that science has all the answers, or that it ever will. Even Einstein who became the
scientific icon of the 20th century stated a serious level of uncertainty in relation to his life’s work,
including his most revered and established theories. He said,

"You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite
different. There is not a single concept of which I am convinced that it will stand firm, and I feel
uncertain whether I am in general on the right track." 

Albert Einstein, on his 70th birthday, in a letter to Maurice Solovine, 28 March 1949 (in B. Hoffman
Albert Einstein: Creator and Rebel 1972, p.328) 

In order to understand the world from a scientific viewpoint we would do well to listen to Bertrand
Russell who states “Science tells us what we can know, but what we can know is little, and if we forget
how much we cannot know we become insensitive to many things of very great importance.” 
Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy Introduction p 14.

Further, it also does not mean that science operates in a bubble which shields it from bias and outside
forces and influences. The part politics, economics, sociology and religion play in influencing modern
mainstream scientific academia and developments cannot be underestimated.

From a political standpoint, governments earn huge revenues from the taxes imposed on energy, drugs
and the sale of know how. Economic interests play an important part in the form and presentation of
many scientific results. Examples include the influence which the large pharmaceutical companies
exert on the findings and methodologies of drug trials and research programs. Their propaganda
regimes are designed to dress up their products, so that the medical profession and the public are sold
on there health benefits. Doctors are treated to free “samples” and free attendance at seminars and
presentations in far flung and exotic locations of the world.

Also any research or developments which challenge or threaten industries where established, expensive
and highly profitable technologies are in use, such as in the fields of energy or computing, are often
bought out, suppressed or discredited.

Beyond paying the ultimate price, many modern academics that veer to far from the “received
wisdom,” or try to promote the idea of a new approach or methodology, are often subjected to
anything ranging from irrational criticism and public castigation to deliberate falsification and
manipulation of results and loss of academic standing, livelihood and research funding.

Our most refined knowledge of reality and existence is honed in the furnace of experience, which is
not an isolated endeavor. The world of meaning mediated by understanding, judgment, discourse and
common sense takes us beyond the field of immediate experience to a realm, much of which is only
partly explored. 
Modern worldviews no longer have the validity claims of mythical traditions, they have a relation to
truth. They are comparable only in respect to their potency for conferring meaning – the degree of
openness to ideas.

The problems of the human mind reflect back as questions to which we can provide only the provisional
answer. Occasionally we pose a new question and gain a new insight. Even less often do we find a new
way of looking at well established ideas and reinterpreting them in a more inventive, powerful or
revealing way, which can, in a few circumstances, radically change the world forever.

Understanding requires a number of features which have to be realized, modeled and coordinated at
the conscious and unconscious levels. Life is a network of relationships within environments which are
continually interacting and evolving to higher and higher levels of complexity and sophistication. We
require core aspects of stability at all levels, physical, psychological and social in order to be able to
function within a continuously evolving complex environment. These core aspects in effect act as
models which can be manipulated in relative safety in order to test real world scenarios. Models based
on prior experience and understanding, provide a coherent and stable sense of self in physical,
psychological and social terms

From Particle to Mind …Part 1

In my opinion, if we wish to explain mass and the forces of nature in a satisfactory way, we have
to show some geometric entity which does something which we can see would produce the
effect we perceive in the real world. If geometry is about measurement it must have definite
objects to measure, and not as Einstein said, merely the relations between entities, abstractions
and axioms.

Thus, my view is that we are to "understand" the universe by making calculations with observed
quantities to verify theories. We can only do this if we accept the idea of development, the
scalar form. There is no reasoning "in circles," only reasoning on parts of the circle where we
see directional cause and effect development.
It is my contention that we live in a material universe which is conscious held together
by electro-magnetic forces which emanate energy waves of varying frequencies (which we
observe as the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum). In turn these waves manifest as the various forms of
matter and energy waves which we encounter. The universe, at its most fundamental level,
consists of a sea of rotating electron-positron dipoles, which spontaneously form primary
geometric structures in the shape of a double helix. These geometric structures have a
vertical axial plane between their electron-positron dipoles which is at right angles to
the equatorial plane which runs horizontally through their centre. These planes trace a Regular
Tetrahedron which contains all the primary geometric forms, the Square, the Right
Triangle and the Circle.  These double helix structures occur at the sub-quantum level and
combine to form a crystalline sub-nuclear matrix from which all matter originates, and from
which it gains its stability.  

At their core, they emanate light in the form of photons, which contrary to all received wisdom,
but in keeping with the theories of James Clerk Maxwell and others, travels through a
background medium (which Maxwell termed the ether). Again, in contrast to Einstein’s theories
of relativity, light is not an absolute constant, its speed varies with the type of matter and its
velocity.

Einstein who became the scientific icon of the 20th century stated a serious level of uncertainty in
relation to his life’s work, including his most revered and established theories. He said,

"You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks
quite different. There is not a single concept of which I am convinced that it will stand firm, and
I feel uncertain whether I am in general on the right track."
Albert Einstein, on his 70th birthday, in a letter to Maurice Solovine, 28 March 1949 (in B.
Hoffman Albert Einstein: Creator and Rebel 1972, p.328)

I believe that the energy waves and patterns produced by this process, communicate in a proto-
conscious way. Further, theycontinue to gain in complexity as they manifests through matter and
information, and transform into life and mind. I therefore further contend, that the reason we
observe the double helix structure at the root of DNA, which we consider the blueprint of life, is
because its geometric structure is at the root of matter itself. It could be further argued, that the
Regular Tetrahedron (Pyramid) being part of the fundamental geometric structure of matter, has
found expression in human cultures and religious beliefs throughout the milenia, because of this
link. 

In what follows I will discuss the details of my proposal, and try to present some interesting
theories and speculations relating to this idea of a conscious universe with a double helix
structure. But first I must define a key term in my argument.            

Waves

A wave is a synchronised pattern of oscillations that repeats itself cyclically in both time and
space. Waves are characterized by three important factors:
 1. The velocity with which they move
2. Their frequency
3. Their wavelength (degree of oscillation) that is dependent on temporal and spatial
variables.

 Synchronisation only occurs at a critical point/mass where a transformational change (phase

transition) occurs and oscillations freeze into sync and become waves, they line up in time, not
space. All locations are indistinguishable; the degree of separation between entities is the key,
not position. - Kuramon

Communication arises through the oscillations capacity to send and receive signals. At any
instant an oscillations speed is dependent on its preferred pace, its sensitivity to any incoming
influence, and the total influence exerted by all other oscillations.

The fact that our senses allow us to perceive the world and universe in a coherent way must
mean that they are tuned into the harmonics of the cosmos at the most fundamental level.

Electromagnetic waves

Electromagnetic waves are waves of energy formed by accelerating charge. They are classified by the
wavelength, frequency, and energy. The electromagnetic spectrum is an illustration of such
classification. At one end of the spectrum are the longer wavelength, lower frequency, and lower
energy waves. At the other end are the shorter wavelength, higher frequency, and higher energy
waves. The spectrum in order from the lower frequency to the higher frequency is radio waves,
microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma ray.

Gamma waves

Gamma rays are radiation from nuclear decay, when a nucleus changes from an excited energy state to
a lower energy state. Gamma rays are typically waves of frequencies greater than 10 19 Hz. They have
high energies (greater than 104 eV per photon) and extremely short wavelengths (less than 10 -14 m).
Gamma rays can penetrate nearly all materials and are therefore difficult to detect.

From Particle to Mind Part 2

The Physics of the Double Helix

It was in the fourth millennium BC, that the priests of the great agricultural cities of the Indus Valley,
Sumer and Egypt first recognised in the heavens, a harmonic (and from their point of view a divinely
inspired) procession of the planets and stars, and their effect on nature (where “nature” includes
ourselves, our environment and the cultural milieu in which we live). Since then we have felt
compelled physically, mentally and spiritually to investigate their meaning in all aspects. 

“We must understand our world in such a way that it would not be absurd to claim that this world itself
produced us.” 
Ilya Prigogine – Nobel Laureate 

An understanding of space/time and matter/energy has been a major concern of scientific inquiry for
many centuries, creating powerful ideas, and making methods of understanding and changing the world
available.

The famous Polish astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), forever changed our view of the
world and its place in the cosmos by arguing that the Earth is not, in fact, the centre of the universe.
Today, science continues to question the structure and nature of the universe, and is still producing
extraordinary and surprising results.

Behind it all is surely an idea so simple, so beautiful, that when we grasp it - in a decade, a century, or
a millennium - we will all say to each other, how could it have been otherwise? How could we have
been so stupid for so long? - John Archibald Wheeler

Recent quotes from some leading western scientists regarding the nature of the universe suggest, if not
a spiritual dimension, at least a seriously aesthetic one.

"There's no question that there are many things about the universe which if they were very much
different, even just a little bit different, life couldn't exist, intelligent life couldn't exist,"
said Stanford physics Professor Leonard Susskind, "The [universe] is truly an incredibly fine-tuned
place."

“Given the evolutionary ascension of multi cellular organisms each producing negative entropic states
and having specialized cells with excitable membranes, the progress to consciousness and intelligence
was inevitable…..Consciousness is shaped by and requires the environment with which the brain
interacts. A conscious being is made of energy, quarks, gluons, electrons, atoms, molecules, etc. that
originate from and are part of the universe. For example, the elements of humans other than hydrogen
originate in stars. Therefore, in broader terms, the physics of the universe dynamically gives rise to a
conscious being, and it is implicit that the universe is aware of itself.”
Dr Richard Mills: From his book, Classical Quantum Mechanics 

Some vital postulates which form the foundations of modern physics are based on the largely false
propositions that;
1. Space is absolutely empty and there is no material carrier of light; 
2. The speed of light c is always and everywhere the same, and is a "universal constant", here and in all
other Universes, now and forever.
3. Wave/Particle duality. 
4. According to its speed of motion and rate of acceleration, time can literally speed up or slow down
for a moving body, 
5. A moving bodies mass increases to almost infinity as it approaches light speed. 
6. Different kinds of energy are equivalent to one another, commonly known as the “First Law of
Thermodynamics” or the Conservation Law.

The postulates were never proven by direct experiment. Their "proof' rests on satisfactory results
provided by relativistic calculations. On them, and by the extermination of alternatives, three
generations of physicists were educated in belief that relativity is the whole and only truth.

Let us examine these postulates in turn and see what alternative ideas are available;

1. Space is absolutely empty and there is no material carrier of light

Sound travels in air, why should light, which is merely another form of energy wave, travel in nothing.
Today, physics accepts that space isn’t empty, but can’t really make up its mind what it’s filled with.

James Clerk Maxwell (1812 – 1875?) was the first to unify the forces of electricity and magnetism. He
used a form of mathematics known as Quaternion in order to establish his theories. Few people at the
time understood his mathematics and some influential physicists showed serious opposition to his
ideas. In fact, after his death, his work was altered on the grounds of simplification by Heaviside and
others, and certain important concepts were dropped and changed. 

In part I of his 1861 paper ‘On Physical Lines of Force’, Maxwell, in an attempt to explain the
phenomena of magnetic attraction and repulsion, conceived the idea of a sea of molecular vortices,
mutually aligned in their axial planes and all rotating in the same direction, such that a centrifugal
pressure exists in the equatorial plane. A magnetic line of force is therefore a single column of vortices
aligned along their axes of rotation. 

He seeks to justify his proposal by introducing hydro-dynamical equations in which the square of the
circumferential velocity of the vortices determines the pressure differential between the equatorial
and the axial planes in the vortex sea (read ether) and the transverse waves in the vortex sea
propagate at the speed of light. He seems to treat ether density in the same manner as electric charge
is treated in modern science.

He later concludes “It appears from all these instances that the connexion between 
magnetism and electricity has the same mathematical form as that between certain pairs of
phenomena, of which one has a linear and the other a rotatory character.” 

Maxwell goes on to point out that “The magnetic state, however is characterized by a well-marked
rotatory phenomenon discovered by Faraday - the rotation of the plane of polarized light when
transmitted along the lines of magnetic force”. Maxwell concludes that this rotation is being caused by
the rotation of the vortices themselves.

In part III of his 1861 paper, Maxwell uses Newton’s equation for the speed of sound to show that
electromagnetic waves are transverse disturbances in an elastic solid. Maxwell uses the concept of
electric displacement and then establishes the ratio of transverse elasticity to density and substitutes
the result into Newton’s speed of sound equation. 

This method is never dealt with in modern textbooks as it has been totally swept 
under the carpet despite the fact that it was the jewel in the crown of Maxwell’s career. 

The 1887 ether-drift experiment of Albert Michelson and Edward Morley (known as the Michelson-
Morley experiment) established the idea of “empty space” which demanded constancy in light speed.
This led to the rejection by mainstream physics of the concept of space filled with a mass-free cosmic
medium (known as “the ether”) through which light waves propagated. The ether allowed for
variations in light speed, showing that light is not constant in all directions, but shows a measurable
direction-dependent variance (anisotropy).

Dayton Miller is one of the 20th century’s least known yet prolific and brilliant physicists. His1933
paper in Reviews of Modern Physics details the positive results from over 20 years of experimental
research into the question of ether-drift, and remains the most definitive body of work on the subject
of light-beam interferometry. His experimental work was comprehensive and accurate, and when
challenged he always responded in an intelligent, considered and practical manner.

"The effect [of ether-drift] has persisted throughout. After considering all the possible sources of error,
there always remained a positive effect." — Dayton Miller (1928, p.399)

However, the establishment led by Miller’s ex student Shankland and his team, and supported
by Einstein, whose General Theory of Relativity depended on a constant speed of light, refused to
accept Miller’s results, or give them the attention they deserved. 

Einstein stated regarding Miller,

"I believe that I have really found the relationship between gravitation and electricity, assuming that
the Miller experiments are based on a fundamental error. Otherwise, the whole relativity theory
collapses like a house of cards."
Albert Einstein, in a letter to Robert Millikan, June 1921 (in Clark 1971, p.328) 

"My opinion about Miller's experiments is the following. ... Should the positive result be confirmed,
then the special theory of relativity, and with it the general theory of relativity, in its current form,
would be invalid. Experimentum summus judex. Only the equivalence of inertia and gravitation would
remain, however, they would have to lead to a significantly different theory."
Albert Einstein, in a letter to Edwin E. Slosson, July 1925 

The Shankland group’s critique was poorly conceived and executed and they produced no experimental
evidence of their own relating to any issues which they raised. 

Frederick Tombe proposes an improvement to Maxwell’s model that involves replacing his molecular
vortices with rotating electron-positron dipoles. These dipoles will each comprise of an electron and a
positron undergoing a mutual orbit. Electromagnetism is then explained in terms of an electric sea in
which magnetic lines of force are physically comprised of helical springs created out of rotating
electron-positron dipoles. The electron-positron dipoles are bonded together in a double helix pattern
(see fig.1.) and the resulting helical springs form elliptical or circular solenoidal hoops around an
electric current circuit or a bar magnet 
(see fig.2.).

 Fig.1 The Double Helix Model of The Fundamental Structure of Matter

Fig.2. A solenoid (1827, fr. solénoïde, gr. solen "pipe, channel" + comb. form of gr. eidos "form,

shape") is a three-dimensional coil. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a loop of wire, often
wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed
through it.
                                                                    

Tome continues “It is clear that the luminiferous medium must be a sea of particles on a scale that is
many orders of magnitude smaller than atomic and molecular matter. The obvious choice for what
these particles ought to be is electrons and positrons as these are the only stable pairs of particles on
that scale which are known to exist. Maxwell said in part II of his 1861 paper, “It appears therefore
that, according to our hypothesis, an electric current is represented by the transference of the
moveable particles interposed between the neighbouring vortices - - -“.

Tombe says, “We need to reconcile simple harmonic motion with the fundamental forces that act
between electrons and positrons. If we put a static electron and a static positron side by side, they will
attract each other, but there will be absolutely no question whatsoever of simple harmonic motion
occurring. We need to find a dynamic situation involving electrons and positrons, from which we can
obtain a simple harmonic motion out of the fundamental forces. 

Frederick David Tombe, 15th February 2006, Philippine Islands 

(18th December 2008 Amendment, Cebu City) Abstract. Maxwell’s 1861 paper ‘On Physical Lines
of Force’ 

Maxwell may already have provided the key to this problem by emphasizing the fact that he was
considering tangential motion as opposed to radial motion, when considering the displacement of his
electrical particles. Tangential motion suggests that the centrifugal force is involved. A rotating
electron-positron dipole in which the collapsing effect of the Coulomb force is cancelled out by the
repulsive effect of the centrifugal force, could be considered as being representative of the elastic
sphere, and hence the molecular vortex 
cell. Maxwell’s Displacement current is a one dimensional phenomenon. If we resolve 
the motion of the electron and the positron within a single rotating dipole along one axis in the
equatorial plane, we will have an alternating electric current satisfying the conditions of simple
harmonic motion. This reconciles the mathematical link between electric current and simple harmonic
motion at microscopic level.” 

The “Ether” as cold neutral ionized plasma

An article in Science by Itano et al begins by saying: "Plasmas, the ionized states of matter, are usually
hot and gaseous. However, a sufficiently cold or dense plasma can be liquid or solid. A one-component
plasma (OCP) consists of a single charged species embedded in a uniform, neutralizing background
charge. “ 
SCIENCE Journal, Itano et al at p. 686 of Vol. 279, 30 January 1998.

More recently Dr. Menahem Simhony has proved beyond any doubt that a physical
medium of electrons and positrons pervades what we customarily accept to be the
vacuum, and his theory comes from within the discipline of solid state physics, and is totally
independent of the discipline of electromagnetism.

Dr. Simhony proposes that the 'vacuum medium', otherwise known as the 'ether', can be postulated as a
cold neutral ionized plasma that has such a perfect crystalline form (which he terms Epola) that it
cannot be 'seen' or 'felt' as a medium resisting force. In fact it responds so easily in its reaction to
invasion by matter that it dissolves its structure and reforms that structure in the wake of matter that
does move through it.

2. Is Light a Universal Constant (c)

The truth is that the velocity of light, once emitted, depends only on the physical conditions in the
region of space where it propagates. Light does not 'remember' its previous velocities or the velocity of
its source, and the speed of light does not depend on them. Light always reaches us with the same
speed c, not for being a "universal constant", but because the physical conditions in our space are the
same everywhere around us, causing the velocity of light here to be equal to c. The ether is the only
reference frame for light.

3. Particles, Waves, and their postulated duality

If atomic matter consists of waves and particles it seems sensible to assume a certain order of priority
and structure. We currently accept a mysterious flipping between the two states according to
observation or some mathematical theories which only a handful of mathematical physicists could even
begin to understand.
In 1905, Albert Einstein revived Newton's corpuscular theory of light by postulating that light represents
streams of energy quanta or photons. Photons were pronounced particles of the fictitious emptiness.
They have mass only when they move with the velocity of light. It was found that though light is a wave
process, its quanta or photons have momentum and may act as real particles. Unable and unwilling to
find the physical reasons for this 'duality', new physics canonized it by the "particle-wave duality
principle." It states, without explanation, that waves may have particle properties, and particles may
exhibit wave properties. This is a "no answer, answer", typical for new physics. 

One explanation posited by Simhoni is that, “space contains bound electrons and positrons. Some
vibrations of these particles form waves that we perceive as light. The wave properties of light are the
properties of these real waves. The particle properties of light are those of electrons and positrons
vibrating in the wave. The particle properties can be detected when the real particles, vibrating in the
wave, hit free particles or particles of a target (detector).

Atomic bodies are highly diluted networks of nuclei that are 50,000 nuclei radii apart from one
another. Therefore the moving atomic body as a whole cannot "bulldozer" the electron positron lattice,
cannot push or pull it, nor can the body make wind, or currents in it Motion of atomic bodies causes
only vibrations and waves in an electron positron lattice”

The Ether is continuous but not homogeneous. The cause of the difference of state, as well as of local
configurations and elements, is Motion and Pressure, called Energy. Matter is the vehicle for energy, it
is continuous and discontinuous, and has the capacity to be conscious. Energy is motion and pressure
taking place through matter. 

4. Does time change speed in absolute terms

In our natural system of orientation, time is a coordinate, in which to order events as they occur. It is
the independent coordinate, flowing at its constant rate. Time will run at the same rate for travelers
at the highest speed of 100 km/s, achievable by atomic bodies in the Solar System, as for those who
watch the voyage on TV at home.

Rate changes and time changes are not the same. Rate changes become measurable only through
comparison against constant measuring units. The relativity of time is not of time at all, it is of light –
curved space is curved light through a medium of variable density. The space –time continuum does not
exist, it is the ether-light continuum. The ether possesses varied densities with the solid, liquid or
gaseous matter that displaces it. The speed of light is a function of the minimal density of the
conducting medium. 

“Time-thinking is thinking involved in this womb-world; such thought does not touch the problem of
eternity. In this view, eternity is not a long time; rather, it is another dimension. It is that dimension
to which time-thinking shuts us. And so there never was a creation. Rather, there is a continuous
creating going on. This energy is pouring into every cell of our being right now, every board and brick
of the buildings we sit in, every grain of sand and wisp of wind. It is aum, the sound of the universe,
that sound that is not made by two things rubbing together.” 
Joseph Campbell, Myths of Light: Eastern Metaphors of the Eternal 

5. Dependence of apparent mass on velocity

We know that the dimensions of a body change only when there is an internal or external action on it.
If the length, or width, or height of a body shortens due to motion, then this could occur only because
of a physical or chemical interaction between the body and the medium in which it moves. We thus
keep our orientation system as it was established, i.e., with independent time, and three space
coordinates or dimensions of bodies.

6. Classical Physics and received wisdom

In a 1905 paper Einstein derived his formula for the alleged dependence of the mass of an electron on
the velocity of its motion in an electromagnetic field. For an electron moving with a velocity of 2000
km/s (velocity of outer orbital electrons) the formula yields an increase of mass by as little as 0.0003%.
At 200,000 km/s the mass of the electron would increase by 40%, and would become infinite at the
speed of light.

The truth is that the real mass of a body is the quantity of matter in the body; it cannot and does not
increase with velocity. But at a certain speed of a nuclear particle, the inertial resistance to its
acceleration in space starts to increase, which appears as an increase in mass. This resistance
drastically increases at particle speeds close to the speed of light c.

Einstein generalized his results to “ponderable material points”, i.e., to small bodies of atomic matter.
He “proved” it by saying “because a ponderable material point can be made into an electron”. Well, it
cannot. No piece of atomic matter can be made into an electron! However, the fallacy has never been
corrected and is still included in modern textbooks. 

The “First Law of Thermodynamics” or “The Conservation Law”

Different kinds of energy are not equivalent to one another; some kinds are "more equal". Thus, only a
small part of thermal energy can be converted into mechanical energy. The energy of electric currents
is most versatile, but only a small part of it can be converted into radiation energy, the "most equal"
kind. By saying that the kind of energy evidently makes no difference, Einstein played on the
misunderstanding of energy conservation. This law states that if and when one kind of energy is
converted into another kind, then the converted amounts of energy are equal. Different kinds of
energy are not equal, not replaceable. 

The Improper Interpretation of E=mc2 

Einstein derived this formula in 1905 from a calculation of the radiation energy of an electron moving
in the electromagnetic field. Unfortunately, he generalized it to "ponderable masses as well ", i.e., to
atomic bodies, without any proof. He also equated the radiation energy with any other energy, by
saying: "The fact that the energy withdrawn from the body becomes energy of radiation evidently
makes no difference, so that: The mass of a body is a measure of its energy content; if the energy
changes by E, the mass changes in the same sense by E/c2 " 

Moreover, equations contain amounts only, and can thus equate amounts only. They cannot equate
kinds of a physical magnitude nor physical magnitudes as such, simply because equations do not
contain them. Hence, an equation cannot replace mass by energy, nor any physical magnitude by
another one. Presentation of E=mc2 as a mass-energy equivalence is thus improper. As improper as
would be such a presentation of the E=mv2/2 equation for the kinetic energy of a body. 

The truth is that in the E=mc2 equation, m is the change in the amount of mass of electrons and other
nuclear particles, present, appearing, and disappearing in space. This amount is equal to the amount of
absorbed or emitted radiation energy E, divided by the squared velocity of light. The equality of these
amounts, m=E/c2, does not mean that mass and energy are equivalent or replaceable. Similarly, if you
buy a loaf of bread for a dollar bill, then these two items are not equivalent or replaceable, because
you cannot make bread out of the bill, or a dollar bill out of the bread. Make, not buy, sell, or
exchange! Further, the “simultaneity” of two events doesn’t have anything to do with when they
occur, it depends only when they are observed. This makes simultaneity purely subjective; it has
nothing to do with nature!

Time and space are rational dimensions, mental constructs with which we measure certain relations
between things. Matter is ubiquitous and in a state of flux, and there is no one fixed point or unmoving
centre of relational systems. There is a duality to relation;

1. Real relation, being identity, the spatio-temporal relation between objects absolutely. All are part
of the overriding unity that is the physical world! Which is infinite. We recognize that the objective
relation, while absolute, allows variability of quantity, length, rate and mass of all things that enter
into such relation with one another.

2. Rational relation of measuring systems which are arbitrary, logico-mathematical dimensions such as
quantity, extension and duration. Whether measuring units are constant or variable is irrelevant, they
are rational and arbitrary.

From Particle to Mind ….Part 3

The Earth as a living Entity

The Gaia Hypothesis - James Lovelock

We now see that the air, the ocean and the soil are much more than a mere environment for life;
they are a part of life itself.

There is nothing unusual in the idea of life on Earth interacting with the air, sea and rocks, but it
took a view from outside to glimpse the possibility that this combination might consist of a
single giant living system and one with the capacity to keep the Earth always at a state most
favorable for the life upon it. It was the novelist William Golding who proposed the name Gaia.

“After all those three and a half billion years of evolution, the earth at last has something with
intelligence and communication. We are natural and we shouldn’t think of ourselves as separate
from the Earth. Through our eyes, the Earth has seen for the very first time, from space, what an
incredibly beautiful planet she is. And that’s worthwhile, well worth it.” From an interview:
James Lovelock on Climate Change - 2 Feb 2007 By Christine Carter 

If we are "all creatures great and small," from bacteria to whales, part of Gaia then we are all of
us potentially important to her well being. We knew in our hearts that the destruction of whole
ranges of other species was wrong but now we know why. No longer can we merely regret the
passing of one of the great whales, or the blue butterfly, nor even the smallpox virus. When we
eliminate one of these from Earth, we may have destroyed a part of ourselves, for we also are a
part of Gaia.

There are many possibilities for comfort as there are for dismay in contemplating the
consequences of our membership in this great commonwealth of living things. It may be that one
role we play is as the senses and nervous system for Gaia. Through our eyes she has for the first
time seen her very fair face, and in our minds become aware of herself. We do indeed belong
here. The earth is more than just a home, it's a living system and we are part of it.

From particle to mind part 4

Biology, Consciousness and the Double Helix

The Biology of the Double Helix

Why Does DNA have a Double Helix Structure

An important property of nucleic acids is their capability to withstand very high pressures, while
keeping in such conditions a nearly invariant geometry of base pairs that store and carry genetic
information. The double-helix base-paired architecture behaves as a molecular spring, which
makes it especially adapted to very harsh conditions. These features may have contributed to the
emergence of a RNA World at prebiotic stage.

The discovery of ribozymes and then the demonstration that ribosomal peptide synthesis is a
ribozyme-catalysed reaction strengthened the case for an early RNA World. In this context, the
central problem for origin-of-life studies is to understand how this seminal world became
established on the primitive Earth. Plausible scenarios for the prebiotic chemistry have been
proposed, but the problem is far from being solved. A recurrent theme is that RNA may have
emerged from an earlier world under extreme conditions of pressure and/or temperature and pH.
In all scenarios, molecules with backbones forming stable double helices held together by
Watson–Crick base pairing appear as crucial intermediates or crucial building blocks. This fact
led to a programme to examine the behaviour of such molecules under high pressure.

Crystals of the nucleotide were compressed up to 2 GPa at 295 K. The geometry of Watson–
Crick base pairings remains essentially invariant in the pressure domain up to 1.39 GPa. These
results highlight the remarkable adaptation of the base-paired double-helix architecture to high
pressure.

The Watson–Crick type of base-pair association, which represents the foundation of the genetic
code transmission, could be another way for the helix to ‘breathe’ transversally. 

The remarkable adaptation of d(GGTATACC) to high pressure is clearly associated to the base-
paired double-helix topology of the molecule, by which it behaves as a molecular spring. These
properties are probably shared by molecules featuring similar topology, with sugar-phosphate or
polypeptide backbones. At the prebiotic stage, the base-paired double-helix architecture was
crucial in the emergence of molecules with catalytic properties and able to store genetic
information. Such architectures could withstand not only pressure in the deepest sea trenches but
also much higher pressures found in Earth's interior or in the context of rare events such as
impact of a meteorite. We suggest that this remarkable adaptation to harsh conditions may have
played an important role during the sequence of events that led to the seminal RNA World. 

Adaptation of the base-paired double-helix molecular architecture to extreme pressure Oxford

Journal – Nucleic Acids Research-Eric Girard, Thierry Prangé et al 2002

Sunlight and DNA – Marek Lassota

Life did not emerge through chemistry or physics alone, but a combination of sunlight and
quantum mechanics, said Marek Lassota, a 57-year-old Polish-born engineer. 

The theory is laid out in Lassota's book, "Life Decoded: The Sun, Your Origin and the Creation
of Life in the Universe” The basis of his code theory lies in the wave-like nature of light. The
peaks and valleys of light waves can be charted with a machine that breaks light into its
constituent colours, ranging from the infra-red through the visible spectrum (red, yellow, green,
etc.) to the ultraviolet (spectrograph). The colour bands are crossed by dark lines known as
Fraunhofer Lines, named for the German scientist Joseph von Fraunhofer, who discovered them
in 1814.Each line indicates the presence of a specific chemical element (which is how
astronomers are able to determine the chemical composition of the sun and other stars).
But what's the connection between Fraunhofer Lines and RNA/DNA? First, they represent
similar organizations of a huge amount of data. Second, put the lines and DNA patterns side by
side, and they both look alike.

Lassota said "These are the only two instances in nature where massive amounts of information
are organized in the same way. It's just star spectrum and life"……… 
“Information from sunlight transfers to RNA/DNA through photosynthesis, but chemistry can't
do it alone. Physics and quantum mechanics appear to play critical roles, too. For the first time, a
direct link has been made between physics and the origin of life."

From particle to Mind part 5

The Conscious Mind as an Electro-Magnetic Field

The Traditional Scientific view of the Brain

The material universe as viewed by physicists is said to be in an equilibrium state and in a continuous
(analog) and stable form. This has the advantage of making it susceptible to mathematical (arithmetic)
calculation and logical reasoning. This approach is by definition linear and on its own, finds difficulty in
explaining the analog/digital, non-equilibrium, spontaneously asynchronous, complex and creative
system which is the brain. 

The fundamental difference between physics and biology is the capacity of living systems to follow
different paths under different initial conditions, and in different contexts, while continuously
predicting the results (for better or for worse – Free Will). 

The objective world evolves to its highest level of complexity in the form of human consciousness
which is able to impose its will in a systematic and determined way on the very fabric of nature,
including itself.

According to current neuro-scientific thinking, an individual’s capacity to communicate arises through

its capacity to send and receive information, its preferred pace, its sensitivity to any incoming
influence, and the total influence exerted by all other individuals to a greater or lesser extent.

The fact that our senses allow us to perceive the world and universe in a coherent way must mean that
they are tuned into the harmonics of the cosmos at the most fundamental level.

As neurons wire together networks of communication, they need to know not only which other neurons
to connect to, but at what time, and in which direction they should send signals. Such polarity within a
single neuron is reflected by its shape or form (morphology).Multiple short dendrites receive signals,
and the single longer axon sends signals. The brain has three types of signal transmission, mechanical,
electrical (wiring of axons and dendrites) and chemical (neurotransmitters at the synapse). Chemical
signals diffuse into the extra cellular substrate, reaching receptors in neuronal cells located far away
from the origin of the signal.
It is estimated that there are on average 100 Billion neurons in the brain along with between 10-50
times that number of glial cells which make up the grey matter surrounding the brain, and which were
thought previously to only have a structural significance. These glial cells are now believed to make a
significant contribution to the brains processing capability. In addition a typical neuron has between
1000 and 10000 specialised endings known as synapses which deal with the transmission of essential
chemical neurotransmitters. 

So the type and number of cells, their relative proximity to other cells of the same type, their method
of communication across a complex and continuously evolving network of cells and systems and
environments, all play a crucial role in determining the structure and process of the brain. Putting all
this together makes for some pretty awesome results. Even on the most conservative basis, it has been
estimated that we end up with more bits of information to process than there are particles in the
known universe. (10 to the power 200 for the universe, and 10 to the power 500 for the brain).This
makes the problem of computing the nature of intelligent life a virtual impossibility, at least by any
known standards. So what is going on? 

Perception – The received wisdom

Perceptions are that part of a system that can receive communications from the environment and can
be interpreted in the brain. Senses are the physiological methods of perception, the faculty through
which the external world is apprehended.

“In ordinary human perception, people perform the miracle of recreating within themselves - in their
interior faculties - the exterior world. This miracle is the work of the nous poietikos or of the agent
intellect - that is the poetic or creative process. The exterior world in every instant of perception is
interiorized and recreated in a new manner. And in this creative work that is perception and cognition,
we experience immediately that dance of Being within our faculties which provides the incessant
intuition of Being.”
M. McLuhan, “Catholic Humanism and Modern Letters”, p. 80. 

Rather than attempting to contemplate every bit of information that enters the range of our sensory
capacities, and in order to prevent “information overload,” our brain makes probabilistic predictions
(based on Bayesian principles) and instant value judgements. Many of our instant judgements occur at
the deeper, unconscious and emotional levels of the brain, in the region of the hippocampus and
amygdale (Emotional Reflexive), which are connected to our early survival mechanisms (fight, flight
and freeze) as individuals, and later as a group or species through reproduction.

Certain visual information can be processed unconsciously in a parallel brain pathway, by bypassing the
visual cortex (which is needed for conscious awareness) as in blindsight. The eyes contain nerve
projections that lead directly to a key brain structure for empathy and matching emotions, the
Orbitofrontal area of the Prefrontal Cortex (OFC) which is coordinated by the Anterior Cingulate
Cortex. (ACC) 

Mirror neurons react to observations, intentions and feelings, not thinking. They affect spindle cells
Fig.1 which are four times larger than other brain cells, allowing high velocity transmission. By
changing the meaning of what we perceive, we alter its emotional impact.

“pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it, and this you have the power to revoke at
any moment”
Marcus Aurelius – Roman Emperor 1st Century AD 
Humans have evolved a sense of self that is unparalleled in its complexity. It has been found by
Lieberman 1. that an area of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex has a high concentration
of uniquely shaped neurons called spindle cells which appear to play an important role in processing
information. Heatherton 2. thinks that the human self network may have evolved in response to the
complex social life of our ancestors. For millions of years hominids lived in small bands, cooperating to
find food and sharing what they found.” The only way that works is through self control,” he says. “You
have to have cooperation, and you have to have trust.” And these kinds of behaviours, he argues,
require a sophisticated awareness of oneself. 

Humans are also uniquely skilled at predicting the actions, and inferring the intensions of others.
Scientists have found that the areas and networks of the brain which deal with thinking about others
seem to contain areas concerned with thinking about the self.

The sense of self aspect of the network is underdeveloped in young children, and has to be learned
over a period of years. Leiberman says, ”They have conflicts in their self-concepts that don’t bother
them at all, ‘I’m still the same person. ’They just don’t seem to connect up the little pieces of the
self-concept. They’ve got the stuff, but they’re not applying it like adults do.” 

1. Leiberman Conflict and Habit: A Social Cognitive Neuroscience Approach to the Self. Matthew D.
Leiberman and Naomi i. Eisenberger in Psychological Perspectives on Self and Identity, Vol.4. Edited by
A. Tesser, J.V.Wood and D.A. Stapel. American Psychological Association (in press).

2. Heatherton A Self Less Ordinary: The Medial Prefrontal Cortex and you. C. Neil Macrae, Todd F.
Heatherton and William M. Kelley in Cognitive Neurosciences 111. Edited by Michael S. Gazzaniga. MIT
Press, 2004. 

The brain makes certain unconscious assumption about the structure and process of the natural world,
continually striving to impose order and form (through acts of free will) on its often chaotic character
and appearance.

Even the simplest act of observation involves judgement by the brain; it even fills in missing bits of
information in the eyes blind-spot, where the optic nerve pierces the retina. The capacity to focus our
attention on an object or subject often means we are able to dismiss inconsistent, superfluous or
irrelevant detail.

The pineal gland, is sensitive to light, is reddish-gray and about the size of a pea (8 mm in humans). It
is located just rostro-dorsal to the superior colliculus and behind and beneath the stria medullaris,
between the laterally positioned thalamic bodies. It is part of the epithalamus. It produces melatonin,
a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and photoperiodic (seasonal) functions.
It provides an interesting example of a structure which might play an important role in the unconscious
perceptual process, but at a much higher and deeper level. 

“So Jacob named the place Peniel, ––"face of God"––for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my
life has been preserved” (Genesis 32:30).

Signals from the eyes are initially processed in the primary visual cortex at the back of the brain.
However, cortical areas dedicated to vision are densely interconnected, but two parallel pathways
offering a more general nature of organization are evident. They are known as the what pathway of the
Temporal lobe, which deals with recognition of objects, and the where pathway of the Parietal lobe,
which deals with motion, spatial orientation and localization. 
The messages from the different senses converge in the angular gyrus and supramarginal gyrus in the
parietal lobe, where we construct our “body image.” These two gyri were originally fused as one gyrus
(the inferior parietal lobule) in apes. With the advent and importance of intermodality (cross sensory)
interactions, however, in humans the lobule grew to the point where it split in two. 

The Electromagnetic Viewpoint 

A key question in terms of the relationship between consciousness and the material world is, can
consciousness influence the material and processes of physical reality? 

Professor William A. Tiller of Stanford University in his article Conscious Acts of Creation – The
Emergence of a New Physics seems to think it can, both on an individual and collective level. He has
carried out experiments for many years using what he terms Intention Imprinted Electrical Devices
(IIED). He explains, “The IIED device becomes the host for a specific intention designed for a specific
target experiment. This specific intention is “imprinted” into the host device via four very qualified
humans acting from a deep meditative state. The device then acts as an effective surrogate for these
humans, plus cooperating parts of the “unseen,” with respect to transferring this specific intention to
the experimental site of the appropriate target experiment”. 

An example would be causing a shift in the PH (acidity) of a given amount of purified water, in
equilibrium with air. He states that, “by comparing the separate influence of two physically identical
devices, one unimprinted and the other imprinted via his meditative process, he was able to
demonstrate a robust influence of human consciousness on the water. Further, it was found that, by
simply continuing to use an IIED device in the laboratory space for 3-4 months, the laboratory became
“conditioned” and the state of that “conditioning” determined the robustness of the experimental
result.”

Professor Tiller postulates the idea of “fields of consciousness” which seem to permeate a room filled
with a well intentioned meditative group, which is reinforced and can be maintained by regular and
sustained effort involving a combination of meditative states of focused attention and specific positive
intention. To such an extent that eventually, even in the absence of the group the room can maintain
its “conditioned effect for considerable periods of time.

He attributes this conscious influence on the laboratory space to the fact that, “we are changing the
degree of order in the physical vacuum state of the room. This vacuum fills the spaces between all the
atoms and molecules of the room as well as most of the space within all the atoms and molecules of
the room.” He goes further in saying, “the vacuums normal state is postulated to be highly energetic,
chaotic and completely random (disordered). Our IIED work suggests that human consciousness,
specifically human intention, can interact with this vacuum “stuff” and alter its degree of order…..
which in turn raises the electromagnetic gauge symmetry of the space so that any physical
measurement in that space is comprised of two appreciably sized parts. One aspect is from our normal
“direct-space” while its companion aspect is from the newly appreciated “reciprocal-space”. The
former arises from dense electric, monopole, particulate structure in nature while the latter arises
from fine magnetic, monopole, wave structure at the vacuum level in nature which, combined,
comprise the apparent wave/particle duality concept that is the cornerstone of quantum mechanics.

This vacuum space is ordinarily thought of as empty space. However, science tells us that it is the
space between all atoms and almost all of space within atoms and molecules which is estimated to
contain in the region of -1094 grams equivalent of latent energy. This in simple terms means that the
amount of vacuum energy latent in the volume of a single hydrogen atom is much, much more than all
of the mass energy present in all of the planets and stars detectable within radius of 20 billion light
years. 

“For the appearances of the natural order, which are separate from each other in time and space, are
in fact the manifestation of energies that inform all things and can be summoned to focus at will.”
Joseph Campbell - The Historical Atlas of World Mythology: The Way of the Animal Powers, Part I, p.93
.
Professor Johnjoe McFadden from the School of Biomedical and Life Sciences at the University of
Surrey in the UK believes our conscious mind could be an electromagnetic field.

“The theory solves many previously intractable problems of consciousness and could have profound
implications for our concepts of mind, free will, spirituality, the design of artificial intelligence, and
even life and death,” he said.

Most people consider "mind" to be all the conscious things that we are aware of. But much, if not most,
mental activity goes on without awareness. Actions such as walking, changing gear in your car or
peddling a bicycle can become as automatic as breathing. 

The biggest puzzle in neuroscience is how the brain activity that we're aware of (consciousness) differs
from the brain activity driving all of those unconscious actions.

When we see an object, signals from our retina travel along nerves as waves of electrically charged
ions. When they reach the nerve terminus, the signal jumps to the next nerve via chemical
neurotransmitters. The receiving nerve decides whether or not it will fire, based on the number of
firing votes it receives from its upstream nerves. 

In this way, electrical signals are processed in our brain before being transmitted to our body. But
where, in all this movement of ions and chemicals, is consciousness? Scientists can find no region or
structure in the brain that specializes in conscious thinking. Consciousness remains a mystery.

“Consciousness is what makes us 'human,' Professor McFadden said. “Language, creativity, emotions,
spirituality, logical deduction, mental arithmetic, our sense of fairness, truth, ethics, are all
inconceivable without consciousness.” But what’s it made of? 

One of the fundamental questions of consciousness, known as the binding problem, can be explained by
looking at a tree. Most people, when asked how many leaves they see, will answer "thousands." But
neurobiology tells us that the information (all the leaves) is dissected and scattered among millions of
widely separated neurons. 
Scientists are trying to explain where in the brain all those leaves are stuck together to form the
conscious impression of a whole tree. How does our brain bind information to generate consciousness?

What Professor McFadden realized was that every time a nerve fires, the electrical activity sends a
signal to the brain's electromagnetic (EM) field. But unlike solitary nerve signals, information that
reaches the brain's EM field is automatically bound together with all the other signals in the brain. The
brain's EM field does the binding that is characteristic of consciousness.

What Professor McFadden and, independently, the New Zealand-based neurobiologist Sue Pockett,
have proposed is that the brain's EM field is consciousness. 
The brain's electromagnetic field is not just an information sink; it can influence our actions, pushing
some neurons towards firing and others away from firing. This influence, Professor McFadden proposes,
is the physical manifestation of our conscious will.
The theory explains many of the peculiar features of consciousness, such as its involvement in the
learning process. Anyone learning to drive a car will have experienced how the first (very conscious)
fumblings are transformed through constant practice into automatic actions. The neural networks
driving those first uncertain fumblings are precisely where we would expect to find nerves in the
undecided state when a small nudge from the brain's EM field can topple them towards or away from
firing. The field will "fine tune" the neural pathway towards the desired goal. 

But neurons are connected so that when they fire together, they wire together, to form stronger
connections. After practice, the influence of the field will become dispensable. The activity will be
learnt and may thereafter be performed unconsciously.

One of the objections to an electromagnetic field theory of consciousness is, if our minds are
electromagnetic, then why don't we pass out when we walk under an electrical cable or any other
source of external electromagnetic fields? Professor McFadden’s answer is that our skin, skull and
cerebrospinal fluid shield us from external electric fields. 

I would suggest that it is the Double Helix structure behind the EM field that provides the robust
architecture which shields the electrical impulses utilized by the neurons in the brain and plays a major
role in maintaining the integrity of consciousness. 

“The conscious electromagnetic information field is, at present, still a theory. But if true, there are
many fascinating implications for the concept of free will, the nature of creativity or spirituality,
consciousness in animals and even the significance of life and death. 

"The theory explains why conscious actions feel so different from unconscious ones ¬- it is because they
plug into the vast pool of information held in the brain's electromagnetic field,” Professor McFadden
concluded.

(Reference: The paper “Synchronous firing and its influence on the brain’s electromagnetic field:
evidence for an electromagnetic field theory of consciousness" by Johnjoe McFadden is published in the
current edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, along with a commentary by Dr. Susan
Pockett.) 16/05/2002

"Every thought, every twitch of your finger is an electrical event or series of electrical events. All the
information that reaches you from the world, from the pattern of light, shadows, gets translated into a
sequence of electrical impulses." 
From a book written by Judith Hopper called The Three Pound Universe.

Morphic Resonance – Rupert Sheldrake

In his hypothesis of formative causation, he proposes that memory is inherent in nature, and that most
of the so-called laws of nature are more like habits.

It is based on the idea that in order to understand the development of life forms, known as
morphogenesis, it is not enough to understand gene and protein expression and development.
Morphogenesis also depends on organizing fields, what Sheldrake terms morphogenetic fields 

He suggest that morphogenetic fields work by imposing patterns on otherwise random or indeterminate
patterns of activity. Morphogenetic fields are defined by Sheldrake as the subset of morphic fields
which influence, and are influenced by living things.
“The term [morphic fields] is more general in its meaning than morphogenetic fields, and includes
other kinds of organizing fields in addition to those of morphogenesis; the organizing fields of animal
and human behaviour, of social and cultural systems, and of mental activity can all be regarded as
morphic fields which contain an inherent memory.”
Rupert Sheldrake, The Presence of the Past (Chapter 6, page 112)

Morphogenetic fields are not fixed forever, but evolve. How are these fields inherited? He proposes
that that they are transmitted from past members of the species through a kind of non-local
resonance, called morphic resonance. This means that new patterns of behaviour can spread more
rapidly than would otherwise be possible.

The resonance of a brain with its own past states also helps to explain the memories of individual
animals and humans. There is no need for all memories to be “stored” inside the brain. The morphic
fields of mental activity are not confined to the insides of our heads. They extend far beyond our brain
through intention and attention.

Through morphic resonance, the patterns of activity in self-organizing systems are influenced by similar
patterns in the past, giving each species and each kind of self-organizing system a collective memory.
Habits are subject to natural selection; and the more often they are repeated, the more probable they
become, other things being equal. Animals inherit the successful habits of their species as instincts. We
inherit bodily, emotional, mental and cultural habits, including the habits of our languages.

Schumann Resonance

Just as a tuning fork has natural frequencies for sound, the planet Earth has natural frequencies, called
Schumann resonances, for electromagnetic radiation. 

The Human Brain also has natural frequencies for electromagnetic radiation. It turns out that the
Earth's Schumann resonances are "in tune" with the Human Brains's Alpha States and Theta States. 

The fundamental frequency of the Schumann resonance is roughly the fundamental frequency of a
spherical shell whose inside boundary is the surface of the Earth and whose outside boundary is the
ionosphere, acting as a spherical shell electromagnetic waveguide cavity.

The fundamental frequency ought to be roughly the time it takes electromagnetic radiation to go all
the way around the spherical shell.

Since the speed of light is about 300,000 km/sec and one cycle is the circumference of the Earth,
which is about 40,000 km/cycle the fundamental frequency should be on the order of 

300,000 km/sec
________________ = 7.5 cycle/sec
40,0000 km/cycle

A cycle/sec is just a Hz, so that 7.5 cycle/sec is 7.5 Hz. In other words, the natural frequency of the
Earth at the boundary of the inner core is about 40 cycles/sec, which is at the upper end of the range
of frequencies measured for the Schumann resonances: 7.8, 14, 20, 26, 33, 39 and 45 Hertz. 

Therefore, the Schumann resonance frequencies correspond to the range of natural frequencies of the
Earth from its surface to the boundary of its solid inner core. 
The natural frequencies of the Human Brain are: 
Beta waves (14 to 30 Hz), 
Alpha waves (8 to 13 Hz),
Theta waves (4 to 7 Hz), and 
Delta waves (1 to 3 Hz). 

Alpha frequencies have been associated with meditation and relaxation.

Theta frequencies have been associated with dreamy, creative states.

The Beta and Alpha waves (8 to 30 Hz) seem to correspond to the 

Schumann resonances: 7.8, 14, 20, 26, 33, 39 and 45 Hertz. 

The 30 Hz high end of the Beta waves is roughly coincident with the frequency of cats' purrs: According
to an 18 March 2001 article in the London Telegraph by David Harrison: "... the purring of cats is a
"natural healing mechanism" ... between 27 and 44 hertz ... was the dominant frequency for a house
cat, and 20-50Hz for the puma, ocelot, serval, cheetah and caracal. This reinforces studies confirming
that exposure to frequencies of 20-50Hz strengthens human bones and helps them to grow. ... Almost
all cats purr, including lions and cheetahs, though not tigers. ...". 
What about the Theta and Delta Waves (1 to 7 Hz)? 

The 1 Hz frequency of the Delta waves is 7.5 times lower than the 7.5 Hz natural frequency at the
surface of the Earth. Since the radius of the Earth is about 6,400 km, the radius for a 1 Hz natural
frequency is about 7.5 x 6,400 = 48,000 km. 

Here are some natural frequencies that seem to correspond to the Delta and Theta waves of the Human
Brain. 

Plasma Sheet (opposite Sun), 

inner radius = 60,000 km 0.8 Hz

Magnetopause (toward Sun), 

radius = 60,000 km 0.8 Hz 

Geosynchronous orbit, 
radius = 35,000 km 1.4 Hz

Outer Van Allen electron belt, 

outer radius = 25,000 km 2 Hz 

Inner Van Allen proton belt, 

outer radius = 12,000 km 4 Hz 

Inner Van Allen proton belt, 

inner radius = 8,400 km 5.7 Hz 

As to the following frequencies: 

Magnetopause 
(opposite Sun), radius = 380,000 km 0.125 Hz 
Plasma Sheet 
(opposite Sun), outer radius = 380,000 km 0.125 Hz 

Moon orbit, 
radius = 384,000 km 0.125 Hz

It is interesting that 0.125 Hz is about 8 seconds per cycle, which is roughly the same period as the 5
second delay that has been observed between the onset of a 1 to 2 millitesla magnetic field (about 100
times stronger than Earth's magnetic field) and the first bursts of brain activity responding to the
magnetic field. 
(See Science 260 (11 June 1993) 1590.)

The microtubule structure of brains and other cells may be the key to phenomena such as
consciousness. 

Some experiments show connections between the brain states and resonant electromagnetic waves,
raising the possibility that the Human Brain has evolved to be "in tune" with Planet Earth.

Dolphin and Human Brains may contain BioMagnetite that could give them an electromagnetic sense
that could provide a link between Brains and many types of electromagnetic phenomena, including but
not limited to Schumann Resonance Phenomena.

Inducing gamma waves in the brain

Gamma oscillations are high-frequency brain waves which reflect the synchronous activity of large
interconnected networks of neurons, firing together at frequencies ranging from 20 to 80 cycles per
second. They are thought to be crucial to consciousness, attention, learning and memory. Now, for the
first time, MIT researchers and colleagues have found a way to induce these waves by taking advantage
of a newly developed technology known as optogenetics which involves shining laser light directly onto
the brains of mice.

The research helps explain how the brain produces gamma waves and provides new evidence of the
role they play in regulating brain functions. The trick for inducing gamma waves was the selective
activation of the "fast-spiking" interneurons, named for their characteristic pattern of electrical
activity. When these cells were driven with high frequency laser pulses, the illuminated region of
cortex started to produce gamma oscillations. "We've shown for the first time that it is possible to
induce a specific brain state by activating a specific cell type" says co-author Christopher Moore,
associate professor of neuroscience and an investigator in the McGovern Institute. In contrast, no
gamma oscillations were induced when the fast-spiking interneurons were activated at low
frequencies, or when a different class of neurons was activated.

The authors further showed that these brain rhythms regulate the processing of sensory signals. They
found that the brain's response to a tactile stimulus was greater or smaller depending on exactly where
the stimulus occurred within the oscillation cycle. "It supports the idea that these synchronous
oscillations are important for controlling how we perceive stimuli," says Moore. "Gamma rhythms might
serve to make a sound louder, or a visual input brighter, all based on how these patterns regulate brain
circuits."

Danah Zohar - Fröhlich Pump System

Evidence was found by Herbert Fröhlich in England of the existence of condensed phase states in living
tissue similar to those referred to as Bose-Einstein Condensed (BEC) phase states. This "Fröhlich Pump
System" as it is known is simply a system of vibration of electrically charged molecules to which energy
is pumped. As long as these molecules vibrate, they emit electromagnetic photons. Fröhlich
demonstrated that beyond a given threshold, any amount of additional energy pumped into a system,
makes molecules vibrate in unison, makes them, in other words, resonate in an ordered way. If this is
increased, it takes the molecules to the maximum ordered stage of a condensed phase, the BEC phase.
Previous to his discovery these were thought to exist only in superfluids and superconductors -- at very
low temperatures. These correlated phase states in our cellular structures, Danah Zohar suggests,
provide the physical basis for the phenomena we know as consciousness.