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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
 Posted - May 03 2012 : 04:23:08 AM
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After looking at the video posted recently about the woman who recovered from stroke, I wonder if in the physical realm, that Yoga is knitting both hemispheres together.
It would explain a lot of things. For instance ' union' , could it be union of right and left.
If, for instance an individual has a very strong bias towards logic, imagine how, opening a larger portal to the right side would alter the perspective. Adding imagination to traumatic events would give both a greater insight and a stronger reaction. Imagine someone very creative suddenly finding that a greater degree of logic was been applied to the way they think The two halves could easily represent bias towards religion and science. Einstein was quoted saying that both were needed which indicates union.
In other words we get the divine in the right hemisphere, but for those who are strongly creative it has to be interpreted as art and music, the left brain has less input. Those who are scientific can discover so much about the mechanics of the universe and happily talk of multiverses and the Gurus who tell of astral levels.
It might be that firing both these hemispheres equally and allowing total transparency is what meditation does, giving us the benefits if it it is done carefully and resulting in severe issues if it is rushed. The two parts of he brain working simultaneously may be far greater than the two parts as independent functions. We only use a fraction of each at present, maybe the two would work at a far higher rate once merged, with the ability to directly see multiverses and understand them.
A lot of direct experience would indicate something like this is happening. Instead of interpreting the right brain in a creative way, instead that function is expanded by the application of logic. It becomes a direct witness that no longer needs a physical vent, it is understood. This is a revelation for those strongly left biased because it takes them beyond time and space, future and past, into a world that is quite alien.
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Will Power
Spain
415 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 04:43:18 AM
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| Interesting Karl, Thanks! |
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Bourgo
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 12:50:49 PM
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The Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor thing? I've seen that.
I respectfully disagree with your hypothesis. Her experience of 'melding with the universe' was only truly apparent when the left hemisphere was not working. In other words, the right hemisphere working alone produced an effect similar to "enlightenment." This would suggest that predominantly the right hemisphere is responsible for such a phenomenon -- however, by association, this would also suggest that those of us who are more right brained in their thinking would be much closer to enlightenment and/or spontaneously entering enlightenment. I'm not saying that this isn't possible, but I am saying that this is a right-hemisphere phenomenon, not a knitting the two hemispheres together phenomenon.
That said, I do believe that utilizing both hemispheres to a great degree allows for the highest level of thinking, but not because we're becoming enlightened... it would be attributed to the necessary integration of distinct concepts. The more logical left brain, left alone, can only do so much. Likewise the right brain alone is lost. Utilize both halves and you are integrating creative and innovative concepts (right) with the logical working, mathematical and scientific progression (left) of thought that is required to produce mindblowing discoveries like Einstein's theory of relativity, which is far out-of-reach of the normal man.
Funny enough, if you are in need of making a decision you would expect that a purely logical left brained person would be more decisive: they can easily weight the pros and cons and make a decision. However, in truth (experiments prove these things), without the right hemisphere to make gut-instict choices, the left half of the brain deliberates over those pros and cons forever.
There are countless unexpected oddities about neurological function that exist, and just as many experimental findings to corroborate those oddities. I won't spend all day typing them out here, unless you're interested.
Either way, my point is: Yoga must be doing something on a neurological level in the human brain (it is hard for me to believe that the effects are 100% spiritual), but I do not believe that it is a knitting together of the two hemispheres. Now, it is almost certain that any mental exercise that is done over long periods of time (deep meditation is one of them) will result in new neurological pathways in the brain. The brain learns -- it makes new connections when it needs to access information faster -- and thus it would be expected that Yoga would bring about new neurological connections between the two hemispheres. I just highly doubt that enlightenment is dependent on those alone. |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 1:20:23 PM
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Innteresting notion Karl.
My two cents:
There have been periods where I definitely felt that the k aspect was "knitting" together the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and other periods where I felt the same between the left and ride sides of the body (which makes sense because each is controlled by the contralateral hemisphere).
I don't think that's all k is doing, however, it can also be viewed as part of a larger pattern where yoga is about uniting two poles. Left and right, up and down, high and low, animal and spirit...etc |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 2:00:29 PM
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Hi Bourgo,
I dont think we know if her right brain was the only part function, instead it's more of a balance. When the left brain is firing intermittently or partially. Her right brain then would seem to be less guided, or balanced.
It wouldn't mean that either left or right brained people would be any more likely than the other to have realisation. Instead it is the flow, or communication between right and left that is the important part of the hypothesis.
Probably, those with a closer balance already have less problems by increasing the flow, those with reasonably unbalanced hemispheres are possibly prone to greater overloading.
I'm thinking of it like water levels. If the water is very unbalanced between both points, then, a smaller flow is preferable. Increase that flow and the surge between the hemispheres causes turbulence. Strongly intuitive brains suddenly deluged by logical self talk would hear that voice........exactly what we find with those that ask about constant voices and sounds. The alternative is a strong left brain faced with a feeling of being spaced put, even the intuition would cause feelings of fear and death because this has never been felt on that level......again, exactly the words used by many who struggle with overloading.
This doesn't remove the idea of spiritual integration, it just explains a potential, physical link. It's a bit like seeing in binocular vision, suddenly another dimension is revealed.
The brain is certain massively more complex and the joining of both hemispheres I suspect won't be a 1+1 = 2. It might be a many times improvement.
There is also the possibility of controlling the flow, using each side according to necessity. Our communication skills may have caused greater left development over 1000s of years, marginalising the need for interaction.
Remember, we don't know what theoretical of each side. A strong right hemisphere might only be marginally more strong than the average because it's measured by the mean. We can see the potential of a few stronger right brained people such as Van Gogh, this might be the tip of the iceberg. If we didn't find this side useful for survival it may well be. Idling even in the strongest of these.
I had a look at research and it does seem to indicate that this is a fairly common idea. Apparently meditation can open these links, however once you stop, then they fade away again. Yogani tells us to continue regardless of our improved state of mind. |
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Bourgo
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 2:49:36 PM
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Hiya Karl,
You've really got me thinking here. I've done a little bit of reading but I'm far from done.
Here is an article you may be interested in: http://www.pnas.org/content/104/27/11483.long
Basically, it shows that people that meditate have increased activity in the portions of the brain related to concentration and attention. Interestingly, those people who have very extensive meditation experience (beyond 40,000 hours) show NO increase in concentrative brain activity... in other words, they concentrate effortlessly. Also, while you can "disturb" normal people during meditation by eliciting emotional response (a baby crying, for instance), very experienced meditators hear the baby crying (activity in the auditory cortex) but have no emotional response. Sounds like the witness to me.
Anyway, I have a lot more reading to do. I get all these articles free because I am a Ph.D. at University of Chicago, so if you find an article that you may want to read but you don't have access to it, just let me know and I can get it for you. Cheers!
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 3:15:02 PM
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| Interesting the experienced meditators had more activity as musicians ( creative) and less for golf ( logic/calculation). That would make sense. |
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Medea
Netherlands
115 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 3:35:25 PM
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Hi Karl,
you said:
quote:
I wonder if in the physical realm, that Yoga is knitting both hemispheres together.
You probably find this an interesting article to read. It summarises fairly recent research on brain function and structure in meditators.
Summary:
"Differences in gray matter (GM) volume and density were found in circumscribed brain regions which are involved in interoception and in the regulation of arousal and emotions, namely insula, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and brainstem. The normal agerelated
decline in GM volume and in attentional performance was present in controls but not in meditators."
Good news no?
Full article can be read here: http://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~bri...ditation.pdf
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Edited by - Medea on May 03 2012 3:36:01 PM |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 3:58:09 PM
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Anyway you look at it, Yoga is either a very good way of keeping the mind in peak condition, expanding the intellect, reducing stress, improving health and creativity. You would have to find some very good reasons for not doing it, even at the level of pure material the advantages are clear cut.
I have been considering teaching meditation classes, it's definitely been a benefit for me, but without clear evidence there is always the doubt that it's beneficial on a physical and mental level. Those two papers give that evidence. Whatever, or wherever meditation takes us, without doubt, just like physical excersise, it has measurable benefits.
It would be interesting to see if AYP is actually a more concentrated metrology compared with simple breathing and object concentration. In some of he cases 40,000 hrs is a lot of meditation. In 3 years I have probably managed 1000 hrs at he very outside. Averaging out, I would need to meditate for 120 years to match those experienced meditators. |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2012 : 10:18:00 AM
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Bourgo, as an aside, I have a question for you:
What would be the interest in the scientific community about doing studies on people like us?
I mean, studying someone who's meditated for a long time is one thing, whereas there has to also be a measurable/observable aspect to all this prana flying around with k, + profound states of samahdi. In my opinion it's apples and oranges, and I could see major breakthroughs coming if these studies were looking at k active people and just experienced meditators. |
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axelschlotzhauer
Germany
150 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2012 : 3:32:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by karl
Hi Bourgo,
I dont think we know if her right brain was the only part function, instead it's more of a balance. When the left brain is firing intermittently or partially. Her right brain then would seem to be less guided, or balanced.
It wouldn't mean that either left or right brained people would be any more likely than the other to have realisation. Instead it is the flow, or communication between right and left that is the important part of the hypothesis.
Probably, those with a closer balance already have less problems by increasing the flow, those with reasonably unbalanced hemispheres are possibly prone to greater overloading.
....
i cannot deal with all the interesting ideas of this posting and Bourgo but join some points going in other directions.
1) Delara reports in a new string of her difficulties with memory and her brain split into two halves. My memory produced in the meantime further materials. Rudolf Steiner describes bad memory as a result of "astrales Vergessen" (astral forgetfulness)also as a result of undeveloped lotus- or chakraflowers. The beginner shall therefore keep
silence over his experience for not destroying it. in the rhytms of the higher bodies the memory will return later. He uses forgetting also in his pedagogics by doing ardously a project and body of knowledge Then stopping and return later receiving advanced results in creativity in this digestion.
Well in meeting sufi masters and groups I got also forgetfulness nearly impossible to follow what they say but heightened frequencies and honey taste entering the mouth with Sheikh Nazim.
2) Mantak Chia in a first test failed to show two balanced brain halves with similar measured curves. Not mentioned in:
http://www.tao-garden.com/PCEtest1.html
There with often altered exercises their results on brain and other activities which shall be astonishing. Perhaps training with biofeedback by looking on the measured curves allowing also to control the heartbeat like a yogi he succeeded in equalizing the brain. His students can measure their brain waves,
3) The question of overload in the head even with stopped practice
is present in an om practice in retreats of Yogananda's SRF of which AYP is one of many offsprings I found in instructios for guided meditation.
There the right brain is used for listening to om. This side gots thicker and expanded in volume. The repeated sound was rather loud.The energy is then guided to the left side and opening of the heart. The rest I don't and interested me not that much.
Axel |
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HathaTeacher
Sweden
382 Posts |
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Knitting right and left hemispheres ?
