Silence - Melathonin and Meditation

What effect does Meditation have on the brain?
In the silence of Meditation, the pineal gland produces increased quantities of Melathonin. This substance is then used by the brain in the regeneration of cells, and also activates dormant or ‘silent’ areas of the brain. This brings great health benefits: many illnesses can be cured in this way.

Pintura de Nicholas Roerich

PREFACE

This study provides a small contribution to science, and while my limited scientific knowledge prevents me from carrying out a rigorous study, I seek to demonstrate that Science and the laws of the Spirit are and have always been linked. This short book provides information for specialists in the fields of Neuroscience, Biology, Psychology, and Medicine in general, regarding the beneficial effects of Meditation on the brain and the way in which it contributes to physical, psychic and spiritual well-being in human beings.
Rather than limiting evolution, every step made in Science opens up new possibilities for development; while throughout History of mankind some have attempted to lock up the Universe in a conceptual prison, fortunately others have sought to illuminate the path forward in a range of fields, striving for the truth in a spirit of fraternity and spiritual beauty. Through Spirituality, Religion and Yoga techniques a whole range of values is brought together, and Science derives from Man’s conscious role as part of nature and the expression of these values. Science is therefore a consequence of the material and spiritual nature of Man. Thus, as applied to planetary evolution, the basic principles of Science and the laws of the Spirit have always existed as one; they were only separated in the minds of a few narrow-minded individuals. Rather than existing in parallel, the Spirit, Consciousness and Science have a single goal: the spiritual and mental development of Man.

There is no doubt that what stimulates human beings to carry out research and establish scientific certainties is the spiritual quest in the yearning to discover the Architect of the Universe, a Cosmic structure of astounding beauty, and to understand His Thought. Man seeks the meaning of existence, the reason why the laws of Nature work as they do, or still, the nature of other dimensions, what makes research into the Absolute the highest goal of Science. Thus, the purpose of knowledge and the principal goal of Science is to reveal the subtle higher forces or archetypes that can be applied in practice in order to provide an understanding of and decode the most complex phenomena, impelling the collective Consciousness of humanity to a higher state of Consciousness.

In conclusion, the message I attempt to convey is that the closer we come to higher Intelligence, through Meditation (and Meditation is the way), the better we are able to understand the forces of Nature, both within ourselves and in the Cosmos.

SILENCE

Meditation and its salutary
effects on the brain

How often was silence the best guide. How often the wisdom to act in the world arose from that silence imposed by God, apparently absurd in face of the problems to be resolved: nevertheless, not to act was the best form of action. Thus, for those who are able to be quiet and absorb the light of the Spirit, silence is their best companion. Silence arises from the ability to arrest the mind, in order to open up distinct, specific and lucid spaces in the brain,… and then perceive the Voice of God.
Let us venture into that silent region of our brain in order to understand how best to experience this silence.
Firstly, let us try to provide an understanding of what the mind is. It is the result of the workings of the brain, which contains “intelligent cells”, working incessantly, thus creating the capacity to think. These cells are thought itself in action, or rather, thought is impregnated in each of the brain’s cells in the form of characters, and their function is to think. The mind is thus the overall result of this thinking. The thought mechanism works just like a machine which is switched on at birth and off at death. Therefore, during the intervening period, the life of a being, steps can be taken to develop the brain and the mind.

There are certain requirements for the development and training of thought in a conscious manner and at an accelerated rate: purity of living, positive attitudes and ideas, higher objectives and ideals, care and moderation in eating, and the practice of Meditation. Meditation is of essential importance and the main subject of this piece of scientific and spiritual research. The conclusions I have reached after so many years of practising Meditation and studying its beneficial effects on the brain are described in this book and I believe they can provide a valuable contribution to Science and Spirituality.
Meditation provides the means for concentrating the mind on itself and releasing mental tensions in the brain. Through the process of Meditation the brain is gradually able to rid itself of these tensions; by practising regularly, improved clarity of thought (mental purity) can be achieved, which allows naturally for the development of more intelligence. Altruism, patience, kindness and spiritual aspiration are the result of a conscious process of development and purity of living (right attitude), leading naturally to pure thought; and only this leads to silence. Silence is the state of being which emerges from inner quietness when our baser feelings have been calmed. It arises when the mind, having no reason to seek either mental or physical movement, is able to remain calm and indifferent to the outer world (even though it is enveloped by the world and its tireless movement).

Silence is a state of Being, and in this state we can best identify with the Spirit; the mind is merely the subtle vehicle, which enables its manifestation. It is the mind, housed within the brain, that directs, controls and creates thought, according whit the brain´s specific areas, using it in accordance with its own requirements, and the intellect is the result of the overall development of the thought functions of the brain. The brain is divided into specific areas, each sector acting and working in accordance with its particular requirements and functions. Cell clusters operate their own specific cognitive systems which govern eating, walking, storing knowledge (memory), emotions, feelings, and so on. In this way the mind regulates itself.
When human beings first evolved, only limited areas of the brain were used to perform primitive functions and its capacity for thinking, creating and other cognitive activities was also limited. As Man’s consciousness developed, he gradually learned how best to survive; there was a stimulus for new areas of the brain to function and for this organ to think more deeply. The first object of Man’s contemplation and thought would have been Nature itself. Now, visual and sound stimuli are the principal means for the development of the brain. Contemplating beauty stimulates thought. For instance, a painter who seeks to express the perfection of Nature uses his mind to search for the best form of expression, by impelling certain specific and creative areas of the brain. Primitive Man’s brain was characterised by limited mental functions and a degree of mental chaos; nevertheless, in order to survive in a demanding world he had to make a great effort to use his mind and organise his thoughts above and beyond the habitual plane.

Climatic changes have taken place on our planet causing great geological revolutions with far-reaching consequences, and Man has had to adapt constantly. These circumstances have changed the way the mind works. Neurons have had to multiply and reorganise themselves into new functional systems which have gradually impregnated the memory. This impulse of the brain as a whole has contributed for a more complex and favoured mind. It has resulted in the enrichment of the essence of the Soul or the Consciousness, manifested through cerebral activity throughout the course of human development. The mind is what is produced on subtle planes by the brain as a whole; it is the mind that contains the consciousness or Man’s conscious state. As the Consciousness is a reflection of the Soul or the Spirit, it gradually manifests itself more as cerebral capacity increases, by activating further areas of the brain rather than causing an increase in its size.
Neurons are naturally thinking entities and the brain is made up of billions of these minuscule beings. During a single life, they multiply by reproduction, and they are born and die. The encephalic matter is made up of these neurons, which cluster together in an autonomous fashion in sectors or specific areas.

When Man stimulates the neurons, he creates the opportunity for developing the intelligence, and consequently increasing consciousness. Since it is Consciousness that remains after death, when one desires incarnation in a new body, one “constructs” a more advanced brain, based on the one that was developed in one’s past life, which will enable the Soul to manifest itself with greater intensity. Hence, in the next incarnation there will be a higher level of Consciousness and a more capable cerebral capacity and the brain will contain a more extensive memory of the past (conveyed from the previous life by the Consciousness or Soul), which will provide for improved building of the present life. Gradually, from one life to the next, one becomes better able to survive and face the demands of the world, thus contributing towards the improvement not only of one’s own psyche and mind, but also that of the society in which one lives.
There is no need here for a description or classification of the many phenomena which occur in the brain at the physical and biological level. This can be found in recent studies of the brain carried out by neuroscientists which provide a satisfactory explanation of biological processes.
Man’s mental and cerebral development has enabled him not only to rise above the “mental chaos” and think in a balanced way but also to dominate his thinking or not thinking: silence is the result of this control of the mind. The most effective and natural way of achieving this control of cerebral cells is through Meditation, which helps us to relieve body tensions and break the flow of thought. The goal of Meditation is to achieve a state of repose in the mind: to stop the mind thinking and achieve a state of silence. During these “brief” silent periods the brain has the opportunity for recovery and regeneration, thus contributing for the “stimulus” of the expansion of consciousness.

Thus, training the mind to control itself causes cerebral mutation, which is transmitted from one life to the next and contributes towards the enrichment of the next generation, bringing benefits for the biological group which is descended from the being which set in train such a mutation. Many generations on, this mutation will benefit many groups of beings and will thus produce a slight change in the state of consciousness and intelligence in terms of overall human development. This selection and natural evolution of the brain can be improved on day by day, producing an effect on the consciousness; the greater the perfection of the physical vehicle, the brain, the greater the degree to which the Spirit is able to manifest itself and transmit wisdom, knowledge and intelligence, enabling the expansion of consciousness for the further development of an incarnated soul.

The huge advance made by Man since primitive times is associated with an improved organisation of the areas of the brain, more specifically in those associated with speech. However, as speech is a consequence of brain development, this advance was only possible when Man was ready to receive the great Initiation of the Human Mind, given by Beings who were willing to undergo incarnation in earthly forms in order to arise self- consciousness in man. The capacity of the mind to embrace a greater impulse from the Spirit allowed for the emergence of Consciousness.
The emergence of the Consciousness was not, as some evolutionist materialists believe, a product of natural selection. Intelligence derives from cerebral and natural development as a result of intellectual capacity or the stimulation of the neurons; but the Consciousness associated with it is the product of internal and subtle facets of Man’s own spirit. Man is both body and Spirit.
According to Karl Popper, a supporter of Darwin’s evolutionary theory, “The emergence of consciousness in the animal kingdom is perhaps as great a mystery as the origin of life itself. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that in spite of its impenetrable complexity, it is a product of evolution, of natural selection.”
However, John Eccles, in his work entitled “The Development of the Brain”, says: “I believe the emergence of the consciousness is the ‘the black sheep of the family’ of orthodox evolutionary theory. Although the holistic concept provides a reason for the emergence of consciousness, it does not provide an explanation for it. Indeed, this point remains just as enigmatic as it is for orthodox evolutionists as long as it is regarded as an exclusively natural process in an exclusively materialistic world.”

Experiments carried out on human beings by neuroscientists and rigorous mathematical testing have provided a reliable explanation of the action of mental occurrences on neural functions, and not just the lack of reliability of a field of probabilities. Mental intention is sufficient for the activation of different neural areas, even though the individual does not move, thus proving that something (the consciousness) governs the brain or its existence. Consequently, the formation of the consciousness did not derive from the brain, as some materialist scientists have tried to prove.
The problem of mental interaction upon cerebral matter (brain–spirit) can be explained and resolved by means of quantum physics, since it is thought that governs action.
As Eccles says:
“Quantum physics should be able to provide an explanation for this, and if mental influence was able to momentarily increase the degree of probability, the spirit could act effectively on the brain without infringing the laws of the conservation of energy.”
“I propose a natural explanation for the voluntary movements caused by mental intention which does not infringe the physical laws of the conservation of energy. It has been demonstrated experimentally that intention and attention activate certain well-defined areas of the cerebral cortex before movement is set in train.”

Following this look at cerebral activity and how it has impelled or stimulated the expansion of consciousness, we are now ready to move into the area of silence. Silence derives from mental and s Book - Silence

piritual stillness and is not bounded by time or space; the future, being absent, does not constitute a source of preoccupation, since there is merely “immersion” in the present, in momentary existence, and thus a great deal of anxiety is freed from the unconscious. In silence, the contemplation of eternal loving kindness can arise, at its own bidding,* and inner creativity can be expressed in the presence of beauty and the Supreme Intelligence.
In order to consciously prepare for this silence, fully aware of the biological and mental mechanisms that have been dealt with above, time and availability are necessary. As soon as one allows the awakening of inner development, one has to be available to work hard and bring about a change of consciousness.
Embarking on the spiritual path inevitably leads one to reconsider one’s action in the world, one’s habits and ambitions. A life which cleaves towards spiritual values is undoubtedly very different from a life in which worldly values are uppermost, since spiritual awakening involves the recognition of essential unique values which supplant material values. The restlessness and agitation of worldly existence has an extremely negative effect on the mind, blocking thought processes and obstructing the irradiation of the Light of Love in the Heart.

Time dedicated to Meditation is essential for our physical and mental well-being, and a period during the day should be set “aside” for it; this may impinge on one’s daily routine, but in order to achieve effective results one’s Meditation practice should not be subject to any constraints of time. An essential part of the daily routine, Meditation requires organisation and discipline; it is Meditation that changes the being internally and the way in which we think and live, and dilutes the impact of mundane affairs. The way we deal with outer world gradually starts to change and we discover new values associated with meanings and goals of which were previously ignorant. This transformation of the mind and the consciousness awakens cerebral faculties which were previously dormant (passive), such as creativity and spirituality. As far as the emotions are concerned, our baser desires can be sublimated in aspiration to higher goals: well-being for ourselves and others, spiritual aspiration and the knowledge of God. Within the brain, there are certain cells specifically designed to create and stimulate a beatific and mystical impulse. However, they are only activated when one has already developed certain prerogatives, such as purity of living and thought on a higher plane. Meanwhile, one may be born with a certain degree of development, in which case these are manifested spontaneously, and this is the explanation for some unconscious mystical states.

This mystical activity of the brain, which could be termed “sweetness”, is stimulated by Meditation. Intervals between Meditation sessions should not be too long to provide for a degree of continuity; otherwise, the cerebral capacity for maintaining active cells impregnated with “beatitude” may be severely impaired. Meditation provides the means for maintaining them active and feeding them with energy, in order to help neurons “multiply” and produce the next flow of “sweetness”. Thus, the pleasure we feel (inner joy) is due to the ability of the brain to change the state of certain chemical substances such as “sugars”. The more “sugars” there are (chemical transformation of cells), the longer our feeling of well-being and happiness lasts. These “sugars” have nothing to do with the sugar we normally eat and is transformed by the body, but they are rather a sweet chemical element “produced” during Meditation that causes the feeling of “sweetness” or happiness.
Higher communion with the Divine through Meditation awakens and creates these “sugars” in the brain, by means of a stimulus to certain glands, such as the pineal gland, which gives us “pleasure” or beatitude. The greater the aspiration to and communion with the divine planes, the greater the happiness and enlightenment in the brain. This process culminates in ecstasy: the sam€dhi of the Indian tradition. Curiously, it is intuition and instinct that causes many people to eat sugar or its by-products, since it immediately causes a certain amount of pleasure due to the stimulus to the cells. However, if this need is satisfied by the practice of Meditation, the cells themselves will stimulate the brain to produce such “sweetness”, which is product of the human body, and remove the need to seek it in stimulants such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and refined sugar, which are so prejudicial to our health.
The love we feel inside ourselves also stimulates this area of the brain, but few people know how to direct it towards God or universally, and it is in relationships between two beings that this pleasure or happiness is most highly developed and activated. Sex is another stimulant, but if it is practised to excess, the cells (of the pineal gland) which produce happiness can be impaired and destroyed, leading to the opposite effect: unhappiness. Physical and psychic wear thus produces depressive states. It is therefore through spiritual aspiration and elevated thought that the brain develops and there is an increase in intelligence, happiness and pleasure.

Physical tiredness also hinders the organisation of the neurons since it forces the brain to concern itself with other areas, namely, those governing the motor and nervous functions. Nevertheless, if one feels mentally tired, ingesting a sweet substance can help to restore mental well-being. People who have low glucose levels or low blood pressure can do this by eating a little salt. However, sugar should not be consumed to excess because this can raise energy levels too high, leading to movement, which tires the body, thus rendering such consumption useless: sugar-saturation can lead to the absence of a stimulus to the brain.
If one has a balanced diet, with the necessary proteins, vitamins and minerals, the organism will be able to transform and supply the brain with the essential elements and energy it needs. Lighter foods, or, in Indian terminology, the satvics, one of the three guṇas or qualities of matter, are more rapidly and easily transformed into sugar than heavier foods, the tamasics, as the latter are opposed to the former and contain toxins that destroy the purer vital chemical elements.
Meditation and a balanced diet are essential for spiritual evolution or the spiritual path that leads to happiness, to the encounter of God. They are principal means for resolving the problem of unhappiness, which Man faces.

There are cells in the brain that only start working when spiritual aspiration and communion with God are established. They are and have always been part of the brain, yet inactive, awaiting stimulation through such aspiration, faith, devotion, will, divine knowledge and true belief in God. From the moment we seize the opportunity to provide an impulse to these cells and awake them from their passive state, a new world of psychic and mental activity, which was previously inhibited and occult, is opened up, and it gradually leads to a new and broader outlook on life and the spirit, enlarging the consciousness and leading to enhanced intelligence.
Meditation stills the mind and the feelings, silencing… It puts an end to words and action, sublimating feelings and absorbing the being in itself, enveloping it in silence, the essential state for the perception of the Soul. This “immersion” of the being in peace can then lead to beatitude, towards the limitless and infinite Light in the vastness of the Universe. The horizon of Comprehension stretches out in the distance and the Spirit “floats” within the Cosmic Ocean of the free and the unconditional; the mind is static, and does not interfere, placing no limits on the unified experience of the Absolute.

Silence derives from this happiness that exists within all beings, through the manifestation of the Spirit. The capacity and opportunity for happiness arises when the yearning for happiness in the outer world ceases and one internally begins to establish one’s own physical and psychic well-being. Stillness is the guiding force and silence assumes a state in which planes of the Divine will can be reached; we are not only witness to the revelation of God’s will, but we also begin to understand that Knowledge of God is true happiness.
The practise of Meditation leads to this Happiness. Meditation is a transforming exercise, the path of transparency that affects the whole being. It is the key to the mystery of death and rebirth, on which all spiritual life is based, which gives rise to a gradual and peaceful renunciation of openly giving up anything. It is a process of annihilation of the profane being and the assumption of primacy by the Spiritual Self. For those who realise their true nature, the essence of the beatitude of the Spirit, there is nothing more inspiring than the silent stillness, which is left following the extinction of desire.
The Consciousness of God is therefore inaccessible to a mind turned towards the outside world. Only serene souls are able to reach God, as it is due to the extraordinary perception of the Soul, in silence, that contact is established between the Being and God. When the mind is subject to the action of the purifying “fire” (inner transformation), it rids itself of impurities and the unreality of the world, and recovers its crystalline brightness, which is the true state of the Spirit. Only when the mind is purified is it able to “immerse” itself in sam€dhi, the Supreme realisation of God.
Nevertheless, the experience of sam€dhi is only realised when the illusions of life are destroyed and left behind. Beatitude is achieved when the being rids itself of the burden of “karma” and “dharma”, halting the flow of desire, since feelings, which are by nature connected with the heart, cause emotional instability. A tranquil mind results from a heart connected with the heart, cause emotional instability. A tranquil mind results from a heart that has been stilled on its feelings and senses.

When the heart suffers and is unstable, if one tries to control the mind, silence will only be present for a few moments, since the heart seeks happiness, and it is through love that the heart is stilled. However, this conflict can be resolved if love is directed towards higher levels, where there are no feelings of possession in relation to the object of love, and silence can manifest itself as a state of being: it is felt in the heart and in the mind.
Even Meditation can only provide mental peace if desires for happiness are sublimated. Love, which is directed to human planes inevitably, causes suffering, even if one loves someone deeply and this love is reciprocated. In reality, this is a transitory state, in which human psychic instability itself leads to increased impermanence. In fact, no one can be certain of loving or being loved eternally. In general, there is no peace in human affective relationships, as it is in their nature to be unstable and lead to suffering. True peace derives from the realisation of Love on a higher plane, where one only loves and does not expect to be loved. In order to love God, the heart must be free of yearning for earthly happiness, on a serene surrender, renouncing all personal ambition, through the annihilation of oneself, with no desire for anything. It is out of this nothingness that silence arises spontaneously, as light as a crystalline breeze.

The contemplation of silence does not signify an evasive approach; on the contrary, this state of stillness is a necessary condition for the emergence of pure intelligence, the basis of the right way to live. Thus, a cycle is set in motion, in which a lucid mind contributes towards developing the brain and expanding consciousness, and the expansion of consciousness is the result of inner transformations and realisations that show us new mental and spiritual dimensions, giving rise to an ever-expanding consciousness.
Meditation qualitatively stimulates the pineal gland, which in its turn affects more areas of the brain, including those made up of neurons which contain the “memory” of God, which in most beings are inactive. Hopefully, scientific discovery will soon touch on this matter…
In this text on silence, we have seen how the brain works and how Meditation has a great degree of influence on it, enabling the brain itself to produce substances like “sugars”* (amino acids), and we have seen how meditation stimulates the pineal gland to produce beatitude. Long after this text was firstly written, I came across a scientific article confirming the discovery of a “liquid” that exists in the pineal gland, called Melathonin.

Melathonin is a substance produced by the pineal gland, which derives from an amino acid called triptophan. Amino acids act as regulators of the vital activities of the organism and govern our nocturnal and diurnal rhythms, in accordance with the cosmic system. Melathonin produces physical and psychic well-being, the latter being dependent on the quantity of the substance that each person is able to produce. Scientists have reached the conclusion that the pineal gland is of essential importance for the functioning of the physical and psychic organism as a whole.
Due to aging, illness or the daily abuse of the organism, such as the excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs, a poor diet, or the manifestation of vices of character, the production of Melathonin decreases and our will and strength to live diminish.
The above-mentioned sugars that the brain produces when one meditates are none other than the celebrated Melathonin, which, according to researchers, is the amino acid which is essential for life and the good functioning of the organism.
In my opinion, the pineal gland is the organ housing the consciousness–intelligence, which Descartes was intuitively aware of. However, for many decades, the gland was ignored or forgotten by scientists, who assigned it no special or specific functions and were even convinced that it had no utility.

Recent scientific studies claim that Melathonin can be found not only in the pineal gland but also in our intestines, although in smaller quantities. However, it has not yet been discovered at the base of the spine, which not only governs sexual life, but also houses the celebrated type of energy known as kuṇḍalinī. The presence of Melathonin at the base of the spine explains why human beings enjoy the sexual stimulus. However, Melathonin can be activated and produced repeatedly just through meditation, without leading to the physical and psychic wear deriving from sexual relations. Whenever we feel the need for developing purity of intention or action, we can abstain from sexual activity and subl Pintura de Nicholas Roerich

imate our sexual energy. However, those who abstain from sexual relations but instead expend their energies on worldly pursuits are not able to direct them to higher planes; as the higher goal is not aimed for, such sexual abstention is useless. The awakening of kuṇḍalinī occurs in those who through the purity of living, both in thought and action, have developed in themselves and in their brains the capacity to live in a certain state of higher consciousness. The awakening of kuṇḍalinī by mechanical processes and practices, without the necessary spiritual development, undoubtedly leads to instability.

Love between two beings also produces Melathonin. The happiness experienced by two people in love is due, in part, to the mutual stimulation of Melathonin in the pineal gland. However, it is only individually, in Meditation, that we can reach higher planes of love, which in its turn stimulate the pineal gland. A cycle is then set up, as more love is also developed by the stimulation of the pineal gland. This process is, as I refered, a consequence of a life lived in moderation and directed towards a higher spiritual plane.
Why do people love dancing? Because music stimulates the sound of our own heart. By moving our body to the rhythm of music, the Melathonin produced at the base of the spine awakens the energy of kuṇḍalinī.
As far as Melathonin in the intestines is concerned, we all know that when they work well we are in good humour and good health. In the tradition of Yoga, the regular evacuation of the bowels is an essential requirement for effective meditation on a higher plane in order to still the mind.
Silence, actually increases the production of Melathonin, and when we are meditating, the brain sets in train processes which purify the mind by producing this substance which, in large quantities, allows us to attain beatitude.

Scientists have proved that when Melathonin is administered to patients it produces an effect of relaxation, sleep and tranquillity, which is the same as that which occurs in the mind when one meditates deeply. One achieves a state of stillness whenever one attains spiritual planes which set in motion physical and mental processes, as to reactivate and produce Melathonin. It is produced by the pineal gland from substances that act as principal regulators of the organism and also form the muscles, bones and other types of tissue.
Emotional disturbances and other neurological disorders can cause the neurotransmitters to stop working; therefore, the cells of the brain to lose their capacity for inter-communication, altering the overall state and impeding the production of Melathonin. Without the production of this substance life becomes sad, with no objectives in view, and depression sets in. Those who are depressed do not produce the required quantity of Melathonin.
A balanced diet is also essential for the production of amino acids*. These substances can be found in vegetables, cereals, pulses and seeds. However, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, chocolate and all other anti-natural stimulants inhibit the production of amino acids.

The wise men of bygone days used to say that we should live in harmony with nature. Indeed, our biorhythms should be in tune with the dynamics of the Cosmos and the Solar System. Nowadays, most beings, especially young people, have discarded this way of life; this has led to all kinds of problems, including violence, rendering young people unable to govern themselves, resorting to stimulants and turning their lives into a vicious circle. If we would live in accordance with natural laws, we can in health and happiness, since the physical organism is itself a regulator, not only of time, but also of space: the body is like a clock, that works in accordance with the solar cycle. Similarly, the pineal gland works in tune with the daily cycle. Melathonin regulates our sleep and those who sleep well have normal levels of Melathonin. Indeed, Melathonin is produced during the night (in the absence of light) and production diminishes during the day. In fact, it has been found that the highest levels of production occur during the night up until 2am. For this reason, it is essential that one should go to bed early and sleep, in tune with one’s own “body-clock”, thereby ensuring that the body is rested sufficiently and recovers its energies. The natural production of Melathonin regenerates the organism as a whole, and this occurs during the first hours of the night. From the moment one begins to feel sleepy Melathonin is already being produced.

As Meditation is a natural method for the production of Melathonin, there is no need for providing a supplement by taking tablets containing the substance, as advised by many specialists. Meditation is a natural regulator of human nature. Its best results are produced when practicing from 2am to 3am. Meditation at this time of the night is the deepest and most stilling and enables a further three or four hours’ deep sleep. It is during this period of the daily cycle that the organism can be supplied with most Melathonin. Likewise, Meditation during the day also enables the brain to create this well being, increasing the production of Melathonin, purifying the body and the mind and enabling an improved response to the challenges of everyday life. Regular practice sets up a cycle which is beneficial to life as increased Melathonin levels are used by the brain for its regeneration and in this way it develops in terms of intelligence and spirituality.
Moreover, sexual relations should not begin too early as the brain needs to be allowed time, from birth to puberty, to establish and program its cognitive and emotional system. If the brain or certain areas of it are forced to function before the time is right, this leads to emotional imbalance and force certain cells to work harder than others. Excessive sexual or emotional stimuli have an effect on the brain, impairing the potential for creative thought, as the area governing this is linked to kuṇḍalinī energy. Nowadays, many young people are born with a good level of intelligence but this is lowered by a precocious start to sexual activity. At the same time, emotional disturbances lead to Melathonin being used up at double the normal rate and under these conditions it is extremely difficult to replenish it.

Let us now examine the nature of the female, and women’s intellectual potential. These do not differ from those of the male, but due to the way the female is naturally created for conception and motherhood, affective traits and the emotions develop naturally to a greater degree in women. The area of the brain governing these overlays all others, out of biological and physiological necessity, relegating to a secondary role the female intellectual and creative functions. When, at a later stage in life, women are free of this function and are no longer subject to close ties with their offspring, they experience cerebral exhaustion due to all the emotion and stress they have experienced in life; at this stage, they often cling to their grandchildren, through whom they can still experience and relive the emotions to which they became accustomed in an earlier stage of life. Obviously (in most cases), the lack of stimulation to the areas governing the creative and intellectual faculties over a period of many years leaded to the atrophy of the cerebral glands, which makes women dependent on the whole of their past. It is this process that prevents women from reacting and creating a new outlook on life: raising their self-esteem and developing their creativity and independence. Nevertheless, if the mind and the psyche are still in a good state, it is not too late for women to start working again on the cerebral system, enabling it for other dimensions of living and being. All conditions must be created for the establishing of one’s inner balance.
To conclude, silence comes from a long process of spiritual development and can be a mystical state; here mystical does not mean fantastic, irrational or impossible to grasp intellectually, but is a condition of which stillness is a part, like an echo from the imperturbable and Eternal Silence. Thus, stillness does not mean mere idleness or an escape from the world. It is a self-contained and integrated realisation that one can live anywhere, as the condition of silence impregnates the being as a whole.

A Zen story tells how the Emperor Wu, of the Liang dynasty, asked a monk, Fu Daishi, to proffer a discourse on a Buddhist sutra. Daishi solemnly took a seat, and did not utter a word.
After some time, the Emperor said, “I asked you to speak. Why do you not begin?”
Shih, one of the Emperor’s attendants, explained: “Daishi has already finished his discourse.”
“What manner of sermon has this silent monk preached?” asked the Emperor.

APPENDIX

The functions of the brain and its two hemispheres.

The two cerebral hemispheres have distinct and complementary functions.
The right hemisphere develops spiritual aspiration, devotion, faith, contemplation and artistic creativity.
The left hemisphere not only develops the mental elaboration, the capacity for organisation, reason and the intelligence, but also, curiously, as fruit of my spiritual experiences, I have discovered that this half of the brain contains the cells bearing the “memory” of God. That is, the cells of certain specific areas of the human brain are impregnated with characters, and among them, there are some which are “coined” with the “memory of God”. In fact, if the left side of the brain is connected with reason, consciousness and rationality, then it is logical that it should contain such impregnation, as one day, when the being remembers God, this will constitute a certainty based on intelligent reason, with no shadow of doubt, since it will present itself so evident and so rational that it will be real, the Existence of God. On the other hand, if such impregnation were located in the right side of the brain, it would only be an intuition, which is not a certainty, as an intuition can be mistaken. Therefore, located as it is in the more rational side of the brain, the left hemisphere, it presents itself logically as real.

At birth, the brain of every human being is impregnated with certain elementary specific characters. However, evidently it is only possible to consciously gain access to the Memory of God when a certain level of spiritual development has been attained, through the purification of thoughts, emotions and actions. The higher the level of development, the greater the absorption of this Memory (God’s Presence) and the way it shows us our divine filiation. The developing spiritual path constitutes a cycle in which in an increasingly intense interaction with spirit (the Higher Self), the mind is cleaned and purified, enabling this area of the brain to develop itself in order to remember God. The closer we are to the Higher Self the greater the union with God.
The human brain has a rudimentary consciousness of its own cerebral matter, but consciousness of oneself arises through the spirit. Thus, the consciousness is linked to the brain or the mind through the pineal gland. In the brain there are “luminous” cells and “silent” areas which are stimulated by amino acids, which are produced in the pineal gland and will benefit these areas.
One way to activate these cells is through Meditation, because it is in silence that more Melathonin is produced; when increased amounts of fluid are thus created, this substance flows into areas that have never received it, as the human being is rarely able to produce sufficient Melathonin for its daily requirements. Thus, it is said that we do not even use fifty percent of our cerebral or mental faculties.

Descartes was already a dualist: he held that mental states and the brain were different things. Both the brain and the body are physical entities: they both exist in terms of size, weight and mass; however, the spirit does not. According to Descartes, there was a very pure, extremely subtle substance, which interacted with physical substance; transactions between matter and spirit took place within the pineal gland. Nowadays, scientists already attach importance to this organ!
The development of the brain depends on physical conditions: its formation as part of the embryo, at birth and during infancy, when certain stimuli, such as the cultural, social and religious, help to develop certain areas; when the brain has achieved a certain level of harmony, the soul can use it with more precision as its vehicle. In reality, the brain itself, in terms of potential, is a living, thinking entity: it is a machine which is ready to be set up for operation, but dependent on the Spirit, even though this one still has a small influence on it. If the Spirit only has a small influence on the brain, it is because of lack of spiritual development: the being still lives in a basic and rudimentary way within the limits of its intellectual faculties and Consciousness. There are certain cells in the brain which are not stimulated unless when one attains a certain level of maturity (spiritual development). Besides, if there is damage to the brain, communication between the neurotransmitters and between the hemispheres, or between the Mind and the Spirit, can be interrupted or impaired.
Thus we may conclude that the mechanisms of the brain are placed at the disposal of the Spirit, and the greater its perfection or efficiency, the greater the degree of Enlightenment.

POEM OF SILENCE

Silence existed when the first Sound
arose at the Dawn of Manifestation.
Yet, the awesome noise did not harm the
Silence, imperturbable in Its Existing.

Silence as Beginning of All Things,
reflects the echo at the Cosmic´s bottom,
and allows noise to be manifested,
to comprise wider Consciousness of its own.

The barrier between Sound and Silence is the link
between matter and the Spirit.
When Silence reigns, Sound needs to exist.
like complete souls, they make themselves known
alternately and eternally.

Let us respect Silence to admit Sound.
Let us admit Sound to desire Silence.
Within us, as in the Cosmos, it exists in duality,
The Heart is Silence, the mind is Sound.

When thought is king, Silence hides in the Heart.
An irradiating Heart is silent love.
A serene mind is the cradle of SILENCE.

The holy Silence of the Soul is music scale
vibrating. Silence is thus life and irradiation.

I don’t know if this thinking of mine are free notes
or is part of a Composition. I only know that
it leads to silence along infinite scales.

Like the Eco of Eternity, Silence manifests itself
in the Heart of Beings, as a Loving Song.

Silence is the Cosmic Guardian
that hides Non-Existence.

Translated by Lubélia Travassos
Revised by Miguel Guimarães
And Michael Lewis