unleashing the brain power: the vivekananda way- perspective from a neuroscience

UNLEASHING THE BRAIN POWER: THE VIVEKANANDA WAY- PERSPECTIVE

FROM A NEUROSCIENCE

Dr. P. N. Ravindra MD,PhDNeuroscientist

‘If you want to know India, read Vivekananda, in him every thing is positive nothing negative’

NICOLAS TESLA February 13th, 1896

Rockfeller

William James"The pagaron of all Unity systems is the Vedanta philosophy of India, and the paragon of Vedanta missionaries was the late Swami Vivekananda. The man is simply a wonder for oratorical power. . . . The swami is an honor to humanity."

25th March 1896, Philosophical Club of Harvard University. Swami's spoke on "The Vedanta Philosophy" distinguished thinkers as George H. Palmer, William James, Josiah Royce, Hugo Munsterberg, and young George Santayana were present .

May 8, 1896DEAR MRS. BULL —Your last letter to Sturdy at hand. They, I am sorry to say, leave us nowhere. I could not make anything out of them.What are we to do? Is the book going to be published or not? Prof. [William] James's introduction (Preface to Swami Vivekananda’s Râja-Yoga.) is of no use in England. So why wait so long for that; and what use are those long explanations about him?  

RAJA YOGA

“ Brain is an ‘enchanting loom’,the threads of the loom can be broken either by internal perturbations like lesion or by external perturbations like learning,new threads then form,branch out, and give a different pattern-always shifting,but a meaningful pattern” Charles S Sherrington 1906

BRAIN ACTIVITY

BEHAVIOUR

HABIT CHARACTER PERSONALITY

Beliefs Thoughts Feelings Actions

‘We think, then we feel something as a result of the thought, then act based on the feeling’ Dr.William James Father of Modern Psychology

Thought is an …..

HEALTH

GOAL

RELATION

HAPPINESS

CONTENTMENT

FULLFILLMENT

ANTs are spontaneous !!??

HUMAN STAGE – PSYCHOSOCIAL EVOLUTIONSir Julian Huxley

ANTs are BAD BRAIN HABITS

Impulse control, planning and decision making

Intellectual power is augmented by the habit of precise reasoning , the study of logic , the use of mathematical language,mental discipline and complete and deep observation.

On the contrary incomplete and superficial observations, a rapid succession of impression,multiplicity of images and lack of intellectual discipline hinder development of mind.

Alexis Carel

POSITIVE THOUGHTS - EXCITATORY CHEMICALS

NEGATIVE THOUGHTS - INHIBITORY CHEMICALS

‘ NEVER SAY ‘No’ NEVER SAY ‘I CANNOT’, for you are infinite, You can do anything and everything, you are almighty.

OBSERVATION higher order processing

SEEING fantasies,emotions,….

Long term meditation – induce high amplitude gamma synchrony

Et al

High amplitude gamma synchrony during meditation and after as well

• gradual increase in power – neural synchronisation takes place over a period of time

Ratio of gamma to slow oscillation high among meditators

EEG signature caused by long term meditation higher order cognitive and affective processes

Increased Dopamine during meditation induced change of consciousness

11C-raclopride binding in ventral striatrum decreased by 7.9%, endogenous dopmanine release increase by 65%Concomitant increase of EEG theta

11C-raclopride image attention to speech

11C-raclopride image during meditation

Marked decrease in readiness to action,But experiences enhancement of sensory and stimulations and imagination

MEDITATION ACCENTUATES PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

feeling as v/s feeling for

Feel, my children, feel; feel for the poor,the ignorant,the downtrodden Feel

till the heart stops and the brain reels and you think you will go mad

I call him a traitor who, having been educated, nursed in luxury by the heart’s blood of the downtrodden millions of toiling poor, never, Even takes a thought for them…

To say that a man is made up of certain chemical elements is a satisfactory description only for those who intend to use him as a fertilizer.

Hermann Joseph Muller U. S. geneticist. Nobel prize for medicine 1946

Manifest the divinity within you, and everything will be harmoniously arranged around it

PERCEPTION – NO FREEDOM

ACTION – PARTIAL FREEDOM

ATTITUDE – COMPLETE FREEDOM

AM I FREE

If so …..how much

EDUCATION TO DO

EDUCATION TO BE

We need the kind of education by whichcharacter is formed, strength of mind isincreased, the intellect is expanded, and bywhich one can stand on one's own feet.

Conversation: Saturday, January 24, 1898. Recorded in Bengali by Surendra Nath Sen in his private diary. Complete Works, 5: 342

Dr. Alexis Carrel

“The mind is hidden within the living matter, completely neglected by physiologists and economists, almost unnoticed by physicians.”

“The aim of civilization is the progress, not of science and machinery, but of mankind”.

“Man, the Unknown”Dr. Alexis Carrel

Culture means the total accumulation of materialobjects,ideas,symbols,beliefs,sentiments,values and social forms which are passed on from one generation to another in any given society.

Continuum culture – mental and material culture

For the society to prosper there are two important needs.They are:prosperity through wealth generation and cherishing the value system of the people.the combination of the two will make the Nation truly strong and prosperous.

ADOLOSCENT AGE• EARLY – 10-13 YEARS• MIDDLE – 14-17 YEARS• LATE-18 UNTIL EARLY TWENTIES

Beliefs Thoughts Feelings Actions

Begins in Biology

Ends in culture

Use it or loose it ravindrapinna@gmail.com

9448934488

Use it or loose it

EXCESS EMOTIONALITY IMPAIRS THINKING

‘ We are hard wired to connect’ to seek meaning and purpose in our lives.