science and spirituality
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Science and SpiritualityTRANSCRIPT
- 1. Science and Spirituality
- Vinod Kochupillai
- Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences
- New Delhi
2. Poll Conducted: Are you happy with your life
- High percentage: Yes
- Surprise
- Contradictory to statistics
- Anxiety, depression, Suicide increasing
- If people are happy:
- Why increase in depression and suicides??
3. Emotions: unaware or not expressed
- Unaware of feelings
- ashamed to admit
- Pretending to have fun
- Emotions: mayseemto be under control --but!
4. Suppressed emotions: Explode
- Affect: Work out put
- Interpersonal relations
- Depression/ anxiety
- heart attacks, ulcers, migraine, High BP, cancer
5. Scientific Studies
- Every change in the mental-emotional state, conscious or unconscious is accompanied by an appropriate change in physiological state and every change in the physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental-emotional state
- Elmer Green - Mayo clinic Physician
6. Body and Mind
- Brain/ mind: dominate body:
- No longer true
- Body and mind: inseparable
- Intelligence: not only in brain; throughout the body
- Memory and capacity to learn:
- not only brain; other systems also like immune system
7. Neuropeptides & receptors: Biochemical Messengers
- Act with intelligence
- Communicate: each other
- Regulate: conscious and
- Unconscious activities
- Translate large changes:
- Behavior, physical activity, even mood
- biochemical base: awareness and consciousness
8. Neuropeptides and receptors:Not only brain and nerve cells
- Present in many parts:
- Blood cells (mono & lymphocytes)
- Respiratory centre
- G I tract - entire lining: esophagus - large intestine
- Density of receptors:gut feeling
- Distressing news: diarrhoea
- dyspepsia: grouchy & irritable
9. Internal Chemicals
- Biochemical messengers: Neuropeptides and their receptors
- Manifest as our emotions, beliefs and expectations
- Profoundly influence
- how we respond and experience our world
- unite mind, spirit and emotions with physical body
- Dr. Pert: Molecules of Emotions
10. Biochemical messengers: Molecules of Emotions
- Massive information transfer:
- Over a network linking all system and organs
- engaging: all: molecules of emotions as means of communication
- Mobile brain
- Moves throughout body
- located in all places at once
- not just in the head
11. Body wide information network
- Includingallorganssystems,
- Emotions,thoughtsandspirit
- Everchanginganddynamic
- infinitelyflexible
12. Endorphins and Chakras
- A yogi enquired: Dr. Pert
- If Endorphins: neuropeptide (bodys natural opiate)
- concentrated along spine: that corresponded to chakras
- 7 Chakaras: centres of subtle energy
- govern basic physical and metaphysical functions: ranging: sexuality to emotions to higher consciousness
13. Endorphins & Chakras
- Dr. Pert - pulled out a diagram that depicted-2 chains
- of nerve bundles on either side of spinal cord.
- Each rich with information carrying peptides
- Chakra map exactly overlapped endorphins map
14. Emotions: needed
- Anger to define boundaries
- Grief to deal with losses
- Fear to protect from danger
15. Emotions denied; chronically suppressed - Stress
- Toxic situation
- Flow of peptides (messengers): blocked
- important body functions:
- breathings, blood flow, Immunity:
- adversely affected
- Manifests as diseases
- Healing processes: adversely affected
16. Free Flow of Emotions
- Emotions allowed to move: naturally
- Inner chemicals flow: freely
- Experience:
- freedom,joyhealthystate ofbeing
17. Frontal cortex: Part of brain: Unique to humans
- Sits behind forehead
- Rich: Chemical messengers
- Location: higher cognitive functions
- Planning for the future
- Making decisions
- Formulating intentions to change
18. Frontal cortex: To perform
- Needs adequate nourishment
- Brains only food - Glucose
- carried through blood
- Glucose - store & secrete messenger chemicals
- Neurotransmitters, Neuropeptides
19. Blocked or suppressed emotions
- Blood vessels:
- Constricted (narrowed)
- Blood flow: restricted
- Deprives :importantpartof brain
- and other organs:
- of vital nourishment
20. Frontal Contex: Inadequate Nourishment
- Foggy and less alert
- limited in awareness
- Decision making processes: Interfered
- unable to respond freshly to world around:
- get stuck
- Lack of fresh ideas
21. Emotions and body sensations: Link
- Each emotion: Physical sensation
- Attention over physical sensation: allows emotions to move rather then suppress
- often happens: at unconscious level
- one is not aware
- Elimination of stress; brings it into consciousness; one becomes aware
22. Elimination of Stress
- Over centuries
- Yoga,meditation, Pranayam
- Meditationallows long buried thoughts and feelings to surface, is a way of getting the peptides flow again, returning the body and the emotions to health.
23. Sudarshan Kriya (SK) and Pranayam (P)
- More recently
- His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
- Introduced a powerful process -Sudarshan Kriya
- Rhythmic breathing process -
- Three rhythms followed cyclically.
24. Rhythmic breathing: Effect on chemical messengers
- Rhythmic change in the rate of breath Changes:
- quantity and quality: peptides
- Conscious alteration of breath:
- holding or breathing fast:
- chemicals diffuse into several areas
25. Fast conscious breathing
- Peptidesdiffuseallover
- Many-Endorphins:
- bodysnaturalopiates:released
- Senseofjoyandhappiness,peace
- andrelieffrombodypains
- peptide-respiratorylink:
- Welldocumented
26. Respiratory centre: Peptides
- Any peptide (Chemical messenger) found anywhere: also found in resp centre
- May be the scientific base for the powerful healing effects of SK and P
27. Spirituality & Science
- Regular practice: SK, P, yoga and meditation
- stresses: eliminated
- peptides flow freely
- one becomes aware
- living in the present
- focused, alert and yet relaxed
- This is what spirituality (consciousness) is all
- about
- Productivity, efficiency and relationships automatically improve
28. Sudarshan Kriya and Pranayam
- Increase connectivity and information processing in brain
- Resting EEG 2 groups: practicing SK and P x at least 2 years vs controls:beta waves
- EEG during SK and P -alpha waves:
- relaxed alertness
- Manveer Bhatia
- Neurologist & EEG Incharge
29. During SK & P Resting EEG:Control Vs practitioners ofSK & P 30.
- Bhatia M, Kumar A, Bhardwaj NK, Pandey RM and Kochupillai V.
- Electrophysiological evaluation of Sudarshan Kriya; EEG, BAER and P-300 study.
- Ind J Physiol & Pharmacol
- 47(2): 157-163, 2003
31. Sudarshan Kriya and Pranayam: effect on blood cortisol & ACTH
- Studies done at AIIMS and NIMHANS, Bangalore
- Fall in blood cortisol and ACTH (Stress hormones)
- Consistent: relaxing effect of SK and P NIMHANS: Alcohol addicts & patients with depression
- 70% required no medication
- SK & P No side effects
- Cost effective
32.
- Jankiramaiah et al. A Therapeutic Efficacy of
- Sudarshan Kriya yoga 9SKY) In Dysthymic
- Disorders.
- NIMHANS Journal 17;21-28,1998
- Naga Venkatesha et al. P300 Amplitude And
- Antidepressant Response To Sudarshan Kriya Yoga.
- Journal Affective Disorders 50;45-48,1998.
- Jankiramaiah et al. Antidepressant Efficacy Of
- Sudarshan Kriya Yoga 9SKY) In Melancholia.
- Journal Affective Disorders 57; 255-59, 2000.
33. Sudarshan Kriya and Pranayam: Fall in blood lactate
- Police trainees - highly stressed group
- Alter 5 months of SK and P practice
- remarkable fall in blood lactate consistent with relaxation effect
- Blood lactate tends to increase during physical and/ of mental stress
- Neeta Singh: Prof. Biochemistry: AIIMS
34. 35. Sudarshan Kriya and Pranayam:Antioxidant defense
- Police trainees
- Studied at base line,
- after 5 months of SK and P practice
- and during SK and P
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- Neeta Singh, Prof, Biochemistry, AIIMS .
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36. 37.
- Sharma H, Sen S, Singh A, Bhardwaj NK, Kochupillai V and Singh N.
- Sudarshan Kriya practitioners exhibit better antioxidant status and lower blood lactate levels
- Biological Psychology
- 63: 281 - 291, 2003.
38. Sudarshan Kriya & Pranayam: Effect on Immune system
- NK cells: 3 groups: Those practing SK and P x at least 2 years
- Normal controls
- Cancer patients in remission
- Cancer patients in remission
- Controls Vs those practicing SK & P
- NK cells baseline and after 3 and 6 months.
- S.N. Das, Additional Prof., Biotechnology, AIIMS
39. Cancer patients in remission Control Vspractitioners of SK & PVs cancer pts in remission 40. Increase in Natural Killer cells and antioxidant defence
- May protect from agerelated diseases such ascancer, rheumatoid arthritis, coronary arterydisease etc.
- May slow down cancer progression
41. Sudarshan Kriya & tobacco Cessation : 82 subjects Day 6:53 / 82 = 65% Month 2 :63 individuals FU 23 Tobacco free 23/82 = 28% Month 6 :34 individuals FU 17 Tobacco free 17 /82 = 21% 42. Tobacco cessation thr. Sudarshan Kriya
- Cost effective
- No side effects
- Durable
- Urge to smoke disappears
- No effort or supervision required
43. Cholesterol study: Bangalore Medical College Dr. Geetha the total Cholesterol decreasedHDL increased (Good Cholesterol) LDL decreased (Bad Cholesterol) 44. Tata Institute of Social Sciences: Research
- Participants: Management level
- Ambit corporate finance, Bacardi, Cadburys, Indian oil, Mukand Steel, NTCP, Rallis India,Strategic capital securities, Tata chemicals, World bank groups, WHO Transasia Biochemicals
- Total participants: 543 -
- underwent AOL workshop and learnt SK & P
45. Tata institute Social Science: Research (Contd)
- Improved state of mind = 88%
- Improvement in dealing
- with people= 60%
- Handled stressful situation
- better= 58%
- Practicing SK & P:
- Regularly= 58%
- Recommended AOL
- course to others= 60%
46. Science and spiritualityConclusions
- SK & P and meditation (spiritual practices): allow free flow of neuropeptide and receptors: molecules of emotions
- elimination of stress, anxiety
- Better Immune status and antioxidant defense
- Freedom from addictions
- Healthier body and healthier mind:
- Increased productivity, efficiency, better relations
47. Science and spirituality
- The systematic understanding of reality is called science and systematic understanding of one who is understanding is called spirituality.
- HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar