Acharya Mahaprajna
A very important benefit is stimulation of the Centre of Joy i.e. producing a state of euphoria without the use of harmful habit-forming drugs. Centres of pain, pleasure, euphoria, bliss etc. are located in the brain. Stimulation of each centre will produce pain, pleasure etc. These centres have been scientifically mapped out. Stimuli from an injury or affected part of the body will reach and stimulate the centre of pain through electrical impulses and chemical neuro-transmitters. The result is suffering. Thus the perception of pain occurs in the brain and not in the skin or at the site of injury. Similarly, when other centres are stimulated the result is pleasure, euphoria, bliss, etc. [1]
Now, it has bees well established by the recent efforts that chemical substances, having the same effect as powerful pain-killers, such as morphine are secreted internally and block out the pain. That the brain manufactures hormones to regulate its own emotions, moods and drives is a recent dramatic discovery. [2]
The pain-killer action of morphine is produced by endorphin and its concentration in PAG [3] and amygdale can soothe pain and produce euphoria. An experienced practitioner can produce this internal painkiller at will and direct its concentration at proper regions either to soothe the pain or produce euphoria.
Thus, it is possible not to suffer the misery of pain or grief by activating appropriate centres. Thousands have demonstrated This state of bliss* under most painful conditions both physical and psychological.
Perception of psychic centres can activate the centres of euphoria and bliss. An addict can get rid of this hideous affliction by regular practice of this exercise.
Another benefit is the reinforcement of the vital energy. We can stimulate the centre of vital energy in our body by the perception of psychic centres.
Centres of vital energy, general health, bio-electricity and purity are all related to our subtle electrical body. The premeditational exercise of internal trip and the perception of spinal cord direct the flow of vital energy upward, and bring it to the centre of wisdom from the centre of energy via the spinal cord.
Thus the bio-energy stored in the nether centres can be tapped by meditation of psychic centres and utilised for spiritual uplift.
All the above-mentioned benefits accrue from the regular and systematic perception of psychic centres.
Anger, haughtiness, sexual arousal, selfishness, jealousy, fear and hatred - all these emotional urges are aroused when our psyche roams about the navel region. It is quite normal for this to happen because we do not know the outcome of this. But we know that it is beneficial to keep psychic attention in the upper regions above the heart and throat and up in the cranium. If our attention is repeatedly concentrated in these upper regions, our urges and distortions would be regulated, amenable to control and can even be transmuted. Our libido can then be put to creative activity. This results in attitudinal change and development of an integrated personality. This then is the key for-change of attitude and behaviour, and building up character.
If the attitude and behaviour of (t practitioner and a non-practitioner are identical, the meditation would be futile. But the change in attitude and behaviour must also change social outlook.
He who practises the perception of psychic centres regularly would positively adopt an attitude of equanimity, and his behaviour would radically change. Having got rid of psychological distortions, his behaviour would be free from irrational fear, lust, cruelty, vindictiveness, etc. His way of life -personal as well as social-would be full of compassion, modesty and honesty.
When we consider social health, it is necessary that the harsh treatment meted out to some unfortunates such as drug-addicts and antisocial, should be replaced by compassion. Actually they are sick people and like any other sick person have little control over their malady. The injustice done to them causes an irreparable damage to their psyches. The root cause of the suffering both by the anti-socials and the society is the imbalance of the neuro- endocrine system of the unfortunate victims. The obvious remedy is to restore the equilibrium.
The society must, first of all, change its attitude towards the so-called anti-socials from cruelty to compassion. The victims should instead of being sent to the prisons be sent to such health centres where they could be treated with the psycho- therapy based on the meditational practice such as Preksa Dhyana.
One cannot over-emphasize the simple fact that the social health is the result of emotional health of the constituents of the society. The practice of the perception of psychic centres is a simple remedy for restoring the emotional health of the constituents of the society. There is no other remedy as simple and as economic as meditational therapy. Some pessimists may insist that it is impossible to subjugate the forces of the primal drives, and eradicate the distortions from one's attitude and behaviour. But such pessimism is proved to be baseless and irrelevant by the actual results obtained by the meditational therapies. It is true that social health cannot be restored overnight. Regular and constant practice is needed not only to restore but to maintain it. It would require establishment of proper facilities where the emotionally sick members of society can be taught to heal themselves and maintain their emotional health by the development of the inherentpotency by knowing how to live properly which includes eating, drinking and breathing properly as well as thinking properly.[1] Two special regions in the brain, particularly in the limbic system - seat of our emotions - are known to be involved in pain regulation - the medial thalamus and the periaqueductal grey matter often known as the PAG.
Narcotics - morphine and its faster acting derivative heroin - are opiates. The former is used medically for its pain-killing action; the latter is marketed illicitly for its euphoric effect. But the joy conceals its sorrow: a hideous addiction. The narcotics may concentrate in PAG and to an even greater degree in the AMYGDALA which plays a crucial role in emotional arousal and euphoria Perhaps this accounts for the euphoric high that the addicts seek from their drug fix.
[2] In mid-seventies, researchers have been successful in isolating the following substances:
- Encephalin (meaning in the head)-an opiate like peptide produced by the brain
- Endorphin (meaning the morphine within)
- Beta-endorphin, a complex peptide synthesized from beta-likotropine (a
precursor of encephalin) and endorphin and some amino acids
[3] PAG perhaps is where the brain turns off its perception of pain in situations of stress - such as fight, flight, combat etc. when pain might hinder performance to soothe pain. A high concentration of this hormone in the amygdale, on the other hand, may act as the body's own tonic against disappointment and may produce euphoric high.
