Neurotoxins, the Pineal Gland, and Meditation

[psylotripitaka]

This topic is included in this section of our forum because it is inspired by the Dharmapala, and it is about removing hindrances and gathering favorable conditions for our practice.

As a Buddhist practitioner who's intention is to achieve profound realizations through higher concentration, there are a variety of hindrances to take into serious consideration that are blocking this development. Generally speaking, there are inner and outer conditions thoroughly explained in the teachings, such as even having the aspiration and determination to achieve higher realizations. There are many things to meditate on that help us cultivate that essential ingredient, and the strength of such an aspiration will determine how much effort we actually put towards cultivating favorable conditions to achieve our aims. Particular to this new topic I wanted to share some brief points regarding how our body affects our meditation. This won't be an elaborate document, but simply sharing a few inspiring points for your consideration. Please explore google links for greater depth.

There are instructions such as the 7-point posture of Vairochana, the 6 Magical Wheels of Naropa, and various such things regarding adjustments to our body that effect the quality of meditation. Much can also be said of the toxins within our environment, food, and drinks, and we can conclude some basic things about the importance of consuming things that are healthy, as well as the need for detoxing and exercising. Although the mind is not the body, there is an incredibly intricate relationship between them. I want to touch then, not so much on longevity or the reduction of diseases in general, but upon the importance of brain health for effective meditation.

The pineal gland is particularly important for the development of higher consciousness. Unfortunately, amongst various neurotoxins such as those coming from cleaning products, construction materials, and airborne particulates from other forms of pollution, we should be especially aware of the disadvantages of fluoride. Many countries and an increasing number of cities in the United States have stopped dumping fluoride into the water supply, and for good reason. You'll find a lot of information for and against fluoride, but the critical question to ask is: is fluoride toxic? Since the answer is yes, the next question becomes: then why the hell is it being recommended and dumped into water supplies as a 'mass medication experiment' who's dosage is impossible to control? It is not possible to control how many showers or glasses of water people have, or how much food they've consumed that has been contaminated with fluoridated water!

The bottom line here is this - fluoride has, amongst many debilitating effects such as hyperthyroidism and cancer, a severe effect on the pineal gland. This gland creates a calcification around it to try and protect from toxins and in so doing inhibits its ability to output the secretions so crucial to higher awareness, and is well documented now for other effects such as lowering IQ.

Therefore, my conclusions are that the excess presence of fluoride within our body is contributing not only to laziness and feeling unmotivated, but also prevents us from taking our samsaric predicament seriously, and in particular makes it difficult to develop higher concentration and thereby the realizations that come from developing it. To remove this kind of hindrance, it is necessary to do our best to minimize the intake of toxins, and detox the body of those already present. With regards to fluoride, there are water filters that remove fluoride and other dangerous substances from water, and the consumption of turmeric greatly assists in detoxing the body in general and the pineal gland in particular. It is worth mentioning that it has been verified turmeric kills cancer cells.

Thanks for reading. May your meditations be powerful!

[yontenjamyang]

I read this post with interest. Without sounding that I blame everything on karma, I nevertheless would like to say that, even if what the articles says about neurotoxin,  pineal glands and fluorid is true, it is a kind of manifestation of our karma of being born at these degenerate times.

There are perhaps many more humans in this world that will never meditate then those who will. Maybe 99% to 1% or less. Overwhelming majority of people do not have the 18 opportune conditions and amongst those who have, still those who meditate are the minority.

[psylotripitaka]

Yontenjamyang,

It is true, everything that appears to us in every moment arises from karmic potentialities in our mind. That does not however mean that we don't take further action to alter the quality of appearances.

[Midakpa]

I find this article very interesting. Normally, we talk about the beneficial effects of meditation on the body, i.e. the health benefits that one can obtain through meditation, and so on. But we must also consider the other aspect - the effect of the health of one's body on the mind. I agree that if there are toxins in our environment or in our food and drinks that might affect the quality of our meditation, then we must do something about it. For example, to avoid the intake of fluoride, we can filter our drinking water as suggested by Chokyi Dorje. I'm grateful to Chokyi Dorje for taking the trouble to inform us about the effects of fluoride on the pineal gland.

[Big Uncle]

LOL!!! So, does that mean a water filter will help me to gain spiritual attainments? As many great master have said, why do we keep cleaning the outside of the pot when the actual toxins are within. Therefore in my humble opinion, the real hindrances to spiritual attainments and awakening is not really flouride in water. It is to lessen our involvement in the whole materialistic cycle of acquisition and making money so we have more time towards spiritual learning and practice. It would serve one far better to enter retreat on Dorje Shugden or Je Tsongkhapa. Those would be very good spiritual detox from materialism.

[psylotripitaka]

Big Uncle,

I agree with you that we need to clean the mind through Dharma training, but your perspective is too narrow. The relationship between the environment, body, energy body, and mind is very complex. This is supported by extensive scientific research, Ayurveda, Tibetan medicine and other healing arts, and by many Dharma teachings within Sutra and Tantra as well as liberation life stories of the Masters.

It seems you did not consider everything I wrote. Along with exercise and nourishing food, if we also detox elements of the body, which is a principal medium through which our mind operates at the moment, this will not only assist longevity, but will aid the clarity and power of our meditation. One of the main purposes of the physical yogic exercises of Naropa's 6 Magical Wheels for example, is to make the physical body more supple, remove stagnation, and stimulate the physical and psychic nervous system, all so that meditation will be more powerful. There are many detailed scientific reasons to explain how these systems are functioning, and completion stage commentaries also lay out details regarding the different elements and so forth. Your laughing out loud dismisses all this.

So yes, minimizing the impact of fluoride on your body and brain will contribute to more lucid meditation, just as eating organic food and exercise contribute in the same way. You are of course welcome to consume shitty gmo and artificial things loaded with toxins, and never exercise, but I can guarantee your longevity and the quality of your meditation will continue to suffer the results.

[psylotripitaka]

Big Uncle, basically by your dismissive logic you have stated that the body has no effect on the mind. I invite you to stop sleeping and consuming any food or drink for two weeks, then come back here and tell me whether or not the quality of your meditations have been affected. Even the quality of meditation for advanced meditator's such as Jetsun Milarepa are affected by these things as we can see from the results he experienced on various occasions from receiving food and drink. There is a tantric vow not to abuse our body, and a bodhisattva should look after their body just as a paramedic looks after their ambulance and medical equipment. Teachings on precious human life outline the benefits of a fully functional human form, and tantric literature elucidates the specific reasons for the supreme value of this form for achieving tantric realizations. Je Gompopa explained to Je Mila that he was having this and that visions and experiences during meditation, and Je Mila said 'your meditation belt is too tight'. Teachings on tranquil abiding elucidate various conditions for this training some of which are to do with environmental support for the body, or various physical techniques about posture, gazes, or altering the environment or the direction we're facing in order to remove hindrances and improve the quality of our meditation. I have never read, heard, or been told by my Lamas that the body is irrelevant, but that its health and proper use can lead to attainments. For these and many other reasons I have elected to do a bit of research regarding the nutrients that assist longevity and vitality, and to remove the things that degenerate the body. That is why I have shared a tidbit from brain research and fluoride. Thanks for reading.

[grandmapele]

I guess in modern times we are need what little aid we can from just about anywhere. We have to remember that times have changed and so has the environment. Everything we eat is no longer the same as it was say 50 years ago.  Intensive farming has taken its toll. The food that we eat today has less nutritional value and is full of chemical. So, I can envisage the flouride in the water may adversely affect our health. As the pineal gland is the gland that is the physical centre of our meditations any calcification would not be good. And, yes, I will filter my water, for what it's worth.

Thank you, Chokyi Dorje