PINEAL GLAND (2)

[Ivo Banaco]

Dear Peter, Adam, Connie, Ed and all,
Let's awaken up the implicit here. Let us not pretend that this recent
dynamic exchange of e-mails doesn't exist. This is politics in-action in the
Group talk list. At least I feel in this way, I don't know if anybody feel
the same. I am only speaking for myself. There is nothing wrong with
"political arguments", what is wrong, in my opinion, is letting the implicit
stay there, not generating an explicit output.

What I am trying to say in objective terms and in a reconstructive fashion
is: Ed starts a tread with a certain topic: Pineal Gland. To use again
Hegel's thesis and antithesis terms we had the first reply of Connie using a
more spiritual emphasis (the thesis) to make sense of the topic and a more
"rational" response of Adam (antithesis).

If this happens to be a good description of that dynamic, what followed next
was a "political fight" in the best sense of the word. But let us assume
that, genuinely and directly, and not pretend that this isn't happening. At
least in "real" politics, albeit all the bad things in it, they have
political parties, constant dialectical arguments, making their differences
crystal clear.

For me, this last e-mail of Peter (whom I don't know but it doesn't inhibit
me to engage with him an intellectual argument), with due respect, doesn't
say virtually nothing unless for supporting Adam's answer. Or to put it
differently, it has a lot of content (and a good one I must say), but the
material is used in an implicit way, in a political correctness that I must
admit annoys me sometimes. What do you, Peter, are defending in this topic,
I mean clearly, and not from your comfort zone? just that "the pineal is
well and truly in the dark". Are you saying that it's not possible to say
more about it?

With care and good intentions,
Ivo

On Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 12:35 AM, Peter Howie <
peterhowie at macquariehouse.com.au> wrote:

> Dear Adam and Connie,
>
> Good response Adam. I was thinking how the purpose and function of the
> brain was for many millenia mistaken and thinking and all these processes we
> associate with the brain were thought to come from the heart . At least
> since Aristotle the brain was thought of as a useless mushy bit.
>
> Adam my Japanese accupuncturist, and I am not advocating accupuncture,
> however I have been around it for a while and he taught me that the language
> of accupuncture is entirely figurative. So when he says "Your liver is low"
> he doesn't mean my actual liver but a type of body response that he
> interprets as a type of energy which is titles "Liver". Or "wood" or any of
> a number of other titles. Now I know a number of other accupuncturists who
> actually believe that "a low liver" means that the actual liver is low. What
> do they think it means when there is not enough "wood"? Unintended pun here.
>
> I think the pineal gland hangs around 1) because we are relatively more
> ignorant about it than other parts of the brain and 2) we (generalisation of
> many but not all people) have a great desire to find physical correlates for
> god and spirituality. There are fantastic arguments about faith while at the
> same time a great desire for miraculous proofs and the like. One very
> familiar one is the idea that the human body is the machine that experiences
> god so we don't need to create a machine/process/proof of god because we are
> that machine/process/proof.
>
> Also Connie, with the pineal and Descartes, he had the philosophy that
> there was a person behind our thoughts - the controller idea of how are
> thoughts are controlled - and that the pineal was the most likely place for
> it for similar reasons you wrote. From memory it regulates melatonin and we
> are only beginning to understand what role that plays apart from skin colour
> and body rhythms. And while some of the cells appear similar to light
> sensitive ones, the regulation of rhythms via melatonin from the pineal from
> ambient light takes place via another pathway. The pineal is well and truly
> in the dark.
>
> Cheers for now
>
>
> Peter Howie B.Sc, TEPManaging Director
> The Moreno Collegium for Human Centred Learning, Research and Development
> 0411 873 851
> www.morenocollegium.com.au
>
> On 15/01/2009, at 2:07 AM, Adam Blatner wrote:
>
> Dear Connie, you may be right! However, there are different levels of
> evidence-based thinking in general discourse, and many people get confused.
> Anything called a "theory" seems to have equal status, so there are state
> governments who, being ignorant of this simple fact, are intimidated by the
> word (ah, semantics) and feel obliged to give creationism an equal status to
> the theory of evolution in the teaching of science in the schools.
>      When you mention that the mystery traditions and esoteric schools have
> long known...". though, I have reservations: That word "know" must be put on
> "pause" and examined. A great deal---almost all---that was known for sure by
> authorities, schools of thought, and such over the last three thousand
> years, upon careful examination and testing, has been proven repeatedly and
> in many ways to be flat wrong. This has been the cultural impact of science
> for three hundred years. So the key question to ask is:  "But is it so?"
>
>        I have no objection to figurative or symbolic language, and use it
> freely in my conversations. I think there is an important place for poetry
> and myth-making, but I am also committed to a sharper level of critical
> thinking that differentiates myth from fact.
>
>       I think there are some things that myth speaks to with greater
> usefulness in our lives than mere fact, such as the construction of romance
> or the sense of significance of oneself or one's movement, or the
> construction of meaning in general. However these constructions are then
> subject to the reality of "paradigm shift,"---the recognition that new
> perspectives can change the way we view the world in rather basic ways. So I
> hold on to what I think I know rather gently.
>
>      Thanks for noting what has been scientifically shown about the pineal
> gland---in fact, though, we still know very little, other than some of the
> things you pointed out. Then again, for all the advances in neuro-science,
> again we should recognize that for every advance, two or more questions come
> into view, and that's the definition (by Huston Smith) of a mystery.
>
>        So this is aimed really more for our general grouptalk community. I
> appreciate your pioneering in many ways the interface of spirituality and
> the use of action methods. Warmly, Adam
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> *From:* Connie Miller <connie at souldrama.com>
> *To:* Edward Schreiber <edwschreiber at earthlink.net> ; Grouptalk Listserv<list at grouptalkweb.org>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, January 14, 2009 7:34 AM
> *Subject:* Re: PINEAL GLAND    Here is what I have;
>
> The pineal gland was the last endocrine gland to have its function
> discovered. Its location deep in the brain seemed to indicate its
> importance. This combination led to its being a "mystery" gland with myth,
> superstition and even metaphysical theories surrounding its perceived
> function. The pineal gland is occasionally associated with the sixth chakra
> (also called Ajna or the third eye chakra in yoga). It is believed by some
> to be a dormant organ that can be awakened to enable "telepathic"
> communication. In the physical body the eye views objects upside down. It
> sends the image of what it observes to the brain which interprets the image
> and makes it appear right side-up to us. But the human body has another
> physical eye whose function has long been recognized by humanity. It is
> called the 'Third Eye' which in reality is the Pineal Gland. It is long
> thought to have mystical powers. Many consider it the Spiritual Third Eye,
> our Inner Vision.
>
> It is located in the geometric center of the brain. This correlates to the
> location of the great pyramid in the center of the physical planet. The
> Pineal Gland is about the size of a pea, and is in the center of the brain
> in a tiny cave behind and above the pituitary gland which lies a little
> behind the root of the nose. It is located directly behind the eyes,
> attached to the third ventricle. The true function of this mysterious gland
> has long been contemplated by philosophers and Spiritual Adepts. Ancient
> Greeks believed the pineal gland to be our connection to the Realms of
> Thought.
>
> Rene Descartes called it the Seat of the Soul, believing it is unique in
> the anatomy of the human brain in being a structure not duplicated on the
> right and left sides. This observation is not true, however; under a
> microscope one finds the pineal gland is divided into two fine hemispheres.
> This gland is activated by Light, and it controls the various biorhythms of
> the body. It works in harmony with the hypothalamus gland which directs the
> body's thirst, hunger, sexual desire and the biological clock that
> determines our aging process.
>
> When the pineal gland awakens one feels a pressure at the base of the
> brain. This pressure will often be experienced when connecting to higher
> frequency. A head injury can also activate the Third Eye - Pineal Gland.
>
> While the physiological function of the pineal gland has been unknown until
> recent times, mystical traditions and esoteric schools have long known this
> area in the middle of the brain to be the connecting link between the
> physical and spiritual worlds. Considered the most powerful and highest
> source of ethereal energy available to humans, the pineal gland has always
> been important in initiating supernatural powers. Development of psychic
> talents has been closely associated with this organ of higher vision.
>
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