Kundalini
Shakti
Sir,
An article published in Sunday magazine of Daily
Excelsior on Sept. 6, 1998 under the heading of
"Kundalini Shakti:- Divine power in man''
describes the existance of power of God in man as
a Kundalini Shakti or Serpent power. According to
the descriptions, this shakti which is coiled up,
lies in the body in dormant State and is required
to be awakened by a stimulus from a spiritual
Guru who may cause arousal of sleeping Shakti by
mere touch or mantras depending upon his
competence. These mythical concepts advocate
awakening of Kundalini Shakti from Mooladhar
lying in the caudal or lower parts of human body,
to the level of brain. Once it opens up the
person becomes intermingled with God and gets
mystrical power of knowing secrets of universe
and is said to be in the stage of Brahm-avastha.This process of unfolding
of Kundalini by Yogas, Pranayama, spiritual
knowledge or repeatation of Gods name has been
arbitrarily divided into seven chakras. The
purpose of this paper is to subject these
mythical chakras to scientific knowledge to prove
or disprove their credibility.
All medical
students or even B.Sc students who happen to be
students of biology are familiar with the fact
that no such structural or functional Kundalini
exists anywhere in the body. Knowledge of Medical
Science like Anatomy (dealing with structure of
the body from gross to the miscroscopic level)
and Physiology (dealing with the functions of
body from major functions of digestion,
circulation, excretion etc. to the level of
recording of very feeble electrical impulses
generated by heart in ECG) has categorically
refuted the existence of any such unfolded
mysterical serpent power. Unscientific basis of
such power can be well understood by comparing
ancient classification of chakras with the modern
scientific findings.
Mooladhar Chakra:
It is said to be
the first chakra and forms basic support of
spinal cord (Sushumana). Indian yogis believe it
to be situated in rectum and unfolding of this
chakra by meditation is claimed to produce purity
of mind, good health, intellect, wisdom and
knowledge. In the light of science, even a 5th or
6th class student is well aware that rectum has
function of storage and evacuation of fecal
matter and nothing of the sort of purity of mind,
intellect or wisdom. Large number of cases have
been reported in the literature where rectum has
been found to be absent right form birth or has
been surgically removed without any side effects
on any function of body. Bhagwan Ganesh jee is
believed to be God of this Chakra. One fails to
understand why some of our myths have tried to
station a special God in such an organ which is
full of residual matter of digestion that is to
be get rid off.
Swadhisthaan
Chakra:-
This is claimed to
be second chakra situated in the lower part of
belly and concerned with passage of urine and
giving birth to young ones. Meditating this
chakra gives more knowledge and wisdom. It is
controlled by Bhagwan Brahma.
Again from the
knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology, this claim
can be refuted in total because such functions
and associated organs have nothing to do with the
intellectual behaviour. This myth can easily be
disapproved as the function of reproduction and
excretion are carried out by even the smallest
one celled animal like amoeba in which knowledge
and wisdom are non-existing.
Manipur Chakra:
This Chakra is
said to be lying at the level of umblicus in the
backbone (Mehrudand) in spinal cord (Sushumna).
This is considered to be the site from where air
is circulated to various parts of the body. Mind
is believed to be residing in this chakra and is
place for creation and destruction of desire. God
Incharge of this Chakra is Vishnu Jee and its
meditation gives peace of mind and equality.
Application of
scientific knowledge affirms that spinal cord of
human beings or any other animal is concerned
with reflex activity only like removing part of
body away from a painful stimulus. Spinal cord
has nothing to do with formation and destruction
of desire which function is attributed to cortex
of brain. As far as circulation of air in this
chakra is concerned, it is known even to a 6th
class student that exchange of oxygen and carbon
dioxide takes place in the lungs from where
oxygen is carried by blood to heart which pumps
it into various parts of the body for
utilisation.
Creation and
destruction of ideas or desires are functions of
cerebral cortex of brain and spinal cord has no
role to play in such functions. Even a lay-man
knows that there are cases where by accidents
backbone alongwith spinal cord gets broken and
whole of the body below the site of injury
becomes paralysed but there is absolutely no
decrease in the wisdom or desire of the person.
Instead the person becomes more desirous to be in
the wheel chair so that he can perform basic
biological function on normally as possible.
A well known
example of a living Nobel Laurate Mr Stephen
Hawking can be cited. He is the person who cannot
move his body parts due to damage of spinal cord
because of disease process but his desires and
intellectual calibre can well be imagined by the
fact that he is at present Chairman of Newton's
chair and has been awarded Noble Prize in Physics
for his work on black-hole concept of universe.
In scientific world he is called a living legend
on this planet.
This illustration
disproves misconcept of chakra as well as the
controlling authority which has been erronously
attached to it.
Anahat Chakra:
According to
advocates of this chakra, it lies opposite heart
inside spinal cord. Stomach lies on its left side
where digestion of food takes place. God Shiva is
associated with it. Results of meditation of this
chakra are supposed to give power of love, peace,
affection, forgiveness and harmony.
Again scientific
observations have categorically disproved this
concept on the ground that such conceptional
processes, like love, peace, affection etc. are
located in the cortex of forebrain and not in the
spinal cord. The animals like fish and frogs who
possess well developed spinal cord but lack
well-defined cortex have nothing to do with the
functions of love & affections and
forgiveness. If these functions are confined to
spinal cord then all these animals should possess
better conceptual thought than man.
Vishuddha Chakra:
This mystical
chakra is again confined to spinal cord or
Sushmna as per the ancient eastern thought and by
meditation gives power of realisation. Bhagwan
Sada Shiv Jee is said to be its God.
Realization or
sense of knowing reality as per scientific
confirmation is function of cerebral cortex.
These scientific observations are based on
experimental results obtained by cutting spinal
cords at various levels and by removing cortex in
experimental animals or in man when these parts
are individually damaged by disease or injury. It
has been seen that when cortex is removed or
damaged everything about knowing reality in lost.
Conversely when spinal cord is damaged and cortex
is in fact, person remains totally concious and
as near reality as any body else.
Aajnaa Chakra:
It is believed to
be lying at the level of upper end of spinal
cord, in between the eye brows i.e. centre of
forehead. This part is called trivene as three
parts of mythical nervous system i.e. Sushmna
(Spinal cord), Ida (Sympathetic) and Pingla
(Cerebrum) meet here. This place is said to be
store-house of knowledge
Seen in the light
of science, store house of knowledge is cerebral
cortex which covers whole of forebrain and is not
located in the centre of forehead as mentioned
above.
Sahasraar Chakra:
Said to be lying
in the upper part of head with thousand petals
and is seat of Par-Brahma or Nirankar. This place
has been given the name of Brahmsthan or
Curusthan or Amritlok.
Scientific studies
have been conducted on the function of brain for
more than 200 years and it has been shown that
there is no such part of brain, stimulation of
which can make the person visualize any
super-power.
Summary
Scientific
understanding of brain by experiments,
observation and inference have repeatedly
confirmed that higher function of brain like
conceptual thought, ideas, judgement,
intelligence, memory, aptitude, love, affection
and intellectual behaviour are confined to
cerebral hemisphere (fore brain). Lower parts of
central nervous system like midbrain, hindbrain,
spinal cord and peripheral nerves are concerned
with basic functions of digestion, urination and
defecation.
Human brain has
enormous power of acquiring knowledge (Practical
wisdom). It has unlimited capacity to learn from
experience and observations. History is witness
to the fact that those western countries who
protested against their ancient ideology and
believed in progressive scientific outlook have
reached moon and mars and have acquired enormous
knowledge in every field.
It is time to
realize that old ideas based on myths should be
subjected to scientific tests and researched
afresh to prove or disprove them. One should not
limit his learning capability merely on the basis
of old dogmas, idealogy, philosophy and
scriptures which have been proved untrue by
scientific studies.
Yours etc.......
Tilak Raj Shastri
|
