Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Pineal Gland - Third Eye

UPDATED: April 31, 2011


The pineal gland or epiphysis synthesizes and secretes melatonin, a structurally simple hormone that communicates information about environmental lighting to various parts of the body. Ultimately, melatonin has the ability to entrain biological rhythms and has important effects on reproductive function of many animals. The light-transducing ability of the pineal gland has led some to call the pineal the "third eye".

Anatomy of the Pineal Gland

The pineal gland is a small organ shaped like a pine cone (hence its name). It is located on the midline, attached to the posterior end of the roof of the third ventricle in the brain. The pineal varies in size among species; in humans it is roughly 1 cm in length, whereas in dogs it is only about 1 mm long. To observe the pineal, reflect the cerebral hemispheres laterally and look for a small grayish bump in front of the cerebellum

How does the retina transmit information about light-dark exposure to the pineal gland? Light exposure to the retina is first relayed to the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, an area of the brain well known to coordinate biological clock signals. Fibers from the hypothalamus descend to the spinal cord and ultimately project to the superior cervical ganglia, from which post-ganglionic neurons ascend back to the pineal gland. Thus, the pineal is similar to the adrenal medulla in the sense that it transduces signals from the sympathetic nervous system into a hormonal signal.

Melatonin: Synthesis, Secretion and Receptors

The precursor to melatonin is serotonin, a neurotransmitter that itself is derived from the amino acid tryptophan. Within the pineal gland, serotonin is acetylated and then methylated to yield melatonin.


 
Synthesis and secretion of melatonin is dramatically affected by light exposure to the eyes. The fundamental pattern observed is that serum concentrations of melatonin are low during the daylight hours, and increase to a peak during the dark.


The duration of melatonin secretion each day is directly proportional to the length of the night.

Melatonin has important effects in integrating photoperiod and affecting circadian rhythms. Consequently, it has been reported to have significant effects on reproduction, sleep-wake cycles and other phenomena showing circadian rhythm.

In reality, the melatonin secreted by the pineal gland is responsible for various aspects of sexual development, animal hibernation, metabolism, and seasonal breeding. The gland secretes its hormone in sync with circadian rhythms, releasing more in the dark and less in the light. This probably contributes to minimize sexual thoughts while sleeping. In children, the pineal gland secretes more melatonin than in adults, which is said to inhibit sexual development. After puberty, the pineal gland shrinks and releases less melatonin.

The pineal gland is a tiny organ in the center of the brain that played an important role in Descartes' philosophy. He regarded it as the principal seat of the soul and the place in which all our thoughts are formed.



Racial differences have been noted in the rate of pineal calcification as seen in plain skull radiographs. In Caucasians, calcified pineal is visualized in about 50% of adult skull radiographs after the age of 40 years (Wurtman et al, 1964); other scholars argue that Caucasians, in general, may have rates of pineal gland calcification as high as ­60-80% (King, 2001). Murphy (1968) reported a radiological pineal calcification rate of 2% from Uganda, while Daramola and Olowu (1972) in Lagos, Nigeria found a rate of 5%. Adeloye and Felson (1974) found that calcified pineal was twice as common in White Americans as in Blacks in the same city, strengthening a suspicion that there may be a true racial difference with respect to this apparatus. In India a frequency of 13.6% was found (Pande et al, 1984). Calcified pineal gland is a common finding in plain skull radiographs and its value in identifying the midline is still complementary to modern neuroradiological imaging

There is a surprising rarity of calcified pineal gland on skull roentgenograms in West Africans. Adeloye and Odeku (1967) working from a hospital where an average of about 2,000 skull roentgenographic examinations were done every year, encountered less than 10 cases of roentgenologically visible calcified pineal gland in the Neurosurgery unit during a period of 10 years. In the tasks of daily life, calcification in the pineal gland affects our brain's ability to function. Calcification of the pineal gland is shown to be closely related to defective sense of direction (Bayliss et al, 1985).



The true function of this mysterious gland has long been contemplated by philosophers and spiritual adepts. The ancient Greeks believed the pineal gland was our connection to the “Realms of Thought.” The great philosopher Descartes called it the “Seat of the Soul.”

The pineal gland has many characteristics of your exterior eyes, including a lens. It contains a complete map of the visual field of the eyes. It is activated by light, and controls your body’s various natural biorhythms. The pineal works in direct harmony with your hypothalamus gland – the director of thirst, hunger, sexual desire, and the biological clock controlling your aging process.

The pineal gland secretes melanin when you are relaxed and visualizing, and also responds to electromagnetic energy. At certain brainwave frequencies such as deep Theta, a sense of our ego boundary often vanishes.

Our consciousness is then less concerned with our “physical” state. According to many ancient traditions, this is when our “third eye” begins to exhibit special powers.

The Third Eye is a natural part of every person, but it’s a “meta” organ. In other words: it consists of all the senses and mind working together as a larger more powerful sensory organ. The Third Eye is a very clever bit of natural evolution: a meta organ designed to sense, connect to patterns and then relay that data back in overlays of information on top of your other senses.

Once opened it’s a very powerful ability, powerful enough that it literally can drive people insane if not understood, accepted or developed correctly. Also due to lack of understanding more people than not mislabel, run away from the ability or take it to strange descriptions… which further muck the waters of what the Third Eye truly is.
The Third Eye as a sense can be used in many different ways. It opens up our senses to patterns around us. It’s used by seers to make connections and answer questions. It’s used by energy workers to feel the energy and then manipulate that energy. It’s part of empathy where a person can touch and feel the emotions of others. Many other applications exist for how people have used the Third Eye.

Let’s look at one use. It’s possible to use the Third Eye to learn how to sense and visually interpret energy around us. This helps people work with the process of Motion, Activity and Interchange more easily and completely. Energy instead of being an abstract concept then becomes a tangible property of life to work with once you learn how to sense it and interact with it.

The Third Eye can develop the ability to process information and then overlay that information over our other senses in such a way we can then interpret and interact with energy in a more precise manner. In this way, we can “see” energy.

The brain has the ability to process visual information, and it has the ability to use all that circuitry to pump back information in the form of visual response: which doesn’t have to be from the eyes.

Your whole neural network, your mind and sense organs form a larger more sensitive “antenna” to pick up on energy and patterns. The mind then has the problem of how to send that information back to you. It has to use what it already has access to: the 5 normal senses.

 For example: at times in energy work, it can send back the images for you as an “aura” to then interpret. In reality what you are seeing is slightly different than that: but it’s the best method the “third eye” has to relay the information back to you. This becomes the “aura” as the translated result.

The Third Eye is not some magical power, it’s a part of our human nature which anyone with time, patience, training and acceptance of their nature can use. All too often people rush ahead and their own inner unbalance disrupts and skews the third eye ability with bad habits and false perceptions.

9 comments:

  1. Thank you very much for the info,

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  2. In my personal opinion "third eye" has been bestowed by God to his servants the righteous and chosen as the prophets and saints.

    For example in the Qur'an have been told about the Prophet Moses & Khidir, khidir a righteous or prophets who can see things coming and happening.

    This award is given the name "Ladunni" or "miracles" for the chosen servant of God, but we can educate ourselves to find "sanctuary" at the heart of the practice "Theosophy" for the consecration to God.

    Greetings

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  3. A very informative article on the Spiritual Eye. Would like to know the chemical composition of tear 'aasoo' I am trying to find the answer as to is there any chemical changes when tears are shed on joyous and emotionally uplifting occasions, and tears shed on reliving a tragedy and coming out of empathy and feeling sad. If you have a scientific answer, will be much obliged.

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  4. Awesome post!!! Really enjoyed this post. But I want more information on such valuable topic. Hajj Packages

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  5. Thank you so much for this information.

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  6. I am of Christian religion but wanted to see Islamic dimension of the 3rd Eye. Mine has opened a number of times and it seems that it chooses no race or religion but is a part of human nature

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  7. hope this will give more insight on the third eye in islam..according to Quran.

    Surah 41:53
    Transliteration: Sanureehim ayatina fee alafaqi wafee anfusihim hatta yatabayyana lahum annahu alhaqqu awalam yakfi birabbika annahu AAala kulli shayin shaheedun

    Abdullah Yusuf Ali: Soon will We show them our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?

    Mufti Taqi Usmani: We will show them Our signs in the universe and within their own beings until it will become manifest to them that it is the truth. Is it not enough about your Lord that He is witness to everything?

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  8. Quran 51: 20-21
    وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَ {20}
    [51:20] And in the earth there are signs for those who are sure,
    وَفِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ {21}
    [51:21] And in your own souls (too); will you not then see?

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