The Role of Mankind

[austintorn@aol.com]

(The free trip is not like one inch or just going down the street; it is to far away places and lasts for many months. All transportation paid for free.)

[austintorn@aol.com]

A biochemist, SB_UK, was a part of the mission also.

(Your family is included on the free trip (the prize for responding), plus pets.)

[austintorn@aol.com]

Well, no one was even close so far.

We do know, though, that by now, Rascal is much afraid of flying.

[leskey]

Hi, All.

Originally Posted by analog
The purpose of this thread is to explore our function in this world, whereby perhaps we can better understand our needed form.

I am of the opinion that all things here have a purpose and that form follows function. I am a realist and I believe the biggest mysteries to life are hidden in the one place we neglect/refuse to look; right in front of our blind eyes.


...or behind those "blind" eyes, in the pineal gland...

Thought I'd post this little nugget to see if it stimulates any discussion.

Descartes' criterion for determining whether a function belongs to the body or soul was as follows: “anything we experience as being in us, and which we see can also exist in wholly inanimate bodies, must be attributed only to our body. On the other hand, anything in us which we cannot conceive in any way as capable of belonging to a body must be attributed to our soul. Thus, because we have no conception of the body as thinking in any way at all, we have reason to believe that every kind of thought present in us belongs to the soul. And since we do not doubt that there are inanimate bodies which can move in as many different ways as our bodies, if not more, and which have as much heat or more […], we must believe that all the heat and all the movements present in us, in so far as they do not depend on thought, belong solely to the body”

[austintorn@aol.com]

If that which thinks thoughts, the soul, can tell the material body to act, there must be some common language between, so the soul must speak this language, whatever that means.

Leskey, you won a free trip.

[austintorn@aol.com]

Mikal’s Eastern field agents had intercepted the Taliban commander, based on r.p.bibra’s intel, while he was on approach to the Islamabad nuclear site, substituting Rascal, who had already been pretty much made up to look like him even by the time he had arrived in Mikal’s office.

It was not that difficult to impersonate the commander, for a beard covered most of the face, and a robe covered most of the body. SB_UK applied a few finishing details as the jet flew to the site, carrying Rascal, his pilot, Graybeard, SB_UK, the captured Taliban commander, and another Taliban.

While underway, Rascal perfected the commander’s voice imitation and learned his gestures there and also from r.p.’s video. The language was a problem, but Rascal had learned the word “yes” since any prompts to the commander at the site would most likely be formalities of that nature. Rascal would mostly gesture anyway and try to look very serious.

Additionally, Rascal knew that great leeway would be given to the commander, as his personage was considered holy. A search would have been out of the question, plus the entire situation at the site was that of complete disarray, they having all just taken it over the day before.

Well, of course, Rascal was let into the site and taken down to the control room, where he waved all away but for the main control person, whom he soon disabled. It was then a simple matter to inactivate the controls by some tampering and plant a bomb that he had carried in under his robe.

Leaving the site, Rascal boarded the jet, one designed with Taliban markings, noting the two Taliban, one the commander, both knocked out and propped up in their seats. Rascal activated the takeoff autopilot and exited out the other side of the plane into a service vehicle manned by Graybeard.

They drove off, picking up SB_UK who was both a lookout and a backup, for he had mixed and poured
universal acid into the ventilation system, a method that would disable the site, as well, but just for a while and at a much slower rate.

The jet took off on its own and crashed into a mountain, as designed, after which the bodies of the Taliban Commander and ‘pilot’ were recovered. A ‘state’ funeral was planned, at which time Mustarraf’s forces would likely attack, for r.p. was still tailing and telling on them.

The nuclear site then imploded, our good ninja friends making their way far away during the confusion.

(Well, no one got this exact right answer, since no one cared about the contest, although Leskey reported a gland a having something to do with it, but I’m still granting the prize of a complete one year trip around the sun to every ToeQuest member.)

[Mikal]

SHAMANIC STATES


The pineal gland is a cone-shaped pea that sits on the roof of the 3rd ventricle of the brain, directly behind the root of the nose (3rd eye chakra) floating in a small lake of cerebrospinal fluid. It is our body's biological clock and has been called a window of the brain because, as with all mid-line structures bordering the 3rd and 4th ventricles of the brain, it doesn't have a blood-brain barrier. Instead it relies on a constant supply of blood via, considering its miniscule size, a particularly rich vascular network. It was considered for many years to be as redundant as our appendix but this theory is brought sharply into question because, in our body's infinite wisdom, the pineal gland has been supplied with the best blood, oxygen and nutrient mix available other than that received by our kidneys! It acts as a receiving mechanism capable of monitoring electro-magnetic fields and helping align bodies in space. With its central hormone, MELATONIN, the pineal not only regulates sleep/ wake cycles and the aging process, but also appears to act as the Mistress Gland (sofia)* orchestrating the body's entire endocrine system and thus, energetically speaking, the chakra system. I believe it is also responsible for shamanic states, visions, kundalini e.t.c.

The pineal gland is unique in that it sits alone in the brain whose other parts are paired. It is the first gland to be formed in the foetus and is distinguishable at 3 weeks. When our individual life force enters our foetal body at 7 weeks, the moment in which we become truly human, it passes through the pineal and triggers the first primordial flood of DMT ( N-dimethyltryptamine). Later, at birth, the pineal releases more DMT. DMT is also capable of mediating pivotal experiences of deep meditation, shamanic states of consciousness, psychoses, spiritual emergence and near death experiences.

The pineal gland begins to harden with calcified tissue starting at adolescence. These strange calcified deposits between 3-5 mm are called “brain sand”. There are asymmetrical crystals in the pineal gland that are ‘piezo-electric' - that is, they send out electronic voltage creating EM waves. Whenever a person is exposed to an EMF (electro-magnetic field) such as that of the earth the gland vibrates, sending out EM signals to the rest of the body. When the pineal gland is stimulated geomagnetically it produces alkaloids similar to plant psychedelics. Any strong change in the earth's EMF will produce a rush of psychedelics in our bodies enabling us to be more psychically active in shamanic states (earth/ land receptive). The pineal gland is effected by coherent EM fields and it changes its hormone production when exposed to EM at low levels. As the earth has the greatest effect of any force on our physiology it makes sense that the cells of our body and brain align with it. All life within the envelope of earth's vibrational influence attempts to match base-frequencies (entrainment) with that of the earth. To this end, each of our cells is constantly shifting patterns of energy to achieve harmonic resonance with the reference signals of our earth. Our bodies are truly amazing and they are intimately co-dependent with the earth and all its inhabitants. Our bodies are miraculous organs of phenomenal complexity and awesome ability. We are made up of multiple trillions of molecules, each vibrating with its own intelligence, all interlinked just as our universe is interlinked and interconnected. We reflect the whole. A picture may be beginning to emerge as to how we reach shamanic states through the wisdom of our body in tune with the earth.

When we experience a shamanic journey our pulse rate increases at the same time that our blood pressure drops. This is also what happens as the body is preparing to die. As the life-force leaves our body through the pineal gland, another flood of DMT is released. I believe that the initial stages of a shamanic journey replicate this near death experience and so triggers DMT release in the brain.

NOTE: Yagé or ayahuasca, a brew made from so called ‘death vine' which is used as a ‘plant teacher' by shaman to induce shamanic states, is virtually the chemical equivalent of DMT in humans.


I believe that shamanic work combined with breathwork brings large volumes of oxygen and life-force into the bloodstream and, because of its excellent blood-supply, the pineal gland receives much stimulation from the oxygen/ prana drenched blood causing it to resonate/ vibrate thereby stimulating the release of DMT, our body's own powerful psychedelic. Lore has it that the pineal gland is the gateway into the soul. An energy vortex; a meeting place between psyche and soma, soul and body.

Ancient people knew of the importance of the pineal gland. Magician, Delores Ashcroft-Nowicki says that to the priests of Heliopolis, the embalmers of ancient Egypt (who were the forerunners of today's pathologists), the Star Chamber of Isis (the Holy of Holies) and the Halls of Anubis and Thoth were not just fanciful terms given to mythical locations but were actually places within the living brain where the priests and priestesses travelled to be taught by the gods.

The following is a description of The Star Chamber of Isis given by a priest of Isis undergoing the Rite of the Meeting of Mind with Mind:

“ The corridor is long and narrow and gleams like the inside of a shell drawn from the depths of the sea. The curtains that guard the entrance are of the softest gossamer, so fine that they seem like mist on a lake at dawn. As I pass through them I come into the presence of the Gods. The walls are of silver and give off a faint silver light that illuminates this holy place. Beneath my feet is the sandy silt of the sacred Nile, and all about me I hear the heartbeat of Isis . Behold, I dwell in the Star Chamber of the Goddess.”

The above sounds remarkably like the physical description of the pineal gland, which lies deep within the head, an important link to our deepest selves.

Tantric techniques attempt to produce enlightenment through sexual ecstasy. Pineal DMT release can mediate sexual ecstasy resulting from the strenuous exertion, intense emotions and pneumocatharthis (intense dynamic breathing). It is known that psychedelic features do emerge during orgasm. The link between conscious waking state and deep Shamanic consciousness is BLISS/RAPTURE, feelings associated with intense sexual pleasure.

NOTE: The secret sex techniques of the Shamanka (female shaman) still in practice in certain rural areas of Brazil , Mexico and South America all, generally, involve breathing techniques.

* Early medieval documents and alchemical texts refer to the ‘fallen' or lost Sofia – the allegorical term for the lost wisdom and innocence of mankind. Sofia is also represented by the fairytale “The Sleeping Beauty” where a prince has to toil through a hazardous ancient haunted forest to reach the sleeping princess. She has been sleeping for 100 years in a tower and can only be awakened by a kiss (the breath).


ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT IN THE WOMB PROCESS, THE HEART FORMS BEFORE THE BRAIN AND THE PINEAL IS THE FIRST ORGAN TO FORM.
IN THE ANCIENT CIRCLE THE 5TH POLARITY IS (LEO) REPRESENTING THE HEART AND (AQUARIUS) REPRESENTING THE PINEAL GLAND. SO ELECTRO-MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN THE BODY AND WITH THE EARTH.
IN THE ALCHEMICAL MYSTERY ALL THE PROCESSES ARE OUTLINED, ALL THE PLANETS AND SIGNS SYMBOLIZE THE ENSUING PROCESS INTO MYSTERY....THE ONLY SIGN SYMBOL MISSING IS (AQUARIUS/THE PINEAL GLAND)

[leskey]

Hi, Mikal.

Still doing a little more research...but, I'm an Aquarius - LOL!

[austintorn@aol.com]

Good stuff, for the biochemical is amazing and does so much more than we take with us from chemistry class.

[leskey]

"LET THERE BE LIGHT"

Just thinking out loud here...

..,the pineal gland...acts as a receiving mechanism capable of monitoring electro-magnetic fields and helping align bodies in space. With its central hormone, MELATONIN, the pineal not only regulates sleep/ wake cycles and the aging process...

The pineal gland links the physical construct to time:

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...

Note that blood levels of melatonin are essentially undetectable during daytime, but rise sharply during the dark. Very similar patterns are seen in other species.The duration of melatonin secretion each day is directly proportional to the length of the night.

The mechanism behind this pattern of secretion during the dark cycle is that activity of the rate-limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis - serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) - is low during daylight and peaks during the dark phase. In some species, circadian changes in NAT activity are tightly correlated with transcription of the NAT messenger RNA, while in other species, post-transcriptional regulation of NAT activity is responsible. Activity of the other enzyme involved in synthesis of melatonin from serotonin - the methyltransferase - does not show regulation by pattern of light exposure.

The pineal gland's production of melatonin also links directly to our health and well-being.

Here is a link that some may wish to read fully: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin.

Points of particular interest are:

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone found in most animals, including humans, and some other living organisms, including algae.[1] Circulating levels vary in a daily cycle, and melatonin is important in the regulation of the circadian rhythms of several biological functions.[2] Many biological effects of melatonin are produced through activation of melatonin receptors,[3] while others are due to its role as a pervasive and powerful antioxidant[4] with a particular role in the protection of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.[5

Light dependence
Production of melatonin by the pineal gland is inhibited by light and permitted by darkness...

Antioxidant
Besides its primary function as synchronizer of the biological clock, melatonin may exert a powerful antioxidant activity. In many lower life forms, it serves only this purpose.[30] Melatonin is an antioxidant that easily can cross cell membranes and the blood-brain barrier.[4] Melatonin is a direct scavenger of OH, O2−, and NO.[31] Unlike other antioxidants, melatonin does not undergo redox cycling, the ability of a molecule to undergo reduction and oxidation repeatedly. Redox cycling may allow other antioxidants (such as vitamin C) to regain their antioxidant properties. Melatonin, on the other hand, once oxidized, cannot be reduced to its former state because it forms several stable end-products upon reacting with free radicals. Therefore, it has been referred to as a terminal (or suicidal) antioxidant.[32

Immune System
While it is clear that melatonin interacts with the immune system,[38][39] the details of those interactions are unclear... In preclinical studies, melatonin may enhance cytokine production,[40] and by doing this counteract acquired immunodeficiences. Some studies also suggest that melatonin might be useful fighting infectious disease[41] including viral and bacterial infections. Endogenous melatonin in human lymphocytes has been related to interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and to the expression of IL-2 receptor[42] This suggests that melatonin is involved in the clonal expansion of antigen-stimulated human T lymphocytes.

Melatonin is also the medium for non-physical experience:

Dreaming
Many supplemental melatonin users have reported an increase in vivid dreaming. Extremely high doses of melatonin (50mg) dramatically increased REM sleep time and dream activity in both narcoleptics and those without narcolepsy.[44]
Many psychoactive drugs, such as LSD and cocaine, increase melatonin synthesis.[44] It has been suggested that nonpolar (lipid-soluble) indolic hallucinogenic drugs emulate melatonin activity in the awakened state and that both act on the same areas of the brain.[44] It has been suggested that psychotropic drugs be readmitted in the field of scientific inquiry and therapy.[45] If so, melatonin may be prioritized for research in this reemerging field of psychiatry.[4

NOTE: Yagé or ayahuasca, a brew made from so called ‘death vine' which is used as a ‘plant teacher' by shaman to induce shamanic states, is virtually the chemical equivalent of DMT in humans.

So, whilst our physical bodies are capable of producing Melatonin, there are other sources.

How does the PROCESS of evolution explain the "need for" or the "existence of" the non-physical experience?