This is book by a Neurologist who studies strange diseases
in Neurology and then does experiments on them and gives his opinions on the
results of the experiments on the strange diseases.
My focus here is solely to see if my “Rational” part of the
brain will get some help from this book to continue my Yoga Sadhana ie in form
of removal of doubts and to supply “intelligent” ladder steps for me to
progress in the direction that I have already decided to move -----in effect I
am taking only those parts of the book that support my sadhana in the direction
I want.
SO DO NOT EXPECT “OBJECTIVITY / TRUTH” IN THIS SUMMARY ……IT
IS JUST MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUMMARY OF THIS BOOK IN THE FRAMEWORK OF MY
PROGRESS IN YOGA SADHANA.
I also have used quote marks for Rational, Intelligent,
Objecitivty/Truth in the above disclaimer consciously to reflect my current
thinking that to progress in experiments of the inner world and to make peace
with myself and the world around me (THE ONLY REASON WHY I DO YOGA SADHANA AS
OF NOW), “BELIEF” PLAYS THE MOST VITAL PART IN PROGRESS. THIS IS ABSOLUTE ANTI-THESIS
TO THE “SCIENTIFIC” TRAINING / THINKING TILL NOW IN MY LIFE. But thanks to the
millions of Ayyappa devotees travelling by foot to Sabarimala & Siva Deeksha
devotees I saw travelling by foot to Srisailam & their forebearance of pain
in this endeaveur contrasted with my own fall from practice/sadhana due to the
physical rigours, I HAVE “REALISED” THAT BELIEF IS BIGGER PLAYER IN SADHANA
THAN ANY “RATIONALITY” THAT THE MIND SEEKS.
All the quotes in the above paras can also be explained by
the “TRUTH” but if the following summary of the Phantoms in the Brain as per my
current understanding on first reading / hearing it.
Finally the following interpretations are only for Yoga
sadhana or Yoga practice framework only. I am not endorsing blind belief, I am
not denouncing scientific thinking at the level of daily life with no
spiritual/yoga components. These statements are NOT to be used for continuing
to propagate the ills/stupidities in our public, private, organised religious,
political lives. THESE ARE AIMED AT ONLY THOSE WHOSE PRIMARY MODE OF LIFE IS
YOGA SADHANA OR PRACTICE OF YOGA.
a.
Self – There are so many selves and they are
unaware of each other and don’t have memory of them. Also there are many part
of our selves which are unconcscious to us -actually this unknown part of
ourselves is more than the conscious known part of ourselves.
So in Sadhana framework, concentrating on
changing something called self is so , dare I say, STUPID, if the goal is to be
ultimately free of suffering. If the conscious self is only the tip of iceberg
then how dare we think we can change this whole iceberg? The only answer is
then to assume something other than this self should be the foundation of our
efforts which are so painful , during yoga sadhana, that would be unchangeable
or untouchable because of anything. If we don’t take this as the foundation of
our efforts, then how can we have hope that our efforts and pain and suffering
in sadhana will yield something better? I can not or do not want to suffer all
these rigours of sadhana only for attainement of something which is touchable
by anything ie which is not permanent,
pure, joyful.
b.
Body Image
The body image of ourselves is also so
temporary not just body being temporary which we all agree clearly is temporary
due to death of body. The body image can be easily tricked by experiments in
some of the experiments described in this book. For ex a person who has had his/her
upper limb cut off mistakes a table to be part of his/ her body part , not just
visually but also emotional reactions to it, all proved “scientifically”
So in Sadhana framework, it is waste to
even think of our body image or shall I dare say, even the body image of
others/even ishta devata/deva since it would be very opposite of nitya(Permanent),
sauchya(Pure) sukha(Happiness or a state of aggreableness) for all times,
places, states etc.
c.
Qualia or ???? Quality of “Experience” -
when we experience anything for example A
red Colour of a Beautiful rose, then that experience is so subjective that it
can NOT be transferred as of now atleast scientifically. He says for example if
we transfer the electric stimulation of a Red colour of an object in the exact
pattern on nerve stimulation in a blind person who has never seen a Red object,
the “experience” of the object wrt Redness may never be same as that of the person who can
actually see it. So, he postulates that experience / Perception is not just the
pattern of neuronal stimulation but something subjectively overlaid by the
person on top of the pattern of neuronal stimulation.
So in sadhana framework, every person’s
experience is valid, hence experience is not a valid frame work to focus on if
we want to focus on something that is nitya(Permanent), sauchya(Pure) sukha(Happiness
or a state of aggreableness) for all times, places, states etc.
d.
Sensory Data – We DO NOT ANALYSE ALL THE DATA
THAT OUR SENSES SEND TO OUR BRAIN – actually we only analyse a minor part of it
--- we either fill in with same data as surrounding data or we guess the data,
as per our memories. For example (this is my example not given in the book) when
we read apparently we read only the first and last letters in familiar words and
still raed the lettres corrcelty as in smoe
wodrs in tihs setnence.
So, if we are not even analysing the
sensory data fully, are making decisions based on guesswork, then how can we
claim morality based on “intellect, rational thinking, intelligence” ie based
on BUDHDHI part of our mind in yoga sadhana over “Blind Belief”?
Should we base our sadhana on budhdhi at
all?
e.
Meaning /
Perception (of Sensory data)
What we perceive of the sensory data we
analyse, the authors “proves” is entirely an illusion constructed in the brain.
In Sadhana terms, there is no need for
further explanation. If all our perceptions are entirely made up (illusion) of a
part of our body ie Brain and since we are all having different bodies (so we
all have different illusions) then what sadhana will we do based on Perceptions???
f.
Truth – If we base truths on perceptions, since
perceptions are illusory then truths must be illusory, then how can we base
sadhana on what we know to be illusions? That is there is no need to have PRIDE
on MY TRUTH IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER TRUTHS kind of sadhana / practice
In effect, this book reaffirms so many of
the commonly thrown around or quoted yoga sadhana “truths” “scientifically /
rationally”.
O RATIONAL MIND, TAKE IT IF YOU WANT, AS
THE BASIS OF YOUR SADHANA /PRACTICE OF YOGA BUT DO REMEMBER FINALLY YOU HAVE TO
BURN YOURSELF SO THAT THE SADHANA CAN PROGRESS TO WHATEVER MIGHT BE AT THE END
OF THE JOURNEY/SADHANA/RAINBOW.
The correlation of this book and the
sutras/aphorisms of Patanjali Yoga will be hopefully done after subsequent
readings and MOST IMPORTANLY FOLLOWING FURTHER PROGRESS IN PRACTICE.
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