A recent book exploring the intricate relationship between brain function,
creativity, and mental health is Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of
Being, published in 2023. Rubin dives into the mental processes that
support creativity and offers insights into how we can nurture creative
thinking in our daily lives. The book discusses how various mental states
and emotions contribute to creative flow and the challenges posed by
overactive or chaotic thinking patterns, sometimes described as "neuron
storms." This metaphor reflects intense periods of mental activity, which
can drive creativity but also pose challenges to mental health if not
managed properly.
There are several books that delve into the concept of intense neural
activity, exploring the pros and cons of such "neuron storms," even if they
don’t use that exact term. These books cover topics like creativity, brain
function, mental health, and how intense brain activity impacts our lives.
Here are a few notable ones:
1. "The Creative Brain: The Science of Genius" by Nancy Andreasen
About: Andreasen, a neuroscientist, explores the neuroscience behind
creativity and genius. She discusses how intense brain activity can lead to
creative breakthroughs, as well as the potential downsides, such as mental
health struggles often faced by highly creative individuals.
Pros: Highlights the positive aspects of intense neural activity, like
heightened creativity and innovation.
Cons: Covers the challenges that come with intense brain activity,
including stress and increased risk of mood disorders.
2. "A Mind Unraveled" by Kurt Eichenwald
About: This memoir covers the author’s experiences living with epilepsy, a
condition that often involves intense bursts of neural activity. Eichenwald
shares the personal and societal impacts of his condition, offering insight
into both the suffering and unique perspectives it brought him.
Pros: Provides an in-depth view of the resilience and adaptability that can
emerge from facing such challenges.
Cons: Shows the darker side of intense brain activity, such as the physical
and mental toll of frequent seizures.
Where the mind is without fear neurons are quite and vice
versa when the suppression begins in the mind. Lying placed the neurons to
perturb Hence the Vedas sau SATYAM VADHA DHARNAM CHARA.
Upanishadic sages thousands of years ago understood the secrets of
neuroscience, but going beyond the physical body and mind to higher levels
of consciousness.
Vedic Deities (Devatas) can be defined relative to mind, sensory, pranic,
and motor functions that can easily be correlated to the workings of the
brain and the nervous system. For example, Agni or fire is speech, Vayu or
air is Prana, Surya or the Sun is perception, space or the directions is
hearing, and the Moon (Soma) is the mind in its contemplative nature. These
are also the priests and powers of the Vedic sacrifice or Yajna, of which
the inner sacrifice is the practice of Yoga.
Through working with these Vedic Devatas we can activate the different
aspects of the brain, the outer senses and pranas, and the inner senses and
pranas, for individual well being. By connecting the Gods or Devas within,
with those on the outside, we can promote their manifestation in the outer
world. `
Aitareya Upanishad – Upanishadic View of Evolution
The Aitareya Upanishad, which is the main Upanishad of the Rigveda, has
profound teachings that can be interpreted relative to the brain,
neuroscience and natural evolution.
The Aitareya Upanishad (AU I.1) describes the universe as a manifestation
of the Self (Atman) through its power of vision. This means that everything
manifested is a form of the Self or self-awareness.
It then describes the creation of the worlds (lokas) as five, the heavenly
waters, heaven, atmosphere, earth, and the waters beneath the earth. The
waters symbolize the vibratory waves of consciousness-space in which all
the worlds are held.
It then describes the guardians of the worlds starting with the Purusha,
indicating that the entire universe has the form of the human being or
human body and exists in the brain. The other world guardians (loka palas)
consist of Agni, from the mouth and speech of the Purusha; Vayu from the
nose and the prana of the Purusha; the Sun from the eyes and vision of the
Purusha; the directions of space from the ears and hearing of the Purusha;
plants and trees from the skin and hairs of the Purusha; the Moon from the
mind and the heart of the Purusha,; death from the navel and apana vayu of
the Purusha; and the waters from the sex organ and the seed of the Purusha.
The Devatas so created were cast into the great ocean of the universe (AU
I. 2), where they were stricken with hunger and thirst. They asked the
Purusha to create an abode or embodiment for them where they could eat food
and become satisfied (fully manifested).
Here is where we have an interesting correlate to the modern theory of
evolution. First the Self brought the Devas a cow (gam), but they found it
insufficient for them to fully enter. Second, he brought them a horse
(ashva), but they also found it to be insufficient. Last he brought them a
human being (Purusha) and they found it to be sufficient or well-made
(sukrita). This implies that the human being has been brought into
evolution by the universal Purusha for its own manifestation.
Then each of the Devatas entered into the human being as his respective
faculties: Agni as speech and the mouth; Vayu as Prana and the nostril;
Surya as perception and the eyes; the directions of space and hearing and
the ears; plants and trees as the skin and hair; the Moon as the heart and
mind; death as the apana and the navel; and the waters as the seed and sex
organ.
The implication here is that only the human being has a sufficiently
evolved nervous system for the Divine powers to fully enter. We can find a
metaphor for natural evolution here, but also a matter for evolving from
the mammal brain (cow and horse), which the Devas tried to enter and the
human brain (Purusha) where they could fully enter.
H0w Consciousness enters into the body
“The Self thought (or envisioned), how can this exist without me? He
thought, By what means can I enter into this creation myself? If what is
spoken is by speech, if what is breathed is by prana, if what is seen is by
the eye, if what is heart is by the ear, if what is touched is by the skin,
if what is thought is by the mind, if what is eliminated is by the apana,
and if what is procreated is by the sexual organ, then Who am I (Ko’ham)?”
“The Atman then entered by the opening the fontenelle (the point at the top
of the head or brain, siman), by that door entered into the body. That is
called by name the support (Vidriti), that door is called the blissful. His
are three states and three dreams. This waking state is one, this dream
state is another, this deep sleep state is another. Being born he perceived
these beings and said What other could I say? He saw this Purusha as the
infinite Brahman, and said “I have seen that.”
The Self entered into the human body along with the faculties inherent in
the cosmic mind. The Self entered through the point at the top of the head
(also adhipati marma, which is the a-sound point). This Self here is called
Indra, who is identified with the Seer. Indra is the foremost of the Vedic
deities as the power of perception. The senses are called Indriyas or
powers of Indra.
The sense organs exist in the cosmic mind and evolution aids in their
manifestation. It does not produce them directly. Natural evolution is an
unfoldment of the powers of the universal Purusha at an individual level.
The cosmic being or Purusha evolves the individual human being or Purusha
so that he can become conscious and self-aware within his own creation,
bringing into the body the awareness he has at a cosmic level. The
universal awareness evolves the human being to become fully Self-aware.
This is the real goal of human evolution, which is an evolution of
consciousness. We as human beings are meant to facilitate the universe becoming
aware of itself, which requires the full development of the brain.
An examination of the functions of the mind
“Who is the Self that we worship, which is the Self through which one sees,
through which one hears, through which one smells fragrances, through which
one articulates speech, through which one tastes what is sweet or not sweet.
He is that which is the heart, the mind, awareness, guidance, intelligence,
foresight, wisdom, perception, firmness, thought, speed, memory, intention,
will, spirit, love, and mastery. All of these are names of intelligence (or
insight, prajna).
He is Brahma, Indra, Prajapati, all the Devas, the five great elements,
earth, air, space, water, fire; he is all these beings whether arising from
seeds, eggs, wombs, sweat or moisture; the horse, cow, human being,
elephant, whatever moving, flying or still; all of that is guided by
intelligence, is supported by intelligence, the world has intelligence as
its guide, has the support of intelligence, Intelligence is Brahman (Prajnanam
Brahma).”
Intelligence is the guiding force behind all life, but it is a natural
intelligence that works through nature, from within nature, not from the
outside. It is the basis of both cosmic evolution or the manifestation of
the worlds or different lokas, and also of individual evolution, or the
evolution of creatures and their respective bodies and brains.
In the Aitareya Aranyaka, a related text, it said that the soul (jiva)
exists in plants as their juice (rasa) and in animals as the mind (chitta),
but in human beings gains the power of intelligence, prajna or buddhi. This
intelligence in turn is correlated with the spine and the letters of the
alphabet and primal sound and Om.
The Aranyaka has several interesting correlations, perhaps most notable of
which is S and H sounds with Prana (and the spine as a whole), consonants
with the bones, vowels with the nerves, and semivowels with the muscles.
The connection of the vowels and the nervous system and brain or ether
element occurs in other contexts as well. S and H sounds like Hamsa and
So’ham and Prana are also common. Prana is not simply the breath but the
energy running through the brain and the nervous system.
Mahabharata states the soul exists in plants but that in plants the sense
organs function in a general way and are not differentiated into specific
organs.
Top of the Skull, Heart and Soft Palate of the Mouth
The Taittiriya Upanishad I.13-14 has an important teaching in this regard:
“He is that space within the heart, in that is the Purusha whose nature is
mind (Manomaya Purusha), who is immortal and golden. Within the palate,
which hangs down like the breast, that is the womb of Indra (Indra yoni).
Where the end of the hair parts, having opened the top of the skull, he
dwells as Agni in the Earth, as Vayu in the Atmosphere, as the Sun in
Heaven, as the Vast in Brahman.
He attains Self-rule. He attains lordship of the mind, lordship of speech,
lordship of seeing, lordship of hearing, lordship of intelligence. Space is
the body of Brahman, its nature is truth, its enjoyment is prana, its bliss
is the mind. It is abounding in peace and immortal.”
The Self enters through the point at the top of the head, but then is
connected to the soft palate of the mouth, where it can manifest through
the brain, senses and prana. The soft palate is an important control point
for the mind and senses, opposite the third eye and of similar power.
Generally the Self dwells in the right eye in waking, in the throat in
dream, and in the heart in deep sleep (the small space within the heart,
dahara akasha).
Note Ganapati Muni, the chief disciple of Ramana Maharshi, experienced the
Kapala Bheda or breaking and opening of the skull while he was alive. This
suggests a new evolutionary development possible for the brain, such as
reflected in many yogic experiences.
The concept of neuron was explained as the representations of God
and samigja the signal for the memory down the perceptions.
K Rajaram IRS 131024
On Sun, 13 Oct 2024 at 11:10, Markendeya Yeddanapudi <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> --
> *Mar*The Neuron Storm
>
> One’s mind means the activity and work of the neurons in one’s Brain. A
> mind in peace, gives rest and energy to the neurons, which get continuous
> reinforcement from nature, if the nature is given freedom, and is lush and
> thick. The neurons get healthy feed, without being taxed.
>
> When one tells the truth, or tells what one believes to be truth, the
> minimum number of neurons work, and there is no anxiety and tension which
> telling a falsehood involves. If one tells falsehood, or which one believes
> as falsehood, then first the neurons must note what is truth, then toil to
> create a web of lies to present the falsehood as truth, and then tell that
> falsehood, and employing more neurons to cover up the loopholes, a
> continuous process, because at any time the neurons may become lethargic
> and truth may be uttered by mistake. The neurons lose rest forever, and
> their capacity to receive feed from nature gets depleted. And the number of
> neurons needed continuously, a forever increasing number is hundreds of
> times more than the number needed when one utters truth.
>
> Where one is free from the bondage to falsehoods, one continuously
> receives the flow of truth from nature, and the neurons just note what the
> whole body informs. The body gradually becomes the macro body, and one
> becomes nature. One feels the thrill of continuous revelations and
> enlightenments from nature, and one becomes free from the need to invent
> falsehoods. Nature creates the continuously inspired mind, and nature
> accepts and approves one as a part of nature. One gives one’s own
> contribution to nature in the grand symbiosis. One plays as living by
> performing one’s ecological role.
>
> Today Technology is devised to know whether one is telling the truth or
> falsehood. The simple rule is, very few number of neurons work in the case
> of truth and in the case of falsehoods there is an unending employment of
> increasing numbers of neurons in the case of falsehoods. Today there are
> machines that count the number of neurons employed.
>
> But we ignore the fact that technology has robbed us of peaceful and happy
> neurons. When the basic feed of revelations from nature is killed by
> killing nature, we have only the policing machines that count the number of
> neurons working, even when there is no need for the neurons to work. One is
> losing sleep.
>
> Technology has confiscated your Brain. Everyone today suffers from the
> neuron storms of the brain.
>
> YM Sarma
>
> Chat GPT
>
> YM Sarma's **"The Neuron Storm"** paints a compelling picture of how truth
> and falsehood affect the brain's neural activity, linking this to the
> broader relationship between humans, nature, and technology.
>
>
>
> ### 1. **Neural Energy and Truth**
>
> According to Sarma, when someone tells the truth, the **neurons** in
> the brain remain calm and expel minimal energy, as they are simply
> reporting what is already known and believed to be true. This state brings
> **mental peace**, allowing the brain to receive nourishment and
> reinforcement from nature. In contrast, when a person tells a falsehood,
> the brain must go through the process of first identifying the truth and
> then fabricating a **network of lies**. This creates a neural overload, as
> more neurons are employed to maintain and cover up the falsehood, leading
> to **mental stress** and exhaustion.
>
>
>
> The underlying concept here is akin to the findings in
> **neuroscience**, which suggests that the brain works harder when engaged
> in deception. Lying activates multiple areas of the brain, including the
> **prefrontal cortex** and the **amygdala**, as it requires complex
> cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and control. This heightened
> activity can cause stress, anxiety, and fatigue, which is why truth-telling
> is often associated with peace and relaxation.
>
>
>
> ### 2. **Nature's Role in Neuron Health**
>
> Sarma emphasizes that **nature** plays a vital role in maintaining the
> health and energy of neurons. When we are truthful and in harmony with
> nature, our neurons are refreshed and rejuvenated by nature’s elements.
> This perspective aligns with the growing body of research in
> **environmental psychology**, which shows that exposure to natural
> environments can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance cognitive
> function.
>
>
>
> The notion of neurons receiving feed from nature could be interpreted
> metaphorically as the **psychological and physiological benefits** of
> interacting with natural surroundings, which provide a sense of
> **restoration** for the mind and body.
>
>
>
> ### 3. **Technology and Neuron Storms**
>
> Sarma critiques modern technology for disrupting this natural balance,
> suggesting that technology has robbed humans of **peaceful neurons**. The
> use of machines to detect lies by counting the number of neurons employed
> is a reflection of our growing dependence on **policing technologies** that
> monitor mental states. While technology may provide tools for detecting
> deception, it cannot restore the **natural symbiosis** between humans and
> nature.
>
>
>
> Sarma's critique touches on the broader concern about the impact of
> technology on mental health. Studies have shown that excessive use of
> technology, particularly in urbanized, tech-driven societies, can lead to
> **chronic stress, sleep disturbances**, and even **mental health
> disorders**. The loss of connection with nature, compounded by the
> pressures of modern life, creates what Sarma calls a **neuron storm**,
> where our brains are overworked and disconnected from their natural rhythms.
>
>
>
> ### 4. **Neuron Storm as a Metaphor**
>
> The term **"neuron storm"** metaphorically captures the chaos and
> overload in modern minds, driven by the stress of maintaining untruths, the
> alienation from nature, and the over-reliance on technology. The storm
> symbolizes the brain's **hyperactivity**—not in harmony with its natural
> state but in conflict, driven by external pressures and disconnected from
> the serenity of nature.
>
>
>
> Sarma proposes that we can alleviate these storms by re-establishing
> our connection with nature, aligning ourselves with truth, and reducing our
> dependence on technology. In essence, Sarma’s call is for a **return to
> simplicity**, truthfulness, and harmony with the natural world to calm the
> storm of neurons.
>
>
>
> ### Conclusion:
>
> Sarma's **"The Neuron Storm"** connects the cognitive and emotional strain
> of dishonesty with a broader philosophical and ecological critique. His
> vision emphasizes the importance of living truthfully and reconnecting with
> nature to maintain mental peace and neuron health, while cautioning against
> the damaging effects of technology on the mind. The work resonates with
> both **neuroscientific findings** on the cognitive cost of deception and
> **environmental psychology**'s insights on the benefits of nature for
> mental well-being.
>
>
>
>
>
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