by
Dr. Don Glassey
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"The Soul Swims in the CSF"
by Dr. Don Glassey |
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The above quote is attributed to Dr. Randolph Stone, founder of Polarity Therapy, who studied for many years with one of India's spiritual Masters. His brilliant mind and keen intellect enabled him to intuit the above hypothesis. In fact, the brain and spinal cord, which contain the largest volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the body, do literally "swim", or float, in CSF. Both are completely immersed in this liquid environment. Indian Masters assert that the brain and spine (spinal cord) are the altars of God in man. They also state that we worship God in the temple of the spine.
These assertions lend further credibility, from a metaphysical perspective, that the soul of man may physically express in and around the brain and spinal cord. The soul has been described as an individualized ray of God's consciousness, which temporarily identifies with the mind/body. The soul can also be depicted as a personified portion of God resident in each human being. Although Dr. Stone passed on before the discovery of neuropeptides in the mid-nineteen eighties, he may have connected these informational substances with his statement that "the Soul swims in the CSF" had he been alive when neuropeptides were discovered.
Neuropeptides are informational substances that coordinate almost all physiological and emotional processes on a cellular level. They are literally responsible for the mind-body connection, for they serve as a point of transformation between the mind and body. The generally accepted definition of healing is to bring about a closer connection among mind, body and Spirit. Therefore, it is suggested that neuropeptides circulating in the CSF may be the physical substances that coordinate the mind, body and Spirit connection and facilitate healing on all levels.
Itzhak Bentov postulated that the body contains oscillators, which create a magnetic field that is connected with "EVERYTHING", when all the oscillators are engaged. His theory includes the following partial list of oscillators; aorta, heart sounds, circulatory sensory stimulus and standing waves in the lateral ventricles of the brain. The latter area is where CSF and some neuropeptides are produced and contains the largest reservoir of CSF in the body. Thus, it is proposed that when the CSF and neuropeptides are flowing optimally, it effects our consciousness in such a way that we can become united with the universal consciousness in "everything". It is also suggested that this postulate may be given further credibility by the movement of a drum-like, tympanic membrane, in the roof of the lateral ventricles (corpus callosum) of the brain. We maintain that this drum-like membrane may pick up cosmic vibrations, which set the CSF vibrating a in frequency connected to universal consciousness.
One great Indian Master defined God as, "ever-present, ever-lasting, ever-new joy", and stated that God is in the "eternal" present. Depak Chopra, well known author and lecturer on spirituality, professes that when we are in the present moment, we are in the presence of God and God is present in us. These descriptions and statements about God directly lend support to what occurs, both experientially and physiologically, when the CSF and neuropeptides are flowing optimally.
Being in the "now moment", or, more "present", could be linked to the medullary centers in the brain, which control our sense of alertness. The CSF passes through the medullary center, and therefore may be related to the feeling of alertness, or being in the "here and now"-"the present". This also may be connected to neuropeptides circulating in the CSF through the medulla and pons areas of the brain.
The bliss or joy that is experienced when CSF flows optimally may be related to an increased, or more completely natural, amount of serotonin circulating in the CSF. Serotonin is a large neuropeptide that is secreted into the CSF from the supraepindymal cells lining the ventricles of the brain, where CSF is produced and present in large volume. Serotonin levels are related to our sense of well being and mood. Therefore, as the CSF flows in an optimal fashion it may stimulate the supraepindymal cells to secrete serotonin. This could account for the heightened sense of well-being and elevated mood experienced when the CSF is flowing freely.
Another factor, which may play a role in our connection to "everything" on the planet and serotonin levels, could be the pineal gland. Metaphysically, the pineal gland is said to be responsible for our connection to the 'rhythm of life'. The pineal gland in birds and reptiles is located close to the top of the head, is directly sensitive to light, and functions as a third eye.
In humans, the pineal gland is indirectly sensitive to light. It functions as a circadian pacemaker, which also regulates the secretion of melatonin and serotonin. The pineal gland is bathed in CSF from the superior cistern, and as the circulation of CSF has been reported to increase at night, this flow could effect the pineal gland's involvement in the daily "rhythm of life" in human beings related to the neuropeptide mechanism.
Pioneer neurosurgeon, Wilder Penfield, M.D., found a way to map the functions of large areas of the human brain. In the 1920's at McGill University in Montreal, he conducted a startling series of experiments in which he reported the following observations. When he stimulated a region called the sylvian fissure, in the right temporal lobe of the brain in epileptic patients', they commonly reported leaving their bodies, seeing God, hearing beautiful music, seeing dead friends and relatives, and vividly recalling significant life experiences. The theory that CSF circulates in the glial cells system could explain the connection, as glial cells can be responsible for initiating and terminating seizures.
A great Indian Master claimed that the soul remembers every incarnation (past life), and that a God-conscious soul can commune with other souls previously deceased. The experimental experiences reported by Dr. Penfield could be related to the CSF and neuropeptides. The CSF cistern of the lateral fossa is between the temporal and parietal lobes of the brain and any increased stimulation of this area could be responsible for Penfield's observations.
It has been suggested that meditation is practicing the "presence of God". The Theta brain wave pattern, associated with meditation, is produced in the temporal area of the brain, which may be related to CSF and neuropeptide flow in that area as well. The CSF cistern (reservoir), of the lateral fossa, bridges the lateral brain fissures (indentations) between the temporal and parietal lobes of the brain. Therefore, a more natural flow of CSF and neuropeptides could bear upon the production of the Theta rhythm in the brain.
It is also suggested that the CSF may be responsible for the "Kundalini" phenomenon. Kundalini is a dormant, creative energy potential in nature and in the body. When it "awakens" in human beings, one effect is that soul qualities may emerge. The Kundalini energy flows up and down the cerebrospinal pathway in a manner very similar to the physiological movement of the CSF. The Kundalini phenomenon, therefore, may be related to an electromagnetic field generated by CSF flowing in rhythmic pulsation's from the base of the spine up into the cranium and down again. The movement of the CSF molecules could generate this electromagnetic field, that according to recent research could be related to CSF circulation.
It is possible that it is the movement of sodium and potassium molecules, electrolytes in the CSF that creates an electromagnetic energy field of various frequencies emanating from within the body. Since the CSF controls the electrolyte balance in the nervous system, it regulates the body's ability to conduct electricity, which is an electromagnetic phenomenon. And recent research indicates that CSF is thought to influence the electromagnetic environment of the neurons and other cells of the central nervous system. Thus, the Kundalini phenomenon could be related to a mechanism involving an electromagnetic field generated by the CSF. Perhaps then Dr. Randolph Stone's intuition before the discovery of neuropeptides was correct and that the "Soul" utilizes the mechanism of these informational substances circulating in the CSF to bring about a closer connection among the mind, body and Spirit.
References
Man: the Fish
By Lee Carroll
“You think we’re odd?” Dr Hochman asked the assembled SOT Club (Sacro-Occipital Technique) one Thursday evening. “The osteopaths thought the cerebro-spinal fluid was the receiver for Innate!”
“It is!” I yelled out without thinking, which is often a useful way to start.
“She agrees,” the inimitable Dr Hochman validated me, “And she’ll probably get famous proving that it is.”
Later, as we were all walking out of the classroom, another member turned to me and inquired, “How can you say that? How can CSF do that?”
Put on the spot, I looked upwards and imagined for a moment what it could be within the CSF to allow the fluid to receive frequencies from another dimension. I remembered reading that ham radio sets—used by the military—transmit with a special element, and that computers utilize this same special element, and so I revealed, “Crystals! It’s crystals.” And I went on my merry way, secure that I had today solved another mystery of physical reality.
Come to find out from my father, my great-grandfather had a workshop full of…. You guessed it: crystals. And according to my Dad, my progenitor played an integral part in developing crystal radio sets. He ground his own crystals and inked each with its frequency, then copper-wired them to a terminal board, copper wires dangling with fish-weights from the windows as antennae. With such crude systems, he reached South America, even Germany. A Marconi-guy, a genius inventor, Dad says.
Knowing all this, can you therefore imagine my delight when—merely days later—I came upon an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences entitled “Magnetite Biomineralization in the Human Brain”! “Hmm,” I thought, “Magnetite; iron; North Pole; birds migrate how? Whales migrate how? Verrry interesting.”
Lo and behold, it IS very interesting. Even more interesting are the keywords posted at the top of the article: ‘iron,’ and ‘extremely low frequency magnetic fields.’ Scientists at the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences out in the California Institute of Technology have used a modern device called a SQUID (super-conducting quantum interference device) to locate actual magnetite (Fe3O4) crystals within the brain, basal ganglia, cerebellum, midbrain, and spinal dura mater of 7 brains frozen upon the day of death!
As we have previously only known of the existence of the magnetite crystals within fish and bacteria, the current finding provokes a slew of hypotheses regarding man’s place within the magnetic fields of Earth. And, man’s ability to work with these fields in ways hitherto untapped.
Joseph Kirschvink explains, “Results from these studies indicate that human brain and meninges contain trace amounts of ferromagnetic material… [and] suggests that the observed moments were not produced by occasional contamination from the environment but were in situ ferromagnetic materials distributed in a tissue-characteristic fashion.” If you look up the article, the electron microscopy photos of the crystals are quite beautiful to view.
The authors of the research are quick to point out that we humans may want to consider all the playing we are doing with electromagnetic fields on the planet, now that we are confirming our own electromagnetic make-up with such studies. For example, “The presence of magnetite in human tissues has potential implications for at least two biomedical issues that have been discussed extensively in the literature; these include human exposure to the strong static fields used in MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] studies and the much weaker 50- and 60-Hz fields produced by the electric power system and appliances in industrialized countries.”
The authors go on to comment regarding the magnetic resonance equipment, “The magnetic torque from external alternating fields will induce mechanical oscillations in the particles, and the potential exists for such motions to have effects like opening transmembrane ion channels.” As chiropractic students, we know by now the importance of organized and controlled ion channel operations: especially for sodium, potassium, calcium, etc in the central neural system. Who knows what implications a breakdown in this control could have? However, it is not hard to imagine the havoc unleashed upon the axons, tooling along the neural super-highway with their messages for body function!
More importantly, what new abilities can we manifest now that we know we have a demonstrable connection to Innate Intelligence? What can we dream up now? Wasn’t it BJ who said: Broadcasting Radio Station G-O-D.
Reference:
Kirschvink JL, Kobayashi-Kirschvink A, Woodford B. Magnetite Biomineralization in the Human Brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1992;89:7683-7687.
This page and all its contents are © Copyright 2006
Dr. Don Glassey, M.S.W., D.C., L.M.T.