When karmic baggage accumulates in your subtle field of consciousness, energy and etheric matter, it’s not only the organs of your subtle field that will contract – all the large muscle groups of your physical-material body will contract, too – including the organs in your head.
It may sound strange to learn that the organs in your head can contract. But it’s possible – and it happens more often than most people think.
When the organs in your head contract, the result won’t be pretty. Your organs of perception and expression will be disrupted. So will your powers of induction and deduction. Contraction will disrupt your creativity as well as your ability to concentrate or experience empathy for yourself and other people. If contraction becomes a chronic condition, your ability to center yourself in your body space or the ever-present Now will also be disrupted, making it difficult for you to follow your dharma or develop a strong, authentic identity.
Since the organs in your head support the radiation of consciousness, energy and etheric material through your subtle field, it makes sense for you to release any karmic baggage that forces the organs in your head to contract.
The Organs in Your Head
Your brain, pituitary gland, pineal gland and tongue are the four most important organs in your head, and in some respects, the most important organs in your entire body. The brain by itself consumes more energy than any other organ, and it regulates the functions of your physical-material body much like Universal Consciousness governs the multiverse.
Lynne Blumberg has studied the effect of spiritual experiences on brain morphology. When she scanned the brains of nuns and Buddhists undergoing mystical experiences, she recognized that their brain activity had been affected. She recorded reduced activity in her subjects’ parietal lobes, the orientation area of the brain responsible for perceiving three-dimensional objects in space. She theorizes that the experience of oneness takes place because reduced activity blurs the perceived lines between the subject and external objects. Most metaphysical researchers would disagree; they would recognize that the experience of oneness is the cause and reduced activity in the parietal lobes is the effect.
At the base of the brain is the pituitary gland. It’s part of the endocrine system and exerts an influence over the other seven endocrine glands. Until the latter part of the twentieth century, both scientists and metaphysicians believed it was the center of spiritual perception. Although this theory was never conclusively proven, in 1976 researchers concluded that the pituitary gland is responsible for the release of endorphins.
Endorphins are natural pain killers that have been linked to the experience of pleasure, satisfaction and unconditional joy. Research by one group of medical researchers suggests that laughter triggers the release of endorphins. Other research suggests that music, extended vigorous exercise such as jogging and hiking as well as the practice of Zen or Yogic meditation can stimulate the production of endorphins.
Located just behind the pituitary gland is the pineal gland. Like the pituitary gland, the pineal gland is part of the endocrine system. It’s cone-shaped and about the size of a pea. Early research indicated that its function was related to physical growth and maturation. Some medical authorities also suggested that the gland affected sexual expression and intellectual development.
Researchers recently learned that Melatonin, a chemical found naturally in the brain and synthesized by the pineal gland, induces transcendental states of consciousness. Additional research indicated that Melatonin is related to Harmaline, a psychedelic drug weakly linked to LSD. Harmaline has long been used by the indigenous people of South America to induce altered states of consciousness and psi experiences.
Like the other organs of the head, the tongue has an energetic potential beyond it’s obvious uses in communication and taste. The tongue acts like a switch that connects the two currents of chi and jing (the essence of chi). The Yang (masculine) current moves up through the governor meridian, which originates at the base of the spine and completes its circuit above the upper palate.
Originating at the tongue and running down the front of the body to the base of the spine is the main Yin (feminine) channel, the conceptual meridian. When the tongue is touching the top of the mouth just behind your teeth, the channels will be connected, and there will be a continuous flow of yin and yang energy on the level of spirit, that will create a harmonious balance.
To overcome contraction in your head and stimulate the flow of life-affirming energy in your brain, pituitary gland, pineal gland and tongue, you will learn to perform the Now Meditation. It’s designed to relax the organs in your head so that they can perform their functions without disruption and you can experience the benefits of the ever-present Now.
Exercise: The Now Meditation
The Now Meditation takes about twenty minutes; I recommend that you practice it every day until you can remain centered in the ever-present Now without effort. You’ll find it easiest to perform by sitting with your back straight and your legs crossed or by sitting upright in a straight-back chair.
Once you are comfortably seated, close your eyes and breathe deeply through your nose. Then slowly count backward from five to one. As you count backward, mentally repeat and visualize each number three times. Take your time and let your mind be as creative as it likes. After you reach the number one, repeat this affirmation to yourself: “I’m now deeply relaxed, feeling better than I did before.”
Continue by counting backward from ten to one. When you reach the number one, assert: “Every time I come to this level of mind, I’m able to use more of my mind in more creative ways.”
In the next part of the meditation, you will relax the major muscle groups of your physical-material body by contracting and releasing them. This will release residual stress stored in your musculature.
Begin by bringing your mental attention to your feet. Then inhale and contract the muscles of your feet as much as possible. Hold your breath for five seconds. Then exhale and allow the muscles of your feet to relax. Inhale deeply again and repeat the process with your ankles and calves. Continue in the same way with your thighs, buttocks and pelvis, middle and upper abdomen, chest, shoulders, neck, arms and hands. After you’ve tightened and relaxed all those body parts, squeeze the muscles of your face, and hold for five seconds. After five seconds, release and say “ahh” as you exhale. Next, open your mouth, stick out your tongue, and stretch the muscles of your face as much as possible. Hold for five seconds. Then release the muscles and say “ahh” as you exhale.
Finally, contract your entire body and squeeze the muscles of your face while you hold your breath for five seconds. Expel the breath through your nose. Then assert, “It’s my intent to turn my organs of perception inward.” Next, bring the tip of your tongue to the point where your upper teeth meet the gum. This will enhance the flow of chi, jing and prana through the meridians and energy vortexes in your head. Enjoy the shift for two to three minutes. Then assert, “It’s my intent that the enhanced flow of chi, jing and prana fill the organs in my head on both the physical-material and subtle levels.” Immediately, your orientation will shift, and you will feel a glowing sensation emanating from both the physical-material and subtle organs in your head. From your new vantage point, you will also become aware that you’re centered in the ever-present Now.
Take fifteen minutes to enjoy this experience. Then count from one to five. When you reach the number five, open your eyes.
The more often you practice the exercise, the greater the benefits will be, and the easier it will be to remain present in the ever-present Now.