How to develop the potential of your brain. Closed thinking. The potential of your brain is huge. Supreme and individual will and intuition

In a dynamic era of fierce competition and abundant information, the success of an individual in all spheres of life directly depends on the size of intellectual capital. However, constant overload and chronic stress do not contribute to clarity of thinking and high performance of the brain.
Inability to concentrate, muscle weakness, indifference to ongoing events, loss of interest in exciting activities are clear symptoms of deteriorating brain function. Such signals can be ignored if these signs occur in the evening after a busy day or they appear during a viral illness.

However, if such symptoms begin to overcome after a good night's rest and constantly interfere with the usual activities, it is necessary to take measures to activate the brain.

The human brain is an amazing organ, the secrets of which are still not fully understood. Despite the fact that a certain proportion of genetic factors influence the work of the human "main computer", the functions of the brain must be improved daily: to develop memory, improve the ability to concentrate, polish logic and analysis.
In the case of an individual’s neglect of his body, the first signs of a decrease in brain performance will appear without waiting for old age. It has been confirmed by numerous studies that in people over 40 years of age, cognitive and mnestic functions gradually deteriorate.
Some mature ladies find it increasingly difficult to focus on one task. It becomes increasingly difficult for them to keep important details of the task in their heads. A clear statement of one's thoughts, carrying out the necessary analysis, drawing up a logical conclusion becomes a more time-consuming task.

Deterioration in the performance of the “host computer” is not the norm. It has been established that it is possible to maintain clarity of mind and an excellent memory until old age, if you do not let the process of biological decay take its course, lead a correct lifestyle and train your brain daily.

Causes of Decreased Brain Performance
Not always the reason for the decline in brain performance is the natural age-related changes in the body. There are a huge number of factors that affect brain activity, which are relevant both for people of working age and for children. Let us describe the main reasons for the decline in brain performance.

Factor 1. Chronic stress or one-time mental stress
Prolonged action of negative external factors or a one-time strong nervous shock, a feeling of irrational anxiety or a sudden fright causes the destruction of the cells of the nervous system and prevents the formation of new neural connections. The consequence of this is the deterioration of the quality of all cognitive processes: attention, memory, thinking, imagination, perception and sensations.

Factor 2. Lack of sleep
Sleep deprivation reduces a person's ability to concentrate, causes memory lapses, is the cause of unclear speech, and initiates a slowdown in all reactions. It can be argued that depriving a person of sleep is a terrible torture, insidious with serious consequences in somatic health and the mental sphere.

Factor 3. Depressive states
With depression, there is a significant decrease in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which causes not only a depressed state, but also “rewards” a person with cognitive impairments, and hinders high-quality intellectual activity. A drop in the level of another neurotransmitter, dopamine, initiates a significant attention deficit, a decrease in working memory, and depression of executive functions.

Factor 4. Dysfunction of the thyroid gland
Insufficient production of thyroid hormones leads to a delay in mental and physical development in children, causes a significant deterioration in intellectual abilities in adults. The entire brain suffers from a deficiency of such hormones, including the departments responsible for attention and memory.

Factor 5. Lack or excess of estrogen
Increased or insufficient production of the female hormone estrogen can cause enormous disruptions in the functioning of the brain. An inappropriate level of this hormone is the cause of a sharp deterioration in memory, a decrease in the ability to concentrate.

Factor 6. Alcohol abuse
Excessive alcohol consumption has far-reaching negative consequences for the state of the brain. Alcoholism is memory lapses, clouding of consciousness, organic changes in brain cells, brain compression and, as a result, Korsakov's psychosis and complete disintegration of personality.

Factor 7. Traumatic brain injury
The deplorable consequences of head injuries can appear both instantly and after a long period of time. Common complications of traumatic brain injury: slurred speech, marked decrease in intelligence.

Factor 8. Vascular pathologies
Chronic vascular disorders or acute violation of the blood supply to the brain have an extremely negative impact on the functioning of the "main computer". Problems with blood vessels are the reason for the deterioration of the integrative activity of the brain, prevents the consolidation of memory, and complicates learning processes.

How to Increase Brain Performance: Mind Training
To have a toned athletic figure, you need to train regularly, providing the muscles with a reasonable share of the load. This statement is also true for a high level of higher nervous activity, for excellent indicators of intellectual abilities, for the absence of problems with cognitive functions and memory: you should regularly train your brain.

Rule 1. Daily exercise for the mind

Rule 4
Vigorous physical exercises, walking at a brisk pace, swimming, cycling activate the work of all body systems. Thanks to a daily half-hour exercise, it is possible to improve the elasticity of blood vessels, increase blood circulation and lymph circulation, and naturally cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. Physical exercise stimulates the restoration of nervous tissue, contributes to the emergence of new neural connections, which, in the end, will have a positive effect on the working capacity of the brain.

Rule 5. We carry out a head massage
Daily massage of the head and collar zone increases blood circulation in the vessels of the brain and promotes venous outflow. The ideal option is to visit the salon of a professional massage therapist once a season, and the rest of the time to massage yourself. You can perform the procedure in the classical way - with your hands, and using a special device - a massager. Elementary combing of hair with a brush for 10 minutes can improve blood circulation.

Rule 6. Use color therapy, use essential oils
It has been established that each specific color has a certain effect on the functioning of the body. Some shades excite the nervous system and activate the brain, others soothe and pacify. A picture made in bright yellow colors can improve the performance of the brain - this color significantly improves the intellectual abilities of the individual. Saturated orange color will be an effective stimulant to reach new heights and self-affirmation.

To achieve progress in the performance of the brain, you can use aromatherapy. Natural essential oils with a citrus and wood scent have a tonic effect on the body, contributing to the development of cognitive functions.

Rule 7
To discover our hidden talents, we use a proven technique: we block one of the channels of perception for a short time. We can eat with our eyes closed, brush our teeth or comb with our left hand. We try, closing our eyes, to determine the object by touch and recognize the product by smell. We also develop the ability for ambidexterity - we train the functions of both hands, for example: we draw geometric shapes with both hands at the same time.

Save for yourself and your friends.

1.Solve riddles and puzzles.
2. Develop ambidexterity (ability to use 2 hands equally well)
3. Work with ambiguity, uncertainty. Learn to enjoy things like paradoxes and optical illusions.
4. Study mind maps (this is a way of depicting a process using diagrams).
5. Block one or more sensations. Eat blindfolded, take a shower with your eyes closed.
6. Develop comparative taste sensations. Learn to fully feel, savor food
7. Look for areas of intersection between unrelated things.
8. Learn to type blindly.

9. Think of new uses for common items. How many different ways can you think of, for example, for a nail? 10. Change your habitual ideas to the opposite.
11. Learn techniques for developing creativity.
12. Do not dwell on the obvious, mentally rush beyond the first, “correct” answer to the question.
13. Change the established order of things. 14. Ask yourself the question "What if? .."
15. RUN, PLAY!
16. Turn pictures, photos upside down.
17. Develop critical thinking. Refute common misconceptions.
18. Study logic. Solve logical problems.
19. Learn the scientific way of thinking.
20. Draw, draw automatically. You don't have to be an artist for this.
21. Think positively.
22. Take up some kind of art - sculpture, painting, music
23. Learn the art of performing tricks, develop manual dexterity.
24. Eat foods that are good for the brain.
25. Strive to constantly experience a slight feeling of hunger.
26. Get some exercise!
27. Sit up straight.
28. Drink 2-3 liters of water.
29. Breathe deeply.
30. Laugh!
31. Diversify activities. Choose a new hobby for yourself.
32. Take care of good sleep. Practice short naps.
33. Listen to music.
34. Declare war on your tendency to procrastinate.
35. Limit yourself in food.
36. Read materials on the structure of the brain.
37. Change clothes. Walk barefoot.
38. Improve your conversations with yourself.
39. Become simpler!
40. Play chess. It is especially interesting to play in real time over the Internet
41. Play brain games. Solve crossword puzzles...
42. Be direct, like children!
43. Play video games (in moderation).
44. Develop a sense of humor! Write or make up jokes.
45. Make a List of 100 (idea generation technique).
46. ​​Use the Idea Quota method (compiling a preliminary list of ideas).
47. Consider every idea that comes to you.
48. Build an idea bank. Let your ideas develop. Come back to each one after a while.
49. Conduct a “thematic observation”. Pick a topic and focus on it.
50. Keep a diary.
51. Learn foreign languages.
52. Eat at different restaurants.
53. Study the computer.
54. Read long words backwards.
55. Change your environment - the location of objects, furniture
56. Write stories, poetry, start a blog.
57. Learn the language of symbols.
58. Learn the art of playing musical instruments.
59. Visit museums.
60. Study the functioning of the brain.
61. Learn the technique of speed reading.
62. Determine your learning style.
63. Learn the method of determining the days of the week for any date!
64. Try to evaluate the time intervals by sensations.
65. "Approximate calculation." Which is more - leaves in the Amazon forests or neural connections in the brain? (answer)
66. Make friends with math. Fight the "failure to count."
67. Build Memory Palaces.
68. Study the system of figurative thinking for the development of memory.
69. Have sex.
70. Remember people's names.
71. Meditate.
72. Train concentration of attention and complete absence of thoughts.
73. Watch movies of different genres.
74. Avoid an empty TV seat.
75. Learn to concentrate.
76. Be in touch with nature.
77. Mentally solve math problems.
78. Refuse to rush.
79. Change the usual speed of various activities.
80. Do only one thing at a time.
81. Develop curiosity.
82. Try on someone else's consciousness. How other people would think if they were you.
83. Cultivate a contemplative attitude towards the world.
84. Find time for solitude and relaxation.
85. Set yourself up for continuous learning throughout your life.
86. Travel. Get to know the way of life of people from other countries.
87. Study geniuses.
88. Create a circle of reliable friends.
89. Look for rivalry. You should not communicate only with like-minded people.
90. Surround yourself with people whose worldview is different from yours.
91. Participate in brainstorming sessions!
92. Change the way you plan for the future: short term/long term.
93. Look for the roots of all problems.
94. Collect quotes from famous people.
95. Change communication: use paper instead of computer, voice recording instead of writing.
96. Read the classics.
97. Improve the art of reading. Write a summary of books.
98. Develop self-awareness.
99. Speak your problems out loud.
100. Describe your feelings in great detail.
101. Use the Braille method. Start by counting the floors while in the elevator.
102. Get a piece of art that shakes you up.
103. Stimulate, provoke sensations and thoughts. Use different perfumes.
104. Mix sensations. How much does pink weigh? What does lavender smell like?
105. Argue! Defend your arguments. 106. Use the time-boxing method (fixing a period of time to complete a task).
107. Take time to develop your brain.
108. Create a mental sanctuary (in your imagination).
109. Be curious!
110. Challenge yourself.
111. Develop the art of visualization. Spend at least 5 minutes a day.
112. Start a notebook when you wake up, write down your dreams.
113. Learn to lucid dream.
114. Keep a dictionary of interesting words. Create your own words.
115. Look for metaphors. Link abstract and concrete concepts.
116. Learn to manage your emotions.
117. Master the method of random input of information. Write out random words from a journal.
118. Go a different route every day.
119. Walk fast or jog.
120. Develop vocabulary.
121. Always achieve more than expected.
And finally a bonus:

The development of memory enhances intellectual abilities. Learn a unique technique for developing memory with the activation of both hemispheres of the brain!

Human potential is not revealed!

It is a well-known fact that a person uses the potential¹ of his brain by no more than 3 percent. There is an opinion that in order to develop new capabilities, you need to significantly improve your memory².

The human brain is made up of neurons. It is the exchange of information between them that provides the ability to think. From the point of view of neurons, memory is the interconnection of neurons with each other.

Thus, the development of memory is a necessary condition in order to master the superpowers³ and extrasensory potential of a person!

The memory training technique proposed in this article can make it possible to increase the efficiency of physical and intellectual capabilities hundreds of times!

This exercise will allow you to develop the skill of long-term retention of the desired object in memory, to develop figurative memory, which.

Memory Development: The Basic Technique

1. Initially, the practitioner lies down and relaxes his body. Gradually he will sink into a meditative state of consciousness.

2. A person causes a state of “emptiness”, non-thinking in the head. To do this, he concentrates on the sensation of the body - this allows you to "turn off" the flow of thoughts.

3. Having caught and consolidated inner silence, the practitioner pays attention to the subject that he plans to remember.

He carefully looks at it for 5 minutes. The practitioner "centers" the image, tries to cover the subject completely, remember the general image and all the details.

4. Then he closes his eyes and begins to reproduce the image in memory. This must be done as clearly as possible, in a color image.

This exercise must be repeated 8 times. To avoid automatism and inattention, it is recommended to perform the exercise each time with a sense of surprise, to generate new emotions: this will allow you not to treat repetition as a routine.

With the development of the skill, it is possible to reduce the number of repetitions for one subject, and in one lesson, alternately memorize and reproduce several objects in memory.

Additional tricks to complicate the exercise

1. Having gained a skill, you can complicate the exercise: look for 3 minutes at the selected object, after that you can be distracted by other things. After some time, recall the subject again and reproduce it in detail in memory without seeing it.

2. Then you need to learn to express it on material media: take a white sheet of paper, pencils and sketch the image of the object from memory. If you do not know how to draw well, it is enough to simply sketch the object, indicating all the details that you remember.

Thus, it is necessary to accurately reproduce all parts of the body and surrounding objects.

3. Having developed memory, you need to move on to the next stage: learn to memorize complex pictures with an abundance of details and then reproduce them.

4. In the same way, you need to work with texts: learn to memorize and clearly recreate it based on memory.

These techniques are aimed at developing figurative memory: so that we can quickly memorize and reproduce large amounts of information.

Regular practice of the described exercises will allow you to develop the skill to such a state that you can learn to memorize completely at a glance.

Using the search bar on our website, you can find various methods for developing memory.

Get your personal life purpose diagnostics made just for you! To find out what your gift is, what your superpowers are, and why you deserve much more, fill out the questionnaire >>>

Notes and feature articles for a deeper understanding of the material

² Memory is a general designation for a complex of cognitive abilities and higher mental functions for the accumulation, preservation and reproduction of knowledge and skills (

translation into Russian: Nikonov Vladimir
original article: litemind.com/boost-brain-power

121 tips on how to think faster, improve memory, absorb information better and use the full potential of your brain.

You can start doing them right from today.

1. Solve riddles and puzzles.
2. Develop ambidexterity (two-handedness, the ability to equally well own the right and left hand). Try to brush your teeth, comb your hair, manipulate the computer mouse with your non-dominant hand. Write with both hands at the same time. Change hands while eating when using a knife and fork.
3. Work with ambiguity, uncertainty. Learn to enjoy things like paradoxes and optical illusions.
4. Mind mapping ( note: a diagram of connections, a way of depicting the process of general systems thinking using diagrams).
5. Block one or more sensations. Eat blindfolded, plug your ears with tampons for a while, take a shower with your eyes closed.
6. Develop comparative taste sensations. Learn to fully feel, savor wine, chocolate, beer, cheese and anything else.
7. Look for areas of intersection between seemingly unrelated things.
8. Learn to use keyboards with different key layouts (learn how to touch type).
9. Come up with new uses for common items. How many different ways can you think of, for example, for a nail? Ten? One hundred?
10. Change your habitual ideas to the opposite.
11. Learn techniques for developing creativity.
12. Do not dwell on the obvious, mentally rush beyond the first, “correct” answer to the question.
13. Change the established order of things. Ask yourself the question "What if...?"
14. RUN, RUN!
15. Turn pictures, photos upside down.
16. Develop critical thinking. Refute common misconceptions.
17. Learn logic. Solve logic problems.
18. Learn the scientific way of thinking.
19. Draw, draw automatically. You don't have to be an artist for this.
20. Take up some kind of art - sculpture, painting, music - or test yourself in some other creativity.
21. Learn the art of showing tricks, develop manual dexterity.
22. Eat foods that are good for the brain.
23. Strive to constantly experience a slight feeling of hunger.
24. Get exercise!
25. Sit up straight.
26. Drink plenty of water.
27. Breathe deeply.
28. Laugh!
29. Diversify your activities. Choose a hobby for yourself.
30. Take care of good sleep.
31. Practice short naps.
32. Declare war on your tendency to procrastinate.
33. Limit yourself in the use of technology.
34. Study materials on the study of the brain.
35. Change clothes. Walk barefoot.
36. Improve your conversations with yourself.
37. Become easier!
38. Play chess or other board games. Play online (it's especially fun to play live via email!).
39. Play mind games. Sudoki, crosswords and countless other games are at your service.
40. Be spontaneous like children!
41. Play video games.
42. Develop a sense of humor! Write or make up jokes.
43. Make a List of 100 ( note: a technique for generating ideas, discovering hidden problems, or making decisions).
44. Use the Idea Quota method ( note: a method for compiling a preliminary list of ideas during the day).
45. Consider every idea that comes to you. Create an idea bank.
46. Let your ideas develop. Return to each of them at regular intervals.
47. Conduct "thematic observation". Try, for example, to mark red-colored objects as often as possible during the day. Tag cars of a specific brand. Pick a topic and focus on it.
48. Keep a diary.
49. Learn foreign languages.
50. Eat at different restaurants - preference for national restaurants.
51. Learn computer programming.
52. Read long words backwards. !einjuborP
53. Change your surroundings - change the location of objects, furniture, move somewhere.
54. Write! Write stories, poetry, start a blog.
55. Learn the language of symbols.
56. Learn the art of playing musical instruments.
57. Visit museums.
58. Study the functioning of the brain.
59. Study.
60. Define your learning style.
61. Learn the method of determining the days of the week for any date!
62. Try to evaluate the time intervals by feeling.
63. "Approximate calculation". Which is more - leaves in the Amazon forests or neural connections in the brain? (answer)
64. Make friends with math. Fight the "failure to count."
65. Build Memory Palaces.
66. Learn the system of imaginative thinking for the development of memory.
67. Have sex (Sorry, no comment here!).
68. Remember people's names.
69. Meditate. Practice concentration and total absence of thoughts.
70. Watch films of different genres.
71. Get off the TV.
72. Learn to concentrate.
73. Be in touch with .
74. Solve math problems mentally.
75. Give up haste.
76. Change the usual speed of various activities.
77. Do only one thing at a time.
78. Develop curiosity.
79. Try on someone else's mind. How do you think other people in your place would think, solve your problems? How would a fool behave in your place?
80. Cultivate a contemplative attitude towards the world.
81. Find time for solitude and relaxation.
82. Set yourself up for continuous learning throughout your life.
83. Travel abroad. Get to know the way of life of people from other countries.
84. Study geniuses (Leonardo is great company for you!)
85. Create a circle of trusted friends.
86. Look for rivalry.
87. You should not communicate only with like-minded people. Surround yourself with people whose worldview is different from yours.
88. Participate in brainstorming sessions!
89. Change the way you plan for the future: short-term/long-term, collective/individual.
90. Look for the roots of all problems.
91. Collect quotes from famous people.
92. Change the means of communication: use paper instead of a computer, voice recording instead of writing.
93. Read the classics.
94. Improve the art of reading. Effective reading is an art, develop it.
95. Write summaries of books.
96. Develop self-awareness.
97. Voice your concerns out loud.
98. Describe your feelings in great detail.
99. Use the Braille method. Start by counting the floors as you take the elevator.
100. Get a piece of art that will shake you up. Stimulate, provoke sensations and thoughts.
101. Use different perfume scents.
102. Mix sensations. How much does pink weigh? What does lavender smell like?
103. Argue! Defend your arguments. Try also to accept the point of view of the opponent.
104. Use the time boxing method ( note: method of fixing a certain period of time for the execution of a task or group of tasks).
105. Spend time developing your brain.
106. Create a mental sanctuary ( note: a place that exists only in your imagination).
107. Be curious!
108. Challenge yourself.
109. Develop the art of visualization. Do this at least 5 minutes a day.
110. Write down your dreams. Get a notebook and first thing in the morning, or when you wake up, write down your dreams.
111. Learn to lucid dream.
112. Keep a dictionary of interesting words. Create your own words.
113. Look for metaphors. Link abstract and concrete concepts.
114. Master the method of random input of information. Write out random words from a journal. Read randomly selected sites.
115. Go every day a different route. Change the streets you go to work, jog or come home.
116. Install various operating systems on your PC.
117. Develop vocabulary.
118. Achieve more than expected.

Good luck,
Nikonov Vladimir

The goal of yoga is samadhi, continuous immersion, the merging of the mind with the inner shell of the body of the soul. This shell is an immortal spiritual body, which, constantly incarnating, changes mortal physical bodies. It keeps in itself the full knowledge of the universe and its origins, it is free and self-sufficient, filled with the endless joy of its own existence.

The problem is that a person has no conscious contact with the body of the soul. We are not born spiritually awakened, and the process of such an awakening takes time and practice.

In order to become aware of the inner body, one must learn through yoga to control all the outer sheaths (mental, physical and vital bodies) that hide what is behind them and invisibly support them.

There are numerous methods, their purpose is to connect the outer consciousness (mind and senses) with the inner body. Release the potential of consciousness formed by external actions.

For this, methods are used that use concentration on different objects. The most common way of such concentration is trataka or drishti.

This technique is used to keep consciousness on the light reflected from the object. The point is to continuously contemplate the reflected light, keeping the mind in constant concentration. Through the optic nerves, the signal from the eyes is transmitted to the thalamus and then to the pituitary gland. With a long and regular process of such a sadhana, the functions of the pituitary gland, thalamus and ventricles of the brain turn on. This process also activates the awakening of the function of the third eye - the pineal gland. In parallel, there is a "disconnection" of consciousness from the external forms of activity of the sense organs and the cessation of brain stimulation through external objects. This state is known as pratyahara (pratya - perception of hara - mix, remove, stop). In the future, the process leads consciousness to full disclosure and the ability to see and perceive phenomena that are independent of the physiological and objective reality of external objects.

The key perceptual switching mechanisms involved in yoga are the following sections of the brain and nervous system: thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, cerebellum, four ventricles of the brain.

Aspects of the physiological evolution of brain sections in spiritual practice are a very difficult topic to discuss for two reasons: 1) science does not have objective and reliable information about the hidden potential of the brain; 2) science considers the functioning of the brain only in the context of generally accepted scientific theories.

At the same time, yoga as knowledge already possesses information on the disclosure of the abilities of the brain, which is not found in generally recognized scientific studies.

The internal and external processes of the development of the brain and nervous system in yoga occur in a completely different way and with a different intensity than in the usual way of life, and the practices themselves, in which the awakening of consciousness occurs, require considerable time and effort. Lack of time and motivation is the biggest problem for mastering this kind of methods.

Christ said, "When the eye is one, the body will be full of light." Yogis perceive the context of this phrase as an indication of the method of contemplation - drishti.

Aitareya Upanishad says that the soul enters the body through the brahma randhra - the hole in the top of the head and stays there until the moment of death.

In the normal state, the soul manifests itself through visual sensations - the optic nerves of the thalamus connect the eyes to the brain. The ability to see is not the work of the eyes, but of the brain.

The single eye is the potentiality of consciousness, able to see all objects in the light of the soul body.

Yoga adepts are sure that the human brain is like an embryo, the possibilities of which are involved by 2-3 percent. And the full-fledged abilities of the brain can be revealed by yoga, awakening one after another certain sections of it, as well as blocking the activity of other sections that throw consciousness outward. The key ones are the medulla oblongata, the pituitary gland, the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the pineal gland.

Sacred texts mention the tree of life, this tree of life is the brain and nervous system. This tree grows with branches down, and its roots go up into the brain. The parts of the brain responsible for the dynamic activity of consciousness are like mortars on a wheel - from the frontal to the occipital lobes. Here are all the centers: hearing, sight, touch, smell, instinctive and intellectual activity.

In the process of yoga, some functions are blocked, others are developed. The pineal gland acts on the hypothalamus. It, in turn, slows down and switches consciousness from external objects to internal processes. The pineal gland is located in the center of the head, slightly above and behind the pituitary gland. The pineal gland is a rudimentary organ that is able to slowly evolve. According to scientists, the "third eye" is archaic, and all statements about its functioning are devoid of scientific justification. This organ (the pineal gland), smaller than a pea, cannot be identified at all as an independent part of the brain.

The third ventricle of the brain is the place of its residence. The ability to feel the phenomenon of the "third eye" occurs through the awakening of the pineal gland area.

The impulses received in the process of concentration are transmitted to the pineal gland and the third ventricle of the brain, where all the organic functions and psychic forces of the mental body are united. Concentration can be done on the candle or its reflected light. But the technique itself needs some explanation.

On the one hand, the external system of the sense organs and the mind fed by it are blocked by the hypothalamus, on the other hand, the entire psychic power of a person begins to be generated inside.

What do yogis mean by the development of consciousness? – The ability of the mind to rise above sensations.

Inside the brain, there are both feminine and masculine elements. They are the pituitary gland and the pineal gland. Their connection is ardha narishvara (the form of God, where half is a male, half is a female body) - a self-sufficient form of consciousness that does not need gender identification. The practice of yoga achieves unity, harmony of these two principles inside the brain. This gives a yogi a state of natural brahmacharya - inner self-sufficiency and a state of love, not due to the instinct of procreation and attraction by objects of the opposite sex.

The burning of Kama (God of love) by Shiva is a symbol of the transformation of sexual desire into superpowers. Sensory information is transmitted through the gaze, and therefore the development of the center of desire is closely connected with the development of visual perception.

Inner freedom is the fruit of intuition, in the event that the pituitary and pineal glands are fully developed, their joint vibrations will open the ability to awaken the “eye of the soul”.

The Taitiriya Upanishad declares: “This ancient yoga is known to us from those rishis who have passed it on to us. You should meditate on the one who is present in Agni as Bhuh, in the air as Bhuvah, in the Sun as Svah, in Brahman as Mahat.” In the Vedas, these are three worlds: 1) gross forms of matter, 2) an intermediate sphere, 3) spiritual and superconscious spheres (Maha, Jana and Tapa lokas). In the physical body there are certain correspondences to these spheres.

Agni (Fire) is the thalamus, which is located in the first ventricle of the brain. Surya (Sun) is the striatum (corpus striatum), the second ventricle. Mahat (Mind), located in the brahmarandhra, is the pineal gland, the third ventricle. Vayu (air) - medulla oblongata, fourth ventricle. One of the most valuable manuscripts of Shiva yoga considers these four departments to be the main ones.

During growth, the brain opens from a small neural tube into three pear-shaped cavities: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. It continues to grow until all layers are completely formed. The original neural tube has a hollow structure, so the spine (spinal cord) is shaped like a tube. The recesses of the former tube exist in the cerebral hemispheres as two recesses - lateral branches. Further, the third ventricle develops between two large masses of nerve cells that lie at the base of the forebrain and are called thals. The midbrain is small, it connects the two hemispheres to the hindbrain; the passage through the midbrain is called the pons. It connects the third ventricle to the fourth, then it develops into the fourth ventricle connected to the hindbrain. From the hindbrain, the number of important structures multiplies. The nerve tissue connecting the two hemispheres connects the cerebellum and the two hemispheres of the brain. If we compare the brain with a tree, then its trunk will be the spinal cord, which continues, passing into the medulla oblongata inside the head. The medulla oblongata is the area where the main prana resides (sushumna and its ending). It is the power that contains and sustains all areas and life forces.

The brain transforms sensory impressions of vision into vision.

The brain resembles a tree trunk, from which two crowns grow on the sides - the right and left hemispheres. If we go further up the tree, inside the head, we will find the ventricles of the brain - important centers that control the activity of the hemispheres, which are glands, forms of gray and white matter, adjacent to the right and left hemispheres.

The activity of the external senses: vision, hearing, smell and touch, is regulated by areas extending from the back of the head to the frontal lobes of the hemispheres, these are the seven spokes of the “wheel of life”. At a subtle level, there is also a connection between the brain regions and the functions of the chakras.

Pituitary

The task of the pituitary gland is the development of the body in accordance with the development of consciousness in it. These are the processes of growth of the body as it matures, and the processes of reactions. The activity of the pituitary gland is controlled through the third ventricle of the brain and the region of the pineal gland.

The pituitary gland has anterior and posterior lobes. The pineal gland is connected to the posterior pituitary gland. The pituitary gland controls the system of all the glands of the body. The third ventricle of the brain is a narrow passage located at the base of the hemispheres and then branches into two regions. The pineal gland is located behind a narrow passage before branching and is a bundle of nervous tissue and gray matter. The region of the pineal gland is located behind the quadrigemina (corpora quadrigemina), which belongs to the region of the midbrain.

The pituitary gland is the most important part, as it creates the mood and coordinates the activity of the different glands of the body, controls biorhythms and body development processes. It also activates the genetic program of puberty of the body and the very moment of turning on sex hormones at a certain age. The pineal gland, acting on the pituitary gland, slows down the activation of this function and allows the consciousness to create a barrier between the reaction of hormones and the solution.

pineal gland

In a significant proportion of people, this organ is in a rudimentary state, although in some cases it can evolve. In its full development, it helps yoga adepts to perceive the phenomenon of time as a constant value, and not fragments from the past, present and future. Time exists on the material level as a mathematical quantity. In individual experience, its perception can be accelerated or slowed down and even stopped. Yoga texts describe the pineal gland as the "third eye", which is symbolically depicted on the forehead. Known images of Shiva with a "third eye" in the form of a flame. In ordinary people, the function of the "third eye" is completely lost due to sexual addiction, since the development of this center is possible only if the mind is free from the influence of passion, and the subtle energy that goes into sex will be generated inside the brain. If a person stops the tendency to lust, further evolution of this center is possible. This area can be developed to a certain level of activity, in which case its universal dimension opens up to the mind. The complete process of Drishti Yoga is the discovery of such a dimension.

The opening of the “third eye” is the opening of the function of the pineal gland, as well as the functions of the pituitary, thalamus and hypothalamus and other ventricles of the brain, which control the mode of thinking and the functions of all higher nervous activity. New neural connections are created, and all these parts of the brain together form a completely different way of perceiving reality.

However, the realm of universal thought is not limited to human perception. Human thought could only come into being as a result of holding back action and controlling the reactions between the urge and the realization of the action. Animals do not have such a function, since they are controlled by the instinctive mind.

As the mind evolves, it shifts from an orientation toward external objects, reaching full introversion. The external world seems to disappear, the brain absorbs the forces and organic functions, concentrating their energy in the region of the pineal gland.

There are some similarities and differences between drishti yoga and kundalini yoga.

Kundalini sleeps - and the "third eye" sleeps. The area of ​​kundalini is the pelvic plexus, the area of ​​the “third eye” is the area of ​​the brain. The process of awakening the kundalini is associated with effort and hard work to open the centers of the whole body. For such an awakening, all vital energy is needed, which is accumulated through the practice of pranayama.

Drishti (contemplation) is associated only with the awakening of several areas of the brain.

The awakened kundalini reaches the causal body, which has the shape of the letter "O", and connects with it. Drishti yoga practically disconnects the mental body from the physical carrier, affecting only those centers that are associated with higher nervous activity. The "pulling out" of the astral and mental body occurs without active body action or active breath control.

There are several reasons why certain yoga practices are obstacles for others. For example: hatha yoga, asana practice and breathing techniques “plant” the consciousness back into the body, causing the body to identify with mental and emotional impulses. Working through and meeting impulses on the way in the body, consciousness creates a flow that includes vital energies and pranas. The mind thus meets with different types of experience and passes completely through all subconscious and conscious spheres.

The forms of drishti yoga are a way of entering the body of light without diving into the physical and psychic subconscious. The term Shiva yoga involves the study of psycho-emotional karma in the context of the Veera Shaivism tradition, intense worship - both internal and external.

During contemplation (drishti), a channel of communication with the body of the soul inside the brain awakens and connects its physiological functions of the body with the body of the soul, which is in the region of the third ventricle of the brain. The constant process of drishti (concentration) on the "third eye" through the optic nerves of the thalamus gradually leads ordinary consciousness to the discovery of this area.

In fact, drishti yoga uses one center and a bunch of ajna centers - sahasrara, which stretches the entire astral body.

Forms of kundalini yoga also involve drishti - the continuous retention of consciousness at a certain point, accompanying this process with breath control. The retention of the object occurs against the background of a change in the physiology of the process of respiration. This process includes intense pranayama mudras and bandhas.

In yoga, methods of concentration and meditation often contain "sthana kalpana" - the visualization of the process of energy movement and the representation of subtle centers that a person begins to feel as he advances in the technique. Sthana - installation, retention. Kalpana - imagination, representation of an object - when channels and objects are presented in the physical body, the disclosure of which is yet to be. If the practice is regular, then imagination - kalpana - turns into dharana and dhyana. In the case of pranayama and concentration, this is not a mental but a physiological process.

Another problem is that in order to indulge in meditation and contemplation, one must already have a stable mind and an awakened subtle body. The conditions for successful meditation, when the techniques of contemplation really begin to work, are retreats and many hours of immersion. In ordinary life, we can "keep fit" with more or less long sessions, but the main experience involves "dipping into yoga." It does not matter what particular tradition, lineage or practice is being discussed.

Hatha yoga and work with the physical body awaken subtle centers and channels to a certain extent. But, obviously not to such an extent as to completely throw the consciousness out of the "karma mental body".

Sometimes in the process of practice, people can unconsciously open channels that throw images into the brain. In the central channel there is a chitrini channel (chitra - picture), which is responsible for the "cartoons of consciousness" and the ability of a person to see them. Consciousness can translate the contents of the mind into images and, on the contrary, clothe images in sensations in the body. Usually this process is not controlled in any way consciously. Images are spontaneously formed by the mind and transferred to body sensations and vice versa.

thalamus and hypothalamus

The fourth ventricle of the brain governs subconscious functions such as body temperature, breathing and heart rate. Its structure is a mass of gray matter. This nerve tissue transmits signals from organs and exits the medulla oblongata as the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve controls several pairs of nerves - 12, this is a branching nerve structure with a base in the brain area, 8 of them are its continuation.

The respiratory process is controlled by the vagus nerve, in which there are afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) fibers. These fibers control the functions of voluntary and involuntary inhalations and exhalations and go to the lungs (the endings of the vagus nerve end there). Stopping exhalation and stopping inspiration are also regulated by these nerve tissues.

Expansion and contraction, centrifugal and centripetal processes associated with breathing, are controlled from there. Nerve fibers have their base in the thalamus and striatum, which are masses of gray matter shaped into the 4th ventricle of the brain. The centripetal nerves of the thalamus are described as tongues of flame (Agni), as they carry energy from external impressions (mainly visual) to the main sensorimotor organ, the thalamus.

Lower part of the hindbrain

In the region of the fourth ventricle there is an area of ​​the quadrigemina, which is also stimulated to activity by the thalamus.

The thalamus activates the anterior pituitary, and the striatum (corpus striatum) activates the posterior. The pituitary gland is connected with the interbrow - the focal point of the center of the interbrow, which is responsible for the processes of restraining emotional activity. The striatum (corpus striatum) and thalamus carry out the connection between the physical and etheric bodies, controlling the pituitary gland.

The cerebellum - the center of the balance of the physical body and its orientation in space - is located in the back of the head. We cannot always control the balance of the body through conscious effort. Located in the hindbrain, the cerebellum is responsible for the skills of balance and sensation of the body in space. So, receiving signals through the brain, the nervous system automatically sends them to the spinal cord, instantly forming a reaction.

Supreme and individual will and intuition

Involution of consciousness. All processes in the body are directed by will and intuition, the two aspects of superconscious energy. When the individualized perception or Ego is brought into the field of the undivided consciousness, the higher will becomes the ordinary vital impulse. Intuitive and superconscious knowledge becomes a private process. Integral perception becomes fragmented, divided in its multitude, as it is no longer directed by the will of the Higher consciousness, which includes all elements. The whole picture is divided into fragments, each of which, taken in a limited context, can be opposed to another fragment of the same reality.

Private knowledge is built from such divided perception. The tool of the Ego reveals knowledge in an attempt to appropriate to itself what it is not able to control. It is an intellectual and instinctive mind driven by division. In the state of this division of consciousness, we do not belong to ourselves, our true Self, but belong to a false identification of ourselves in the form of the Ego. Who we are, we do not know, and what we know, we cannot control.

The article is written based on the materials of the book by Sri Kumar Swami "The Technique of Opening the Third Eye". Dharwar, Karnataka, IndiaTechnique of opening the third eye». Tapowan and Dharwar, 1985, Karnataka. INDIA

Denis Zaenchkovsky is the leading yoga teacher in Russia, the author of numerous educational films on yoga, the founder of the Moscow Ashtanga Yoga Center. Website: