SPIRITUALITY – SOUL, CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE GOD-CONNECTION

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Bhavanajagat

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THE STATUS OF MAN IN NATURE :

The First Book of Moses, The Old Testament Book of Genesis describes the story of Creation; in Chapter 2, verse 7, it narrates man’s creation: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

The Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, verse 27:"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

MAN IS A CREATED BEING :

: Man is a created being. Spirituality explores the connection between man and his Creator. The Trimurti at Elephanta Island Cave Temples near Mumbai, India represents God as the Creator(Brahma), the Preserver(Vishnu) and the Destroyer(Shiva).

MAN IS A SPIRITUAL BEING :

The status of man in nature describes man as a created object; a new object, one of its own kind, distinctive, and unique. The principle of Creation
involves the use of inspiration and imagination as opposed to the view proposed by the Theory of Evolution. The fundamental issue is about understanding man’s status in nature. Did man come into existence by gradual changes caused by random and unguided events called genetic mutations? Or, does man actually exist in nature because of his relationship with other objects present in his living environment? What defines man’s existence? What establishes the reality of man’s physical existence? Should we focus on the changing form? Alternately, should we give attention to an unchanging relationship that is a prerequisite for the existence of all life forms? If an object cannot come into its state of existence, how could that object get a shape or form? In the context of a discussion about man’s existence in nature, I state that man is a created object, and hence man
exists as a Spiritual being. The term Spirituality describes the nature of this connection between man and His Creator. Soul is the immortal part of man as distinguished from his body; it is the vital principle which moves and animates all Life. Soul may represent the essence of a human being, it could be the quality which confers individuality, humanity, and the moral nature of man. I divide man into two categories; the first category is called the ‘SELF’ which represents man as a physical, mental, and social being; and the second category is called the ‘KNOWING-SELF’ which represents man as a moral, and spiritual being. These two categories function together and the functional unity of the human person is an attribute of a neuro-biological function called Consciousness. Man’s physical being is represented by a changing external or morphological appearance and while the physical Identity is constantly changing, the unchanging Individuality is supported by man’s spirituality or the nature of his constant spiritual relationship.

THE ETERNAL REALITY OF SOUL’S IMMORTALITY :

Ajanta Caves near Aurangabad, Maharashtra State, India, Fresco-type wall painting- Man's spiritual dimension describes man's humanity, moral nature, individuality, and Consciousness.

Religious thinkers have further defined Soul as that part of the individual which partakes of divinity. People of all races, cultures and religions would like to investigate the nature of this God-Connection as they perceive the world and the universe in which they exist as a fact of Creation. I need to find evidence that would fundamentally deny the fact of Creation.

MAN IS A SOCIAL BEING :

French philosopher Auguste Comte(1798-1857) coined the term Sociology. He believed that the scientific study of social organization would make possible a reconstitution of the social order based on principles of moral progress.

Apart from being a created Physical being, man is recognized as a Social being as he displays social instincts and social behaviors in all of his activities. A rudimentary understanding of Sociology or Theories of Social Science would clarify this matter. Social instincts and Social Behaviors are seen in all animals including bacteria. At a cellular level, the social function is called ‘Association’. Man is an association of trillions of cells. Each human organ and organ system represents an association of cells that display functional subordination to perform selective tasks. Life is just impossible without social structure and organization.

MAN IS A MORAL BEING :

Man is a Spiritual being and is endowed with Moral nature. James Tissot in his painting captures the essence of man. The Book of Matthew, Chapter 27 verses 3-5 narrate the story of Apostle Judas Iscariot and his moral failing that caused the dissolution of his biological existence-"When Judas who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said,"for I have betrayed innocent blood." So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."

Man is an individual who exists in a social group. At the same time, man is a Moral being, as he displays moral behavior even when he is corrupt. Man displays the ability of Repentance for his thoughts, for his actions of commission and omission. Man has the ability to admit his sins, express remorse and may often punish himself for his sinful conduct. Man experiences grief for his actions that are sinful. Man actively searches for solutions for his sinful conduct. Man cannot sustain his biological existence if he had morally failed. A famous example would be that of Apostle Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus.

MATTER, ENERGY, AND KNOWLEDGE :

Greek philosopher Aristotle had observed that corporeal substances are composite of two principles, form and matter. What is called matter is potentiality, what is called form is actuality. The totality of things have been divided in various ways. The three fundamental distinctions are 1. the distinction between the natural and the supernatural, 2. the distinction between the material and the spiritual, and 3. the distinction between the lifeless and the living. When we make the distinction animate/inanimate, living/non-living, and inorganic/organic, a question arises about the nature of that distinction. The difference, is that one of kind or degree? The Mechanistic View claims the continuity of nature in terms of the universality of purely mechanical principles. I have defined Life as ‘Knowledge in Action’. Please view the blog post at http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/what-is-life-life-is-knowledge-in-action/

I define Life as organization of matter with implanted supernatural Knowledge. The establishment of supernatural Knowledge in matter decribes the operation of ‘God Principle’, Spirit, or Soul. Life comes into existence when matter and energy come together with the establishment of ‘God Connection’.

LIFE AND CONSCIOUSNESS :

Amoeba proteus, unicellular, protozoan organism is conscious or aware of its own state of existence. It has the abilities of Motion, Nutrition, and Reproduction. All of its living functions are goal-oriented. It responds to its environment and survives adverse environmental conditions by a process called encystment.

The basic characteristic of a Living Cell or organism is the presence of consciousness. I recognize a cell as a Living Cell if it displays functions that characterize the presence of awareness or consciousness. The Living Cell or Living Object need not be aware or conscious of the Subject who may be investigating or observing the properties of that Object. The Living Object need to be aware of its own existence and its condition called Living. Atoms and molecules display their properties and interact according to the Laws of Physics and Chemistry. Living organic molecules show individualistic behaviors under experimental conditions that could be repeated and be verified. The Living Cell is very selective and it responds in a variable manner to physical and chemical stimuli. It can communicate or send signals to other Living Cells present in its environment. It responds according to its internal condition in relation to the environment in which it exists. The interactions of non-living physical matter are not goal-oriented. The interactions of Living matter are goal-oriented and they specifically achieve the purpose of sustaining, preserving, defending, and continuing the Living functions.

MAN IS A MORTAL, PHYSICAL BEING :

Man is a mortal being who must eventually die. When Lazarus died and was laid in a tomb for four days, Jesus performed a miracle and Lazarus came back to life from death. The Book of John, Chapter 11, narrates this event. In verses 41 and 42, Jesus said,"Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people who are standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me." The risen Lazarus had eventually died.

LIFE AND DEATH IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS :

When does Life begins? When does Life ends? Life always comes into a state of existence from a previously existing Living Cell. Life and Death is a continuous process and is recognized by the presence of Consciousness and Individuality.

When does Life begins? When does Life ends? Every Living Cell is derived from a previously existing Living Cell. Life has not experienced the final event called DEATH. Life continues its act of Living through a function called Reproduction. A given species is considered to be totally extinct only if there is no surviving member to represent that particular species. Death is a programmed event and it gives meaning to the Identity of a Living Object. The dissolution of a single Living Object should not obscure the fact that Life is a continuous process. Life continues as Living Objects get new Identities. It is very reasonable to expect that Life would continue after the death of a given Living Object. People all over the world are a witness to that simple and direct observation. During the Life-Death continuum, the connection between the Creator and the created Living Object is manifested by the biological function called awareness or consciousness. The presence of Soul is evidenced by the presence of consciousness. As long as the Soul is functioning and is united with the physical being, the presence of consciousness could be detected and could be verified.

THE SOUL AND GOD CONNECTION :

All types of Living Cells with or without nucleus represent thermodynamically unstable systems. Without a continuous input of energy a Living Cell will degrade spontaneously into a nonliving collection of molecules. Biological existence is possible because of an association or connection, or partnership between energy seeker and energy provider.

There has been no clearly defined and universally accepted metaphysical conception of the term Soul. It is a term rarely used with precise definition in philosophy, religion, or common life. In this discussion we face the problem of using words to which no definitive meaning is attached. If I make an attempt to define the word ‘God’, you may even speculate that I may belong to a new religious order. We need to come to a consensus even if an entity called ‘God’ does not exist. We need to formulate a view, a hypothetical view about Soul and test that hypothesis by countering it with a skeptical hypothesis. The Science called Physics deals with the properties, changes, interactions, etc. of matter and energy in which energy is considered to be continuous. In the ultimate analysis, matter is a representation of its energy content. The Science called Biology deals with Life and Life processes. While Life is made up of physical matter, Life processes are not explained by simple mechanistic interactions. However, I am willing to use the principles, the methods, and the tools used by Physics. Molecular Biology explains biological events by studying the molecules within cells; the molecular basis of genetics – Nucleic Acids and its relationship to energy cycling and replication. If this universe is seen as matter and energy, I would define God as the Controller of Force/Power/Energy. All living things are essentially made up of the same kind of living matter and yet they appear to be different. Life could be attributed to ONE common principle which has the ability to be simultaneously different. Each living object comes into a state of existence as a new object, as an original object, one of its own kind, unique, and distinctive. This morphological variation is an attribute of the organic molecules that establish the phenotype or the physical identity of that living organism. Physics provides those powerful tools to see the molecules and to recognize their individualistic behavior. Life comes into existence using a creative principle, and creative mechanisms that need inspiration, and imagination apart from the use of simple mechanistic laws. If Life is governed by the Law of Individuality, I would define God as a Creative Force/Power/Energy.

Life is a condition that describes Synchronized Existence, the synchronization of activities, the connection between energy dependent life functions and its Source of Power.

A majority of these life forms that we know and have studied, have synchronized their state of existence with an event that produces alternating periods of light and darkness while that source of light is not being turned ‘on’ and ‘off’. Rather we are forced to experience the effects of an illusion. Sunrise and Sunset is the reality that governs a majority of Biological Rhythms that control the life processes. Illusion is the necessary condition for the biological existence of Life. If Earth’s rotational spin generates this illusion, God uses Force/Power/Energy to cause illusion. In the universe that exists today, to the extent we have verified; there are no two identical celestial objects that exhibit the same rotational spin. In this context, it may be said that the Force/Power/Energy called God has created Earth to provide a home to the life forms that He has created as Individuals. These life forms have the ability called reproduction and yet lack the ability of producing two identical new objects. Sexual or Asexual reproduction always results in the production of new Individuals which could be easily verified by using the Biometric Identification Technology. Even the clones, sharing identical genomes, in reality exist as individuals. This Individuality when investigated by the tools supplied by Physics, it is discovered that the organic molecules behave as Individuals and man is not able to modify that behavior. Under the same experimental conditions, the molecules behave as individuals. When we examine the nature of this biological existence, it indicates that life processes are supported by the provision of energy from an external source. The Living Cell is a thermodynamically unstable system. This means that without a continuous input of energy a Living Cell will degrade spontaneously into a nonliving collection of molecules. This lack of energy independence would direct us to define God as the Power/Force/Energy which delivers Compassion/Mercy/Grace which helps energy acquisition by energy dependent living organisms. Life forms on planet Earth exist depending upon an extraterrestrial source of energy or Cosmic Power/Force/Energy. Life exists because of its ability called ‘Association’. The act of associating, the state of being associated; the companionship, the fellowship, and the partnership is the defining feature of the State or Condition, or Act of Living. Association or patnership between energy seeker and energy provider could be described as God-Connection. Organisms that are single do not live as single cells but develop association with other single cells to form distinct Colonies. Organisms that are multicellular represent an organization of individual cells that are associated having common interests, purposes, sensations, etc., Since association has a purpose, in the context of biological existence, the association or connection, or partnership between the energy seeker, and the energy provider is a meaningful event and not a simple, mechanical, physical event governed by the Laws of Interactions between Matter and Energy. There are Four Fundamental Interactions and they do not regulate or define this Interaction between Living matter and the Cosmic Force/Power/Energy. Living matter uses and exploits energy in a creative manner to build organic molecules and to break down organic molecules. The life processes are very similar and yet the results are totally different. While using energy mostly following a similar metabolic pathway, each organism supports its identity and individuality.

WHO HAS ESTABLISHED THE CONNECTION BETWEEN AUTOTROPHS AND HETEROTROPHS? The creative mechanism to trap Solar Energy describes implanted Knowledge to formulate the connection between autotrophs and heterotrophs.

In mitochondria, many substances(food) are oxidized and ATP, the energy-storing chemical of the Cell is produced. The most important equations for living things are mutually inverse. Respiration of humans, and Cellular Respiration represents the reverse of Photosynthesis.

SOUL AND DEATH :

The idea of ‘Soul’ always comes in the context of Death. If man is immortal, we will not be spending our time and energy discussing to verify the existence of an immortal principle. The human subject has a limited life span and it arouses a sense of curiosity about the existence of something that could defy Death. I am trying to define the word ‘Soul’ in a manner to promote an understanding that ‘Soul’ is immortal if we look at man as an Association of individual living cells. We need to establish the Identity of that Individual for whose purpose or interest this Association of Individual living cells exists. If we think of Death as a final event, it is not supported by factual evidence. In this Association, death is a daily event. We simply fail to acknowledge this daily event as there is an immortal principle that is escaping this death experience. The Individual thinks that he is alive and sustains his Individuality without getting overwhelmed by the dying process that is continuous. While the human organism is changing its external appearance and identity all the time, the Individuality survives if ‘Soul’ the vital, or operating immortal principle is functioning. The issue or question about ‘transmigration’ of Soul would not arise if every living organism exists strictly as an Individual with an Individuality. As stated before,man has no choice and he must always exist as an Individual even when we use Reproductive Genetic Engineering Technology to produce identical clones with the same genome. The dissolution of matter may not change the Law of Conservation of Energy. If Soul is defined as the God Connection that gives the ability of energy acquisition, the Soul when removed from a physical object to which it has given Individuality, would operate as per the commands of the Controller of Force/Power/Energy. It provides the possibility of carrying the impressions of a previous state of existence into a new state of existence with a new identity and Individuality. During the life span of a given Individual, an association of cells in which death is a daily event, Soul is a continuous principle as its purpose and interest is to maintain Individuality of that Individual.

SOUL AND THE LIVING CELL :

I define man as a physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual being as I define the term ‘health’ as the physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual well-being of the man in his environment and community and not merely as absence of disease. This definition of ‘health’ would help me to provide ‘comprehensive health care’ in my role as a Primary Care physician. Specialists and Super specialists provide health care in specific areas involving an organ or an organ system.

Jean Paul Sartre had stated that Nothingness(Non-thing or Neant) is a condition of not having Being and yet it is supported by Being. Nothingness comes into the world by the Being-for-itself. The Conscious Knowing-Self or the Essence of man is preceded by the Subjective Reality of physical Existence.

I attach my ideas to some ideas expressed by others. Sartre is a well-known person. He had won the Nobel Prize for literature but declined to accept it. I may not totally agree with him and his views about consciousness. He had stated his view in a manner that people can easily understand. He makes a distinction between objective things and human consciousness. He claims that consciousness is a ‘non-thing’(‘neant’ or nothingness ) and its reality consists in standing back from things and taking a point of view on them. Because consciousness is a non-thing, it does not have any of the causal involvements that things have with other things. If you stand before a mirror, the reflection exists only if it is supported by the presence of a physical being or thing. If the physical thing is taken away, the reflected image is gone but the reflective surface retains its ability to reflect the images of things.

THE BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANE AND CONSCIOUSNESS :

The Biological Membrane is not a simple physical barrier separating the Living Cell from its environment. The Protoplasm or Cytoplasm, the Living Matter uses its Biological Membrane with a sense of awareness or consciousness which recognizes the fact of its existence and the fact of something present in its environment.

In a Living Cell, consciousness reflects its external environment and its internal condition or internal environment. The Living Cell knows, it is aware of its state, fact, and act of its Living. The Living Cell makes contact with its environment by using a cell membrane, a biological membrane, or a bio-membrane. If you carefully look at some of the functions of this membrane, you would discern that the Living Cell has consciousness or awareness of these functions. The Biological Membrane behaves in a conscious manner and it is not a simple, physical barrier between the Protoplasm, the Living Substance and its environment. If the term ‘soul’ describes a vital principle, or a source of Knowledge, it provides the information with which these functions could be performed. Some molecules and ions can freely move across this Bio-membrane and some are actively pumped in or out of the Cell that involves expenditure of energy. The Living Cell has the ability to recognize the condition of its nucleus, if the DNA is damaged, the Cell can initiate a process and cause its own dissolution.

Red Blood Cells display functional subordination to serve the purpose of the Whole Organism. Functional differentiation, and Functional Unity are important to support the existence of the Subject or Individual who is in reality an association of trillions of cells.

In multicellular organism, the consciousness works both at the level of each individual cell and to establish the functioning of the organism as an individual unit. Without functional unity, the organism cannot maintain its biological existence. Cell differentiation is the process by which the individual cells use adaptation to perform specific tasks. Red Blood Cells perform specific tasks.

THE NEURO-BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS :

Reticular Formation of Brain Stem has connections with almost all other parts of the Central Nervous System and it helps to coordinate and integrate actions of different parts of the CNS. It is important for Behavioral Arousal, and the Capacity for Consciousness.

In the human Brain Stem, several neurons, and nuclei which are in an area called Reticular Formation are functionally adapted to compose the contents of human consciousness. The Reticular Formation gives the Capacity for Consciousness. The contents of this consciousness are read in the cortical areas of the cerebral hemispheres and described as Cortical awareness. Most philosophers, most of the psychologists, and several of the religious thinkers pay attention to this Cortical awareness and describe that as human consciousness. We tend to ignore the fact that there would be no Cortical awareness unless there is a Capacity for Consciousness. Most recently, the surgeons had removed the complete left cerebral hemisphere from a child to stop convulsive seizures. The child is alive, fully conscious, and hopefully would continue to live in future with some neurological deficits. Just like the human heart which has four different muscular chambers and each has a function of its own; we need to understand consciousness by knowing its components. We need to use separate terms to distinguish these different components. There would be confusion if a term is used without attaching a specific meaning. Cortical awareness is important and is very interesting and yet man can exist and survive with minimal cortical awareness. We have seen children with severe degrees of mental retardation, and they can keep their biological existence if they retain the ability to Compose Consciousness. I want to designate the upper Brain Stem as the Seat of Consciousness and the word consciousness itself must describe the functions of the Brain Stem which are most important for man’s biological existence. A man is clinically dead in the absence of these Brain Stem functions involved in the Capacity of Consciousness. In Clinical Medicine, the term conscious is often used to measure the degree of Arousal or Cortical awareness and hence this subject matter would remain confusing for a long time. If a subject is unconscious, I would not issue a ‘death certificate’. In Clinical Medicine, the term used is ‘Brain Death’ and when Brain Death is diagnosed, the human person for all practical purposes is dead. I would suggest that we must use the term ‘Unconscious’ specifically to indicate the Brain Death which is diagnosed by testing the Brain Stem Reflexes. If the human person is viewed as a single physical thing or object, the integration of functions is achieved at the Brain Stem( Reticular Formation), and he maintains his individuality throughout his physical existence only when this part of the brain is functioning. If you like the term individual soul or Jeeva Atma, its existence is a reflection of this function. To see a reflection, we need two things; the physical object and a reflective surface. The quality of reflecting objects may depend upon presence of Knowledge. It is not known if this particular kind of knowledge exists as organic molecules; however, it is very well understood that most of the knowledge to perform a variety of biological functions is contained in organic molecules and the most well-known group of these organic molecules are known as DNA. There are Viruses which can function with RNA. Hence, there is still a possibility of finding organic molecules that could be associated with the functional ability called consciousness, awareness, cognition, recognition, responsiveness, perception, memory, intelligence, and association. The most important aspect of ‘association’ is ‘God Connection’ and without this function of ‘association’ man cannot keep his biological existence.

Consciousness is awareness of existence, the facts that relate to the state or condition of existence. Behavioral Arousal and Cortical awareness of thoughts, feelings, and sensations is an important component of total Biological Existence.

IDENTITY AND INDIVIDUALITY :

The Eternal Reality of Soul's Immortality is described in The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter II, verse 12. Lord Krishna spoke to the Pandava Prince Arjuna :"Na tv evaham jatu nasam na tvam neme JanadhipaH;Na chaiva na bhavisyamaH, sarve vayam ataH param." For each of us our Individuality existed in the past and our Individuality will continue in the future without interruption. Certainly, never at any time did I not exist, nor you, nor all these Kings and certainly never shall we cease to exist in the future.

The issue of spirituality, the nature of Soul and consciousness must be explored in the context of arriving at an understanding of man’s Identity and Individuality. If man is viewed as an association of trillions of cells, we need to know the Identity of that Subject who lives because of the functions of the trillions of cells. The purpose of consciousness at cellular level is to foster functional unity of the multicellular organism and to establish it as an Individual. In a multicellular organism, cells have short lives as individuals. The Subject or the whole organism has a life span of its own and it has effects on individual cells. Multicellularity is accompanied by adaptive subordination of all cells to the requirements of the organism as a whole. To achieve proper numerical balance between functionally related cell groups, the death of many cells is necessary for other cells to reach maturity. This programmed cell death plays an important role in embryological development. Such programmed cell death events are essential if the organism as a whole is to develop its normal final form. Waves of genetically driven cell deaths are critical to the proper modeling of organs and organ systems. We need to know and understand that death of cells is a must to establish the Identity and to sustain the Individuality of the human being. The dying process helps man to understand his Individuality. The Individuality is preserved while death is a daily event at the cellular level. The phenotype or the morphological appearance of the human Subject undergoes constant change during the Life journey and yet the Individuality remains unchanged. We recognize the death of this human Subject when his Soul departs from his body. Soul may be stated as an entity which is regarded as being immortal or spiritual part of the person. The Spirit of a dead person generally refers to a principle separate from the body and leading an existence of its own. If Soul is viewed as a Non-thing or Nothingness, it comes into the world of existence by entering the physical being at its conception which becomes conscious or aware of its existence. This consciousness has also existed in a previously existing Living Egg Cell which is the Mother of Life, Energy, and Knowledge. Consciousness by its very nature is immortal, it is eternal, and it has no birth or death. We recognize the arrival and departure of the new product during the Life-Death continuum where the Individuality is unaffected by the changes that are caused by the powerful influence of Time.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970

The Divine Mother of Life, Energy, and Knowledge (bhavanajagat.wordpress.com)
Food and Spirituality (bhavanajagat.wordpress.com)

MENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENTION OF SUICIDE

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

MAN’S PHYSICAL EXISTENCE :

The subjective reality of man's physical existence is conditioned by his physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual well-being.

If man is viewed as a multicellular human organism, we may have to ask ourselves the following question. Who or what is the subject who lives because of the functions of the trillions of cells? Man has to explore the biological basis for his existence in nature. The subjective reality of man’s physical existence is conditioned by his physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual well-being.

MENTAL HEALTH – THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION :

Mental health is an important component of the total positive health when health is defined as not the mere absence of disease, but as a state of man’s physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual well-being. Physical conditions and ailments affect mental well-being. Mental health and well-being could have important consequences affecting the physical, and social well-being of the man and may even threaten his ability to maintain the biological integrity to survive as a human organism. Mental health is defined as the capacity in an individual to form harmonious relations with others and to participate in or contribute constructively to changes in the social environment. A living organism has a tendency to maintain normal internal stability by coordinated responses that automatically compensate for environmental changes. Claude Bernard had explained this concept of ‘milieu interieur’ as that of “all the vital mechanisms, varied as they are, have only one object; that of preserving constant the conditions of life.” This concept of homeostasis, the maintenance of stability and equilibrium is applicable to man’s existence within a social group. A living thing maintains its individuality while being a member of a social group. Mental equilibrium, and mental tranquility is needed to maintain internal stability and for developing harmonious relationships with others present in the social environment. The different constituent parts of one’s personality should work in harmony so that an individual faces life situations rationally, successfully, and happily. The aim of the positive mental health care is to strengthen and develop well-integrated personality by influencing the behavioral pattern of the individual so that psychological situations are controlled by the individual in a logical, and rational manner. The individual while facing challenging life situations must arrive at solutions without disrupting the physical, mental, or social well-being. Mental health comprises the well-being of the intellectual and the emotional components of the mind. The intellectual breakdown of the individual deprives him of logical and rational thinking. The decisions taken will be faulty if the individual is not capable of logical and rational thinking. Such faulty decisions tend to affect the individual’s well-being. Intellectual breakdown is always accompanied by emotional breakdown. Emotional imbalance affects individual’s reactions. The individual may show inability to cope with life situations. The inability to withstand the strain and stress of the life situations could affect the physical well-being of the individual. The aim of this presentation is to understand the nature of man’s essence and existence in the physical world and to use that information to prevent the problem of suicide.

STRESS AND STRESS RESISTANCE :

A person with a well-integrated personality acquires high resistance against stress and will be able to react healthily while confronting unwholesome life situations.

Resistance against mental and emotional breakdown is built up by the autonomic process of integration of personality. It is the normal process of the growth of personality within the group environs. An individual with a well-integrated personality acquires high resistance against difficult situations. The individual will be able to react healthily while confronting unwholesome life situations. A healthy mind and ability to be moulded in an integrated personality depends upon several factors including the physical, social, and psychological environment in which the individual is growing. It also depends upon the culture patterns and attitudes handed down from one generation to the next. From a very young age, integration of the personality proceeds along with intellectual development and emotional moulding. Children must be given a better chance to develop integrated personalities with resistance against stress. Stress stimuli generate a chain of psycho-physical reactions strong enough to cause manifest effects. Personalities can be divided into 5 types according to their ability to resist strain and stress to master a given difficult life situation without a physical or mental breakdown. The same psychogenic stimulus may not cause similar reaction in all individuals. Each person reacts in a different manner according to the level of preformed stress resistance.

GROUP I : Highly stress resistant. These persons have a high level of preformed resistance. They also have the ability to develop resistance within a short time when exposed to stress stimuli. This group comprises of people with well-integrated personalities with dominant will power and power of endurance. They carry out the task even while under great stress without experiencing any negative consequences. They successfully master the stressful and difficult situation. These individuals live in good positive health and may not have a preexisting disease condition or a predisposition to such disease conditions that may undermine the physical and mental aspects of their health and well-being.

GROUP II : These persons have an average amount of preformed stress resistance. They overcome the stressful situation partially. In the attempt to master the stressful situation and to achieve success the person may suffer from precipitation of internal conditions such as hypertension, coronary artery disease and so on when other predisposing factors are also existing. However, the individual completes the task while facing the stressful stimulus. These persons perform better if they maintain good positive health.

GROUP III : These are persons with very low preformed stress resistance. They still have the ability to develop resistance on exposure to a prolonged stressful situation. While performing the task under a stressful situation, they may display psycho-somatic symptoms of the overt stress syndrome.

GROUP IV : These are persons with no preformed stress resistance. They have a very low ability to create resistance upon exposure to a stressful stimulus. These individuals are more likely to abandon the task which may have exposed them to a stressful experience. They would try to escape from stress rather than attempting to create resistance to stress stimuli. If they cannot escape, the lack of stress resistance is manifested in a variety of bizarre symptoms.

GROUP V : These are persons who are non-resistant to stress. They have no preformed stress resistance. They are not capable of favorably reacting to stress producing situation. Their biological existence could be threatened if they are exposed to a stressful situation. They may manifest an overt psychiatric illness apart from the inability to perform a task that could generate the stress reaction. Such individuals must be recognized in their childhood and they must be provided proper environment and psychological counseling.

The part played by stress varies in different individuals according to their basic personalities. The factors that impact the role of stress include environmental influences, community with its varied backgrounds of culture patterns and life habits. Pre-existent resistance against stress reduces the requirement of immediate psycho-physical response. If the problem of suicide is viewed as a stress reaction, prevention of suicide would require promoting the idea of stress resistance.

THE PROBLEM OF SUICIDE :

A man’s right to life is a well-recognized principle. Very often, the law would defend a man’s right to life and would condone the act of killing if it is purely intended for purposes of self-defense. Does a man have the right to kill himself or renounce his life? Suicide is condemned by various societies. Major religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam oppose the practice of suicide. Attempts to commit suicide are punishable by law in several countries. In the East, some cultural traditions have glorified acts of self-immolation or of renouncing life to resist enemy or to defend personal dignity, honor, or as an extreme measure of self-preservation.

To defend her true nature, to preserve her essence, to resist the violation of her personal dignity and honor, Rani Padmini of Chittorgarh, India had courageously responded to a difficult and challenging life situation by an act of self-immolation. Her physical being was destroyed by the fire which she had willingly embraced and yet her spirit has survived. She has declared Victory over Death and she lives as an immortal person in the hearts of Indians and gives them a sense of Pride and Identity. Indian Culture and Tradition glorify the act of giving life to resist the Enemy.

In the West, attitudes have been slowly changing. The law may permit euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide under very special circumstances that affect the quality of life of an individual.

THE PROBLEM OF SUICIDE IN THE ARMED FORCES :

While serving as Medical Officer of Indian Army Medical Corps, I had provided Comprehensive Health Care to the troops and their families. The concept of Fitness to Fight includes both Physical Fitness and Mental Fitness. The goal is to keep the troops Fighting Fit at all times and under all conditions that may impose physical, psychological, social, or biological Stress. Indian Tradition has always paid attention to the well-being of all the aspects of health and it includes the Moral well-being, and the Spiritual well-being of the human being. During the years I had served, the incidence of Suicidal Death in the Indian Armed Forces was minimal.

To the members of the Armed Forces, the problem of suicide is of special significance. The Armed Forces as a military establishment has a very challenging and difficult duty to perform. It has to conserve man-power, keep up the morale of its troops, and retain its fighting abilities and capacities at all times, both during peace and during war. In ethical, and moral terms, Armed Forces believes in the act of killing and accepts the inevitability of causing deaths during the conduct of military operations. Armed Forces also actively prepares its members to overcome the fear of death and willingly exposes its members to the risks of getting killed both for the purposes of training and during actual combat situations. A soldier is not expected to kill himself to escape from the stress of his military duty and at the same time he must retain a very high level of motivation to kill the enemy and be willing to get killed in the performance of his task. Armed Forces selects its members with due care and chooses people with preformed stress resistance and further uses training as a tool to build up the stress resistance level of its members. The qualities of valor, duty, and honor define the essence and the spirit of service and Armed Forces members must exist to display their essence. I had participated in the military operations that were conducted in the Chittagong Hill Tracts during the Indo-Pak War of 1971 and I had encouraged men to overcome stress and had promoted the attitude of stress resistance. Kindly refer to my blog post titled ‘The Victory over Death – The Psychology of Warfare.

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/the-victory-over-death-the-psychology-of-warfare/

THE PREVALENCE OF SUICIDE :

Suicide has become much more common and it ranks as the second or third most common cause of death during adolescence. Suicide is also most pronounced in the older age. The rate of suicide is greatest between the ages of 35 and 75 years with a peak at about the age of 55 years. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in the year 2007, suicide was the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Among ages 65 and older, of every 100,000 people, 14.3 died by suicide in the year 2007. This figure is higher than the national average of 11.3 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population.

THE WARNING SIGNS OF SUICIDE :

Suicide constitutes the greatest risk in manic-depressive psychosis . During depression, or mania, the psychotic individual shows no insight into the abnormal nature of his mood. Depression is a major symptom of neurosis. Attacks of depression are characterized by signs that the person has deep feelings of melancholia( sadness ). The sufferer typically looks unhappy, he feels hopeless and worthless, considers his life a torment. The depressed individual may experience a desire to punish himself by self-destruction and may directly or indirectly express such feelings or thoughts.

The American Society for Suicide Prevention posted these warning signs of suicide, and signs of depression :- Unrelenting low mood, pessimism, hopelessness, desperation, anxiety, psychic pain, inner tension, withdrawal, sleep problems, increased alcohol or other drug use, recent impulsiveness & taking unnecessary risks, threatening suicide or expression of a strong desire or wish to die, making a plan, giving away prized possessions, sudden or impulsive purchase of a firearm, obtaining other means of killing oneself such as poisons or medications, unexpected rage or anger. Changes in attitude, personal behavior could be always discovered and the individual who is at the risk of taking his life could be helped by simple observation.

THE CAUSES OF SUICIDE :

Current research nad thinking on suicide tend to view biological, psychological, social-structural, and social-situational factors as interacting with each other. Sociological theories of suicide usually emphasize the importance of either the social structure or the social situations, and the cultural pressures that individuals face. Psychological theories emphasize personality and cognitive factors.

THE SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY OF SUICIDE :

EMILE DURKHEIM ( April 1858 to November 1917 ) is considered to be founder of the French School of Sociology.

Emile Durkheim in his paper ‘Le Suicide’ published in 1897, had tried to explain the apparent and purely individual decision to renounce life as a product of social forces or ‘social functionalism’. He had introduced the term ‘anomie’ or anomy. Suicide results from the breakdown of social standards that people need to regulate their behavior. A failed society produces in its members a sense of futility, lack of purpose, emotional emptiness, and despair. Anomie is a condition of relative normlessness of a society or social group. It may also mean a state of mind of a person who has no standards or sense of continuity or obligation to maintain his social bonds.

THE PERSONALITY THEORY OF SUICIDE :

The desire to escape depression is the most frequently cited motivation to explain suicide. A personality factor could be involved in persons who believe that suicide constitutes a solution to the problems that they may be facing. The suicide victim’s ideas, beliefs, and ways of thinking have a causal relationship with an underlying personality. The way people view their problems can produce a greater or lesser tendency to depression and suicide.

THE QUEST FOR AUTHENTIC EXISTENCE :

Philosopher, Nobel Laureate Jean Paul Sartre recommended the quest for authentic existence. He had claimed that Suicide is absurd; it is absurd to get rid of what man is(etre-en-soi) as the true subjectivity of man(etre-pour-soi)disappears at the same time.

The Existentialists suggest that a person must find a situation in which he finds his true significance. In his Existentialist book, ‘Being and Nothingness’, philosopher and Nobel laureate Jean Paul Sartre divides the being( the existing reality ) into two categories. One category is called being-in-itself(etre-en-soi ) and it may describe the essence of the man, the sum of the intrinsic properties without which a thing would cease to be what it is. The second category is being-for-itself( etre-pour-soi ) which comprises the being that has thoughts, feelings, and consciousness. The being-for-itself exists only when it is supported by the being-in-itself. Existentialists view man in terms of his existing thoughts and actions rather than in terms of his essence. According to Sartre, man’s own existence is always attempting to overcome a radical estrangement between man as the object of scientific study or man himself(etre-en-soi ) and the subjectivity man knows in his thoughts and consciousness(etre-pour-soi ). A man’s life in the world and his social transactions often conceal his true subjectivity. A sense of authentic existence is given to each person when he realizes his true subjectivity as a being that is conscious. Sartre claimed that suicide is a final act of absurdity. Suicide is absurd; for in getting rid of what man is(etre-en-soi ), the true subjectivity of man(etre-pour-soi) also disappears at the same time.

THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE :

There is no single approach that could be expected to succeed in substantially reducing the incidence of suicide. However, it will not be incorrect to claim that suicide is 100 percent preventable. The act of killing oneself or the action called suicide is totally preventable even when suicidal thoughts may not be preventable. If an individual’s mind is engaged in suicidal thoughts, it may not be possible to prevent those thoughts as the thoughts have already originated. I may succeed in preventing the individual from acting upon his suicidal thoughts. As long as man knows his thoughts, and would not let his thoughts overwhelm him, man can lead a normal life even when the mind explores ideas or thoughts about suicide.

STAY INFORMED AND STAY CONNECTED :

Suicide is totally preventable if man seeks information about his essence and the connection that maintains his existence.

To help prevent suicide, I would like to keep the man informed by sharing the following information, and the man must reflect upon the nature of the ‘connection’ that sustains man’s existence in the physical world.

EXISTENCE PRECEDES ESSENCE :

Existence is the state of being in the world of actuality. Essence is the most significant part of a thing’s nature, the sum of the intrinsic properties without which a thing would cease to be what it is. What is the fundamental nature or quality that is important or essential to define the true substance of the man? To understand human essence, a human being must be defined as a physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual being. The subjective reality of man’s existence precedes and defines man’s essence. Existence is the first priority and must be preserved if man wants to define his nature or essence. To defend human existence, the physical, the mental, the social, the moral, and the spiritual well-being of man must be defended. As I have mentioned before, Indian tradition honors the man who may define his moral, or spiritual essence by putting an end to his physical existence. That is the only exception to the rule. The rule is; human existence does not depend upon the contents of man’s thoughts, feelings, desires, emotions, self-pride or ego. Man must always strive to rationally understand and evaluate his thoughts, feelings, desires, moods, emotions, and self-pride and should not act upon them to compromise his existence which is truly independent of such factors that impact human life. If I think that I must live for two hundred years, the thoughts about a long life span would not change the basis for my biological existence. Similarly, if I think that I must kill myself, the suicidal thought does not alter the basis for my biological existence. Suicidal thoughts do not describe human essence. A stress resistant individual would have the ability to investigate and reflect upon his suicidal thoughts and trace the reason for such thoughts. Stress is a problem that is associated with identity and individuality. The human person is a multicellular organism and man must know as to how the human organism establishes its identity and its individuality. While man seeks to define his essence in terms of his identity, the organism seeks to identify the individuality of the person whose existence the cells of his body tend to support.

IDENTITY AND INDIVIDUALITY – TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN :

If Essence describes one face of the coin, Existence describes the second face of the same coin.

If Identity is described by one side of the coin, Individuality is described by the second side of the same coin.

Mental health is related to the understanding of identity and individuality. We need to understand as to how identity and individuality is established in the multicellular human organism. My mind may define my identity in one manner and my human organism may establish my identity in a different manner. My mind may seek my identity from my thoughts, intellectual information & knowledge, emotions, and false ego. These four aspects of mental activities or functions are named in the Indian tradition as Manas, Buddhi, Chitta, and Ahamkara. These four mental activities are together named as Mano Chatushtayam or AntaHkaranam. Indian tradition asks people to recognize that the true identity of the individual does not pertain to these four aspects of human brain activities. The attempts by man to establish his identity on the basis of his morphological appearance, anthropometric data, biometrical information, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, language, or nation/ place of origin have no biological relevance in terms of supporting the existence of that human individual. Man exists as long as he has the ability to defend his individuality and maintains the integrity of the various physiological/metabolic activities that support the vital functions that impart the quality or condition called Life and keeps the organism living. In the human organism, this functional unity is maintained by an anatomical structure called Brain Stem. Man lives as an individual while the functions of the Brain Stem are intact and man dies if functional activity is not found in the Brain Stem. Man can seek any kind of identity if he could maintain the individuality that the Brain Stem supports. Man is free to change his morphological appearance, can change his sexual identity, can change occupation, speak a different language, change his place of residence, practice a different religion or no religion, and can change the nature of his personal relationships with others while he maintains his individuality as a living organism. A man must be always conscious of his individuality which exists as a distinct entity from his mind and its mental activities. A man could be aware of the presence of suicidal thoughts engaged by his mind and yet maintain his separation from those thoughts. A man who seeks to exist as an individual will have no problem in resisting his thoughts, feelings, emotions, and mood changes. Such mental activities would not overwhelm or overpower the person. The problem of stress would not go away. However, man can become stress resistant. Such stress resistance from psychogenic stimuli is the key for prevention of suicide. The man who is facing challenging life situations represents just one side of the coin, and on the second side is represented the man who is maintains his individuality as a human organism. This separation of identity from individuality gives us the scope to make people stress resistant and to avoid the psychological compulsions of suicidal thoughts. When this separation is established, a man would not act in ways that could harm him in body or mind. To promote mental health, to prevent the consequences of mental disease, we need to give the tools to people to understand and define individuality and identity as two separate aspects of the same coin.

THE ‘SELF’ AND THE ‘KNOWING-SELF’ :

Man could be divided into two categories; the 'SELF' represents man as the physical, mental, and social being; the 'Knowing-Self' represents man as the Moral and Spiritual being. The 'Knowing-Self' could be described as the function of the Reticular Formation of the Brain Stem.

The living human being could be divided into two categories. One category could be called ‘SELF’ that may be compared to Sartre’s Being-in-itself or etre-en-soi. The ‘SELF’ represents man’s state of existence as the physical, mental, and social being. Both Rene Descartes and Jean Paul Sartre had divided man into two categories; 1. a physical or inert substance that has no thoughts, feelings, or consciousness, and 2. the mind that has thoughts, feelings, and is a conscious entity. Sartre had further named the second as the Being-for-itself or etre-pour-soi which is capable of making decisions and giving man the freedom to act according to his freewill. I do not subscribe to the views held by Descartes or Sartre and I would not seek separation of mind and body into two distinct categories. Man is a multicellular organism; the body cannot exist without a mind/brain and the mind/brain cannot exist without a body which has vital organs like lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys. The body and the mind/brain have to function together. I have also stated my view about consciousness. Please visit the page titled, “I AM CONSCIOUSNESS, THEREFORE I AM”

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/i-am-consciousness-therefore-i-am/

Consciousness is not an exclusive psychological function. Consciousness is a biological function that is shared by all living cells which display the attributes such as recognition, sensitiveness, coordination, cooperation, functional awareness, and awareness of external and internal environment and condition. The category that I call ‘SELF’ represents the physical self with various organs and tissues and the mental self which represents mental activities associated with thinking, intellect/knowledge, emotions, feelings, moods, and ego or self-pride. The ‘SELF’ may describe the essence or nature, or identity of the man in terms of the man’s own mental awareness and other people in his environment. The second category that I describe could be called the ‘KNOWING-SELF’. The ‘Knowing-Self’ is aware or conscious of its state and fact of biological existence. It may not always be aware of its external environment. A man who is in a state of sound sleep, a man who is under the influence of drugs, chemicals, or pharmacological agents like anesthetics, or a person with a head injury loses some components of the function called consciousness. However, a man at all times of his living condition is conscious of his internal condition/environment, maintains the state of equilibrium or homeostasis, and supports the vital functions that define his individuality as an organism. The category called the ‘Knowing-Self’ is related to the individuality and in the multicellular human organism this function is served by the Reticular Formation of the Brain Stem which gives the person the ‘Capacity for Consciousness’. Man needs the ‘Capacity for Consciousness’ to compose the ‘Contents of Consciousness’. In the absence of the ‘Capacity for Consciousness’, man has no ‘Contents of Consciousness’ and could be declared dead if the function called ‘Capacity for Consciousness’ could not be sustained. The ‘Capacity for Consciousness’ is essential for man’s biological existence. The ‘Capacity for Consciousness’ is required for man to exist as a moral and spiritual being. Man exists with an intrinsic ability to discern right from wrong, and exists because of his spiritual nature which gives him the ability to acquire energy for his various metabolic, living functions. The category called ‘Self’ may experience all the difficult, and challenging situations posed by life, and the category called the ‘Knowing-Self’ is not subject to these sensory or mental experiences that impact the ‘Self’.

THE GOD CONNECTION :

Man must recognize that his biological existence depends upon energy acquisition. Man leads energy-dependent existence and must acquire energy from external sources right from the beginning of his life journey from the moment of conception. Man does not acquire this energy because of his intellectual effort, or acquired knowledge. The ‘egg cell’ that is fertilized is conscious of its energy dependence and it implants itself into the tissues of the mother who may not be mentally aware of this process called implantation by which the human embryo starts deriving its energy from its mother. This embryo grows and develops into a complex, multicellular organism and continues to derive energy from external sources. This ‘CONNECTION’ between the energy-seeker, and the energy-provider could be called ‘GOD CONNECTION’. Man has no ability to establish this kind of energy acquisition for his survival. If Sun is viewed as the source of extraterrestrial or Cosmic Power, the Solar Energy is trapped by chloroplasts found in the cells of all green plants. This energy is further made available to man by the presence of intracellular organelles called mitochondria which are described as the powerhouses of the cells. Man has no direct control on the nature of this ‘Connection’ and its operation. Man simply exists as there is a Provider for his energy requirements. In good health, or ill-health, under all circumstances and conditions, and during all the stages of his mortal existence, man needs this grace, mercy, and compassion to keep himself alive. This is a supernatural mechanism, or a ‘God Connection’ that supports man while he leads his energy dependent existence. Man who experiences this compassion, mercy, and grace that is sustaining his life would derive a sense of joy and experiences the condition called true happiness. A man who has discovered true happiness cannot experience a mood called depression. It is really hard to kill oneself while the man is connected to a source of Happiness. Man must experience this sense of Joy and Happiness and realize its uplifting power to alter any depressed feeling or mood. If pain is an inevitable aspect of human life, compassion is also an inescapable aspect of human existence. If pain is true, compassion is also equally true. I invite people to find Compassion, Mercy, and the Grace of the Divine Providence in their lives. It would be irrational or absurd to break the God Connection by the act called Suicide.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

THE GRAND DESIGN BY STEPHEN HAWKING – GOD DID NOT CREATE THE UNIVERSE

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

“THE GRAND DESIGN” BY STEPHEN HAWKING – A FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED ARGUMENT :

Stephen Hawking’s The Grand Design is a fundamentally flawed argument. The Universe is a created with a purpose. It is created to provide a home for my human existence. Stephen Hawking has to validate his argument and prove that there is no purpose and there is no design.

The word ‘DESIGN’ means making a preliminary plan for an intended purpose. Could a spontaneous event provide me with a place to live in this Universe? This Universe is designed as it serves me and other life forms a purpose.

Science is knowledge derived from verifiable evidence. An important characteristic of the scientific method is that if a claim is made, it must be verifiable by other people. The word ‘DESIGN’ means to make a plan, or to form a plan in the mind, a purpose, intention, aim for an outcome; a preliminary sketch to work from to produce a thing planned for. Any action, or activity which is spontaneous in nature cannot be a product of ‘Design’. The word ‘CREATION’ means an act that is inspired by a creative thought or influence. Creation cannot be a spontaneous act. Creation is driven by inspiration. Stephen Hawking has not chosen his words carefully and his claims would only add confusion and could be misinterpreted. As a Physicist, and to present a scientific thought or concept, he must present his views not as a matter of faith or belief but that of reason supported by accepted body of information that can withstand verification. The concept of ‘Logical Positivism’ states that, “Something could be said to be true if and only if it could be verified by logical or scientific procedures.” If a ‘Designer’ described as ‘God’ is not known by scientific methods or procedures, it may not mean that the ‘Designer’ or ‘God’ does not exist. Science may provide some understanding of natural principles and Physical Laws that could explain what individuals know and experience about the world around them and inside them. Could we extend scientific methodology of investigation into every field of inquiry? Could we find Truth and Reality as an external experience? Is it possible to visualize Truth and Reality if the Object of our inquiry is not dependent on us for its existence? If I am the subject identified as the ‘Knower’, I can know about the existence of an ‘Object’, if my existence is dependent upon the existence of that unknown ‘Object’. The ‘Designer’ called ‘God’ is not dependent upon me for His existence in the Universe. On the contrary, I recognize that my existence is not truly independent by its nature. I may not gain direct sensory experience of ‘God’ or the ‘Designer’, but the nature of my dependent existence points towards the direction of an entity that may sustain my existence. The Mechanistic Concept described by Dr. Stephen Hawking fails to account for the apparent purpose with which Universe exists and the function of Living systems that populate this Universe.

The State Tree of California, Sequoia sempervirens, Family Taxodiaceae, The Bald-Cypress Family, The Tallest tree in the world. Redwoods could be 385 feet tall. I am using the Redwoods as an example of a Living System to know if God created this Universe.

Is this God’s creation? A vacuum pump cannot pull water to a height of more than 33 feet or about 10 meters These trees pump water upwards using the process of Xylem Transport. During transpiration water is pulled up along a pressure gradient. A transpiring Sequoia would have a pressure in the Xylem of minus 14 atmospheres at the top if the atmospheric pressure at the base of the tree is one atmosphere.

The Redwoods represent the oldest living systems on planet Earth. Some trees have the estimated age of 3,500 years. The Mechanistic concept cannot explain the living functions like water transportation. The Laws of Physics and Chemistry are not adequate. The tree actively uses the chemical energy it generates and pumps up water to an amazing height. If the soil is dry and the atmospheric pressure drops at the base of the tree to a level like 10 atmospheres, this tree maintains the pressure gradient; the pressure at the top drops to minus 25 atmospheres. The tree is conscious of its own state of living and the environment in which it exists and has the ability to exploit Laws of Physics to sustain its own existence.

Sequoiadendron giganteum – The Giant Redwoods represent the Most massive Living Thing on the face of planet Earth. The Giant Redwood could attain an immense height of about 325 feet and trunk diameter of 30 feet.

The Redwoods display the characteristics of intelligence, design, purpose, and ability to function in this Universe as a Living System. The shoot displays the phenomenon called ‘phototropism’ and literally grows towards heavens and the roots grow in a direction away from light and firmly establish the existence of the tree apart from nourishing its growth with water. Mechanistic Laws and principles cannot explain the Living Functions.

THE ‘FINITE’ AND THE ‘INFINITE’ :

St Thomas Aquinas had argued that the ‘finite’ points beyond itself to the ‘Infinite’ as its sustaining cause. I support this argument. Universe includes all matter, and energy that exists. To answer the question about the creation of this Universe and its purpose, we need to reflect upon the sustaining cause of Living Systems of this Universe.

St Thomas Aquinas had suggested that we need to recognize the existence of things that might be objects of everyday experience. Reflection on everyday things and the everyday world reveals it as pointing beyond itself to God as its sustaining cause. Human beings are in process of constant change and the change is not the result of their own efforts, and even when it is, it does not depend on them exclusively. No object in the familiar world can fully account for its own act of existing, nor is it wholly self-sufficient; all are affected from without, operate in an environment that is not their own making. Living Organisms are Finite. The Finite points beyond itself to the Infinite. The system of limited beings, each dependent for its activity on something else of the same kind demands for its completion the existence of a ‘Unlimited Being’, one that is the source of change in other things but is not subject to change itself. Such a ‘Unlimited Being’ would be the ‘First Cause’ or ‘Ultimate Cause’ – it would be the ‘Unconditioned Condition’ of the existence of all other things. St Thomas Aquinas has believed that human reason can produce the definitive proofs of the existence of an Infinite Being.

THE PURPOSE OF UNIVERSE :

What is the purpose of this Universe? If the Universe has no purpose, why does it provide me a place to live in it? Living Systems recognize and display awareness, responsiveness, and consciousness of the Beauty and Order of the Universe which provides them a Natural Habitat.

The Greek word for Universe is ‘COSMOS’ which stands for Beauty and Order. The Universe is everything that exists; all matter and energy; all living, nonliving matter, and all forms of energy including the chemical energy that living entities use to establish, and to sustain their existence in support of various living functions. The Universe is immense and could be of unknown proportions. Earth is nearly 13,000 km across, a tiny speck among myriads of larger and smaller specks in the Universe. I seek the Knowledge of the Universe as it exists with a purpose. The purpose of the Universe is to provide me and other life forms a place to live in it.

THE PLANETS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM :

Each planet of our Solar System exists as a unique, original, one of its own kind of object.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are known as the terrestrial planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are planets of the Outer Solar System. Pluto could be viewed as an Interplanetary Object if not as the ninth planet of Solar System. Earth is the only planet with vast expanses of liquid water. Earth has a Nitrogen-Oxygen atmosphere filled with water vapor. Earth has a magnetic field indicative of a liquid metal core with electric currents in the metal.

The Rotational Spin of Planets :

The creation of Day and Night could be stated as a purpose of this Rotation.

If a mechanism serves an apparent purpose, could it be the outcome of a ‘Design’?

A mechanical force is required to impart an initial momentum to spin an object. The force that initiated the rotational spin has also generated the “ILLUSION” of Sunrise and Sunset.

Moon is our nearest celestial object. Its rotation and revolution serves a purpose.

The Strange Story of Mercury – There is a curious relationship between Mercury’s Rotation and its orbital Revolution around the Sun. Mercury has a 59 day period of Rotation and 88 day orbital Revolution period. This provides a striking contrast to appreciate Earth’s Rotation and Revolution.

Planet Mars has a Rotation period similar to Earth – 24 hours 37 minutes, but the seasons in Mars are twice long and the year in Mars is twice long as compared to Earth. Mars has very thin carbon Dioxide atmosphere and is also characterized by the paucity of organic molecules. The mechanical Laws of Physics are important and they provide interesting explanations to our observations of this Universe.

Venus is Earth-sized. Venus has a rotation unlike that of Mercury, Earth, and Mars which have ‘Prograde Rotation’-spin from west to east. Venus has ‘Retrograde’ Rotation-spin from east to west. Venus’ spin is also unusually very slow, taking 243 days to make a complete turn on its axis. Venus is very hot due to its Carbon Dioxide atmosphere and the Greenhouse Effect. Venus cannot support life.

Planet Uranus provides the contrast that I need to know about the planets of our Solar System. It is different from Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. What is the purpose? It tells me that Earth functions with a purpose.

Different planets have different rates of rotation. We use Earth’s spin to define coordinate systems for locating objects both on the ground and the sky. The timekeeping system that we use is related to the rotation of the Earth. My human existence in this Universe is synchronized with the rotational spin of the Earth. The spin gives me alternating periods of light and darkness known as Day and Night while the Sun is shining all the time. The material energy that imparted the necessary momentum to initiate the rotational spin could be described as “MAYA”; a Fundamental Force that causes Illusion. The illusion of Sunrise and Sunset governs my Biological Rhythm which is named as Solar Rhythm, Diurnal Rhythm, and Circadian Rhythm. The Laws of Physics may give an explanation for the rotational spin of planet Earth. However, I claim that the rotational spin has a purpose. The purpose of the rotational spin of planet Earth is to transform my “FUTURE” into “PAST” and my “PRESENT” is a mere instant in this Future-Past Continuum. My body experiences aging using an internal timing mechanism which measures the length of my days and nights that I spend on planet Earth. This timing mechanism known as ‘Biological Clock’ has a plan for my dissolution as an Individual at the end of a predetermined time. My life span is governed by the rotational spin of Earth, a product of ILLUSION called ‘MAYA’. If in Truth and Reality, I exist as an Eternal Entity; an Entity that is never born, Unborn, which has no Beginning, no Middle, and no End; the rotational spin generates the ILLUSION of my Dissolution. The methodologies used by Science may not have the ability to refute or establish the Truth and Reality of the Human Existence with a Past, Present, and a Future.

The Biological Clock serves a purpose. It has a plan for my ‘Dissolution’. However, it is managed by a Fundamental Force called ‘MAYA’ which generates an ‘Illusion’; the ILLUSION of Sunrise and Sunset while the Sun is shining all the time. What is Reality?

Please also view my blog post titled ‘Earthly Existence – The Cosmic Connection’

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/the-creation-of-day-and-night-a-synchronized-existence/

Rudra N. Rebbapragada/R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.,

Organization: The Spirits of Special Frontier Force.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Spirits-of-Special-Frontier-Force/362056613878227

God did not create the universe: Stephen Hawking

http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4332342&page=0

London: British physicist Stephen Hawking has said that the creation of the universe was a result of the inevitable laws of physics and it did not need God’s help.

In his latest book titled “The Grand Design”, Hawking writes: “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.”

He rejects Isaac Newton’s theory that the universe did not spontaneously begin to form but was set in motion by God. He wrote in the 1988 book: “If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason — for then we should know the mind of God.”

“It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch-paper and set the universe going,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Hawking as writing in his current book.

Hawking argues that the Big Bang which resulted in the creation of the Solar System and planets, including the earth, was the result of the inevitable laws of physics and God was nowhere in the picture. Earlier, a few scientists, including Hawking himself, had said that the spark plug that kick-started the universe through the Big Bang was probably provided by God.

Extracts of The Grand Design was published in Eureka magazine in The Times. And in that Hawking is quoted as saying: “It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch-paper and set the Universe going.”

Hawking had been putting forward the `no-God’ theory for quite some time. In June, he had told a Channel 4 series that a “personal” God did not exist.

“The question is: is the way the universe began chosen by God for reasons we can’t understand, or was it determined by a law of science? I believe the second. If you like, you can call the laws of science ‘God’, but it wouldn’t be a personal God that you could meet, and ask questions.”

However, there are unexplained phenomena in astrophysics. For example, researchers are yet to identify the `dark matter’ that comprise over 75 per cent of the universe. Black holes, dark energy and God’s particle — phenomena that resulted either in the formation of the universe or in its death, have not been conclusively explained by science.

The Grand Design, co-written by American physicist Leonard Mlodinow, is published on September 9.

THE PROBLEM OF TIBET – EVICT THE OCCUPIER

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

His Holiness Dalai Lama turns 75 on July 06, 2010.

How to describe the Problem of Tibet?

THE LAND OF TIBET – “THE ROOF OF THE WORLD” :

In size Tibet is as large as three States of Texas combined. It is surrounded by four of the world's ten highest mountains. It is home to about six million Tibetan people.Communist China's military occupation has changed the population composition of this Land.

All the major rivers of Asia have their origin in Tibet.

Bos grunniens, a long-haired, stocky, wild ox of Tibet is often domesticated as a beast of burden, for its milk, meat, and its butter which is used to light the butter lamps in Gompas, Tibetan Places of Worship.

Tibet is the highest plateau in the world and it came into existence when the landmass of India had joined the Asian landmass. All the major rivers of Asia have their origin in Tibet. These rivers support the lives of about 2 billion human beings. The ecology of Tibet is critical in view of global warming and scarcity of water. It has been recorded and found that the rate of warming is faster in Tibet. The mountains are experiencing less snowfall, and the glaciers that feed the rivers are melting and fading away. The extraction of mineral resources, the exploitation of natural resources like forests, and hunting of unique, native animals, the construction of dams and barriers across rivers flowing in Tibet pose dangers to fragile Tibetan ecology. The problem of Tibet is not merely an environmental issue.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM OF TIBET ?

United States Congress honored His Holiness Dalai Lama with a Gold Medal during a ceremony in Washington,DC in 2007. President George W Bush, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and US Senator Robert C Byrd are seen in the photo. Senator Byrd, the longest-serving member of the US Congress has died at the age of 92 after almost six decades in office. America has lost a voice of Principle and Reason. It is a time for us to reflect upon the Problem of Tibet.

Historically, Tibet has existed in a serene and unperturbed state for several centuries. Tibetan people are naturally born free and maintained their traditional sense of Freedom in spite of invasions by foreign forces. In October 1950, Communist China’s People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibetan soil and had occupied it. This military occupation of Tibet poses a direct threat to Tibetan way of life; a direct threat to Tibetan Culture, Tibetan Religion, Tibetan Language, and the ethnic composition of the people of this Land. The problem of Tibet is not simply a concern about Human Rights and Religious Freedom. The Problem of Tibet involves Human Freedom and Human Dignity. Military occupation of Tibet is the very opposite of Human Freedom and Human Dignity.

THE RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF TIBET :

The Flag of Tibet symbolizes the Resolution of the Problem of Tibet. Tibetans have the natural Right to Human Freedom and to live in Dignity.

I am not a “SEPARATIST.” I am not seeking SEPARATION of Tibet from China. Tibet is not and has never been a part of China. SEPARATION is not the issue. Tibet is seeking its own existence and its own identity. Tibet is not asking for a new identity or creation of a new state from Chinese territory. Tibet is not demanding a surgical operation to carve out a new nation from an existing nation known as People’s Republic of China. The Problem of Tibet simply relates to the military occupation of the Land of Tibet by China. This Problem could be resolved by the Eviction of the Occupier. It is just to demand such eviction of an illegal occupier. Military occupation is the cause of this Problem of Tibet and eviction of this military force is the resolution that I would want in Tibet.

Please also read my blog post titled ‘India – The Land of Gautama Buddha’ dated July 26, 2007

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2007/07/26/india-the-land-of-gautama-buddha/

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

DEFINING INDIAN IDENTITY – LISTEN TO THE HEART

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

Ambaa Shambhavi Chandramouli Rabalaaparnaa Umaa Parvati,

Kali Hemavati Shivaa Trinayani Katyani Bhairavi

Savitri nava yauvanaa Shubhakari Samrajya Lakshmipradaa,

Chidrupee Para Devataa Bhagavati Sree Raja Rajeswari.

The opportunity to serve in the Indian Armed Forces works like a powerful magnet.It draws into its folds the youth of the country from a multitude of villages that dot our landscape.My service in uniform gave me the wonderful opportunity to personally know and get acquainted with a broad spectrum of Indian population.The Indian Identity that I would describe is the product of such direct and first hand experience of the people of my land.

After a brief and exciting period of basic military training in the historical city of Lucknow,in the State of Uttar Pradesh,my tour of duty took me to the city of Ambala Cantonment in the State of Haryana.The name Ambala is very dear to my heart.Traditionally,Indians would not desire to fight the evil and dark forces.They would rather prefer to rely upon the names of the mighty Lords that they worship.It is Shiva,Vishnu,Rama and Krishna who would fight the battle on their behalf and Indians could simply sit back and relax and watch the demons getting vanquished.But when a physical fight becomes inevitable and when pushed to confront an enemy and to take up the challenge personally,Indians derive their strength and they get infused with courage by remembering with adoration the name of BHAVANI,also known as DURGA,AMBA,KALI or simply referred to as MATA(MOTHER).That name is used as the battle cry.That name is the armour of divine protection they prefer to use on the front lines of war fields.When the confrontation is real,nothing works better than the sweet name of AMBA.Hence Ambala has represented to me the willingness and the determination of Indians to fight the battle against the enemy.On my second tour of duty in Ambala,I could proudly wear the emblem of Black Elephant on my left arm.Black Elephant is an elite fighting force and the military station of Ambala is its home.

I arrived in Ambala during 1970 and had reported to the Military Hospital on my very first posting.My first assignment in the Hospital was that of an internship in the surgical division.The senior surgical specialist at that time was Major Mohan Pal Dhir.The advice he had given me was that I should get acquainted with the patients and should try to know them as if they were my personal friends.I was given the charge of two surgical wards.My first priority was not learning the principles of surgery and the technique of surgical procedures.As an Officer-in-Charge of the ward,my first duty was to learn and remember the rank,name and regimental affiliation of each patient.It sounded pretty easy but in practical terms it was really difficult.The working hours were totally consumed with processing the medical information and preparing patients for surgical evaluation and procedures.My office staff would meticulously document all the personal information and there was no time to read that again.The patient interrogation is primarily intended to obtain the relevant medical information about their physical ailments and documenting the medical case history.It was easy to remember the medical information rather than their personal details.Since I had grown up in India,I had accepted the advice of my senior with some earnestness.The only way I could find time to know personally all the men in my wards was by returning to the Hospital and spend my evening hours conducting personal interviews with each one of them.We had a variety of sports and recreational facilities and a very lovely Officers’ Club right in front of our Hospital.But I had to ignore such perks of my Service.Thus my journey in uniform had included a commitment to know the men at a personal level.

A SIMPLE EXPERIMENT TO KNOW THE HEART :

Soon after I had assumed the charge of the surgical wards,during one of my evening visits,my office staff had reported that one of the patients had lost his expensive wrist watch.While taking a shower,the patient had removed the watch and forgot to recover it.Within a short time,the watch had disappeared.It was apparent that the watch got stolen by some other patient.I could have simply notified the Military Police and asked them to investigate the incident.Or,I could have used my authority and could have ordered that all patients should be confined to their beds and directed the staff to conduct a thorough search of their personal belongings.But I lack the temperament of a law enforcement official.I depend upon my ability to observe things and derive answers from such observations.What I had observed was the fact that in India,people share a common concern about truth.Truth or reality can not be concealed.Whatever a person may do,in the person’s heart,the truth is always known.If you would listen to the person’s heart,the truth could be revealed.I had announced to my staff that I would like to listen to the heart beat of each of my patient and ascertain the truth for myself.They assembled and lined up all patients in front of my office and they marched in one after the other.I conducted this little experiment in absolute silence.No questions were asked.I carefully listened to their heart beats.After having done so,I had demanded that the watch should be returned to the place from where it was picked up and if not , the truth would only bring humiliation to the culprit.The purpose of the experiment was not to directly identify the culprit but it intended to give him a chance to search his own heart and reveal the truth.Next day,when I came to work,my staff had cheerfully reported that the watch had reappeared in the bath room and was returned to the owner.

INDIA-THE LAND OF SATYA AND DHARMA :

India is the land where people’s psyche has a deeply embedded concern about SATYA(TRUTH).It is a fundamental belief of all of its people.They believe that TRUTH is GOD and they would define that GOD is TRUTH.The powerful effects of TIME would dissolve and destroy all things that are unreal and in the end only TRUTH will remain and TRUTH would prevail.On our National Emblem, the Motto of the Nation is described as ” SATYA MEVA JAYATE ”(TRUTH alone would triumph).Indians cherish the value of Truth and would prefer to merge into that unchanging,ETERNAL REALITY.Nothing else would save them from certain destruction.DHARMA or Right Conduct in its simplest context would mean to Indians that they should fulfil the promise they had given.They are afraid of the consequences of a false utterance.The Story of RAMAYANA touches the hearts of Indians.It is no surprise that RAMA is their beloved Hero.He represents the values that Indians cherish to possess.The nobility of Rama lies in the fact that He had chosen to obey His father with a sincere desire that the father should fulfil the promise he had given to his wife and help him to uphold the enduring principle of adherence to Truth.

It is no surprise that Rama is a beloved Hero. He upheld the values that most Indians value and cherish.

Indians carry their identity in their hearts.The identity is simply revealed by listening to their hearts.When you listen,you would know that all of them share a concern that TRUTH alone would prevail at the end of the day. As a member of medical profession, I can observe man in good health, in sickness and disease, and eventually in his death and dissolution. I also observe man’s reaction to his own condition and state of existence. I observe the physical, mental, and psychological aspects of the man’s condition. My experiment which had involved listening to the heart beats of my patients in the Surgical Ward was not intended as a ‘Lie Detector Test’. A typical Lie Detector Test describes a ‘Polygraph’ used on persons suspected of lying; it records certain bodily changes which are assumed to occur when the subject lies in answering questions. The objective of my experiment was not that of finding any bodily response or change in heart beat in response to any question. I was not trying to discover a lying person. The person who had stolen the watch knows the truth, the fact that he had stolen. Through my experiment I had tried to evoke an emotional reaction from that person. That subject had emotionally reacted to my experiment in the manner that I had expected. He had admitted the truth by simply returning the watch and I had not questioned him directly or indirectly if he had taken the watch. I did not find the lying person, but I have proved that the man had an actual psychological concern about truth.  Medicine cannot stop death and Truth cannot be delivered as a prescription. I had observed some of the funeral processions in India. People either chant “Ram naam Satya hai” ( The name Rama is eternal Truth ), or the “Hare Rama Mantra”. Man whose physical body experiences death and dissolution could not be true. If man is mortal, Indian mind seeks comfort from an idea that is not subject to mortality.

Dr.R.Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, A.P., India.,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

PAIN AND COMPASSION – PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

Image via Wikipedia

: Lord Gautama Buddha has laid the foundation for understanding Pain and Suffering that is implicit in Human Existence.However, Buddha had failed to recognize the second face of the same coin that represents the nature of human existence. In Pain or Joy, man exists because of the Power/Force/Energy of Mercy/Grace/Compassion of the LORD, the Creator of man and all that exists.

Lord Gautama Buddha claimed that pain, suffering, and the experience of sorrow(‘DUKHA’) is implicit in Human Existence. There is no escape from sorrow. Fortunately, there is hope. When man recognizes pain or sorrow in the lives of others, it spontaneously arouses the feelings of Compassion, which is described in Sanskrit language as Karuna, or Krupa. If pain is a part of human existence, compassion is an instinctive response generated by human nature. The problem is, man unfailingly recognizes his own pain and sorrow and pays no attention to the pain and sorrow that is being experienced by others. When I recognize my pain or feelings of sorrow, I may generate a feeling of self-pity and not that of compassion. Compassion acts like a physical force, power, or energy. It has the ability to uplift man from pain and his experience of sorrow. However, self-pity has no such uplifting power. As a human, I can only use compassion to serve others and not for promoting my escape from pain or mental misery. People who do not recognize this Divine Force of Mercy, Grace, and Compassion often live in a state of self-pity. The instinct of compassion comes into play when man reacts to pain that he witnesses and responds to it. I can only use this force of compassion to serve others and not for securing my own well-being.

WHAT DO I GET IF I RESPOND WITH COMPASSION ?

Any act of compassion, or an act of kindness gives the performer an experience of Joy or Sweetness. It is a physical, and a mental experience. It is a whole body experience. A person who responds to an instinctive impulse generated by the force of compassion accomplishes his task of serving another person without the experience of physical or mental fatigue. The burden of providing assistance becomes light and the task itself provides a sensation of Joy or Sweetness as it is being performed or accomplished. The mind, and body collectively share this experience.

PRAYER TO ACKNOWLEDGE COMPASSION :

The Lord of Compassion is described as MADHAVA and His Energy/Power/Force of Compassion is personified as MADHAVI. The Lord is always accompanied by His Energy, His Consort.

Prayer is an acknowledgment of God’s Power/Force/Energy of Compassion, Grace, and Mercy. There is no human existence in the absence of this Energy. All living organisms and entities lead an energy-dependent existence. We exist as energy seekers and we exist because of an Energy Provider. In good health or sickness, and at any stage of human existence, from conception until death, man is energy-dependent and he has no other choice apart from this Divine Providence. The following is a hymn in Sanskrit language that acknowledges the immense power of compassion :

Muukam karoti Vaachalam, Panghum langha ye tey girim,

Yat Krupaa ta Maham, Vande Paramananda Madhavam.

The person described as mute(Muukam), and Disabled(Panghum) in this prayer is not me. It is the other human being whom I recognize as mute, or handicapped. I can recognize the pain, the condition, or the physical state of this person even while he is speechless. I am empowered to gain information as if the mute person is able to communicate fluently the information about his condition. In practical terms, the mute person is transformed into a person who can speak effortlessly(Vaachalam). Similarly, the handicapped person who cannot walk or climb, overcomes all obstacles and will be able to cross over the hills(Girim). The man afflicted by disability need not walk. I am empowered by compassion and I would lift him and move him over the obstacles in his path. This prayer motivates me to use the uplifting force of compassion. While I am not physically strong or powerful, the energy of compassion lightens my physical burden and makes the task easier for me to complete without over stretching myself. The Divine Providence is identified as ‘Paramananda Madhava’. Ananda means Joy or Happiness. Paramananda means Great Joy or Perfect Bliss. The Lord gets the name of Madhava as the personification of His Energy of Compassion is described as Madhavi. Madhavi is a word derived from ‘MADHU’ which means honey, nectar, or sweetness. The Lord is always accompanied by His Energy, His Consort Madhavi. When Lord Madhava applies this Force called Madhavi, the experience would impart a sensation called ‘Madhurya’ or Sweetness in the person who is the beneficiary and also in the benefactor who is acting on behalf of the Lord in response to the instinct called compassion.

During Indo-Pak War of 1971, in the conduct of military operations in Chittagong Hill Tracts, we had experienced a sense of Joy called Madhurya. Myself, and a team of about 65 soldiers had medically evacuated our battle wounded soldiers carrying them in improvised stretchers. We had covered a total distance of over eighty miles in less than 24 hours which included a night halt. None of us had experienced sore feet, leg cramps, muscle fatigue, or mental anxiety or irritation. The patients also remained in a stable condition in spite of blood loss, and painful injuries.

PAIN TOLERANCE AND PAIN RESISTANCE :

The Art of Battlefield Medicine demands adequate Pain management. Pain aggravates circulatory collapse/SHOCK caused by blood loss. Transportation of critically injured battle wounded persons also aggravates the pain sensation. By providing care and comfort, by treating wounded persons with kindness, and compassion, I had recognized that I could manage their pain with minimal use of narcotics or other medications used in pain relief. Compassion exerts a positive influence and alters the perception of the pain sensation. Under the influence of compassion, man learns pain tolerance.

People have various degrees of pain tolerance. I have practically experienced that by providing care, and comfort, by treating people with kindness and compassion, I can increase their physical capacity to tolerate pain. The beneficiary, and the benefactor who serves with compassion, both equally experience a sense of Joy and tend to become Pain Tolerant and Pain Resistant. Compassion has a quality and it gives the man a capacity to tolerate and resist a far greater amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain as compared to an individual who has not experienced the force of compassion.

ADVANTAGES OF PAIN TOLERANCE AND PAIN RESISTANCE :

King of Pop, Michael Jackson died unfortunately as a consequence of an inappropriate use of a pain killer. His pain was not managed in a manner that could have avoided this tragedy.

The person who is Pain Resistant or Pain Tolerant would not need high doses of pain killers. Such Pain Tolerant persons would not use drugs to alter mood or to elevate mood. The Pain Resistant person would not use recreational drugs like alcohol, tobacco, or other chemical substances. He is not prone to the problems of Drug Addiction or Drug Abuse and Drug Dependence. He would not need drugs to relieve Anxiety, or Depression as he is not likely to be susceptible to states of mental anxiety or mental depression. He would not routinely use drugs for pain relief as the body has made psychological adjustments for its level of pain perception . We need to know people who depend upon drugs to live their lives. If Michael Jackson is alive, he would tell us about his drug-dependent human existence. There are millions of such human beings who live using drugs and they would be only experiencing self-pity. If we recognize the Force of Divine Providence called Compassion, we could help people and help them to live a life without drugs.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SELF-GRATIFICATION AND COMPASSIONATE SERVICE :

Self-gratification would provide a man with an experience of sensual pleasure. It is a pleasing and enjoyable experience while it lasts. The problem is that of addiction. The mind, and body would demand more and more of such sensual pleasure experience. Without further self-gratification, man becomes miserable. The experience of Joy or Sweetness associated with Compassion is not addictive. It would not lead to compulsive behavior and would not contribute to Behavioral Disorders. We need to address this issue of pain and its experience. Our aim should not be that of providing maximal pain relief using drugs. We need to serve people experiencing pain using the force of compassion and transform their lives and make them pain tolerant and pain resistant while enjoying the sense of Pure Joy and Sweetness inherent in service with Kindness and Compassion.

Please view my related blog post titled ‘Krupa – A Force to Preserve Human Existence

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/krupa-a-force-to-preserve-human-existence/

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S., Class of April 1970.

The Celebration of Spring Season (bhavanajagat.wordpress.com)
The Science of Consciousness (bhavanajagat.wordpress.com)

TIME’S POWER OF HEALING – A DIVINE GIFT

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN :

TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS - DOES IT DESCRIBE THE POWER OF TIME?

THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES AND CONCEPTS ABOUT TIME :

The words of the Preacher, the son of King David, King in Jerusalem, Solomon the Wise.

King Solomon is believed to be the author of The Book of Ecclesiastes, The Old Testament Book of Holy Bible. These are his words from Chapter 3, verses 1-11 :

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under Heaven:

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

THE HEALING POWER OF TIME :

Human existence could be challenged by physical and psychological injuries. A physical injury could also cause a significant amount of psychological damage and to a similar extent, unhealed psychological wounds may impair physical health and wellbeing. A psychological insult or injury may impact the activities and the normal functioning of a person who is not otherwise physically diseased. Human body is naturally endowed with an ability to repair damage caused to body tissues by physical injuries and other insults. The Repair process by which body heals itself is described as Inflammation and Repair. Human existence is possible because of this valuable, and protective natural healing process. However, this healing process and mechanisms are not under man’s voluntary control. The inflammatory reaction and the repair process result in scars as remnants. Once inflammation has subsided, the body may heal by regeneration of original tissue or the original tissue could be replaced by fibrotic connective tissue leading to scarring; very often wounds heal by a combination of these two events. Different tissues in the human body have different regenerative capacities. Basing upon the ability of regeneration, three different types of cells make up the human body: 1. Labile Cells – have the ability to regenerate throughout life. The epithelial cells of skin surface are regenerated on a regular basis giving us the ability to sustain our physical appearance as long as we live. Several other cells particularly found in blood, lymph, and spleen have this ability. 2. Stable Cells – have the ability to multiply and proliferate throughout life but are dormant unless stimulated. The cells of liver, pancreas, kidney, smooth muscles such as found in the wall of intestines, and the cells of the inner lining of blood vessels belong to this category. If a part of liver is removed, the liver can regenerate new liver cells and the resected liver regains its original size. 3. Permanent Cells – these cells do not have the ability to replicate and when injured or damaged are always replaced by connective tissue that results in loss of function. Neurons, skeletal muscle cells, and cardiac muscle cells belong to this type. The injury of neurons may cause paralysis. The injury of cardiac muscle cells may cause heart failure or cardiac arrest.

The natural process of Wound Healing is Time related.

The human body’s ability to heal itself also depends upon the nature of the insult and the agent causing the injury. Several physical, chemical, and biological agents have a great potential to cause severe damage and result in structural and functional impairment of the body from which recovery is not possible. Wound healing and restoration of function represent a process critical to the practice of Surgery. Surgeons are able to provide curative and restorative services because of the human body’s natural ability to heal itself.

TYPES OF WOUND HEALING :

The Healing of Wounds takes Time and the Types of Wound Healing is also related to the Time Factor.

Wound Healing is the process in which a physical injury ( like a cut injury ) undergoes repair with restoration of intrinsic tissue strength and function and also with resistance to infection and other external influences. Wound Healing is affected by the type of the Wound. Clean, sterile wounds that are not at the risk of contamination by other body secretions from the gastrointestinal tract, the genitourinary tract, or the respiratory tract heal better. Infected wounds and contaminated wounds heal slowly. If a wound is suspected to be contaminated the wound is often left open to evaluate the problem and to control any infectious agent. There are three types of Wound Healing described.

1. Primary Intention or First Intention Wound Healing – Primary Union occurs when there has been little tissue damage, the wound is clean and is not contaminated by foreign matter, the wound is not infected, and the wound edges are closely approximated and are in proper contact. The edges of a wound should be approximated as early as possible after the injury. The surgical procedure known as Primary Wound Closure allows the wound to heal by First Intention. These wounds heal rapidly with minimal amount of scarring. A Surgeon while operating inflicts clean incised wounds and closes the wounds at the end of the surgical procedure. Nature takes over the process of Healing which proceeds in a timely fashion.

The Natural Wound Healing Process known as Inflammation and Repair involves several different kinds of body cells and chemical mediators. Macrophage is one such cell. It eats up dead tissue and devours harmful bacteria, and engulfs foreign matter present in the wound.

2. Second Intention Wound Healing – It will not be possible to close wounds immediately after an injury if the wound is large, and the two skin edges are not in contact; the wound contains a lot of dead tissue or foreign matter, or is infected. The wound could be intentionally left open until the surgeon could make it clean. Sometimes, the injured person arrives late after sustaining an injury. The time of injury is of critical importance in choosing a course of action for its healing. The surgical procedure known as Delayed or Secondary Closure brings about healing by Secondary Union. Apart from the delay in Wound Healing, the resulting scar tissue is also more extensive.

3. Third Intention Wound Healing – Sometimes, the wound is left open and is observed for several days because of low-grade bacterial contamination. Eventually, when the wound looks healthy and the wound edges are healthy, the Surgeon would close the wound allowing it to heal by Third Intention. Depending upon the amount of loss in skin surface, and the size of the wound, skin grafts may be needed for Wound Healing and the process is delayed until suitable graft material is procured and the grafting process concludes successfully.

Wound Healing is affected by several factors that affect human body. A healthy person recovers faster and better if he is injured. When the health is compromised, the recovery from the wounds would be unsatisfactory. Malnutrition, protein deficiency, iron deficiency, Vitamin-C ( Ascorbic acid ) deficiency, diseases of liver and kidneys delay the natural healing process. Conditions causing poor blood supply( Peripheral Arterial Disease ), diabetes, other severe systemic diseases and infections like Tuberculosis can affect wound healing. After Wound Healing, the tissue never regains its original strength that existed prior to the injury. An uncomplicated wound, six months after its healing has about 80 percent of its original strength. Most wounds continue to remodel for more than one year. First Intention healing would generally produce cosmetically acceptable scars. Some scars are unsightly with a raised surface but the scar lies entirely within the confines of the wound. These Hypertrophic scars eventually stabilize in about six months time and are amenable to further cosmetic surgical correction to improve the appearance and to restore the function of the affected body part. Scars known as ‘Keloids’ invade nearby normal tissue that was not previously involved in the wound. This type of scar continues to enlarge even after six months time and does not usually regress or soften. The Keloids cause cosmetic disfigurement which is not easily treatable. Time plays an important role in all the aspects of Wound Healing and Wound Management and exerts an unique influence of its own in the outcomes.

THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN AND THE EXPRESSION OF GRIEF :

The disfigurement caused by Leprosy is known to humanity for several centuries. This disfigurement is caused by the involvement of nerves and the loss of sensory functions.

We seek help and medical attention for our physical injuries and wounds because of our ability to experience pain.The experience of the physical sensation of pain is of utmost importance in defending and in preserving human existence. If the neurological function of pain perception is blunted or impaired for any reason, the recovery from physical wounds would be delayed and the body sustains further physical damage. Pain is of utmost importance in Clinical Medicine, both for diagnosing an underlying medical condition, to watch the progress, and in treating the condition. The human body that can not express pain or experience pain is at a great risk of harming itself. Psychological insults and injuries also cause pain and grief. To experience mental pain or grief is a natural protective, and defensive mechanism. Such ability to perceive pain from psychological attacks and insults is important to preserve the integrity and existence of the entire organism. By expressing grief, body initiates the natural healing process. While physical wounds need to be closed to help them heal faster, psychological wounds need to be exposed to bring about their healing. Emotional pain and grief must not be concealed. By properly expressing mental grievances, mind gets a chance to purge the negative emotions generated by the psychological assault. The grievance must be reported to a friend, a relative, a therapist, a priest, or to the Law Enforcement and if no such avenue is available it must be submitted to the God the person believes. Psychological wounds when hidden, fail to heal.

Psychological Injuries and Insults Heal with passage of Time. The Pain is eased as the painful event becomes more distant and the memory of the event starts fading. Apart from memory function, Time may alter our perception of the Psychological Attack and the Injury.

Time exists even when there is no conscious entity with its awareness of past, present, and the future. Time exists not because of human memory of past events, awareness of present, and expectation of future. Time exerts an influence of its own which changes our perception of events and alters the course of consequences. A person with very good memory function would experience less pain with the passage of time after sustaining psychological trauma. The qualities of patience, tolerance, and forbearance increase our ability to withstand physical and mental pain. In the Sanskrit language, the qualities of patience, tolerance, and forbearance are described as ‘KSHAMA’. These qualities not only make the individual Stress Resistant and Resilient, they would also allow the Time’s Power of Healing to come into play. Indians seek the quality of KSHAMA to withstand the consequences of physical and psychological wounds and they believe in the concept of Time as a Healer of all Wounds.

THE DIVINE HEALING POWER OF TIME :

Susruta, Surgeon of Ancient India - Surgical Care and intervention is possible only because of the body's intrinsic ability to heal its wounds. Surgery would be impossible without this Natural Gift of Inflammation and Repair.

By simply repeating and remembering the two letters, "RA", "MA" serves like a Medicine while man confronts the problems of Healing and the consequences of physical and psychological wounds. Indian Culture offers RAMA as a Medicine to all the illnesses and injuries that may afflict human existence and survival. The Indian Concept of Time describes its Divine Healing Potential and Rama provides KSHAMA, the patience, tolerance, and forbearance that is needed for Time to exert its Divine Healing Power.

Human body exists with an ability to recognize its own wounds and initiates its well synchronized response almost simultaneously and this timely response could only be described as a Divine Gift, a gift which humans have no ability to invent on their own.

Please also view my blog post titled ‘Pain and Compassion – Philosophy of Medicine’

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/pain-and-compassion-philosophy-of-medicine/

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

THE ART OF DIAGNOSING GOOD HEALTH vs DIAGNOSING ILL-HEALTH

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

THIS PORTRAIT OF ADI SHANKARA DEPICTS HIM IN PERFECT, GOOD AND POSITIVE HEALTH.

THE LEGEND ABOUT ‘BHAJA GOVINDAM’ :

Adi Shankara, an Indian philosopher of 8th century CE, born in the southern Indian state of Kerala is well-known for his doctrine of Advaita Vedanta which he had established using Upanishads for reference. Shankara had established the ‘SMARTHA’ tradition to which I belong. He had recommended devotion to both Shiva and Vishnu and also the worship of other gods and goddesses. His poetic composition popularly known as ‘Bhaja Govindam’ deals with issues of human existence and the problem of death. Shankara had renounced the comforts associated with materialistic existence and had become a ‘Sanyasin’( Hindu ascetic) at a very young age and had walked across the length and breadth of India on foot. He had lived by accepting the offerings(‘biksha’) given by the community which often involved walking along the streets in places where he had lived. While he had lived in the city of Kashi also known as Benares or Varanasi, the legend claims that he had composed the twelve verses of Sanskrit poetry. He was accompanied by fourteen of his disciples who had also contributed a verse each and these songs are collectively known as ‘Bhaja Govindam’. The legend describes that Shankara had encountered a man teaching the rules of Sanskrit grammar to his students. In India, the teaching technique often involves learning by rote. A phrase is repeated several times to let the students put it into memory. As this Sanskrit Grammar teacher was repeating the phrase ‘Du krun kariney’, Shankara, a man of great spiritual insight, had instantly recognized that the Sanskrit teacher was actually facing the threat of death and the teacher himself was not aware of the threat to his physical existence. Shankara who had mastered Vedas and Upanishads was aware of the many sources both external and internal that endanger human physical existence. This particular ability of Shankara to diagnose the health of an individual interests me because of my educational experience and training in the ‘Art of Diagnosis’. Unfortunately, Shankara died at the very young age of 32. A mystery surrounds his death. The place of his death is disputed. He was always followed by his disciples. Some accounts claim that he had died in Kedarnath in the Himalayan mountains of Uttaranchal State. Others claim that he had died in the southern Indian city of Kanchi. What had contributed to his premature demise is not known. His portraits always depicted him in good and positive health.

THE ART OF DIAGNOSING GOOD HEALTH :

To diagnose ill-health is easy. The sick person may describe his ailments. In addition to a person’s subjective symptoms, ill-health shows objective manifestations. The art of clinical diagnosis in sickness and disease involves the use of signs and symptoms attributable to specific conditions that affect the state of health of an individual. However, the mere absence of ill-health does not necessarily mean that the person is positively healthy. Health, like beauty is often a matter of subjective impression. But, while beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, the diagnosis of perfect and positive health is a verdict rendered after a carefully executed medical examination.

The important object of medical inspection and examination of Armed Forces personnel is to ensure that they are healthy and are able to perform the tasks assigned to them. As the medical officer providing medical cover to units in the Armed Forces of India and The Sultanate of Oman where I had served, I was responsible for assessment of health of all personnel under my care. To ensure that the troops are in good health, I was required to medically inspect all personnel under my care periodically and diagnose that they were in good health. Good health demands that a person should appear well nourished. In stature and build, a person should represent an average example of his race and class. The person should not present any evidence of emotional hyper-excitability. Temperamentally, the individual should exhibit reasonable aptitude and behavior consistent with the expectations of his occupation. Most importantly, the face of the person should reflect the bloom of vigorous health. A person in good health should appear cheerful and be full of vitality. The entire individual is carefully examined to assess the health status. I had acquired the practical skills of the ‘Art of Diagnosing Good Health’ by carefully carrying out regular, periodic health inspections of all men under my care. Armed Forces insists upon Medical Inspections for a variety of reasons and individuals who are subject to the Rules and Regulations that govern Service in Uniform cannot refuse the mandatory Medical Examinations. Medical Inspection of all the men including all food handlers of the Unit is done typically once every month. In addition, men newly posted to the Unit( New Arrivals), men before proceeding on and returning from Courses of Instruction/Leave of Absence/Temporary Duty, and after Hospital Discharge are Medically Inspected. Recruits posted to the Unit after completion of Recruit Training, and men joining their Units after serving abroad are subjected to Medical Inspections. Thorough, detailed and specific Medical Examinations of military personnel is required under the following conditions :

1. All troops proceeding on ‘active service’ or troops proceeding overseas. 2. Individuals proceeding on permanent transfer to another Unit. 3. Men desirous of an extension of service or re-engagement. 4. Troops for transfer for the Reserve Duty. 5.Officers at the time of initiation of Annual Confidential Reports, entry to Staff College, any Course of Instruction, Fitness for Special Duty. 6. Men under arrest and undergoing sentence and before disciplinary action. 7. Men posted to serve at High Altitude. 8. Special examination at the outbreak of an infectious disease. Typically, I used to examine at least twenty known contacts of each case of Malaria or Viral Hepatitis.

Medicine is not merely the Art of Diagnosing ill-health and it is equally the Art of Diagnosing Good and Positive Health. I had perfected this skill by meticulously repeating the task of conducting Medical Inspections thousands of times during the course of my service in the Armed Forces. This had also contributed to my ability to diagnose ill-health and in the next several posts I would narrate a few specific instances when I had diagnosed an impending outcome of death during my service and there are instances when I had diagnosed Good Health and made individuals to perform their assigned tasks and did not allow them to escape from the obligations of Military Duty. Sometimes, my acute power of observation was better than that of Physicians more qualified than me. During 1973, I was admitted to Military Hospital, ROORKEE for an intestinal infection. During my hospital stay as a patient,while I was standing in the lobby of the Officers’ Ward one particular evening, I had seen a young, male patient coming into the Ward after his admission. When I had looked at him from a distance, and the manner in which he was walking, particularly his gait and the position of his right hand over the right lower quadrant of his abdomen, I had suspected his medical problem. After he came into the Ward, from his facial appearance alone, I had recognized him as the younger brother of an Officer who was then serving with me in my Unit. Both of them belonged to the Corps of Engineers. I had introduced myself and he had confirmed his relationship to the Officer who was then serving at my Unit. I had asked him about his medical ailment. He was getting treatment from the Hospital Physician( Medical Specialist) over the last several days and was
already seen by the Physician twice in the Out-Patient Clinic and was not responding to the medicines that were prescribed. I had looked up at the Hospital Admission document. He was admitted to the Military Hospital with the provisional diagnosis of Fever Not Yet Diagnosed. I told him that Fever was not the real issue and that he was suffering on account of a common well-known surgical condition called Acute Appendicitis. I had confirmed this diagnosis by performing a simple test on this young Officer patient and told him that he would need immediate surgery and that his ‘APPENDIX’ should be removed without any delay. I proceeded to contact the Duty Medical Officer who had admitted and sent this individual to the Officers’ Ward. The Duty Officer had simply admitted this man based upon the written opinion given by the Physician. The Duty Medical Officer came over to the Officers’ Ward and he repeated the test I had performed earlier and the diagnosis was very clear. He immediately called the Duty Surgeon, who came over and repeated the test I had conducted and confirmed that Appendix should be removed. The appendix was removed and the Surgeon came back and told me that the appendix was highly inflamed and was at the risk of a RUPTURE which could pose a greater threat. While, Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency among young adults, Medical Specialists are not trained to treat this condition and sometimes they may fail to look for it. I was less qualified than the Medical Specialist but I had trained myself in the Art of Diagnosis which would be of use in diagnosis if not in delivering the special treatment a medical condition requires. Whatever may be the outcome, a Good Diagnosis is as relevant as a Good and proper Treatment. Roorkee was the hometown of this Officer patient. Later his father came to the Ward to meet me and was particularly excited with this chance coincidence ; I knew his first son and then I was in Roorkee at that precise moment and intervened as his second son was arriving at the Officers’ ward.

BHAJA GOVINDAM – PART-I :

While the Art of Diagnosis interests me, I constantly remind myself that Good Health is due to the GRACE and MERCY of the LORD and Indians love to identify the LORD as GOVINDA. While we exist because of MERCY, when the existence is threatened, we have no choice other than remembering the LORD.

Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam,

Govindam Bhaja muudha matey,

Sampraaptey Sannihitey kaaley,

Nahi Nahi rakshati Du krun karaney.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, A.P., India.,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

DEFENDING EXISTENCE – MOLECULAR INDIVIDUALISM

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

EACH ANTIBODY MOLECULE BEARS TWO IDENTICAL BINDING SITES CONSISTING OF SIX b-LOOPS.

DEFENSE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE :

An individual exists in the natural world by his biological abilities to defend his continued existence as an independent entity. This essay explores the physiological aspects of human existence and the defensive mechanisms that sustain this existence and the molecules which define and shape our ‘INDIVIDUALISM’. I had earlier described the Cultural aspects of ‘INDIVIDUALISM’ while describing the Indian Identity and in the ‘tag cloud’ that essay is identified as individualism. The term ‘immunity’ describes the natural defensive mechanisms that give an individual the ability to recognize foreign proteins and foreign substances and neutralize or degrade them with or without injury to the individual’s own tissues. Immunology is the branch of science concerned with the body’s response to foreign agents and substances.

FUNCTIONS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM :

The immune system responds to invasion by the foreign organisms and their toxic products. This immune response is also described as ‘active immunity’. In natural world, an infant is defended by molecules transferred passively across the placenta from the mother’s circulation during the fetal stage of development. The infant after birth may also receive passively protein molecules from mother when breast fed. This passive immunity defends the baby for several months and the baby further survives by developing its own immune system. Another major function of the immune system is the removal of damaged, or dying cells. The immune system is also able to recognize and eliminate abnormal or ‘mutant’ cells that frequently arise within the body. Using a system that is described as ‘immune surveillance’, the body recognizes and disposes of such abnormal cells which could result in the incidence of certain types of cancer. The immune system plays a vital role in protecting body from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites and also helps to prevent certain types of cancer.

The immune system is very important and it is also very sensitive. The system’s very ability to recognize foreign substances may often result in undesirable reactions. Millions of people suffer on account of ‘hypersensitivity’ or allergic reactions to fairly harmless substances present in the environment. Many individuals suffer on account of their sensitivity to proteins found in the foods such as milk, eggs, fish, wheat(gluten), and nuts that we consume. Sometimes, the immune system is misdirected and initiates an immune response against the body’s own cells or tissues producing a condition known as an ‘autoimmune disease’. While an immune system could cause some problems, we take full advantage of the system to defend ourselves from serious infectious diseases such as smallpox,polio,rabies, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, rubella, mumps, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, influenza and others by using vaccines and inoculations. Millions of lives are protected by the routine use of vaccines and inoculations which help the body to become resistant to these infectious agents. We also use foreign proteins to protect the lives of people in times of a severe life threatening crisis. We use blood, plasma, and sera( containing immunoglobulins secreted by animals) with utmost care to tide over an emergency.I had personally used foreign immunoglobulins to treat snake bite victims and tetanus cases. The foreign proteins elicit a minor immune response and the situation is carefully monitored. By being careless and reckless, and by polluting our food, water, air , and soil with dangerous chemicals, we damage our very sensitive immune system and this is contributing to a higher incidence of immune-related health problems in population.

TYPES OF IMMUNE RESPONSE :

The immune system defends human existence with a variety of different cells and by the protein molecules known as immunoglobulins or ‘antibodies’ produced by the immune function capable cells. The ability to recognize foreignness, the specificity of the response, and the memory of the prior immune response are the key characteristics of immune defense. The immune system must be able to recognize the foreign agents and foreign materials in order to locate and destroy them. Specificity means that immunity to one foreign substance or organism does not provide resistance to another type of organism. Memory is the ability of the individual to develop an accelerated, enhanced, and long-lasting immunity after the initial attack by an infectious disease. The body defends itself through two types of mechanisms which work together to protect our existence. 1. Humoral Immunity- this invloves production of protein molecules described as immunoglobulins or ‘antibodies’.2. Cell-mediated Immunity- It does not involve the secretion of ‘antibodies’ but requires direct physical contact with the foreign substance or agent.

HUMORAL IMMUNITY :

The cells known as Lymphocytes or B cells are produced in the bone marrow and circualte in our blood and are distributed to the various lymphoid tissues in the body, such as the lymphnodes, spleen, tonsils, and Peyer’s Patches that line the small intestine. When stimulated by an infectious organism, the production of lymphocytes increases and the lymphocytes are carried to the site of infection. Depending upon the site of infection, the lymphnodes of that region often swell up and are found packed with lymphocytes. The B cells produce chemical substances known as ‘antibodies’. These are protein molecules which are specifically generated against specific organisms. The foreign substance is described as ‘antigen’. The ‘antibodies’ that are generated recognize their antigens with high affinity and extreme selectivity. The interaction of an ‘antigen’ with its specific ‘antibody’ involves only small areas on the antigen’s surface; these areas are known as ‘antigenic determinants’. Protein molecules are very potent antigens as they have several antigenic determinants. Many carbohydrates are also antigenic because they have antigenic determinants. The antibodies circulate in the blood. The simplest, most prevalent means by which the immune system defends the body against bacteria and viruses is by the combination of a specific antibody with the antigenic determinants located on the surface of the invading organism. This interaction between antibodies and antigens producess an aggregate of cells called as an ‘agglutination’. The body has wandering scavenger cells known as ‘Macrophages’. The clumps of agglutinated cells are engulfed and digested by the macrophages. Antibodies also bind to toxic molecules given off by invading microorganisms and this reaction produces large, insoluble aggregates known as ‘precipitates’. These precipitates are also removed by macrophages. The virus after entering the body survives by its ability to invade or enter cells. Antibodies prevent the ability of virus to infect cells by covering up and blocking the attachment sites of virus.

CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY :

There are another distinct type of Lymphocytes known as T lymphocytes or T cells. T cells originate in the THYMUS and also become localized in lymphoid organs. The immunity associated with T cells does not involve the secretion of antibodies but through their direct contact with their targets or by the effects of secreted molecules known as ‘lymphokines’ which help other cells to make the direct contact. There are four kinds of T cells. 1. The cytotoxic T cells
or Natural Killer cells or NK cells defend the body by destroying infected, foreign or cancerous cells. The other three kinds of T cells regulate immune responses by secreting messenger proteins known as lymphokines. 2. Helper T cells- enable the other T cells and most B cells to perform their functions. The Helper T cells are destroyed by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(AIDS) patients resulting in a depressed immune response that allows infection by a variety of microorganisms and the growth of some types of cancerous tumors. AIDS patients are very vulnerable to fatal infections. 3. Suppressor T cells dampen the immune response of the B and T cells. 4. The fourth kind of T cell is involved in certain kinds of hypersensitivity reactions. In a normal healthy individual there is a balanced ratio of these four kinds of T cells to provide an efficient immune system for defense against all foreign substances. Macrophages and White blood cells known as ‘neutrophils’ have the ability to engulf and digest particulate matter by the process of ‘phagocytosis’. They eliminate many foreign organisms and particulate materials that enter the body. The ability of NK cells to kill or destroy some cancerous or tumor cells is enhanced by two lymphokines known as ‘gamma interferon’ and ‘interleukin-1′. Another lymphokine known as ‘interleukin-2′ activates the Lymphokine Activated Killer Cells or LAK cells which also have the ability to kill a variety of human tumor cells. Activated T cells also secrete a lymphokine known as Transfer Factor which is able to cause normal lymphocytes to release lymphokines or otherwise become activated and thus to destroy other cells. Transfer Factor stimulates the lymphocytes to develop normal immunity.

The Cytotoxic T cells destroy other cells by interacting with antigens present on the cells’ surfaces. They are involved in the attacks on tissues and organs grafted or introduced into the body, viral antigens found on infected cells and on chemicals that have entered the body and found attached to cells. T cells are involved in skin reactions resulting from contact with molecules found in poisonous plants like poison Ivy, poison Sumac, and poison Oak.

ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION AND CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY :

T cells are involved in the rejection of transplanted tissues and organs. The chances of successful organ transplantation are improved by carefully matching the tissue or Histocompatibility Antigens known as the HLA system of the donor with those of the recipient. The protein molecules of the HLA Complex establish the identity of our body, its tissues, and various organs. They work to preserve the identity of the individual and to exclude the introduction or grafting of foreign material into the body. Even after careful matching, and selection of suitable donors, transplanted tissues or organs are usually maintained by using drugs that cause ‘immunosuppression’ by which the normal immune response of the recipient against the donated organ is prevented.

BIOLOGICAL EXISTENCE :

A normal, healthy immune system is vital to defend our biological existence. Immunodeficiency diseases, depressed or compromised immune system conditions such as associated with corticosteroid therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or exposure to certain types of toxic chemiclas, and autoimmune diseases impose a heavy burden and threaten our existence. Medical interventions and treatment may help us but the quality of life is invariably compromised. A functioning immune system is important to defend our existence.

MOLECULAR INDIVIDUALISM :

The unique protein molecules that we deploy to establish our identity, and to defend our existence exhibit ‘individualism’ at molecular level. Molecules can exhibit a surprising degree of individuality. In experiments that examine the physical behavior of single molecules, researchers at Stanford University have discovered that when identical ‘polymers’- long, flexible, spaghetti-like molecules that are found in everything from plastics to living cells( the strands of DNA and other protein molecules)- they UNFOLD in a variety of different ways even when exposed to the same conditions. Nobel Laureate Dr. Steven Chu, former Professor of Physics, and Applied Physics at Stanford( presently United States Secretary of Energy) has stated that : “We discovered it because we have developed the ability to visualize and manipulate single molecules…. ONLY BY LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS CAN YOU GET A TRUE SENSE OF THE DIVERSITY OF SPECIES.” He had researched biological Physics and Polymer Physics at single molecular level. He made use of individual molecules of DNA to study Polymer Dynamics.

The Theory of Evolution fails to account for our Molecular Individualism. Our body is unique and does not display any affinity to foreign substances and proteins and is actually involved in degrading or destroying such invasion by foreign agents and their products. The body has no evolutionary preferences and the vigorous response of the immune system has no bearing upon any presumed evolutionary connections between species. We need to look at each human individual to truly understand the nature of our Human Diversity. When we look at the genetic code, the DNA molecules that operate this code, we can understand the nature of our Molecular Individualism. Man comes into existence as an Individual and he exists an individual according to the Law of Individuality.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, A.P., India.,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

THE THEORY OF TOTAL CONSCIOUSNESS

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Bhavanajagat

René Descartes, the French philosopher, by the...

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DESCARTES, RENE, THE FATHER OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY: “I THINK, THEREFORE I AM.“

“I AM CONSCIOUSNESS, THEREFORE I AM” :

This is a proposition to gain knowledge, and to understand Truth and Reality. Consciousness is awareness of one’s own state, condition, and fact of existence in a given environment. The Subject who exists because of the living functions of trillions cells has to be identified. The term ‘soul’ describes the functional unity of these trillions of living cells each of which is aware of its own existence in a given environment. My soul is the manifestation of trillions of units of awareness or consciousness of the individual living cells that comprise my human body. To exist in the natural world, my consciousness or awareness establishes what I describe as ‘God Connection’; the connection between the energy-seeker and the energy-provider. The biological function called Consciousness gives the ability to acquire energy from the given environment in which the living entity is present. To perform mental functions such as thinking, and having feelings, the human being has to maintain physical existence and sustain vital metabolic functions acquiring energy from external environment. The Theory of Total Consciousness must explore the total contents of conscious experience and determine its significance in relation to the act, state, or condition called Living.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

The Science of Consciousness (bhavanajagat.wordpress.com)
Life and Death – a Changing World and Unchanging Reality (bhavanajagat.wordpress.com)
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Welcome to Noble Thoughts from All Directions to promote the well-being of man and to know the purpose in Life.

Tag Archives: Kurnool Medical College

THE GRAND DESIGN BY STEPHEN HAWKING – GOD DID NOT CREATE THE UNIVERSE

THE PROBLEM OF TIBET – EVICT THE OCCUPIER

DEFINING INDIAN IDENTITY – LISTEN TO THE HEART

PAIN AND COMPASSION – PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE

TIME’S POWER OF HEALING – A DIVINE GIFT

THE ART OF DIAGNOSING GOOD HEALTH vs DIAGNOSING ILL-HEALTH

DEFENDING EXISTENCE – MOLECULAR INDIVIDUALISM

THE THEORY OF TOTAL CONSCIOUSNESS

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