4.Part II

“God, our creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential, strength, and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Today we continue our topic from the previous post and try to find out the importance of teachings of the holy spirits- praying, meditating, being happy, and being content. How are these activities beneficial to humans? Can chemistry help our logical minds to accept these teachings and see the power in them?

In the previous post we discussed the sub-atomic realm. In this post, we shall try to find out how chemistry can help us understand things that we can perceive in the world we see.

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PRAYER

Why do people feel happy when they go to a devotional place? Why do they feel peaceful when they  pray? It is undoubtedly a psychological feeling, but there is a chemical reason for this too. The reason is that praying causes the release of a chemical, in the body, called Serotonin. This chemical is a neuro-transmitter which helps us feel more confident and relaxed. Serotonin is a kind of an anti-depressant, which is produced within our bodies (in brain and intestine).

The structure of Serotonin has an indole ring – a bicyclic structure with a benzene ring fused to pyrrole ring. Deep prayer calms our minds. The body releases this chemical during such calm periods, and this has a very good effect on our system.

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MEDITATION

It has been scientifically proven that ,mediation has several benefits. In chemical parlance, it can be explained as follows-

1. Our body secretes cortisol and adrenaline, when it experiences some kind of stress. Both cortisol and adrenaline are secreted by the adrenal glands. They help in coping with the stress. The release of these hormones result in alterations of many bodily functions like increase in the heart rate, enhanced glucagon activity etc. More stress causes disturbances in our bodies. Prolonged high levels of these stress hormones have very serious side effects like cardio vascular disorders, depression etc.
   Meditation helps reduce the production of these hormones, which in turn keeps the various body functions regulated. So, meditation not only calms our mind but also helps us maintain good health.

2. Mediation is known to increase DHEA molecule in our body.

This molecule (hormone) is also produced by adrenal gland. Its function is to make androgens (male sex hormones) and estrogens (female sex hormones). Normally, DHEA levels peak at about 25years of age and later start to decline, making people older. Meditation not only increases DHEA  but also elevates growth hormone levels! This is a true anti-ageing effect. No wonder the Yogis never seem to age!

3. GABA–gamma-Aminobutyric acid is an amino acid which acts as a natural tranquilizer in our body. Insufficient quantity of GABA in our body leads to nervousness, disquietude. This is responsible for major addiction to alcohol, caffeine etc. Meditation increases the GABA levels. It also enhances the production of endorphins, the ‘feel good’ neuro transmitters ,thus  keeping you calm and happy.

4. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland .It is called the ‘miracle drug from within’. It helps regulating our sleep cycles, and also acts as a powerful antioxidant. This hormone heals and rejuvenates us from within. The pineal gland gets activated only in the dark. This hormone is secreted when we are fast asleep. This is why one always feels refreshed after a deep sleep. Sleeping in the dark is highly recommended). Pineal gland is also referred to as the ‘crown chakra’ or 7th chakra – the seat of the soul. Yogis are known to activate this chakra through years of deep meditation. In advanced stages of meditation, the  pineal gland creates a wax like substance, which rejuvenates and imparts youth to  all the cells in the body. This is how meditation helps impart youth, vigour and vitality.

5. Our thoughts are directly linked to the endocrine glands within our body. Endocrine glands are responsible for the secretion of various hormones and regulatory substances. When one is happy, calm and positive, it results in great chemistry inside our bodies.

6. ‘Telomeres‘ are like caps on DNA strands, that protect the tips of the chromosomes. They are like plastic tips on shoelaces. These are responsible for aging. Telomeres shorten naturally as we age. However, research shows that this shortening can be accelerated by stress! As telomeres wear out, our cells start to die slowly making us older. Daily meditation helps helps to prevent the degeneration of these telomeres.

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The Chemistry of happiness.

There are 4 hormones which are responsible for happiness-

• Endorphins
• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• Oxytocin.

Endorphins –
Endorphins are peptides released from the brain to elevate the feeling of well-being. Exercise, massage, eating good food, and laughing release endorphins. This hormone helps the body cope with the pain and stress. During any physical activity, body secrets endorphins, which in turn makes us happy. This is why people who exercise regularly have a sense of well-being.

Dopamine –
When we get appreciated for our work, we feel accomplished. This feeling comes as a result of the release of Dopamine. Dopamine is a neuro-transmitter which plays a pivotal role in memory, and feeling motivated. Many people on the planet get a great feeling when they shop. Shopping helps release of dopamine.

Serotonin –
We all have heard the phrase – ‘Sharing is caring’. What we don’t understand is that sharing is caring not only for the people we help, but also for ourselves. Serotonin is a happiness hormone. It is released when we act in a way that benefits others.

Oxytocin-
This is a hormone produced by hypothalamus. It is released when we become close to other human beings. Hugging, kissing, shaking hands helps release this hormone. This is why these activities feel pleasurable.

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Its all Chemistry!!

I shall limit my discussion on Chemistry and Spirituality , to just two posts. I am sure there are many more facts unknown and unexplored in this area and I hope that the seekers shall try to find out more.

I would conclude by saying that I feel lucky that I understand Chemistry. This subject helps me understand my spiritual teachings in a better way. Life is magic and the more you explore it, the more you know that you still don’t know anything at all !

Be a perpetual student of life and keep learning …

Good day!

References and Further Reading –

1.http://eocinstitute.org/meditation/dhea_gaba_cortisol_hgh_melatonin_serotonin_endorphins/
2. http://www.brainwave-research-institute.com/how-meditation-boosts-melatonin-production.html

Image Sources – 1.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Serotonin-2D-skeletal.svg/220px-Serotonin-2D-skeletal.svg.png
2. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Cortisol2.svg/2000px-Cortisol2.svg.png
3.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Epinephrine_structure.svg/180px-Epinephrine_structure.svg.png
4. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Melatonin.svg/220px-Melatonin.svg.png
5.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Dehydroepiandrosteron.svg/220px-Dehydroepiandrosteron.svg.png
6. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/GABA.png
7.http://www.ta65.co.za/telomere-science/