EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 15-2-11 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr. Babu Ravindran, Edavalath House, Thiruvangad Tellicherry-3
Coram: Seven members except Prof P.M.Sankarankutty who is out of station, attended and participated in the discussions. .
Subject: The Institution of Marriage, and Divorce
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Dictionary meaning of marriage is the formal union of a man and woman as husband and wife – it is a ‘combin-ation’.
It is a social union or legal contract between two people that create kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationship, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found. Such a union is usually formalized by a wedding ceremony.
Confucius said, “Marriage is the union of two different surnames in friendship and love, in order to continue the posterity of the former sages, and to furnish those who shall preside at the sacrifices to heaven and earth, at those in the ancestral temple, and at those at the altars to the spirits of the land and grain.”. This has not much meaning now. In the present day social set up in India, people marry in order to set up a family of their own. People marry for many reasons, - may be legal, social, emotional, economical, and religious. The act of marriage usually creates normative or legal obligations between the individuals involved.
The institution of marriage has most probably developed out of primeval habits, that even in primitive times it was the habit for a man and a woman, (or several women), to live together to have sexual relations with each other and to rear their offspring in common, the man being the guardian of the family and the woman his helpmate and the nurse of their children. Wife is not only a source of sexual pleasure, but a helpmate, or food provider, a cook, and a mother of children. Thus habit was sanctioned by custom and afterwards by law, and was thus transformed into a social institution.
In any attempt to study the origin of marriage we have not found unanimity of opinion. It was held by eminent sociologists that the human race must originally have lived in a state of promiscuity, where individual marriage did not exist, where all the men in a horde or tribe had indiscriminately access to all the women and where the children born of these unions belong to the community at large.
Prof. Mohan Nair: It appears that even now there are some communities where men and women live together freely with multiple relationships, without marriage. I understand that in Badagara there is a community or Ashram where people live like in a similar way looking after children who belong to all of them.
Dr. Abdulla: There are some tribal communities also who follow that practice even now.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: But Darwin remarked that from what we know of jealousy of all male quadrupeds, promiscuous intercourse is utterly unlikely to prevail in a state of nature
Many writers believe that the earliest form of marriages was a so-called group marriage, implying a union between a certain group of men and certain group of women. Dr. Briffault says that, “the regulation of collective sexual relation between given groups has everywhere preceded any regulations of those relations between individual members of the group” and that “in their origin marriage regulations had no reference to such individual relations, but to relation between groups”
During the course of evolution social reforms and moral codes evolved to the present day system of marriages. Now there is wide cross-cultural variation in the selection of partners. Usually it will be a collective decision of the partners’ groups. It is generally limited to suitable partners of specific social groups – (endogamy). In certain groups a partner is expected marry their cross cousins (father’s sister’s son etc.), or even own sister’s daughter as in the case of some Brahmin communities in the South. This is mostly to protect their family property from going outside. ‘Levirate’ marriage is in which widows are obligated to marry their husband’s brothers. Now with the growing IT facilities, the E-mail marriage bureaus take up the responsibility of giving the choices.
Marriage is usually formalized at a wedding/marriage ceremony. Christian marriages are supervised by priests and conducted in church, Muslim marriages by Mullas, and for Hindus the custom varies from group to group. Some groups take the help of temple priests, while others depend on family elders. Earlier the marriages were conducted at the residence of the bride, but now it is mostly shifted to marriage halls. As per rules marriage has to be registered with the appropriate authority to have legal sanction.
Religious groups have different views on polygamy, the practice of a man taking more than one wife. Islam and Confucianism allow that. But Christian, present day Hindu and all others do not approve that.
Financial dealings are also a part of the marriages in different societies. Dowries and Bride- Price continue even today. It has often led to women being killed in the name of dowry. In Muslim marriages, the groom is expected to pay a bride-price to the bride’s family for the right to marry their daughter. It is called ‘Mahar’.
Polygamy existed in three specific forms, Polygene, Polyandry, and group marriages. Historically all the three forms existed, but polygene seems to have been more common. Polygene is when one man has more than one wife e.g., Dasaratha, father of SreeRama. In Polyandry a woman is married to more than one husband e.g., Draupathy. And, Group Marriage is when a family unit consists of more than one man and more than one woman, any of whom share parental responsibility for any children of the group.
In normal Indian set up to-day, a man marries one woman and lives with her with their children as a close unit family with all sentimental attachments as father, mother, daughter and son, and in-laws. There are social and moral restrictions and understanding that are the basic necessities for a peaceful society.
Apart from being willing to be governed by the rules of the land and religion as required by society, the key to successful marriage life is love, understanding, mutual respect, trust, commitment, and togetherness.
Divorce: Divorce is the final termination of the marital union, dissolving the bonds of matrimony between two parties of the wedlock. In monogamy it allows each of the former partners to marry another. In polygene it allows the woman to marry another. Divorce is now allowed in almost all countries except in Malta and Philippines.
Reasons for divorce are several. In India we do not have survey or statistics published in this regard. It would be interesting to note such details published in UK. According to the statistics of a survey group published in UK the percentages of divorce due to various reasons are,
Adultery, extra-marital sex, infidelity 27%
Domestic violence 17%
Midlife crisis 13%
Addiction – alcohol/gambling 6%
Workaholic 6%
In three-fourth of the cases where extra-marital sex was the reason for divorce it was the husband who was the offender. In family strain, the wives’ families were the primary source of strain. Emotional and physical abuses were more evenly split among husbands and wives. 70% of the workaholics were men. According to the 2004 survey, over 90% of the petitioners for divorce were wives, and these were invariably not contested. More than half the divorces (53%) were after 10 to 15 years of married life. 40% were after 5-10 years. During the first five years of married life, there were hardly any petitions for divorce. The first few years are therefore divorce free. If the Marriage lasts for more than 20 years it is unlikely to end up in divorce.
In most countries, divorce requires the sanction of a court or other authority in a legal process. It also involves the issue of spousal support, child custody, child support, distribution of property and division of debts.
There are two basic approaches to divorce, fault based, and no-fault based. Laws vary as to the waiting period before a divorce is effective. The three types of divorces normally come across are,
1. No-fault Divorce
2. At-fault Divorce
3. Summary Divorce.
No-fault divorce requires no allegation or proof of the fault of either party. The application may be made by either party or by both parties jointly. On the other hand, at-fault divorce requires proof by one party that the other party had committed an act incompatible with the marriage obligations. ‘Ground for Divorce’ is the term used for this and this was the only way to terminate a marriage. In USA no-fault divorce is now available in all 50 states and the last state which permitted no-fault divorce was Columbia-New York in 2010
In India, divorce is still a social taboo, although legally the courts allow divorces in specific cases. Divorce rate is significantly low in India, though in Kerala it is slightly higher. In spite of the existence of reduced economic disparity between spouses, either of the two was always expected to compromise with the other so that the marriage bonding survived. In most cases women in the past were forced to adjust to the unbearable post-marital conditions for the sake of the welfare of the family, children, and even for herself as she was hardly open to any means of earning her own livelihood. But, spread of education, Human Rights activism etc. have become ways to break free from the marital clutches for many a woman.
As regards the connected laws relating to divorces, The Hindus (including Buddists, Sikhs, and Jains) are covered by the Hindu Marriages Act of 1955. Christians are governed by the Indian Divorce Act 1869. For Parsis there is a separate law viz. Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act 1936. Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act1939 covers Muslims. The practice of ‘Talaq (Triple Talaq)’ among Muslims. is well known. When the female demands the divorce it is called by the name ‘Khula’.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Ekkentros Reports - Emotional intelligence
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 26-10-10 (Tuesday)
Venue: Hotel Malabar Fort (Gokulam Fort) hosted by Dr. K.P.Thomas.
Coram: All eight members attended and participated in the discussions. Artist K.V.Haridasan also attended as guest participant.
Subject: Emotional Intelligence
The report of the last discussion on 28-10-10 was accepted as amended (vide last page of the report replaced). After the Forum’s invocation the discussion on Emotional Intelligence was initiated by Sri Kunhikrishnan and discussed by others. Artist Haridasan showed print of the painting to be used for the cover of the proposed book to be published and the drawings made by him for inclusion in the various topics. After a lavish dinner hosted by Dr. Thomas, and a vote of thanks by Prof. Sankarankutty , the meeting dispersed at 11 PM
Sri.K.V.Kunhikrishnan: Intelligence has been given undue importance compared to emotion for too long a time now. In the words of Jaggi Vasudev,
“An emotional person looks like a fool to an intellectual person. But what an emotional person knows in terms of experience and perception of life in its totality, an intellectual person will never touch that. So, a devotional person looks like a fool, but the real fool is elsewhere.”
Courtesy, ‘Forest Flower’
At the outset the term or expression looks a contradiction, the juxtaposition of two incompatible words denoting entirely different entities. Intelligence relates to reasoning, intellect, logic and the like. And emotion signifies mind, feeling etc. In traditional thoughts also they are treated as different. In Bhagavat Geetha it is said that intellect is beyond the mind. Intellect controls the thoughts arising from emotions by reasoning. The combined expression therefore appears not proper.
But individual word meaning has no place here. One cannot try to understand Chinese Philosophy by looking up into the dictionary the word ‘China’ and ‘philosophy’. The term Emotional Intelligence has been coined to represent a particular aspect in the use of intelligence. In measuring the intellectual capacity of individuals, and in particular among students and employment seekers, the management experts and educationists have developed what is called the Intelligence Quotient, the I.Q. Elaborate methods have been developed to assess the I.Q. of employment seekers so that the best of men could be recruited.
But when the best of men with highest I.Q. were put into the place of managers of business and administration it was found that several of them were lacking talents in understanding the mindset of the people with whom they have to do business or the personnel whom they have to tackle in day to day work. Some who had the capacity and talent to gauge the emotional behavior of those on the other side, on the other hand, could do excellently well. So the experts thought of some ways of assessing the capacity of individual employees in the matter of understanding and handling the emotional aspects of others. From this arose the term Emotional Intelligence and thereafter the ‘Emotional Quotient’, EQ. There were objections to calling it intelligence. But the expression seems to have stuck after the best seller book of Daniel Goleman popularized it extensively.
For assessing intelligence and arriving at I.Q., the cognitive aspects were naturally given more importance than emotional aspects. Abilities of good memory and reasoning power were considered to be the most important assets for success in business or any other career. But Emotional Intelligence considers also the ability to understand others and to control not only one’s own emotional behaviour towards others but that of others also. So, for success in any field today understanding of others and managing the emotional behaviour of others are considered to be an essential requirement. Methods are also developed to measure this ability, although it has been found rather difficult to assess it with any precision.
The basic idea of Emotional Intelligence as a factor in the ability to live in difficult surroundings was recognized since Darwin expounded his theory of the survival of the fittest. Emotional balance was a valuable asset for survival. But the term Emotional Intelligence was first used only in 1985 when a doctoral student Wayne Payne used it for his thesis for doctorate called ‘Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence’. It became very popular and came into wide use after the publication of the best seller book on the subject by Goleman.
This I put forward for further discussion and elaboration.
Dr.K.P.thomas: I have personal experience of this in our organization. While the administrator and the manager are able to carry on their work very well they are found to be not able to either inspire their subordinates or understand the workers. Of course, they are not qualified in modern management or well versed in maintaining discipline of the working staff. The disadvantage is clear. If they could understand the mind of people working under them it would have been ideal. Harassment of the staff and quarrel among the employees would have been the minimum.
I think that in these matters heredity is a very important factor. Part of the capacity for leadership and management is inherited. Apart from the upbringing, genetically what we acquire from our parents become our heredity, and that counts a lot in understanding others and managing them.
Prof. P.M. Sankarankutty: But that is not always true. Milton, the famous English poet’s children were not at all brilliant.
DR. Thomas: Yes, then both the parents may not be brilliant. But the level of their upbringing may still be seen. The Tibetans and the Eskimos developed the genes to put up with extreme cold. When the English wanted to rule India they educated the middle class of Indians in large numbers, and their progeny is today reaping the benefits. In the present time English education has become a big advantage to India. Indians are by nature very intelligent because they inherited it from their ancestors, and today they are proving to be more brilliant than the Americans and the British. The Brahmins understood that emotion is necessary more than intelligence. They had trained to control emotion. Brahmins were therefore given promotions and put in important places like assisting and advising the Rajas. Emotion is the base of motivation.
Dr. Sadanandan: For the emotion to function effectively, intelligence is essential. Emotion is beyond one’s conscious control. It is intelligence which has to regulate and direct the emotion to advantage.
Prof. M.V. Mohanan Nair: At the same time emotional security is needed for intelligence to function and operate properly. Social Intelligence which studies how to deal with society and manage it, works by directing the emotions of society.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some say it can be learned and strengthened, but others say it is an inborn characteristic.
End of 20th century had a surge of scientific studies on evolution. Till that the IQ was considered the major determinant of success in life. But it is Daniel Goleman who argued that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is more important. EI validate the idea that people can be smart in a way that has nothing to do with their IQ. Tests of IQ do not measure the aptitude that count most in life, but merely measure the ability to do the tests. The poets and mystics have always known that true intelligence is a blend of head and heart, thought and feelings.
Goleman defines EI as including self awareness, impulse control, zeal and motivation, empathy and social deftness. These are the qualities he identifies as the qualities for success in career and relationship.
The term EI was first formally defined in 1990 by Mayor and Salovey as
1. Knowing how you feel, how others feel and what to do about that
2. Knowing what feels good, what feels bad, and how to get from bad to good
3. The emotional awareness, sensitivity and management skill which helps in maximizing our long term happiness and survival.
More recently they have updated this definition. “Emotional Intelligence involves the ability to perceive accurately, apprise, and express emotions: the ability to access and to generate feelings when they facilitate thoughts; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and the ability to regulate emotion to promote emotional and intellectual growth.”
Emotion is the complex psycho-physiological experience of an individual’s state of mind as interacting with biochemical (internal) and environmental (external) influences. In humans emotion fundamentally involves ‘physiological arousal, expressive behaviour, and conscious experience. Emotion is associated with mood, temperament, personality, disposition and motivations.
Some categorizations of emotion are
1. cognitive/non-cognitive emotion,
2. instinctual emotion (in amygdale / cognitive emotion (in pre-frontal cortex)
3. that based on duration – some emotions last for over a period of seconds only (ex; surprise), others can last for years (ex; loss).
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 23-11-10 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Prof P.M.Sankarankutty at Green Hills, Temple Gate, Tellicherry. -670102
Coram: All eight members except Prof. Mohanan Nair who was out of station attended and participated in the discussions. .
Subject: Emotional Intelligence (Cont’d)
The report of the last discussion on 28-10-‘10 was accepted as amended After the Forum’s invocation the discussion on Emotional Intelligence was continued by Dr.Babu Ravindran and discussed by others. After a sumptuous dinner hosted by Mrs. Sankarankutty and Prof.Sankarankutty, and a vote of thanks by Dr. Thomas, the meeting dispersed at 11 PM
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Emotion is linked to the limbic system of the brain – specifically the Amygdala. The limbic area is where we experience joy beyond the duality of happiness and unhappiness, and intelligence beyond the blinkers of ego and conditioning.
Arab philosopher Ibn al Arabi wrote that intelligence emanates from Allah. The Hindu idea that intelligence is the gift of Mother Goddess makes it inseparable from maternal qualities of empathy, forbearance, compassion, reflections, and selfless nurturing.. Motherhood demands a high level of Emotional Intelligence. A mother must have the emotional brilliance to know how to discipline her children without inhibiting them. Aristotle said, “Anybody can become angry, that is easy, but to be angry with the right person to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - this is not easy.”
Emotions are what make life worth living or sometimes ending. Emotion also raises normative questions about the extent to which they can be said to be rational, or can contribute to rationality. They are both the object of our most immediate awareness and the most powerful source of our capacity for self deception. Emotion actually represent the break down of smoothly adaptive functions such as thought, perception, and rational planning.
Emotion as a concept is much complicated. Descartes said, “It is impossible for the soul to feel a passion without that passion being truly as one feels it”. He again said that those that are most agitated by their passions are not those who know them best. The recent understandings are ,
1. Emotion is typically a conscious phenomenon, yet,
2. They typically involve non-pervasive bodily manifestations than other conscious states
3. They vary along a number of dimensions, intensity, values, type and range of intentional objects
4. They are reputed to be antagonists of rationality, but also
5. they play an indisputable role in determining the quality of life
6. They contribute crucially to defining our ends and priorities.
7. They play a crucial role in regulating social life.
8. They protect us from an excessively slavish devotion to narrow conceptions of rationality.
9. They have a central place in education and normal life.
In this context again,
EI refers to the competence to identify and express emotion, understand emotion, assimilate emotion in thoughts, and regulate both positive and negative emotions in oneself and others. Goleman defines Emotional Intelligence as “an ability such as being able to motivate oneself and pursue in the face of frustration, to control impulse and delay gratification, to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swaying the ability to think, to empathize, and to hope.”
What is the secret of human happiness and fulfillment? Psychologists proposed that understanding the emotions of oneself and others is the key to satisfying life. Those people who are self-aware and sensitive to others manage the affairs with wisdom and grace even in their adverse circumstances.
Now EI has been touted as a panacea for modern business, and as the essential but often the neglected ingredient in the practicing medium, nursing, law, engineering etc. EI has both positive and negative cultural mores. On the positive side it emphasizes the value of non-intellectual abilities and attributes for the success in living, including emotional understanding awareness, regulation, adoption coping and adoption adjustments. It drives home the notion that, while the road to success in everyday life is determined partly by intellectual ability, there are number of other contributory factors including social competencies, emotional adjustments, emotional sensitivity, practical intelligence, and motivation. It also focuses on character and aspects of self control, such as the ability to delay gratification, tolerate frustration, and regulate impulse (ego strength). On the negative side, EI places greater emphasis on the importance of emotional abilities than our intellectual intelligence.
To paraphrase, emotion provides the ultimate validation of action; if it does not feel good, don’t do it.
Prof.P.M. Sankarankutty: But emotion has to be restrained. It should not be more than what is desirable. Certain ‘clinical detachment’ is said to be desirable in all actions.
Sri.K.V.Kunhikrishnan: That detachment is necessary for not getting involved.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Some times emotions get out of control. Socrates had a quarrel with his wife and that became hot. In the heat of anger his wife threw a bucket of water over his head. He coolly remarked, ‘there is a shower after the thunder.’
Dr. Babu Ravindran: If Daniel Goleman is associated with popularizing EI, it was Reuven Bar-on in 1997 who has contributed the first commercially available operational index for assessment of EI. Bar-on Characterizes EI as an array of non-cognitive capabilities, competencies, and skills that influences one’s abilities to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures. Emotional Quotient assesses five broad sub-types of Emotional Intelligence.
1. Intrapersonal Intelligence: composed of emotional self awareness, assertiveness, self regard, self actualization, and independence
2. Interpersonal Intelligence: composed of empathy, interpersonal relationship, and social relationship.
3. Adaptability: problem solving, reality testing, flexibility.
4. Stress management: stress tolerance, impulse control.
5. General mood: happiness, optimism.
Assessment of EQ is based on capacities related to the above categories of emotional intelligences.
Dr. Thomas: Emotional action not deliberate sometimes helps solve problems. There is a problematic person as the Secretary of the managing committee of our Church. He became secretary only because he was vehemently assertive in all matters desirable and undesirable, and nobody was willing to oppose him for fear of disturbing the sanctity of the atmosphere. The result was that the Church affairs were badly mismanaged. In most of the occasions he went on talking irrelevant things not allowing others to say anything. One day after I joined the committee when he was lecturing others about something silly for quite sometime, I couldn’t bear the nonsense any longer and blurted out, ‘you are a bloody fool’. Everybody was stunned although they all liked it and remarked later that it should have been done much earlier by somebody. After that incident he became a changed man. He stopped his irrelevant talks and did work quietly. Although using the word ‘bloody’ in a church was considered a horrible thing, nobody objected and took it in its stride as necessary at the time. Even the priest tacitly conceded it. After that incident the administration of the church went on smoothly. Perhaps that is an example of Emotional Intelligence working automatically.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Emotional Intelligence has an important place in Indian Culture although no particular term is used to represent it. Three virtues are stressed in ‘Brihadaranyaka Upanishad’. They are, compassion or empathy, delaying gratification or self control, and creativity. Self control comes from self awareness. Self flowing to the other person is compassion. Creativity comes from emotion and sensitivity. It is said that creativity begins with madness. Height of emotion becomes almost madness. The poet T.S. Eliot was in a lunatic asylum for sometime. His extreme sensitivity and emotional intensity can be seen in his poetry on Thames which he identifies as a polluted woman. He asks who will save the woman and world which is wasting away.
Dr. A.V.Sadanandan: Man and his mind stand at the apex of the evolutionary process. He thinks, and he feels. He has knowledge – knowledge is power, position and money. The whole educational process and training aim at this. We train better technicians, engineers, professionals, teachers, and all proposing to have a society with efficiency, success and prosperity.
As individuals each one is struggling to equip himself with knowledge and training to be successful in life. If one is a little bit alert and has accumulated some knowledge and information, and is proficient in expression, how important he becomes in the society. We worship those who are intellectually superior. But man essentially is an emotional being. His psychological make up determines his relationships with things, ideas and people. And this relationship is what life is all about. Our consciousness includes everything, thoughts, memories, knowledge, feelings and emotions. As emotions we have our anxieties, fears, grief and sorrows and occasional joys too. Our actions spring from desires, likes and dislikes, ambitions envy and greed. We strive for pleasures, gratification and happiness, and in the process one may become angry, aggressive and violent. We live within the field of mind and its activities. Mind is accumulated sensations and its reactions that can cause confusions, miseries and problems. And mind always seeks security and in this process there is isolation and self centeredness.
We know we want freedom from these emotions. These are restricting, limiting and distorting all our activities. But we remain the same since generations. There is no change. Is there no psychological evolution? But always there exists a longing for man to free himself from all this burden of fear, hurt and sorrows inside him. But how? We are not able to do that. Is our mind not equipped for that? We are not educated enough for it. We are not trained for it. Can we seek help from someone? We manage to conform to the social morality with all the tricks that our mind plays. We can suppress the emotions. We can control them. We can analyze and rationalize it to have some security. Our beliefs are there to help us to be consoled. Our brain can forget them. We can find solace in ideals and philosophies. We can pray God and at times take refuge in monasteries. We have our pleasures, entertainments and games to keep them away for a while.
Apart from all this, is it that our mind cannot deal with it, solve it; is the mind itself the cause of it? To answer, one has to think, scan through the memory. Thought is the only tool we have. But thought and feelings have created it. One fragment of thought on the other part may not give the answer. And the thinker, the seeker again is a conglomeration of thoughts. Not to think, is it possible? Mind has to be quiet. When it is quiet there is only seeing with all the being. Mind is being attentive, ‘aware’. There is no choice. There is only understanding. In that state there can be the awakening of Intelligence that can subdue the thoughts, memories, knowledge and emotions, and can cleanse the mind. This intelligence can use thoughts, memories, knowledge and emotions justly, rightly, and in the most proper way.
But we are not alert. We don’t want to be attentive. We just imitate, we try to follow and conform; we accept the authorities. We become conditioned. We reason out giving too much importance to reasoning. We become insensitive. We don’t see ‘what is’, why?
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: In Short, you suggest that what is desirable is neither conventional ‘Rational Intelligence’ (Cognitive Intelligence), nor Emotional Intelligence, but Pure Intelligence that comes out of absolute attention from a quiet mind. That Intelligence alone can ensure correct action that is right and proper.
Dr. Thomas: That is difficult in everyday life. We have in our organization five gold medalists, each of them devoted and brilliant in his own field. But they are bad managers making our life miserable. They cannot keep good relationship with the staff or the public. Therefore others have to do all the work. Emotional people are much better than IQ people.
Professor Sankarankutty Those who are intelligent pass the exams and get gold medals while those who understand emotions achieve. Man with IQ gets appointed; but the man with EQ gets the promotion.
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 14-12-10 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr.Sri.T.Bhaskaran.
Coram Six members attended. Prof.Sakarankutty and Prof. Mohanan Nair could not attend as they were out of station.
As regards the proposed publication of the book it was decided that a good printer would be contacted immediately so that the book can be released as early as possible.
Dr. Mohammed Abdulla:- Substantial disagreement exists regarding the definition of EI, with respect to both terminology and operational methods. There has been much confusion about the exact reasoning of the construct. The definitions are so varied, and the field is growing so rapidly that researchers are constantly reevaluating even their own definitions of the construct.
Emotional Intelligence is very lately identified as a branch of Psychology. Even though the earliest roots of EI can be traced to Darwin’s work on the importance of emotional expression for survival and second adaptation, the branch of science gained momentum only in 1990 onwards.
As already mentioned by others, the concept of EI is popularized after publication of psychologist and New York Times science writer Daniel Goleman,s book ‘EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, why it can matter more than IQ’. Even though Daniel Goleman has popularized this branch of psychology of Ei his researches were only directed to the effectiveness Ei in the field of management and professionalism which is only a very narrow angle of applied EI while the huge clump of this concept and its application in day to day human life has not been high lighted.
Analyzing EI is said to be a Herculean task. But a very broad classification given is as follows:
The five components of EI are,
1 Self awareness: The ability to recognize and understand one’s moods, emotions and drives, as well as their effects on others. To achieve this one must have
i) Self-confidence
ii) Restrictive self assessment
iii)Sense of humor
2. Self Regulation: The ability to control and react to disruptive impulses and moods, and the propensity to suspend judgment- to think before acting - .
To achieve this one needs trustworthiness and integrity, comfort with ambiguity, and openness to change.
3. Motivation: A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status: a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence. To achieve this, a strong drive to achieve optimum even in the face of failure, and organizational commitment are necessary.
4. Empathy: The ability to understand the emotional make up of other people, skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions. To achieve this one has to develop expertise in building and retaining talent cross, cultural sensitivity, and service to clients and customers.
5. Social Skill: Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and an ability to find common ground and build of rapport. To achieve this one needs effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise in building and leading teams.
To conclude, we are left with the question, ‘Can emotional intelligence be learned?’
For ages people have debated if leaders are born or made. So too goes the debate about EI. Are people born with empathy for example, or do they acquire empathy as a result of life experiences? The answer is both. Scientific enquiry strongly suggests that there is a genetic component to emotional intelligence. Psychological and developmental researches indicate that nurture plays a role as well. How much of each perhaps will never be known; but the research and practice clearly demonstrate that Emotional Intelligence can be learned.
One thing is certain. Emotional intelligence increases with age, but even with maturity people still need assistance and training for emotional intelligence to develop. But in most cases the present day training programs have unsatisfactory results and outcome. Researchers conclude that EI is mainly originated in the neurotransmitters of the brain’s limbic system, which manipulate feelings, impulses, and drives. This is best learned through motivation, extended practice, and feed back.
Dr.K.P.Thomas: According to the management expert Drucker the members participating in a meeting or conference to make decisions should be in a happy mood in order to be effective. At least it will give better results. Therefore we decided to introduce that in our organization. Somebody suggested and we decide to serve beer to the members before the meeting. The results must have been better, we presume. But later we found that the members were too happy to be effective. We therefore discontinued the practice.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Emotional Intelligence or the conventional intelligence, which is more important? I think, it is the usual IQ and not EQ.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan. Yes, definitely IQ is important. What is stressed here is that EQ has been ignored so far and the emotional angle completely forgotten.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: At best EQ supplements IQ.
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 26-10-10 (Tuesday)
Venue: Hotel Malabar Fort (Gokulam Fort) hosted by Dr. K.P.Thomas.
Coram: All eight members attended and participated in the discussions. Artist K.V.Haridasan also attended as guest participant.
Subject: Emotional Intelligence
The report of the last discussion on 28-10-10 was accepted as amended (vide last page of the report replaced). After the Forum’s invocation the discussion on Emotional Intelligence was initiated by Sri Kunhikrishnan and discussed by others. Artist Haridasan showed print of the painting to be used for the cover of the proposed book to be published and the drawings made by him for inclusion in the various topics. After a lavish dinner hosted by Dr. Thomas, and a vote of thanks by Prof. Sankarankutty , the meeting dispersed at 11 PM
Sri.K.V.Kunhikrishnan: Intelligence has been given undue importance compared to emotion for too long a time now. In the words of Jaggi Vasudev,
“An emotional person looks like a fool to an intellectual person. But what an emotional person knows in terms of experience and perception of life in its totality, an intellectual person will never touch that. So, a devotional person looks like a fool, but the real fool is elsewhere.”
Courtesy, ‘Forest Flower’
At the outset the term or expression looks a contradiction, the juxtaposition of two incompatible words denoting entirely different entities. Intelligence relates to reasoning, intellect, logic and the like. And emotion signifies mind, feeling etc. In traditional thoughts also they are treated as different. In Bhagavat Geetha it is said that intellect is beyond the mind. Intellect controls the thoughts arising from emotions by reasoning. The combined expression therefore appears not proper.
But individual word meaning has no place here. One cannot try to understand Chinese Philosophy by looking up into the dictionary the word ‘China’ and ‘philosophy’. The term Emotional Intelligence has been coined to represent a particular aspect in the use of intelligence. In measuring the intellectual capacity of individuals, and in particular among students and employment seekers, the management experts and educationists have developed what is called the Intelligence Quotient, the I.Q. Elaborate methods have been developed to assess the I.Q. of employment seekers so that the best of men could be recruited.
But when the best of men with highest I.Q. were put into the place of managers of business and administration it was found that several of them were lacking talents in understanding the mindset of the people with whom they have to do business or the personnel whom they have to tackle in day to day work. Some who had the capacity and talent to gauge the emotional behavior of those on the other side, on the other hand, could do excellently well. So the experts thought of some ways of assessing the capacity of individual employees in the matter of understanding and handling the emotional aspects of others. From this arose the term Emotional Intelligence and thereafter the ‘Emotional Quotient’, EQ. There were objections to calling it intelligence. But the expression seems to have stuck after the best seller book of Daniel Goleman popularized it extensively.
For assessing intelligence and arriving at I.Q., the cognitive aspects were naturally given more importance than emotional aspects. Abilities of good memory and reasoning power were considered to be the most important assets for success in business or any other career. But Emotional Intelligence considers also the ability to understand others and to control not only one’s own emotional behaviour towards others but that of others also. So, for success in any field today understanding of others and managing the emotional behaviour of others are considered to be an essential requirement. Methods are also developed to measure this ability, although it has been found rather difficult to assess it with any precision.
The basic idea of Emotional Intelligence as a factor in the ability to live in difficult surroundings was recognized since Darwin expounded his theory of the survival of the fittest. Emotional balance was a valuable asset for survival. But the term Emotional Intelligence was first used only in 1985 when a doctoral student Wayne Payne used it for his thesis for doctorate called ‘Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence’. It became very popular and came into wide use after the publication of the best seller book on the subject by Goleman.
This I put forward for further discussion and elaboration.
Dr.K.P.thomas: I have personal experience of this in our organization. While the administrator and the manager are able to carry on their work very well they are found to be not able to either inspire their subordinates or understand the workers. Of course, they are not qualified in modern management or well versed in maintaining discipline of the working staff. The disadvantage is clear. If they could understand the mind of people working under them it would have been ideal. Harassment of the staff and quarrel among the employees would have been the minimum.
I think that in these matters heredity is a very important factor. Part of the capacity for leadership and management is inherited. Apart from the upbringing, genetically what we acquire from our parents become our heredity, and that counts a lot in understanding others and managing them.
Prof. P.M. Sankarankutty: But that is not always true. Milton, the famous English poet’s children were not at all brilliant.
DR. Thomas: Yes, then both the parents may not be brilliant. But the level of their upbringing may still be seen. The Tibetans and the Eskimos developed the genes to put up with extreme cold. When the English wanted to rule India they educated the middle class of Indians in large numbers, and their progeny is today reaping the benefits. In the present time English education has become a big advantage to India. Indians are by nature very intelligent because they inherited it from their ancestors, and today they are proving to be more brilliant than the Americans and the British. The Brahmins understood that emotion is necessary more than intelligence. They had trained to control emotion. Brahmins were therefore given promotions and put in important places like assisting and advising the Rajas. Emotion is the base of motivation.
Dr. Sadanandan: For the emotion to function effectively, intelligence is essential. Emotion is beyond one’s conscious control. It is intelligence which has to regulate and direct the emotion to advantage.
Prof. M.V. Mohanan Nair: At the same time emotional security is needed for intelligence to function and operate properly. Social Intelligence which studies how to deal with society and manage it, works by directing the emotions of society.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some say it can be learned and strengthened, but others say it is an inborn characteristic.
End of 20th century had a surge of scientific studies on evolution. Till that the IQ was considered the major determinant of success in life. But it is Daniel Goleman who argued that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is more important. EI validate the idea that people can be smart in a way that has nothing to do with their IQ. Tests of IQ do not measure the aptitude that count most in life, but merely measure the ability to do the tests. The poets and mystics have always known that true intelligence is a blend of head and heart, thought and feelings.
Goleman defines EI as including self awareness, impulse control, zeal and motivation, empathy and social deftness. These are the qualities he identifies as the qualities for success in career and relationship.
The term EI was first formally defined in 1990 by Mayor and Salovey as
1. Knowing how you feel, how others feel and what to do about that
2. Knowing what feels good, what feels bad, and how to get from bad to good
3. The emotional awareness, sensitivity and management skill which helps in maximizing our long term happiness and survival.
More recently they have updated this definition. “Emotional Intelligence involves the ability to perceive accurately, apprise, and express emotions: the ability to access and to generate feelings when they facilitate thoughts; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and the ability to regulate emotion to promote emotional and intellectual growth.”
Emotion is the complex psycho-physiological experience of an individual’s state of mind as interacting with biochemical (internal) and environmental (external) influences. In humans emotion fundamentally involves ‘physiological arousal, expressive behaviour, and conscious experience. Emotion is associated with mood, temperament, personality, disposition and motivations.
Some categorizations of emotion are
1. cognitive/non-cognitive emotion,
2. instinctual emotion (in amygdale / cognitive emotion (in pre-frontal cortex)
3. that based on duration – some emotions last for over a period of seconds only (ex; surprise), others can last for years (ex; loss).
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 23-11-10 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Prof P.M.Sankarankutty at Green Hills, Temple Gate, Tellicherry. -670102
Coram: All eight members except Prof. Mohanan Nair who was out of station attended and participated in the discussions. .
Subject: Emotional Intelligence (Cont’d)
The report of the last discussion on 28-10-‘10 was accepted as amended After the Forum’s invocation the discussion on Emotional Intelligence was continued by Dr.Babu Ravindran and discussed by others. After a sumptuous dinner hosted by Mrs. Sankarankutty and Prof.Sankarankutty, and a vote of thanks by Dr. Thomas, the meeting dispersed at 11 PM
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Emotion is linked to the limbic system of the brain – specifically the Amygdala. The limbic area is where we experience joy beyond the duality of happiness and unhappiness, and intelligence beyond the blinkers of ego and conditioning.
Arab philosopher Ibn al Arabi wrote that intelligence emanates from Allah. The Hindu idea that intelligence is the gift of Mother Goddess makes it inseparable from maternal qualities of empathy, forbearance, compassion, reflections, and selfless nurturing.. Motherhood demands a high level of Emotional Intelligence. A mother must have the emotional brilliance to know how to discipline her children without inhibiting them. Aristotle said, “Anybody can become angry, that is easy, but to be angry with the right person to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - this is not easy.”
Emotions are what make life worth living or sometimes ending. Emotion also raises normative questions about the extent to which they can be said to be rational, or can contribute to rationality. They are both the object of our most immediate awareness and the most powerful source of our capacity for self deception. Emotion actually represent the break down of smoothly adaptive functions such as thought, perception, and rational planning.
Emotion as a concept is much complicated. Descartes said, “It is impossible for the soul to feel a passion without that passion being truly as one feels it”. He again said that those that are most agitated by their passions are not those who know them best. The recent understandings are ,
1. Emotion is typically a conscious phenomenon, yet,
2. They typically involve non-pervasive bodily manifestations than other conscious states
3. They vary along a number of dimensions, intensity, values, type and range of intentional objects
4. They are reputed to be antagonists of rationality, but also
5. they play an indisputable role in determining the quality of life
6. They contribute crucially to defining our ends and priorities.
7. They play a crucial role in regulating social life.
8. They protect us from an excessively slavish devotion to narrow conceptions of rationality.
9. They have a central place in education and normal life.
In this context again,
EI refers to the competence to identify and express emotion, understand emotion, assimilate emotion in thoughts, and regulate both positive and negative emotions in oneself and others. Goleman defines Emotional Intelligence as “an ability such as being able to motivate oneself and pursue in the face of frustration, to control impulse and delay gratification, to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swaying the ability to think, to empathize, and to hope.”
What is the secret of human happiness and fulfillment? Psychologists proposed that understanding the emotions of oneself and others is the key to satisfying life. Those people who are self-aware and sensitive to others manage the affairs with wisdom and grace even in their adverse circumstances.
Now EI has been touted as a panacea for modern business, and as the essential but often the neglected ingredient in the practicing medium, nursing, law, engineering etc. EI has both positive and negative cultural mores. On the positive side it emphasizes the value of non-intellectual abilities and attributes for the success in living, including emotional understanding awareness, regulation, adoption coping and adoption adjustments. It drives home the notion that, while the road to success in everyday life is determined partly by intellectual ability, there are number of other contributory factors including social competencies, emotional adjustments, emotional sensitivity, practical intelligence, and motivation. It also focuses on character and aspects of self control, such as the ability to delay gratification, tolerate frustration, and regulate impulse (ego strength). On the negative side, EI places greater emphasis on the importance of emotional abilities than our intellectual intelligence.
To paraphrase, emotion provides the ultimate validation of action; if it does not feel good, don’t do it.
Prof.P.M. Sankarankutty: But emotion has to be restrained. It should not be more than what is desirable. Certain ‘clinical detachment’ is said to be desirable in all actions.
Sri.K.V.Kunhikrishnan: That detachment is necessary for not getting involved.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Some times emotions get out of control. Socrates had a quarrel with his wife and that became hot. In the heat of anger his wife threw a bucket of water over his head. He coolly remarked, ‘there is a shower after the thunder.’
Dr. Babu Ravindran: If Daniel Goleman is associated with popularizing EI, it was Reuven Bar-on in 1997 who has contributed the first commercially available operational index for assessment of EI. Bar-on Characterizes EI as an array of non-cognitive capabilities, competencies, and skills that influences one’s abilities to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures. Emotional Quotient assesses five broad sub-types of Emotional Intelligence.
1. Intrapersonal Intelligence: composed of emotional self awareness, assertiveness, self regard, self actualization, and independence
2. Interpersonal Intelligence: composed of empathy, interpersonal relationship, and social relationship.
3. Adaptability: problem solving, reality testing, flexibility.
4. Stress management: stress tolerance, impulse control.
5. General mood: happiness, optimism.
Assessment of EQ is based on capacities related to the above categories of emotional intelligences.
Dr. Thomas: Emotional action not deliberate sometimes helps solve problems. There is a problematic person as the Secretary of the managing committee of our Church. He became secretary only because he was vehemently assertive in all matters desirable and undesirable, and nobody was willing to oppose him for fear of disturbing the sanctity of the atmosphere. The result was that the Church affairs were badly mismanaged. In most of the occasions he went on talking irrelevant things not allowing others to say anything. One day after I joined the committee when he was lecturing others about something silly for quite sometime, I couldn’t bear the nonsense any longer and blurted out, ‘you are a bloody fool’. Everybody was stunned although they all liked it and remarked later that it should have been done much earlier by somebody. After that incident he became a changed man. He stopped his irrelevant talks and did work quietly. Although using the word ‘bloody’ in a church was considered a horrible thing, nobody objected and took it in its stride as necessary at the time. Even the priest tacitly conceded it. After that incident the administration of the church went on smoothly. Perhaps that is an example of Emotional Intelligence working automatically.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Emotional Intelligence has an important place in Indian Culture although no particular term is used to represent it. Three virtues are stressed in ‘Brihadaranyaka Upanishad’. They are, compassion or empathy, delaying gratification or self control, and creativity. Self control comes from self awareness. Self flowing to the other person is compassion. Creativity comes from emotion and sensitivity. It is said that creativity begins with madness. Height of emotion becomes almost madness. The poet T.S. Eliot was in a lunatic asylum for sometime. His extreme sensitivity and emotional intensity can be seen in his poetry on Thames which he identifies as a polluted woman. He asks who will save the woman and world which is wasting away.
Dr. A.V.Sadanandan: Man and his mind stand at the apex of the evolutionary process. He thinks, and he feels. He has knowledge – knowledge is power, position and money. The whole educational process and training aim at this. We train better technicians, engineers, professionals, teachers, and all proposing to have a society with efficiency, success and prosperity.
As individuals each one is struggling to equip himself with knowledge and training to be successful in life. If one is a little bit alert and has accumulated some knowledge and information, and is proficient in expression, how important he becomes in the society. We worship those who are intellectually superior. But man essentially is an emotional being. His psychological make up determines his relationships with things, ideas and people. And this relationship is what life is all about. Our consciousness includes everything, thoughts, memories, knowledge, feelings and emotions. As emotions we have our anxieties, fears, grief and sorrows and occasional joys too. Our actions spring from desires, likes and dislikes, ambitions envy and greed. We strive for pleasures, gratification and happiness, and in the process one may become angry, aggressive and violent. We live within the field of mind and its activities. Mind is accumulated sensations and its reactions that can cause confusions, miseries and problems. And mind always seeks security and in this process there is isolation and self centeredness.
We know we want freedom from these emotions. These are restricting, limiting and distorting all our activities. But we remain the same since generations. There is no change. Is there no psychological evolution? But always there exists a longing for man to free himself from all this burden of fear, hurt and sorrows inside him. But how? We are not able to do that. Is our mind not equipped for that? We are not educated enough for it. We are not trained for it. Can we seek help from someone? We manage to conform to the social morality with all the tricks that our mind plays. We can suppress the emotions. We can control them. We can analyze and rationalize it to have some security. Our beliefs are there to help us to be consoled. Our brain can forget them. We can find solace in ideals and philosophies. We can pray God and at times take refuge in monasteries. We have our pleasures, entertainments and games to keep them away for a while.
Apart from all this, is it that our mind cannot deal with it, solve it; is the mind itself the cause of it? To answer, one has to think, scan through the memory. Thought is the only tool we have. But thought and feelings have created it. One fragment of thought on the other part may not give the answer. And the thinker, the seeker again is a conglomeration of thoughts. Not to think, is it possible? Mind has to be quiet. When it is quiet there is only seeing with all the being. Mind is being attentive, ‘aware’. There is no choice. There is only understanding. In that state there can be the awakening of Intelligence that can subdue the thoughts, memories, knowledge and emotions, and can cleanse the mind. This intelligence can use thoughts, memories, knowledge and emotions justly, rightly, and in the most proper way.
But we are not alert. We don’t want to be attentive. We just imitate, we try to follow and conform; we accept the authorities. We become conditioned. We reason out giving too much importance to reasoning. We become insensitive. We don’t see ‘what is’, why?
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: In Short, you suggest that what is desirable is neither conventional ‘Rational Intelligence’ (Cognitive Intelligence), nor Emotional Intelligence, but Pure Intelligence that comes out of absolute attention from a quiet mind. That Intelligence alone can ensure correct action that is right and proper.
Dr. Thomas: That is difficult in everyday life. We have in our organization five gold medalists, each of them devoted and brilliant in his own field. But they are bad managers making our life miserable. They cannot keep good relationship with the staff or the public. Therefore others have to do all the work. Emotional people are much better than IQ people.
Professor Sankarankutty Those who are intelligent pass the exams and get gold medals while those who understand emotions achieve. Man with IQ gets appointed; but the man with EQ gets the promotion.
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 14-12-10 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr.Sri.T.Bhaskaran.
Coram Six members attended. Prof.Sakarankutty and Prof. Mohanan Nair could not attend as they were out of station.
As regards the proposed publication of the book it was decided that a good printer would be contacted immediately so that the book can be released as early as possible.
Dr. Mohammed Abdulla:- Substantial disagreement exists regarding the definition of EI, with respect to both terminology and operational methods. There has been much confusion about the exact reasoning of the construct. The definitions are so varied, and the field is growing so rapidly that researchers are constantly reevaluating even their own definitions of the construct.
Emotional Intelligence is very lately identified as a branch of Psychology. Even though the earliest roots of EI can be traced to Darwin’s work on the importance of emotional expression for survival and second adaptation, the branch of science gained momentum only in 1990 onwards.
As already mentioned by others, the concept of EI is popularized after publication of psychologist and New York Times science writer Daniel Goleman,s book ‘EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, why it can matter more than IQ’. Even though Daniel Goleman has popularized this branch of psychology of Ei his researches were only directed to the effectiveness Ei in the field of management and professionalism which is only a very narrow angle of applied EI while the huge clump of this concept and its application in day to day human life has not been high lighted.
Analyzing EI is said to be a Herculean task. But a very broad classification given is as follows:
The five components of EI are,
1 Self awareness: The ability to recognize and understand one’s moods, emotions and drives, as well as their effects on others. To achieve this one must have
i) Self-confidence
ii) Restrictive self assessment
iii)Sense of humor
2. Self Regulation: The ability to control and react to disruptive impulses and moods, and the propensity to suspend judgment- to think before acting - .
To achieve this one needs trustworthiness and integrity, comfort with ambiguity, and openness to change.
3. Motivation: A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status: a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence. To achieve this, a strong drive to achieve optimum even in the face of failure, and organizational commitment are necessary.
4. Empathy: The ability to understand the emotional make up of other people, skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions. To achieve this one has to develop expertise in building and retaining talent cross, cultural sensitivity, and service to clients and customers.
5. Social Skill: Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and an ability to find common ground and build of rapport. To achieve this one needs effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise in building and leading teams.
To conclude, we are left with the question, ‘Can emotional intelligence be learned?’
For ages people have debated if leaders are born or made. So too goes the debate about EI. Are people born with empathy for example, or do they acquire empathy as a result of life experiences? The answer is both. Scientific enquiry strongly suggests that there is a genetic component to emotional intelligence. Psychological and developmental researches indicate that nurture plays a role as well. How much of each perhaps will never be known; but the research and practice clearly demonstrate that Emotional Intelligence can be learned.
One thing is certain. Emotional intelligence increases with age, but even with maturity people still need assistance and training for emotional intelligence to develop. But in most cases the present day training programs have unsatisfactory results and outcome. Researchers conclude that EI is mainly originated in the neurotransmitters of the brain’s limbic system, which manipulate feelings, impulses, and drives. This is best learned through motivation, extended practice, and feed back.
Dr.K.P.Thomas: According to the management expert Drucker the members participating in a meeting or conference to make decisions should be in a happy mood in order to be effective. At least it will give better results. Therefore we decided to introduce that in our organization. Somebody suggested and we decide to serve beer to the members before the meeting. The results must have been better, we presume. But later we found that the members were too happy to be effective. We therefore discontinued the practice.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Emotional Intelligence or the conventional intelligence, which is more important? I think, it is the usual IQ and not EQ.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan. Yes, definitely IQ is important. What is stressed here is that EQ has been ignored so far and the emotional angle completely forgotten.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: At best EQ supplements IQ.
Ekkentros report January 2011
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 25-1-11 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr. Md Abdulla, Marayakulath, Nettur PO., Tellicherry-6
Coram: Seven members except Prof P.M.Sankarankutty who was out of station, attended and participated in the discussions. .
Subject: Emotional Intelligence (Cont’d)
The report of the last discussion on 14-12-‘10 was accepted as amended After the Forum’s invocation the discussion on Emotional Intelligence was continued by Dr.K.P.Thomas and Prof. Mohanan Nair. A lively discussion ensued. After an elaborate and sumptuous dinner hosted by Mrs. Khadija Abdulla and a vote of thanks by Dr. Thomas, the meeting dispersed at 11-30 PM
Dr. K.P.thomas: In stressed group activities and its management the Emotional Intelligence has to get into a flow for any achievement. But emotional interference can bring in disaster also, like the angry pilot who crashed because his copilots were afraid to tell him that his fuel tank was fast emptying. Understanding one’s own emotions and thereby having empathy with the emotions of others is the basis of EI.
Love, tender feelings, and sexual satisfaction entail parasympathetic arousal – the physiological opposite of the ‘fight or flight’ mobilization shared by fear and anger. The parasympathetic pattern produces ‘relaxation response’ to the whole body and it generates a state of calm and contentment, facilitating cooperation. This will lead to a state of happiness without negative feelings, and an enthusiasm and energy to do certain tasks. Worrisome thoughts are excluded in this condition of the brain. This is the state of the brain achieved by meditation, religious devotions or in a social festival and feasting.
Up to about ten thousand years back, man has always been threatened by calamities and predators limiting his existence to 30 years or so. But with the coming of agriculture and formation of human societies, the odds of survival changed dramatically. However those pressures of older days made our emotional responses quick enough and valuable to our survival for a longer span of life.
We have two minds, one that thinks, and the other that feels; the rational mind and the emotional mind.
Dr. A.V.Sadanandan: Yes. Both are meant for human survival. Emotional mind works fast. It comes from the tacit, instantaneous understanding of a person The rational mind takes time, thinking by slow deliberation.
Dr. K.P.Thomas:Let me explain the working of EQ by an illustration. I had to do a project for our hospital company. The adjacent plot of 8 cents was offered to us for 40 lakhs. The title being pledged in the Union Bank, for its release we agreed to give a check of Rs 3 lakhs as advance through an agreement signed by me on behalf of the Company, and the owners, a son, his sister, and their bed-ridden mother. When we (myself and the son) went to the bank with the check the manager wanted the signatures of the women to be put in his presence for which he was ready to come with us to the adjacent plot. But the son said that his sister was out of station. The next day was a holiday, and the next day when I talked to the sister over the phone she denied having any knowledge of the agreement and that she can vacate only after six months. Without expressing any emotion I told the son to make her understand and go to the bank to effect the closure of the loan. It was 1-45 PM. Before they reached the bank by 3 PM I cancelled the check through phone.
It was a split second, instinctive decision. I took it automatically to protect the company from an imminent loss of Rs.3 lakhs, and a possible legal and socio-political wrangle, that can go on prolonged for over a decade. I came under fire from the company directors and the son and the sister. (The mother had died the very next day.). They told me that I took a unilateral decision without consultation to cancel a significantly lucrative capital addition and business expansion of the company. For a split second (Say, 1/1000th of a second) decision, I had to ponder over and think for three-four days to find sufficient rationale and points of justification! And the more I rationalized the more and more points fell into line with perfect alignment to justify my decision to cancel the agreement. It was just like my primitive psyche escaping an on-coming fatal arrow from hitting me and exterminating me, and my progeny from the face of the earth. The decision was the functioning of emotional intelligence, and the rationalization later was the conventional rational mind working to pacify and convince my directors, which did not appear that easy. I cannot claim to be the most intelligent of the twelve directors, but I am, (as the oldest, and the strategist ) the crisis managing expert. I am generally in the background, and once they get trapped I may step in and gently unravel the quagmire of situational problems. I try to make each one of them feel that it was all their idea that solved the problems. High I.Q. is definitely good for individually thought out programs, but EQ is essential in group activities.
Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan: Here your sudden hunch worked as the Emotional Intelligence.
Prof. M.V.Mohanan Nair: We already had a very exhaustive discussion on the topic. Traditionally we were given to understand that emotion and intelligence are incompatible. Today we know that they are complementary, and that the emotional aspect is as important or perhaps more important than the other, because emotional security is essential for the intelligence to function effectively. Gone are the days when we used to consider IQ of an individual or a group as the supreme trait. Its place has been taken by a persons’ or group’s EQ, a self perceived ability to identify, assess and control one’s own or their own emotions and that of others’ and groups. As was pointed out by all my friends here, the lack of EQ has failed many with very high IQ. This is true with every aspect and sphere of human activity whether it be the family, the society, state, nation, etc. For example, it is known to everyone that Kerala has the highest literacy rate among all the states of India. I am afraid that Kerala is on the hot track to be the highest in divorce rates also. Why does this happen? The answer is that, times are past when men thought of their wives as household commodities, without paying any attention to their emotional needs. Education leads to a better understanding of one’s emotional needs. Women today are educated and they, especially those who work, (not on office alone) are conscious of their emotional needs. They refuse to be an instrument of pleasure alone for their husbands – and the result is divorce or suicide.
And parents, they are often blind to the emotional needs of their children. In my own example, I used to feel proud on being a professor. I realized that I am a foolish Professor with no EI. When we do not respect the emotions of our own children they revolt which in many cases result in elopement, suicide etc. The student Dhanya who committed suicide recently was very brilliant – she could recite all that she studied – but felt emotionally insecure. The strength of the family lies in, each member understanding the emotional needs of the others..
This is true in the national scenario too. Mrs. Gandhi was a very intelligent and shrewd politician. But she didn’t have the EI to understand that our country which was under British imperialism for about 200 years was not emotionally willing to be under another dictatorial P.M. and in the end, in spite of all her shrewdness, she failed. – failed miserably. Again India lost one of the most brilliant PMs in Rajiv Gandhi. His sending the Indian Army to Srilanka was rather a political strategy adopted by him without paying any heed to the emotions of the Srilankans.
Recently there was a lot of uproar about Ms Arundhathi Roy’s statement about the people of Kashmir (I have no particular respect for her being the writer of ‘God Of Small Things’, a mere trash). The full text of the statement was in the news paper ‘Hindu’. She only said that Kashmirians do not feel to be an integral part of India. We know that at the expense of other states, the major portion of the Indian budget has been flowing to Kashmir ever since it was granted special status. You cannot force anyone to love you. They should be emotionally willing to love you. It should come from within and is not something that could be imposed.
Terrorism is something that could never be tolerated or justified. The terrorist leaders shrewdly and intelligently exploit the emotions of the easily credible ones, mainly their religious feelings, or social inequality (Maoists). The Germans were emotional enough to be exploited by Hitler’s myth about Aryan supremacy. It is an illustrious example of how an emotionally unintelligent nation could incite disaster.
The world is becoming smaller and smaller. We speak of the world as a global village. Paradoxically human worries and tensions are on the increase than in the past. What man needs today is emotional security. How to achieve this is the big question.
Dr. K.P.Thomas: Lack of emotional security often drives people to commit suicide. Intelligent people are more prone to commit suicide. I have noticed it in the Vellore Mission Hospital when I was there. Same thing I understand is the case of IIT, Madras also. This points to the fact that conventionally intelligent people are generally weak in emotional intelligence, and they cannot stand failure.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: All this forces us to examine our mind. The Functioning of the mind has to be closely looked into.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Yes. But how to look at the mind can be misunderstood. It is not by studying the structure of the mind or the network of neurons by dissecting them. Neither is it by psycho-analysis. The mind is not a physical object to experiment and study. No scientific approach can help here. It is only by quietly sitting down and observing closely how one’s mind functions and how thoughts arise and subside. One has to go deeper and deeper into the mind. One can start by observing the tip of one’s own nose, for example.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: Sri Sri Ravishankar’s Sudarsana Kriya .Starts with observation of breathing and breathing exercises.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Where is actually his mind when a patient is in anesthesia? His organs are all functioning perfectly. But for quite some time, no feeling is coming. The mind is not there.
Dr. Sadanandan: This is more or less the case in deep sleep also. Only, it is passively alert.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: The need to look into the mind and emotions is now more or less well recognized. It is a well known established fact that vast areas of the human brain are lying unutilized. The left brain, dealing with the rational part has all along been given undue importance neglecting the portions in the right brain connected with Emotional Intelligence, Insight, Intuition, Hunch, what is called the ‘Gut Feeling’ etc. The ‘scientific approach’ in every field of human activity, since renaissance, made Man look at and analyze only the object for study ignoring altogether the subject who is actually the observer.
The subject, observer is an emotional being, and that has tremendous influence in whatever man does. All decisions are influenced by emotions. However convinced a man might be by using his reasoning power, ultimately his decision can be seen to have been influenced by what his emotion dictated. Even in scientific experiments, where one is supposed to go strictly by observation of physical facts and reasoning, both of these factors can be seen to have been influenced by his emotional bias.
It can be noticed that all the great inventions and discoveries originated initially from hunches, visions, intuitions, insights etc. Reasoning at best only confirmed what ideas appeared in the minds of the scientists, a priori, after testing and experimenting. Often the reason and logic helped fitting the findings to what was acceptable.
Therefore what is needed seems to be to develop the power if intuition and insight in order to reach great heights in achievement. Going into one’s own mind and understanding it is the preliminary step in that direction. How other minds work can then be better grasped. The unity of existence also will be then become clear.
Not that the rational mind is not important. Philosopher/Spiritualist Jaggi Vasudev says that one has to use logic and reasoning like a drunkard uses the lamp posts – only for support.
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 25-1-11 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr. Md Abdulla, Marayakulath, Nettur PO., Tellicherry-6
Coram: Seven members except Prof P.M.Sankarankutty who was out of station, attended and participated in the discussions. .
Subject: Emotional Intelligence (Cont’d)
The report of the last discussion on 14-12-‘10 was accepted as amended After the Forum’s invocation the discussion on Emotional Intelligence was continued by Dr.K.P.Thomas and Prof. Mohanan Nair. A lively discussion ensued. After an elaborate and sumptuous dinner hosted by Mrs. Khadija Abdulla and a vote of thanks by Dr. Thomas, the meeting dispersed at 11-30 PM
Dr. K.P.thomas: In stressed group activities and its management the Emotional Intelligence has to get into a flow for any achievement. But emotional interference can bring in disaster also, like the angry pilot who crashed because his copilots were afraid to tell him that his fuel tank was fast emptying. Understanding one’s own emotions and thereby having empathy with the emotions of others is the basis of EI.
Love, tender feelings, and sexual satisfaction entail parasympathetic arousal – the physiological opposite of the ‘fight or flight’ mobilization shared by fear and anger. The parasympathetic pattern produces ‘relaxation response’ to the whole body and it generates a state of calm and contentment, facilitating cooperation. This will lead to a state of happiness without negative feelings, and an enthusiasm and energy to do certain tasks. Worrisome thoughts are excluded in this condition of the brain. This is the state of the brain achieved by meditation, religious devotions or in a social festival and feasting.
Up to about ten thousand years back, man has always been threatened by calamities and predators limiting his existence to 30 years or so. But with the coming of agriculture and formation of human societies, the odds of survival changed dramatically. However those pressures of older days made our emotional responses quick enough and valuable to our survival for a longer span of life.
We have two minds, one that thinks, and the other that feels; the rational mind and the emotional mind.
Dr. A.V.Sadanandan: Yes. Both are meant for human survival. Emotional mind works fast. It comes from the tacit, instantaneous understanding of a person The rational mind takes time, thinking by slow deliberation.
Dr. K.P.Thomas:Let me explain the working of EQ by an illustration. I had to do a project for our hospital company. The adjacent plot of 8 cents was offered to us for 40 lakhs. The title being pledged in the Union Bank, for its release we agreed to give a check of Rs 3 lakhs as advance through an agreement signed by me on behalf of the Company, and the owners, a son, his sister, and their bed-ridden mother. When we (myself and the son) went to the bank with the check the manager wanted the signatures of the women to be put in his presence for which he was ready to come with us to the adjacent plot. But the son said that his sister was out of station. The next day was a holiday, and the next day when I talked to the sister over the phone she denied having any knowledge of the agreement and that she can vacate only after six months. Without expressing any emotion I told the son to make her understand and go to the bank to effect the closure of the loan. It was 1-45 PM. Before they reached the bank by 3 PM I cancelled the check through phone.
It was a split second, instinctive decision. I took it automatically to protect the company from an imminent loss of Rs.3 lakhs, and a possible legal and socio-political wrangle, that can go on prolonged for over a decade. I came under fire from the company directors and the son and the sister. (The mother had died the very next day.). They told me that I took a unilateral decision without consultation to cancel a significantly lucrative capital addition and business expansion of the company. For a split second (Say, 1/1000th of a second) decision, I had to ponder over and think for three-four days to find sufficient rationale and points of justification! And the more I rationalized the more and more points fell into line with perfect alignment to justify my decision to cancel the agreement. It was just like my primitive psyche escaping an on-coming fatal arrow from hitting me and exterminating me, and my progeny from the face of the earth. The decision was the functioning of emotional intelligence, and the rationalization later was the conventional rational mind working to pacify and convince my directors, which did not appear that easy. I cannot claim to be the most intelligent of the twelve directors, but I am, (as the oldest, and the strategist ) the crisis managing expert. I am generally in the background, and once they get trapped I may step in and gently unravel the quagmire of situational problems. I try to make each one of them feel that it was all their idea that solved the problems. High I.Q. is definitely good for individually thought out programs, but EQ is essential in group activities.
Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan: Here your sudden hunch worked as the Emotional Intelligence.
Prof. M.V.Mohanan Nair: We already had a very exhaustive discussion on the topic. Traditionally we were given to understand that emotion and intelligence are incompatible. Today we know that they are complementary, and that the emotional aspect is as important or perhaps more important than the other, because emotional security is essential for the intelligence to function effectively. Gone are the days when we used to consider IQ of an individual or a group as the supreme trait. Its place has been taken by a persons’ or group’s EQ, a self perceived ability to identify, assess and control one’s own or their own emotions and that of others’ and groups. As was pointed out by all my friends here, the lack of EQ has failed many with very high IQ. This is true with every aspect and sphere of human activity whether it be the family, the society, state, nation, etc. For example, it is known to everyone that Kerala has the highest literacy rate among all the states of India. I am afraid that Kerala is on the hot track to be the highest in divorce rates also. Why does this happen? The answer is that, times are past when men thought of their wives as household commodities, without paying any attention to their emotional needs. Education leads to a better understanding of one’s emotional needs. Women today are educated and they, especially those who work, (not on office alone) are conscious of their emotional needs. They refuse to be an instrument of pleasure alone for their husbands – and the result is divorce or suicide.
And parents, they are often blind to the emotional needs of their children. In my own example, I used to feel proud on being a professor. I realized that I am a foolish Professor with no EI. When we do not respect the emotions of our own children they revolt which in many cases result in elopement, suicide etc. The student Dhanya who committed suicide recently was very brilliant – she could recite all that she studied – but felt emotionally insecure. The strength of the family lies in, each member understanding the emotional needs of the others..
This is true in the national scenario too. Mrs. Gandhi was a very intelligent and shrewd politician. But she didn’t have the EI to understand that our country which was under British imperialism for about 200 years was not emotionally willing to be under another dictatorial P.M. and in the end, in spite of all her shrewdness, she failed. – failed miserably. Again India lost one of the most brilliant PMs in Rajiv Gandhi. His sending the Indian Army to Srilanka was rather a political strategy adopted by him without paying any heed to the emotions of the Srilankans.
Recently there was a lot of uproar about Ms Arundhathi Roy’s statement about the people of Kashmir (I have no particular respect for her being the writer of ‘God Of Small Things’, a mere trash). The full text of the statement was in the news paper ‘Hindu’. She only said that Kashmirians do not feel to be an integral part of India. We know that at the expense of other states, the major portion of the Indian budget has been flowing to Kashmir ever since it was granted special status. You cannot force anyone to love you. They should be emotionally willing to love you. It should come from within and is not something that could be imposed.
Terrorism is something that could never be tolerated or justified. The terrorist leaders shrewdly and intelligently exploit the emotions of the easily credible ones, mainly their religious feelings, or social inequality (Maoists). The Germans were emotional enough to be exploited by Hitler’s myth about Aryan supremacy. It is an illustrious example of how an emotionally unintelligent nation could incite disaster.
The world is becoming smaller and smaller. We speak of the world as a global village. Paradoxically human worries and tensions are on the increase than in the past. What man needs today is emotional security. How to achieve this is the big question.
Dr. K.P.Thomas: Lack of emotional security often drives people to commit suicide. Intelligent people are more prone to commit suicide. I have noticed it in the Vellore Mission Hospital when I was there. Same thing I understand is the case of IIT, Madras also. This points to the fact that conventionally intelligent people are generally weak in emotional intelligence, and they cannot stand failure.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: All this forces us to examine our mind. The Functioning of the mind has to be closely looked into.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Yes. But how to look at the mind can be misunderstood. It is not by studying the structure of the mind or the network of neurons by dissecting them. Neither is it by psycho-analysis. The mind is not a physical object to experiment and study. No scientific approach can help here. It is only by quietly sitting down and observing closely how one’s mind functions and how thoughts arise and subside. One has to go deeper and deeper into the mind. One can start by observing the tip of one’s own nose, for example.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: Sri Sri Ravishankar’s Sudarsana Kriya .Starts with observation of breathing and breathing exercises.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Where is actually his mind when a patient is in anesthesia? His organs are all functioning perfectly. But for quite some time, no feeling is coming. The mind is not there.
Dr. Sadanandan: This is more or less the case in deep sleep also. Only, it is passively alert.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: The need to look into the mind and emotions is now more or less well recognized. It is a well known established fact that vast areas of the human brain are lying unutilized. The left brain, dealing with the rational part has all along been given undue importance neglecting the portions in the right brain connected with Emotional Intelligence, Insight, Intuition, Hunch, what is called the ‘Gut Feeling’ etc. The ‘scientific approach’ in every field of human activity, since renaissance, made Man look at and analyze only the object for study ignoring altogether the subject who is actually the observer.
The subject, observer is an emotional being, and that has tremendous influence in whatever man does. All decisions are influenced by emotions. However convinced a man might be by using his reasoning power, ultimately his decision can be seen to have been influenced by what his emotion dictated. Even in scientific experiments, where one is supposed to go strictly by observation of physical facts and reasoning, both of these factors can be seen to have been influenced by his emotional bias.
It can be noticed that all the great inventions and discoveries originated initially from hunches, visions, intuitions, insights etc. Reasoning at best only confirmed what ideas appeared in the minds of the scientists, a priori, after testing and experimenting. Often the reason and logic helped fitting the findings to what was acceptable.
Therefore what is needed seems to be to develop the power if intuition and insight in order to reach great heights in achievement. Going into one’s own mind and understanding it is the preliminary step in that direction. How other minds work can then be better grasped. The unity of existence also will be then become clear.
Not that the rational mind is not important. Philosopher/Spiritualist Jaggi Vasudev says that one has to use logic and reasoning like a drunkard uses the lamp posts – only for support.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
ageless body and timeless mind - Seminar Report
SEMINAR organized by Current Books and conducted by Ekkentros Forum on 25-9-09(Friday)
Venue: Currenr Books Premises, Thalassery.
Participants Present: Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan, IRS(Retd), Chairman of the Forum,
Dr. Babu Ravindran, Prof. P.M.Sankarankutty, Dr. K.P.Thomas, Dr. Md.Abdulla, Prof. Mohanan Nair, all members of the Forum,
Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair,
Mrs. Shobha Rajagopal Menon, Principal(Retd), St.Kabir High School, Ahemedabad.
Prof. Richard Hay, Member of the Forum arrived late as he was held up in his college. His paper is, however, added as an appendix.
Subject: Ageless Body and Timeless Mind
The function started with Sri Biju, Manager of the Tellicherry Branch of Current Books welcoming the members of the Ekkentros Forum, other participants, and the gathering. He then invited the chairman of the forum Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan to conduct and moderate the seminar.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: We are here today to participate in a seminar. The time available is very much limited. Usually a seminar will last for a whole day from ten to five. But here we have only two and a half hours for about twelve people to present papers or to speak. Therefore the time for each to present his papers and to explain his point briefly will be only eight to ten minutes. Those who are only speaking may take not more than five minutes, and those who have not so far given their names, may take only three minutes.
The language used can be English, Malayalam, or both.
Any arguments and controversies should be avoided. Each puts forward his point of view which may freely differ from any other point of view. In this regard it would be proper to bear in mind the invocation of the Forum, which I shall read out now.
Ekkentros Forum is a discussion forum constituted in Tellicherry about eleven years ago to discuss on various topics of a basic nature relating to man and the universe. The first twenty topics discussed were published in a book titled “Confessions of Eccentrics” by the New Delhi Publisher, M/s Somaiya Publications. Subsequent topics are published in the blog of the forum, www.ekkentrosthoughts.blogspot.com . There is also a blog of the chairman of the forum, www.kvkekkentros.blogspot.com the contents of which are published in a book recently released, ‘Ruminations and Reminiscences at Eighty Plus’. Let me read out the invocation which may be given some careful attention:
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE GATHERED ALL THROUGH OUR LIVES,
WITH THE WISDOM DAWNED THEREFORM,
WITH THE ABILITY OF EXPRESSION
ACQUIRED WITH CARE AND EFFORT,
AND OUR UNFATHOMED INTUITIVE FACULTIES,
WE NOW INVOKE,
FOR A FREE INQUIRY WITH NO HOLDS BARRED,
WITHIN THE VAST MENTAL SPACE IN THESE MOMENTS OF SILENCE
The subject today, Ageless body and Timeless mind’ is a very tough subject. It would have been very vague and intangible also but for the book by the same title of Deepak Chopra, a doctor and an endocrinologist. It is one of the best sellers, a wonderful book much appreciated in US as well as in India.
Deepak Chopra’s main point is that aging is a matter of choice or is optional, and not mandatory or inevitable. How the choice is exercised is a big question. It is exercised through belief. Aging happens because from birth onwards we believe that we have to age and die. We see also that others as well as animals and plants age and die. This belief has to be reversed. And the belief that aging is not inevitable has to be so rooted that it has to come from beyond the mind from the quantum field or domain. Deepak Chopra tries to prove through the latest findings in quantum physics that aging can actually be avoided. He approaches the source deep within all of through three different paths, through body that is matter, through mind which is the transition level, and time.
Body is made of material. But what is this material? If you go to the ultimate ingredients we find the individual cells and then the genetically coded DNA consisting of Nucleotides and then Amino Acids, Sugars etc. Material means cluster of energy. DNA contains information and energy. All the information for the functioning of the body is contained or coded in the DNA. But if you analyze the DNA we come across amino acids, sugars etc which are nothing but molecules and atoms. Atoms consist of quarks, neutrinos and electrons, all of which are photons in vibration. The material part ends at the atom. Beyond it, the quarks, leptons etc are energy photons in vibration with vast spaces in between. This is the quantum field or domain. There is tremendous intelligence functioning in the body for all the organs working in unison. Where is then this intelligence lying? Not in the material body. In between the neutrinos and electrons there is only vast space. In fact 99.9 per cent of material is space. There is intelligence and information functioning, directing, manipulating, guiding these constituents of the body to act in a particular manner in these quantum space or quantum field. It sees and supervises that a cell does not grow as a nail in the liver. Tremendous intelligence is at work without our conscious participation. The seat of this intelligence, the source of this information we cannot find in the cells or in the DNA. The coded information in the DNA functions alright but what intelligence creates it and makes it function we cannot fathom. The quantum field, the non-material mental stage, as already mentioned is composed of concentrations of energy waves and vast empty space. Therefore we can say that the whole universe is composed of empty space and energy, fluid energy. Energy and matter are convertible at quantum level. This is therefore the transition stage between mind and matter. Our body is mainly empty space at the quantum level. The intelligence, the source has to lie in that empty space at the quantum field level or beyond it at the virtual level. How to access that intelligence to stop ageing or slow down aging is the question.
Human thought happens when the neurons in the brain fires. Thought is thus matter. Memory is stored impressions of thought. But no storage device is found anywhere in the body or brain. The brain is all mainly liquid. Only thing I have left is my awareness, pure awareness. All the intelligence, all the information that the body needs must therefore be coming from the awareness or through the awareness. That must be the source and that must be the creator and the controller of the DNA and the very atom. Its seat need not be anywhere in particular. In the quantum field or beyond space and time has no meaning. The source can be anywhere or everywhere. The gap, the chink in the quantum world through which the access to intelligence is possible is the awareness. It is the window.
We know from modern science that billions of cells are dying in our body every day and billions are being replaced. Yet we all look and function as if the body is the same. That is to say that repair and replacements are happening every day, and by the time a year is out we have a completely new body. Then why should we age? It must be because the replacing mechanism does not function fully. Replacing and repairing or healing will work perfectly if the underlying intelligence of the awareness is taken recourse to without interference by thought. The thought has to be quiet, still. Attention and intention of pure awareness can do the trick says Deepak Chopra.
According to Einstein’s theory time is not absolute. That is, time is a make believe, an illusion. It is relative. We have chronological time, psychological time and biological time. While my chronological time is eighty-two, my biological or physiological time may be only seventy and my psychological time only fifty-five. Chronological time is because of earth’s change of position or rotation relative to the sun, our light. The duration is divided into twenty four hours etc. imagine a person in empty outer space far away from the sun. What is time for him? There may be changes in his position or bodily functions. But there is no time. There are only changes in the universe. And memory creates past and future. We metabolize time by thinking. But if we metabolize it by observing, perceiving, witnessing then we find that time stands still in the present. A timeless mind, a timeless awareness creates an ageless body. Natural rebuilding and replacing of the body happens and aging slows down. Even the bio-chemistry of the body actually arises from the awareness.
Prof. Dr..P.M.Sankarankutty: I intend to continue what Sri. Kunhikrishnan elaborated, namely, the idea of going beyond death, but connecting it at the level of mythology. A myth does not prove anything empirically, but it has its own warp in bringing out the immensity of the universe. In Hindu mythology death is represented by Yama who is also the lord of time. Most of us have come across the story of Nachiketas who went to Yama and had a discourse with him on Life and Death. Because of the deep devotion and penance of Nachikethas the Lord of death had to give/show him the secret of Life.
The most fascinating of all the myths about death is the story of Savitri-Sathyavan, adopting which sage Aurobindo wrote his famous epic poem “Savitri’, to bring out his idea of the supramental manifestation on earth, achieving immortality. The legend of Savitri is one of the side stories found in the Mahabharatha in its chapter or part relating to ‘ Forest ’ (Vanaparvam). The story in the Mahabharatha starts with the king of Madra, Ashwapathi and his wife Malathi living an ascetic life for years praying to the Sun God (savitur) for many years because they had no children. Finally they are blessed with a girl child who was given the name Savitri in honour of that God. When Savitri grew up she also became deeply devotional and ascetically bent. Beautiful and pure, she shunned all men. No suitor would dare approach her. Fed up, her father tells her to find out her own husband. She therefore goes on a pilgrimage and by chance meets Sathyavan and falls in love with him. Sathyavan, she learns, is the son of blind and destitute king of Salwa, Dyumatsena, who lived in exile in the forest because his kingdom was usurped by enemies. In spite of all that Savitri loved Sathyavan intensely and decided to marry him. But the blind king in exile was told by sage Narada that the choice made by Savitri was an erroneous one because Sathyavan was destined to die exactly after one year. Savitri was therefore asked to change her mind. Yet Savitri would no relent, and stuck to her decision to be the wife of Sathyavan, who was never told about his fate. They thus get married and live in the forest with Sathyavan’s parents. Few days before the foreseen death of Sathyavan, Savitri takes intense vows of fasting and vigil. On the morning of Sathyavan’s predicted death, Savitri accompanies her husband who is not aware of the impending doom, into the jungle. While splitting wood, Sathyavan collapses and dies on Savitri’s lap. When Yama comes and takes the soul of Sathyavan Savitri follows Yama. In spite of all coaxing and threatening Savitri refuses to turn back. With devotion, strength of feminine chastity and extreme love, she argues her case with Yama and wins him over. Impressed by her devotion and wisdom Yama allows her three boons, except the life of Sathyavan. She asks for the restoration of eyesight for her father, children for her parents, and also children for herself by Sathyavan. Yama could not break his promise and thus she indirectly got back the life of Sathyavan. Savitri is thus able to overcome the death of her husband. That was the original story in Mahabharatha. But its spiritual and mystic meaning comes out in Aurobindo’s epic poem by the same title.
The Savitri story held an irresistible fascination for Sri Aurobindo, because Sathyavan stood for Truth and Savitri for a wife’s devotion and power. When they come together, the union gets charged with enormous possibilities, ready to dare even Death. On the material plane his poem begins on the day Sathyavan is fated to die. And the poem ends with the resolution of the crisis, that is, wresting satyavan from the clutches of Yama, the lord of death. In her final confrontation with Yama, Savitri assumes her cosmic form (Viswaroopa). In Aurobindo’s words, I quote:
A mighty transformation came upon her
In a flashing moment of apocalypse
The incarnation thrust aside its veil
Eternity looked into the eyes of death.
Now the fateful day has surpassed its fate and the poem concludes magnificently.
Night splendid with the moon dreaming in heaven
In silver peace, passed her luminous region
She brooded the stillness on a thought
Deep-guarded by the mystic folds of light
And in her nursed a greater dawn
Savitri became a supramental being by expansion of her consciousness to claim extension of life for her husband. In short through the evolution of consciousness, space, time and death can be defeated by supra-mental manifestation.
Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair: (Sri Kunhikrishnan nair opened his talk by saying that he had gone through the book of Dr.Deepak Chopra on the subject, but unfortunately he could not find anything practical in it. The paper he presented in Malayalam is given below.)
Dr. Md Abdulla:In the course of the evolution of Man, since the dawn of the human race, there has been no change in the anatomy of the human body, but for the difference between male and female (Sex difference). The structure, and the functions of human body in terms of Anatomy and Physiology remain the same, unaltered through millions of years of their existence in nature. In short, Human Beings Have an Ageless Body. Here the reference is not the life span of an individual but the Human Body as such through the ages. Hence we can refer to it as the Ageless Body.
There are infinite potentialities for the human mind. It is so vast that we cannot find any boundaries for it. No amount of calculation will suffice to determine its speed or any other parameters. For example, mentally I can reach my children who are abroad far off in Australia in no time. Here the distance and speed are of no concern. It takes no time for the mind to reach them, nor does the distance delay the speed. That would mean that the mind reaches its object near or far at the same time. One can reach the top of Mount Everest in no time when you think of it. The distance and speed are totally irrelevant.
Where exactly is the seat of the mind in human body, is it in the brain, the heart, or in every cell or gene? Scientists are unable to locate it till today. And to where does it leave from the body when a living creature dies?
We never know when the life enters the foetus inside the mother’s uterus. It is a timeless entry – only when the fetal heart is heard beating we know that the body inside is alive.
The human mind has wondrous capabilities. Among the various capacities of the mind two are very important, the capacity to dream, and the capacity to imagine. They both have no borders in space or time. It is timeless and thus we have the timeless mind.
Dream and Imagination are also not much influenced by your knowledge or intelligence. Even uneducated and ignorant people can have wonderful imagination or dreams. The difference between dream and sleep is that dream occurs in the sleeping state while imagination including fantasies is active while one is in the waking state. These are phenomena which are secrets of the human mind beyond measurement and beyond time. Hence Timeless Mind.
Mrs.Shobha Rajagopal Menon: Healing From Within
(Health Through Spiritual Practice)
It is widely believed that the people of ancient times, the Vedic period and before were taller and larger and had much longer life-span than humans today. Even today, off and on we hear someone or the other mention that such and such a recluse living in the mountains or forest is already above 200 years of age or so. I myself have heard a well known spiritual Guru mention such an individual among his own acquaintances who has crossed the age of 300!
Everyone has heard of the miraculous disappearance of diseases, sicknesses and even wounds in the presence of saints and other spiritually advanced persons. The phenomenon is common to all religions be it Hinduism, Christianity, or Mohammedan. Christ is known to have cured many by mere touch, Mata Amrithanandamayi, popularly known as ‘The Hugging Saint’ does so in her own benevolent way, Yogi Ram Dev does so through his widely popular yogaasanas. ‘Reiki’ is another popular system of healing by the use of Cosmic Energy. You on your part probably know of many other instances of healing through spiritual methods. It is well known that in large spiritual gatherings, many people go back feeling healthier and happier. Often there are instances of miraculous cure of serious sicknesses. In my own personal experience during serious and sincere practice of meditation for over eight years I have witnessed many instances of healing taking place through spirituality.
If the presence of spiritually evolved persons can make these phenomena happen, isn’t it clear that if we ourselves evolved spiritually we can, each of us, tap the healing power within us. Incarnations and saints are but humans who have taken the initiative to evolve their spiritual selves to the utmost and tap the wonderful potential within themselves to the fullest.
The truth is that the human race has long forgotten to look within themselves. The whole attitude has become objective. Most are ready to bestow all their faith on to a stone idol, but cannot believe in their own living breathing self! Man has been quite effective in harnessing the external resources and has accomplished immense material advancement, but has failed miserably in tapping the powers inherent in his own self,
Everyone is familiar with the concept of the left and the right brain. The right brain represent those qualities which are considered ‘feminine’ and include imagination, intuition, love, compassion, artistic perception etc. humanity is at present tapping the left brain containing the intellectual, mathematical and material abilities, ignoring the finer qualities of his ‘better half’ to a great extent. A human being with the left brain highly advanced and the right neglected is not properly balanced and hence is only partly healthy. When both the objective and subjective aspects of the individual are fully developed he is healthy and happy, mentally, physically and emotionally. This can happen only by giving a chance to the hitherto neglected intuitive, aesthetic and spiritual aspect of the individual through yoga and meditation. But the problem with us is that we are not ready to practice spiritual systems sincerely and methodically. We are not ready to discover and accomplish this inner wealth. We want ready made solutions dished out on a platter. The fact is that spiritual rejuvenation is available only in one form: the ‘do it yourself kit’!
All religions have in some way or the other discovered the presence of what are called ‘energy centers’ in the human body. When one undertakes spiritual practice in some form, these centers are activated. Each of these energy centers within the human body are associated with certain parts of the body and certain specific organs. When each of these centers get activated through yoga and other spiritual systems, cosmic energy gets transmitted to these organs and healing of different kinds take place in these areas. The more advanced spiritualists like yogis and saints produce such healing energy in surplus quantity. This surplus energy flows out into the surroundings and touches those present around causing healing in them too. This healing is need based; it may be physical, mental or emotional as per your personal condition. Also, the degree to which this healing energy is received by one depends on one’s receptivity. Devotion and dedication to the spiritual path prepares one to receive this blessing in equivalent proportion.
Nothing I have said here is mere assumption or theory. It is the essence of the spiritual knowledge I have gained through years of dedication to the spiritual quest. What I intend to stress here is that our body, during what we call ‘old age’ has capabilities to heal itself. But we have to reap these blessings within us with our own efforts. Try practicing yoga, whichever kind you choose, with total dedication and faith and you will find new wonders opening before you as you progress.
Often people are reluctant to take up spiritual exercises because we feel we may have to give up our favorite addictions like smoking, drinking etc. I assure you, you do not have to give them up; they drop off you most naturally, like old and spent hobbies. They dull out and fade-out before the new addiction to spiritual well-being.
The proof of whatever I have said is within yourself alone. So I cannot prove it to you. All you can do to convince yourself is to begin practice with whichever spiritual system suits you.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Aging is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. Aging in humans refer to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social changes. Some dimensions of aging grow and expand over time, while others decline. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while knowledge of world events, wisdom may expand.
Aging is the progressive, universal decline first in functional reserve and then in the function that occurs in organism over time. So it is heterogeneous. Aging is not a disease. But the risk of developing disease is increased, often dramatically as a function of age. The biological composition of tissues changes with age, physiological capacity decreases, the ability to maintain homeostasis in adapting to stresses decrease, vulnerability to disease process increase.
Population world wide are aging. Improvement in environmental (clear water and improved sanitation) and behavioral factors (nutrition, reduced risk exposures), and treatment and prevention of infectious disease are largely responsible for the 30 year increase in life expectancy since 1900.
Women outlive men. In the world only 15% of centenarians are men.
As we age, we become increasingly unlike one another. The ability to maintain stable functions in the face of change in environment is called ACCOSTASIS, and it declines with age.
One problem as we age is NOSOLOGIC. It is a question when exactly is a peculiar change considered a normal age related alteration, and when does it become a disease.
Earlier 75years BP of 170/90 was considered an age related increase in systolic BP which need not be interfered. Now we know it is a reflection of increased vascular stiffness, one of the major cardio-vascular risk factor.
The term ‘aging’ is again some what ambiguous. Distinction may be made between Universal aging,- changes that all people share,
Rehabilistic Aging,- age changes that may happen to some, but not to all e.g., T2 DM(type II Diabetes Mellitus)
Chronological aging, - how old a person is
Social aging, - Society expectations of how people should act as they grow old
Biological aging, - A person’s physical state as he ages
We quite often see that age does not correlate perfectly with functional age.
Aging is a very personal experience. No two individuals age in the same way. It is because each one has unique experience and genes. Nobody dies of age.
Mind refers to the aspect of intellect and consciousness manifested as thoughts, perception, memory, emotion, will, imaginations etc. including all of the brain’s conscious and unconscious cognition process. Mind is often used to refer especially to the thought process of reason. Subjectively, mind manifests itself as a stream of consciousness.
The question as to which attributes make up the mind is also much debated. Some argue that only the ‘higher’ intellectual functions constitute the mind, particularly reason and memory. The emotions – love, hate, fear, joy – are more primitive or subjective in nature and should be seen as different from the mind. some argue that it cannot be differentiated.
In popular usage ‘Mind’ is frequently synonymous with ‘Thought’. No one else can know our mind. they can only interpret what we consciously or unconsciously communicate.
We can see that individuals are prisoners of thought. He is what he thinks he is.
The development of the body is greatly decided by the mind. the fears, stress, emotion, jealousy, rivalry, enmity, are all manifestations of one’s thoughts and that affect the body to a great extend. Our bodies are constantly exchanging information and energy from our environment.
If one thinks that he is old and has to retire from activity he is as good as dead. So a refreshing mind is very essential for a comfortable life.
I think that it was the actor Thikkurissi who said that man passes though five phases of life. First is that of a monkey playing pranks and running about. Next is the horse galloping away on its energy. Then as a donkey he suffers all the burdens of life and family. After that he has the life of a faithful dog serving as watch-man. And in the end he just sits like an owl looking this way and that, and responding with only h’m for everything. Deepak Chopra compares human body to a river. It appears to be still but is constantly changing every moment with its flowing waters.
To know himself fully man has to understand his mind. Breathing is definitely helpful as any change in the rhythm of breathing changes the mood and emotions of the person. For example when the breathing is regular and slow one cannot get angry. When you are angry or agitated you breathe very fast. Breath control can therefore definitely help. And I believe that a good meditation method is a way by which one can perceive and understand one’s own mind.
Dr. Thomas: The theme today relates to time, thought, meditation, and aging. One main factor that controls our aging is the genetic configuration inherited from our parents. Then there is the environmental factors that modify our thoughts and life. There is aging occurring in all objects around us, for example, cloths when old will tear easily. Paper becomes fragile after a few years, whereas a living object, though subject to aging will be renovated. The hormonal mechanisms will swing into action for this purpose. The renovation is related to the mind and thoughts, and Serotonin, the chemical transmitter between neurons that activate the mechanism.
Overeating is one sin that can damage our frame of health. From the thought processes in the brain hormones and the other body secretions are controlled and produced. Exercise and meditation induced pheramones increase the sense of well being. The harmony in life with love produces oxytocin (love hormone). For example, oxytocin is enhanced by the mother’s touch on an infant.
The aim of religious practices through the ages had been to promote these states of the mind in the brain. Words and actions can stimulate ‘God spot’ and the ‘Pleasure spot’ in the brain. Kundalini is the force derived through the vagus nerve which runs down supplying the heart, stomach, and intestines. The balance we obtain with the opposing nervous system through practiced prayer or meditation will give the solace and freedom from fear. Understanding capabilities by the mind that is thus sharpened will be the cutting edge against any problem.
Possibility of renovation on aging is very much there as has been noticed in nature. The study on bees showed that when a hive is full of aged worker bees, and insufficiency of young bees to collect honey or fight enemies is felt, they put the aged bees in special cells and feed them and look after them till they become young and energetic again.
Alzhiemers disease affecting the brain and cancer are the two killers that have puzzled man for the past 17 years ever since publication of Alzhiemer’s book in 1992. Reversing the onslaught of these diseases may give some path breaking clue on aging.
Prof. M.V.Mohanan Nair: The extension of human life span has been one of the oldest preoccupations and greatest dreams of man! The Indian concept of rebirth and elixir are only extensions of man’s eternal craving for immortality. In the modern world this desire for longevity has resulted in the establishment of hundreds of thousands of anti-aging clinics in most of the developed countries as early as the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. Millions are being spent on anti-aging research projects. The discovery of the structure of the DNA was a great stride in this direction. The Human Genome Project which identified all the genes in the human body and which was completed in 2003 was the greatest effort in this direction. Man has now taken over the control of all the genes in the human body. He has succeeded in removing the genes that cause aging and replacing them with non-aging ones. The American company which produced tomatoes which do not ripe and rot had removed the genes that cause ripening. If this is possible in a fruit why not in man? It is as simple as this – remove the genes that cause aging and replace them with genes that cause youthfulness and vigor, and man achieves immortality! And the social consequences when man never dies? Dead bodies which are preserved using the cryogenic technique come back to life. Will they be ghosts or human beings? Science has to give an answer.
Let us now pass from modern science to certain ancient branches of knowledge which had advocated a healthy body and healthy life-style for the extension of human life span. It is said that during his wanderings in search of ultimate knowledge Gauthama Buddha gave himself up to fasting and terrible penance. Consequently his body became so weak that one day he fell unconscious. That brought him the realization that Truth could be reached only by a nourished brain in a healthy body.
Modern man often finds it difficult to cope with the hurry and stress of modern life. Relaxation, both physical and mental has become impossible, even in bed. Recognizing man’s need for discipline to prevent mental and physical deterioration the ancient saints of India evolved the Yoga cult which embodies the secrets of successful living. Yoga combines in itself Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation. It provides an effective remedy to the problems that plague modern man. Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his book “Ageless Body and Timeless Mind” has stated that meditation lowers the biological age. It provides the much needed basic harmony in the mind of man.
However, I think that no man would desire an infinite extension of his life. A day may come when he will be overtaken by the desire for death, like the Sibyl of Cumae. When the Sibyl of Cumae was asked, ‘Sibyl, Sibyl, what do you want?’ the Sibyl’s answer was “I want to die” because her longevity had caused a sort of death wish.
At the end of the program, three members among the audience gave their comments. Sri Raghavan Vengad pointed out the twelve stages (four plus eight) of man in his life’s journey mentioned by Nithya Chaithanya Yathi in his works, and said that finally Man carries his burden like an ass. The ass or donkey was shown in a cartoon some years back. Sri P.V. Ramachandran who spoke in detail, extensively reviewed the talks of the various participants in the seminar but said that he had missed the talks of the first few speakers. He was all praise for what was said by Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair.
Appendix :
Prof. Richard Hay: Whatever be the incantations of poets and authors on ‘ageless body’, man is destined to perish after having lived a certain period of time. No doubt about it. The concept of ageless body is a mere myth or the flight of imagination. The oldest man in human history is Seanne Calment who lived for 122½ years. In non-human longevity, the 460 year old bristlecone pine in the mountains of California, called Methuselah, -I had occasion to see this during my visit to Mount Sastha in California-, steals the lime light. I have also seen the great tortoises, near the Velliankallu off the coast of Payyoli, which would have lived for more than 150 years or more according to eye-witness reports of generations of fishermen of the area. Whales do live longer.
Why human beings are destined to die in a short life-span? The main reason is said to be the death of millions of cells in our body, which results in aging and finally death. Scientist Leonard Hayflick, in his study on Human Cells demonstrated that a population of normal human fetal cells in a cell culture divide 40to60 times, and then it enters a senescence phase that increases aging. Each cell division (mitosis) shortens the telomeres on the DNA of the cell. Telomere shortening in human beings eventually blocks cell division and the action correlates with aging.
Along with the death of cells, impairment of physiological systems like the homeostatic system or immune system, expedite the aging process.
The oxidation – inflammation theory states that the chronic oxidation stress which affect the neurons, endocrine and immune system is adding to the process of aging. Hence the role of anti-oxidants in ensuring a healthier life.
Gerontology, Geriatrics, and other ares of modern medicine are constantly developing newer and newer medicines for the treatment of the aged. Alzeimers’, Dementia, Parkinson’s are diseases for which no permanent cure is discovered. Scientists and doctors practicing in the field of modern medicine can throw light on these aspects of aging. We can only leave it to them to ponder over this central area in the survival of our species.
Nanotechnology, stem cell research, etc. are being considered as tools or methods by which span of life could be increased. Before we extend the span of life of humans, let us first prove our capacity by proving that the span of life of our pets could be increased.
In Kerala, the aging process is accentuated by the fact that the retirement of Govt.servants takes place at the age of 55. elsewhere in India it varies from state to state between 58 to 62 and 65. judges retire at the age of sixty-five, university professors too. in USA and Europe the age of legal retirement is 65. taking into account these figures, the hapless Govt.servant in Kerala is a big loser. He starts thinking of old age when he attains the year of retirement, ie. 55. age of retirement casts a negative influence on Keralites.
Recently in an Oprah Winfry Show, Winfry interviewed centenarians from different countries to find our whether their life-styles had an impact on the aging process. The show revealed that the centenarians led an active life and ate lots of vegetables and fruits instead of meat. But, that being the case, here in our country we see that cent per cent of the octogenarians die around eighty plus or seventy plus. Hence, it can be stated that there are some factors other than vegetarianism which decides the faster aging process.
Some say that ‘Reservetrol’, a chemical found in red grapes can help extend life span. Hence in the west, people are drinking red wine to avail this boon. Some new drugs are being developed for extending life span, but so far those drugs have not resulted in slowing the aging process. Some say we can extend life by consuming fewer calories.
In a TV show the other day, an actor with Alzheimers’ appeared and talked at length about his physical and mental disabilities. One doctor stated that due to lack of lubrication inside the brain, all those dysfunctions were caused. As you grow old, the brain shows a decline in its function. Our memory fades considerably.
Cloning and stem-cell research may one day find a method of regenerating the cells or even parts of the body. But, the question is whether these new bodies will have the capability to ensure consciousness and enable them to think like a human being. By the way, consciousness, it seems, is some form of energy which could be transferred from one body to another. Are these only whimsical ideas?
In Christianity it is believed that when Jesus returned, the resurrection of the just will take place in which all believers who died would be raised again and the unfaithful would also be resurrected, judged and condemned to eternal punishment and alienated from God. Hence, for the just and the unjust, there would be life after death. In this sense, timeless mind is not a quixotic idea.
But some believe that consciousness ends once a person dies and the physical death of body and mind takes place simultaneously. In this sense, such believers do not subscribe to the idea that there is life after death or immortality of life. In such a situation the scope of religion becomes dimmer and dimmer. Spiritualists too would be annoyed if one argues that life after death or deathless soul is a non-starter.
All religious interpretations about life after death which ensures a timeless mind, are a manifestation of intuitive thinking, used for the purpose of teaching everyone to lead a virtuous life.
It is easy to make us believe that there is a timeless mind and so a life after death since most of us are carried away by the thought of the fear of the unknown. We are confounded every moment by the concept of eternal life. For some it gives immense joy to follow a life of piety and virtuousness and to subjugate oneself to the judgment of a supreme being.
At this point, I can only say that the mysteries of life, whether it is timeless mind or imperishable soul, will confuse mankind for years to come until the Truth is revealed.
To me consciousness is like a transient light of candle, when the light of which is blown out, the candle remains in its physical form for some time and disintegrates. Likewise, when life ceases, consciousness and the body disintegrate.
Also the concept of ageless body itself would create a mammoth problem for humanity when with five billions of people on earth, the earth suffocates with the alarming situation of needing to feed such a big swarm of people. The depletion of huge natural resources would be alarmingly huge.
Deepak Chopra fascinates us with his interesting theory which as I understand it is that through some awareness one could tilt the biological clock in one’s favor to enable himself to live longer. He too is a wishful thinker spreading his message throughout the world like any Indian Sanyasin, especially to a world of stress, strain, confusion and miseries, more often in a state of mayhem.
As far as the quest for life and passion of life inspire us to live longer, man would desire and seek new methods and practices that ensure longevity.
Venue: Currenr Books Premises, Thalassery.
Participants Present: Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan, IRS(Retd), Chairman of the Forum,
Dr. Babu Ravindran, Prof. P.M.Sankarankutty, Dr. K.P.Thomas, Dr. Md.Abdulla, Prof. Mohanan Nair, all members of the Forum,
Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair,
Mrs. Shobha Rajagopal Menon, Principal(Retd), St.Kabir High School, Ahemedabad.
Prof. Richard Hay, Member of the Forum arrived late as he was held up in his college. His paper is, however, added as an appendix.
Subject: Ageless Body and Timeless Mind
The function started with Sri Biju, Manager of the Tellicherry Branch of Current Books welcoming the members of the Ekkentros Forum, other participants, and the gathering. He then invited the chairman of the forum Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan to conduct and moderate the seminar.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: We are here today to participate in a seminar. The time available is very much limited. Usually a seminar will last for a whole day from ten to five. But here we have only two and a half hours for about twelve people to present papers or to speak. Therefore the time for each to present his papers and to explain his point briefly will be only eight to ten minutes. Those who are only speaking may take not more than five minutes, and those who have not so far given their names, may take only three minutes.
The language used can be English, Malayalam, or both.
Any arguments and controversies should be avoided. Each puts forward his point of view which may freely differ from any other point of view. In this regard it would be proper to bear in mind the invocation of the Forum, which I shall read out now.
Ekkentros Forum is a discussion forum constituted in Tellicherry about eleven years ago to discuss on various topics of a basic nature relating to man and the universe. The first twenty topics discussed were published in a book titled “Confessions of Eccentrics” by the New Delhi Publisher, M/s Somaiya Publications. Subsequent topics are published in the blog of the forum, www.ekkentrosthoughts.blogspot.com . There is also a blog of the chairman of the forum, www.kvkekkentros.blogspot.com the contents of which are published in a book recently released, ‘Ruminations and Reminiscences at Eighty Plus’. Let me read out the invocation which may be given some careful attention:
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE GATHERED ALL THROUGH OUR LIVES,
WITH THE WISDOM DAWNED THEREFORM,
WITH THE ABILITY OF EXPRESSION
ACQUIRED WITH CARE AND EFFORT,
AND OUR UNFATHOMED INTUITIVE FACULTIES,
WE NOW INVOKE,
FOR A FREE INQUIRY WITH NO HOLDS BARRED,
WITHIN THE VAST MENTAL SPACE IN THESE MOMENTS OF SILENCE
The subject today, Ageless body and Timeless mind’ is a very tough subject. It would have been very vague and intangible also but for the book by the same title of Deepak Chopra, a doctor and an endocrinologist. It is one of the best sellers, a wonderful book much appreciated in US as well as in India.
Deepak Chopra’s main point is that aging is a matter of choice or is optional, and not mandatory or inevitable. How the choice is exercised is a big question. It is exercised through belief. Aging happens because from birth onwards we believe that we have to age and die. We see also that others as well as animals and plants age and die. This belief has to be reversed. And the belief that aging is not inevitable has to be so rooted that it has to come from beyond the mind from the quantum field or domain. Deepak Chopra tries to prove through the latest findings in quantum physics that aging can actually be avoided. He approaches the source deep within all of through three different paths, through body that is matter, through mind which is the transition level, and time.
Body is made of material. But what is this material? If you go to the ultimate ingredients we find the individual cells and then the genetically coded DNA consisting of Nucleotides and then Amino Acids, Sugars etc. Material means cluster of energy. DNA contains information and energy. All the information for the functioning of the body is contained or coded in the DNA. But if you analyze the DNA we come across amino acids, sugars etc which are nothing but molecules and atoms. Atoms consist of quarks, neutrinos and electrons, all of which are photons in vibration. The material part ends at the atom. Beyond it, the quarks, leptons etc are energy photons in vibration with vast spaces in between. This is the quantum field or domain. There is tremendous intelligence functioning in the body for all the organs working in unison. Where is then this intelligence lying? Not in the material body. In between the neutrinos and electrons there is only vast space. In fact 99.9 per cent of material is space. There is intelligence and information functioning, directing, manipulating, guiding these constituents of the body to act in a particular manner in these quantum space or quantum field. It sees and supervises that a cell does not grow as a nail in the liver. Tremendous intelligence is at work without our conscious participation. The seat of this intelligence, the source of this information we cannot find in the cells or in the DNA. The coded information in the DNA functions alright but what intelligence creates it and makes it function we cannot fathom. The quantum field, the non-material mental stage, as already mentioned is composed of concentrations of energy waves and vast empty space. Therefore we can say that the whole universe is composed of empty space and energy, fluid energy. Energy and matter are convertible at quantum level. This is therefore the transition stage between mind and matter. Our body is mainly empty space at the quantum level. The intelligence, the source has to lie in that empty space at the quantum field level or beyond it at the virtual level. How to access that intelligence to stop ageing or slow down aging is the question.
Human thought happens when the neurons in the brain fires. Thought is thus matter. Memory is stored impressions of thought. But no storage device is found anywhere in the body or brain. The brain is all mainly liquid. Only thing I have left is my awareness, pure awareness. All the intelligence, all the information that the body needs must therefore be coming from the awareness or through the awareness. That must be the source and that must be the creator and the controller of the DNA and the very atom. Its seat need not be anywhere in particular. In the quantum field or beyond space and time has no meaning. The source can be anywhere or everywhere. The gap, the chink in the quantum world through which the access to intelligence is possible is the awareness. It is the window.
We know from modern science that billions of cells are dying in our body every day and billions are being replaced. Yet we all look and function as if the body is the same. That is to say that repair and replacements are happening every day, and by the time a year is out we have a completely new body. Then why should we age? It must be because the replacing mechanism does not function fully. Replacing and repairing or healing will work perfectly if the underlying intelligence of the awareness is taken recourse to without interference by thought. The thought has to be quiet, still. Attention and intention of pure awareness can do the trick says Deepak Chopra.
According to Einstein’s theory time is not absolute. That is, time is a make believe, an illusion. It is relative. We have chronological time, psychological time and biological time. While my chronological time is eighty-two, my biological or physiological time may be only seventy and my psychological time only fifty-five. Chronological time is because of earth’s change of position or rotation relative to the sun, our light. The duration is divided into twenty four hours etc. imagine a person in empty outer space far away from the sun. What is time for him? There may be changes in his position or bodily functions. But there is no time. There are only changes in the universe. And memory creates past and future. We metabolize time by thinking. But if we metabolize it by observing, perceiving, witnessing then we find that time stands still in the present. A timeless mind, a timeless awareness creates an ageless body. Natural rebuilding and replacing of the body happens and aging slows down. Even the bio-chemistry of the body actually arises from the awareness.
Prof. Dr..P.M.Sankarankutty: I intend to continue what Sri. Kunhikrishnan elaborated, namely, the idea of going beyond death, but connecting it at the level of mythology. A myth does not prove anything empirically, but it has its own warp in bringing out the immensity of the universe. In Hindu mythology death is represented by Yama who is also the lord of time. Most of us have come across the story of Nachiketas who went to Yama and had a discourse with him on Life and Death. Because of the deep devotion and penance of Nachikethas the Lord of death had to give/show him the secret of Life.
The most fascinating of all the myths about death is the story of Savitri-Sathyavan, adopting which sage Aurobindo wrote his famous epic poem “Savitri’, to bring out his idea of the supramental manifestation on earth, achieving immortality. The legend of Savitri is one of the side stories found in the Mahabharatha in its chapter or part relating to ‘ Forest ’ (Vanaparvam). The story in the Mahabharatha starts with the king of Madra, Ashwapathi and his wife Malathi living an ascetic life for years praying to the Sun God (savitur) for many years because they had no children. Finally they are blessed with a girl child who was given the name Savitri in honour of that God. When Savitri grew up she also became deeply devotional and ascetically bent. Beautiful and pure, she shunned all men. No suitor would dare approach her. Fed up, her father tells her to find out her own husband. She therefore goes on a pilgrimage and by chance meets Sathyavan and falls in love with him. Sathyavan, she learns, is the son of blind and destitute king of Salwa, Dyumatsena, who lived in exile in the forest because his kingdom was usurped by enemies. In spite of all that Savitri loved Sathyavan intensely and decided to marry him. But the blind king in exile was told by sage Narada that the choice made by Savitri was an erroneous one because Sathyavan was destined to die exactly after one year. Savitri was therefore asked to change her mind. Yet Savitri would no relent, and stuck to her decision to be the wife of Sathyavan, who was never told about his fate. They thus get married and live in the forest with Sathyavan’s parents. Few days before the foreseen death of Sathyavan, Savitri takes intense vows of fasting and vigil. On the morning of Sathyavan’s predicted death, Savitri accompanies her husband who is not aware of the impending doom, into the jungle. While splitting wood, Sathyavan collapses and dies on Savitri’s lap. When Yama comes and takes the soul of Sathyavan Savitri follows Yama. In spite of all coaxing and threatening Savitri refuses to turn back. With devotion, strength of feminine chastity and extreme love, she argues her case with Yama and wins him over. Impressed by her devotion and wisdom Yama allows her three boons, except the life of Sathyavan. She asks for the restoration of eyesight for her father, children for her parents, and also children for herself by Sathyavan. Yama could not break his promise and thus she indirectly got back the life of Sathyavan. Savitri is thus able to overcome the death of her husband. That was the original story in Mahabharatha. But its spiritual and mystic meaning comes out in Aurobindo’s epic poem by the same title.
The Savitri story held an irresistible fascination for Sri Aurobindo, because Sathyavan stood for Truth and Savitri for a wife’s devotion and power. When they come together, the union gets charged with enormous possibilities, ready to dare even Death. On the material plane his poem begins on the day Sathyavan is fated to die. And the poem ends with the resolution of the crisis, that is, wresting satyavan from the clutches of Yama, the lord of death. In her final confrontation with Yama, Savitri assumes her cosmic form (Viswaroopa). In Aurobindo’s words, I quote:
A mighty transformation came upon her
In a flashing moment of apocalypse
The incarnation thrust aside its veil
Eternity looked into the eyes of death.
Now the fateful day has surpassed its fate and the poem concludes magnificently.
Night splendid with the moon dreaming in heaven
In silver peace, passed her luminous region
She brooded the stillness on a thought
Deep-guarded by the mystic folds of light
And in her nursed a greater dawn
Savitri became a supramental being by expansion of her consciousness to claim extension of life for her husband. In short through the evolution of consciousness, space, time and death can be defeated by supra-mental manifestation.
Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair: (Sri Kunhikrishnan nair opened his talk by saying that he had gone through the book of Dr.Deepak Chopra on the subject, but unfortunately he could not find anything practical in it. The paper he presented in Malayalam is given below.)
Dr. Md Abdulla:In the course of the evolution of Man, since the dawn of the human race, there has been no change in the anatomy of the human body, but for the difference between male and female (Sex difference). The structure, and the functions of human body in terms of Anatomy and Physiology remain the same, unaltered through millions of years of their existence in nature. In short, Human Beings Have an Ageless Body. Here the reference is not the life span of an individual but the Human Body as such through the ages. Hence we can refer to it as the Ageless Body.
There are infinite potentialities for the human mind. It is so vast that we cannot find any boundaries for it. No amount of calculation will suffice to determine its speed or any other parameters. For example, mentally I can reach my children who are abroad far off in Australia in no time. Here the distance and speed are of no concern. It takes no time for the mind to reach them, nor does the distance delay the speed. That would mean that the mind reaches its object near or far at the same time. One can reach the top of Mount Everest in no time when you think of it. The distance and speed are totally irrelevant.
Where exactly is the seat of the mind in human body, is it in the brain, the heart, or in every cell or gene? Scientists are unable to locate it till today. And to where does it leave from the body when a living creature dies?
We never know when the life enters the foetus inside the mother’s uterus. It is a timeless entry – only when the fetal heart is heard beating we know that the body inside is alive.
The human mind has wondrous capabilities. Among the various capacities of the mind two are very important, the capacity to dream, and the capacity to imagine. They both have no borders in space or time. It is timeless and thus we have the timeless mind.
Dream and Imagination are also not much influenced by your knowledge or intelligence. Even uneducated and ignorant people can have wonderful imagination or dreams. The difference between dream and sleep is that dream occurs in the sleeping state while imagination including fantasies is active while one is in the waking state. These are phenomena which are secrets of the human mind beyond measurement and beyond time. Hence Timeless Mind.
Mrs.Shobha Rajagopal Menon: Healing From Within
(Health Through Spiritual Practice)
It is widely believed that the people of ancient times, the Vedic period and before were taller and larger and had much longer life-span than humans today. Even today, off and on we hear someone or the other mention that such and such a recluse living in the mountains or forest is already above 200 years of age or so. I myself have heard a well known spiritual Guru mention such an individual among his own acquaintances who has crossed the age of 300!
Everyone has heard of the miraculous disappearance of diseases, sicknesses and even wounds in the presence of saints and other spiritually advanced persons. The phenomenon is common to all religions be it Hinduism, Christianity, or Mohammedan. Christ is known to have cured many by mere touch, Mata Amrithanandamayi, popularly known as ‘The Hugging Saint’ does so in her own benevolent way, Yogi Ram Dev does so through his widely popular yogaasanas. ‘Reiki’ is another popular system of healing by the use of Cosmic Energy. You on your part probably know of many other instances of healing through spiritual methods. It is well known that in large spiritual gatherings, many people go back feeling healthier and happier. Often there are instances of miraculous cure of serious sicknesses. In my own personal experience during serious and sincere practice of meditation for over eight years I have witnessed many instances of healing taking place through spirituality.
If the presence of spiritually evolved persons can make these phenomena happen, isn’t it clear that if we ourselves evolved spiritually we can, each of us, tap the healing power within us. Incarnations and saints are but humans who have taken the initiative to evolve their spiritual selves to the utmost and tap the wonderful potential within themselves to the fullest.
The truth is that the human race has long forgotten to look within themselves. The whole attitude has become objective. Most are ready to bestow all their faith on to a stone idol, but cannot believe in their own living breathing self! Man has been quite effective in harnessing the external resources and has accomplished immense material advancement, but has failed miserably in tapping the powers inherent in his own self,
Everyone is familiar with the concept of the left and the right brain. The right brain represent those qualities which are considered ‘feminine’ and include imagination, intuition, love, compassion, artistic perception etc. humanity is at present tapping the left brain containing the intellectual, mathematical and material abilities, ignoring the finer qualities of his ‘better half’ to a great extent. A human being with the left brain highly advanced and the right neglected is not properly balanced and hence is only partly healthy. When both the objective and subjective aspects of the individual are fully developed he is healthy and happy, mentally, physically and emotionally. This can happen only by giving a chance to the hitherto neglected intuitive, aesthetic and spiritual aspect of the individual through yoga and meditation. But the problem with us is that we are not ready to practice spiritual systems sincerely and methodically. We are not ready to discover and accomplish this inner wealth. We want ready made solutions dished out on a platter. The fact is that spiritual rejuvenation is available only in one form: the ‘do it yourself kit’!
All religions have in some way or the other discovered the presence of what are called ‘energy centers’ in the human body. When one undertakes spiritual practice in some form, these centers are activated. Each of these energy centers within the human body are associated with certain parts of the body and certain specific organs. When each of these centers get activated through yoga and other spiritual systems, cosmic energy gets transmitted to these organs and healing of different kinds take place in these areas. The more advanced spiritualists like yogis and saints produce such healing energy in surplus quantity. This surplus energy flows out into the surroundings and touches those present around causing healing in them too. This healing is need based; it may be physical, mental or emotional as per your personal condition. Also, the degree to which this healing energy is received by one depends on one’s receptivity. Devotion and dedication to the spiritual path prepares one to receive this blessing in equivalent proportion.
Nothing I have said here is mere assumption or theory. It is the essence of the spiritual knowledge I have gained through years of dedication to the spiritual quest. What I intend to stress here is that our body, during what we call ‘old age’ has capabilities to heal itself. But we have to reap these blessings within us with our own efforts. Try practicing yoga, whichever kind you choose, with total dedication and faith and you will find new wonders opening before you as you progress.
Often people are reluctant to take up spiritual exercises because we feel we may have to give up our favorite addictions like smoking, drinking etc. I assure you, you do not have to give them up; they drop off you most naturally, like old and spent hobbies. They dull out and fade-out before the new addiction to spiritual well-being.
The proof of whatever I have said is within yourself alone. So I cannot prove it to you. All you can do to convince yourself is to begin practice with whichever spiritual system suits you.
Dr.Babu Ravindran: Aging is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. Aging in humans refer to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social changes. Some dimensions of aging grow and expand over time, while others decline. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while knowledge of world events, wisdom may expand.
Aging is the progressive, universal decline first in functional reserve and then in the function that occurs in organism over time. So it is heterogeneous. Aging is not a disease. But the risk of developing disease is increased, often dramatically as a function of age. The biological composition of tissues changes with age, physiological capacity decreases, the ability to maintain homeostasis in adapting to stresses decrease, vulnerability to disease process increase.
Population world wide are aging. Improvement in environmental (clear water and improved sanitation) and behavioral factors (nutrition, reduced risk exposures), and treatment and prevention of infectious disease are largely responsible for the 30 year increase in life expectancy since 1900.
Women outlive men. In the world only 15% of centenarians are men.
As we age, we become increasingly unlike one another. The ability to maintain stable functions in the face of change in environment is called ACCOSTASIS, and it declines with age.
One problem as we age is NOSOLOGIC. It is a question when exactly is a peculiar change considered a normal age related alteration, and when does it become a disease.
Earlier 75years BP of 170/90 was considered an age related increase in systolic BP which need not be interfered. Now we know it is a reflection of increased vascular stiffness, one of the major cardio-vascular risk factor.
The term ‘aging’ is again some what ambiguous. Distinction may be made between Universal aging,- changes that all people share,
Rehabilistic Aging,- age changes that may happen to some, but not to all e.g., T2 DM(type II Diabetes Mellitus)
Chronological aging, - how old a person is
Social aging, - Society expectations of how people should act as they grow old
Biological aging, - A person’s physical state as he ages
We quite often see that age does not correlate perfectly with functional age.
Aging is a very personal experience. No two individuals age in the same way. It is because each one has unique experience and genes. Nobody dies of age.
Mind refers to the aspect of intellect and consciousness manifested as thoughts, perception, memory, emotion, will, imaginations etc. including all of the brain’s conscious and unconscious cognition process. Mind is often used to refer especially to the thought process of reason. Subjectively, mind manifests itself as a stream of consciousness.
The question as to which attributes make up the mind is also much debated. Some argue that only the ‘higher’ intellectual functions constitute the mind, particularly reason and memory. The emotions – love, hate, fear, joy – are more primitive or subjective in nature and should be seen as different from the mind. some argue that it cannot be differentiated.
In popular usage ‘Mind’ is frequently synonymous with ‘Thought’. No one else can know our mind. they can only interpret what we consciously or unconsciously communicate.
We can see that individuals are prisoners of thought. He is what he thinks he is.
The development of the body is greatly decided by the mind. the fears, stress, emotion, jealousy, rivalry, enmity, are all manifestations of one’s thoughts and that affect the body to a great extend. Our bodies are constantly exchanging information and energy from our environment.
If one thinks that he is old and has to retire from activity he is as good as dead. So a refreshing mind is very essential for a comfortable life.
I think that it was the actor Thikkurissi who said that man passes though five phases of life. First is that of a monkey playing pranks and running about. Next is the horse galloping away on its energy. Then as a donkey he suffers all the burdens of life and family. After that he has the life of a faithful dog serving as watch-man. And in the end he just sits like an owl looking this way and that, and responding with only h’m for everything. Deepak Chopra compares human body to a river. It appears to be still but is constantly changing every moment with its flowing waters.
To know himself fully man has to understand his mind. Breathing is definitely helpful as any change in the rhythm of breathing changes the mood and emotions of the person. For example when the breathing is regular and slow one cannot get angry. When you are angry or agitated you breathe very fast. Breath control can therefore definitely help. And I believe that a good meditation method is a way by which one can perceive and understand one’s own mind.
Dr. Thomas: The theme today relates to time, thought, meditation, and aging. One main factor that controls our aging is the genetic configuration inherited from our parents. Then there is the environmental factors that modify our thoughts and life. There is aging occurring in all objects around us, for example, cloths when old will tear easily. Paper becomes fragile after a few years, whereas a living object, though subject to aging will be renovated. The hormonal mechanisms will swing into action for this purpose. The renovation is related to the mind and thoughts, and Serotonin, the chemical transmitter between neurons that activate the mechanism.
Overeating is one sin that can damage our frame of health. From the thought processes in the brain hormones and the other body secretions are controlled and produced. Exercise and meditation induced pheramones increase the sense of well being. The harmony in life with love produces oxytocin (love hormone). For example, oxytocin is enhanced by the mother’s touch on an infant.
The aim of religious practices through the ages had been to promote these states of the mind in the brain. Words and actions can stimulate ‘God spot’ and the ‘Pleasure spot’ in the brain. Kundalini is the force derived through the vagus nerve which runs down supplying the heart, stomach, and intestines. The balance we obtain with the opposing nervous system through practiced prayer or meditation will give the solace and freedom from fear. Understanding capabilities by the mind that is thus sharpened will be the cutting edge against any problem.
Possibility of renovation on aging is very much there as has been noticed in nature. The study on bees showed that when a hive is full of aged worker bees, and insufficiency of young bees to collect honey or fight enemies is felt, they put the aged bees in special cells and feed them and look after them till they become young and energetic again.
Alzhiemers disease affecting the brain and cancer are the two killers that have puzzled man for the past 17 years ever since publication of Alzhiemer’s book in 1992. Reversing the onslaught of these diseases may give some path breaking clue on aging.
Prof. M.V.Mohanan Nair: The extension of human life span has been one of the oldest preoccupations and greatest dreams of man! The Indian concept of rebirth and elixir are only extensions of man’s eternal craving for immortality. In the modern world this desire for longevity has resulted in the establishment of hundreds of thousands of anti-aging clinics in most of the developed countries as early as the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. Millions are being spent on anti-aging research projects. The discovery of the structure of the DNA was a great stride in this direction. The Human Genome Project which identified all the genes in the human body and which was completed in 2003 was the greatest effort in this direction. Man has now taken over the control of all the genes in the human body. He has succeeded in removing the genes that cause aging and replacing them with non-aging ones. The American company which produced tomatoes which do not ripe and rot had removed the genes that cause ripening. If this is possible in a fruit why not in man? It is as simple as this – remove the genes that cause aging and replace them with genes that cause youthfulness and vigor, and man achieves immortality! And the social consequences when man never dies? Dead bodies which are preserved using the cryogenic technique come back to life. Will they be ghosts or human beings? Science has to give an answer.
Let us now pass from modern science to certain ancient branches of knowledge which had advocated a healthy body and healthy life-style for the extension of human life span. It is said that during his wanderings in search of ultimate knowledge Gauthama Buddha gave himself up to fasting and terrible penance. Consequently his body became so weak that one day he fell unconscious. That brought him the realization that Truth could be reached only by a nourished brain in a healthy body.
Modern man often finds it difficult to cope with the hurry and stress of modern life. Relaxation, both physical and mental has become impossible, even in bed. Recognizing man’s need for discipline to prevent mental and physical deterioration the ancient saints of India evolved the Yoga cult which embodies the secrets of successful living. Yoga combines in itself Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation. It provides an effective remedy to the problems that plague modern man. Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his book “Ageless Body and Timeless Mind” has stated that meditation lowers the biological age. It provides the much needed basic harmony in the mind of man.
However, I think that no man would desire an infinite extension of his life. A day may come when he will be overtaken by the desire for death, like the Sibyl of Cumae. When the Sibyl of Cumae was asked, ‘Sibyl, Sibyl, what do you want?’ the Sibyl’s answer was “I want to die” because her longevity had caused a sort of death wish.
At the end of the program, three members among the audience gave their comments. Sri Raghavan Vengad pointed out the twelve stages (four plus eight) of man in his life’s journey mentioned by Nithya Chaithanya Yathi in his works, and said that finally Man carries his burden like an ass. The ass or donkey was shown in a cartoon some years back. Sri P.V. Ramachandran who spoke in detail, extensively reviewed the talks of the various participants in the seminar but said that he had missed the talks of the first few speakers. He was all praise for what was said by Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair.
Appendix :
Prof. Richard Hay: Whatever be the incantations of poets and authors on ‘ageless body’, man is destined to perish after having lived a certain period of time. No doubt about it. The concept of ageless body is a mere myth or the flight of imagination. The oldest man in human history is Seanne Calment who lived for 122½ years. In non-human longevity, the 460 year old bristlecone pine in the mountains of California, called Methuselah, -I had occasion to see this during my visit to Mount Sastha in California-, steals the lime light. I have also seen the great tortoises, near the Velliankallu off the coast of Payyoli, which would have lived for more than 150 years or more according to eye-witness reports of generations of fishermen of the area. Whales do live longer.
Why human beings are destined to die in a short life-span? The main reason is said to be the death of millions of cells in our body, which results in aging and finally death. Scientist Leonard Hayflick, in his study on Human Cells demonstrated that a population of normal human fetal cells in a cell culture divide 40to60 times, and then it enters a senescence phase that increases aging. Each cell division (mitosis) shortens the telomeres on the DNA of the cell. Telomere shortening in human beings eventually blocks cell division and the action correlates with aging.
Along with the death of cells, impairment of physiological systems like the homeostatic system or immune system, expedite the aging process.
The oxidation – inflammation theory states that the chronic oxidation stress which affect the neurons, endocrine and immune system is adding to the process of aging. Hence the role of anti-oxidants in ensuring a healthier life.
Gerontology, Geriatrics, and other ares of modern medicine are constantly developing newer and newer medicines for the treatment of the aged. Alzeimers’, Dementia, Parkinson’s are diseases for which no permanent cure is discovered. Scientists and doctors practicing in the field of modern medicine can throw light on these aspects of aging. We can only leave it to them to ponder over this central area in the survival of our species.
Nanotechnology, stem cell research, etc. are being considered as tools or methods by which span of life could be increased. Before we extend the span of life of humans, let us first prove our capacity by proving that the span of life of our pets could be increased.
In Kerala, the aging process is accentuated by the fact that the retirement of Govt.servants takes place at the age of 55. elsewhere in India it varies from state to state between 58 to 62 and 65. judges retire at the age of sixty-five, university professors too. in USA and Europe the age of legal retirement is 65. taking into account these figures, the hapless Govt.servant in Kerala is a big loser. He starts thinking of old age when he attains the year of retirement, ie. 55. age of retirement casts a negative influence on Keralites.
Recently in an Oprah Winfry Show, Winfry interviewed centenarians from different countries to find our whether their life-styles had an impact on the aging process. The show revealed that the centenarians led an active life and ate lots of vegetables and fruits instead of meat. But, that being the case, here in our country we see that cent per cent of the octogenarians die around eighty plus or seventy plus. Hence, it can be stated that there are some factors other than vegetarianism which decides the faster aging process.
Some say that ‘Reservetrol’, a chemical found in red grapes can help extend life span. Hence in the west, people are drinking red wine to avail this boon. Some new drugs are being developed for extending life span, but so far those drugs have not resulted in slowing the aging process. Some say we can extend life by consuming fewer calories.
In a TV show the other day, an actor with Alzheimers’ appeared and talked at length about his physical and mental disabilities. One doctor stated that due to lack of lubrication inside the brain, all those dysfunctions were caused. As you grow old, the brain shows a decline in its function. Our memory fades considerably.
Cloning and stem-cell research may one day find a method of regenerating the cells or even parts of the body. But, the question is whether these new bodies will have the capability to ensure consciousness and enable them to think like a human being. By the way, consciousness, it seems, is some form of energy which could be transferred from one body to another. Are these only whimsical ideas?
In Christianity it is believed that when Jesus returned, the resurrection of the just will take place in which all believers who died would be raised again and the unfaithful would also be resurrected, judged and condemned to eternal punishment and alienated from God. Hence, for the just and the unjust, there would be life after death. In this sense, timeless mind is not a quixotic idea.
But some believe that consciousness ends once a person dies and the physical death of body and mind takes place simultaneously. In this sense, such believers do not subscribe to the idea that there is life after death or immortality of life. In such a situation the scope of religion becomes dimmer and dimmer. Spiritualists too would be annoyed if one argues that life after death or deathless soul is a non-starter.
All religious interpretations about life after death which ensures a timeless mind, are a manifestation of intuitive thinking, used for the purpose of teaching everyone to lead a virtuous life.
It is easy to make us believe that there is a timeless mind and so a life after death since most of us are carried away by the thought of the fear of the unknown. We are confounded every moment by the concept of eternal life. For some it gives immense joy to follow a life of piety and virtuousness and to subjugate oneself to the judgment of a supreme being.
At this point, I can only say that the mysteries of life, whether it is timeless mind or imperishable soul, will confuse mankind for years to come until the Truth is revealed.
To me consciousness is like a transient light of candle, when the light of which is blown out, the candle remains in its physical form for some time and disintegrates. Likewise, when life ceases, consciousness and the body disintegrate.
Also the concept of ageless body itself would create a mammoth problem for humanity when with five billions of people on earth, the earth suffocates with the alarming situation of needing to feed such a big swarm of people. The depletion of huge natural resources would be alarmingly huge.
Deepak Chopra fascinates us with his interesting theory which as I understand it is that through some awareness one could tilt the biological clock in one’s favor to enable himself to live longer. He too is a wishful thinker spreading his message throughout the world like any Indian Sanyasin, especially to a world of stress, strain, confusion and miseries, more often in a state of mayhem.
As far as the quest for life and passion of life inspire us to live longer, man would desire and seek new methods and practices that ensure longevity.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
facts for free thinking
EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 10-11-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Prof. P.M.Sankarankutty, Green Hills, Temple Gate, Tellicherry-670103
Coram: Seven members attended. Prof. Hay and Sri. T. Bhaskaran could not attend as they are out of station to the Gulf.
Subject: Facts in Unbiased Free Thinking.
Dr. Md. Abdulla: In our discussions we have now reached a point where the question to be tackled is whether any unbiased thinking is at all possible for human beings. While caught in the worldly affairs, every individual faces problems and agonies of different kinds and intensities. The practical reaction to search for a solution in such circumstances has been to seek God Almighty’s assistance. While praying the problem seems to become lighter, but when we come out of the prayers the problem returns. This would make it clear that we are unable to hold on to “Bhakthi Bhava” or the devotional attitude. We are able to experience the emotion of devotion only fleetingly.
The secret of leading a life where problems do not affect us is therefore to learn to sustain the devotional attitude or in other words, to maintain the purity of the mind. All religious texts give us the advice to reach that goal by continuous devotion and prayers. In short Purity of the Mind is the prerequisite for unbiased free thinking, and devotion or Bhakthi is the simplest way to attain and sustain it. And they have to be realized in one’s inner self as an experience of God’s all pervading Truth. That results in a state of absolute humility.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: What is actually purity of mind? Is it a mind without any feeling of doing wrong or a feeling of guilt? I think doing wrong is a mental concept. One feels that he has done wrong.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: A person has an idea that killing is wrong. He has been brought up to think so. But killing an enemy soldier in battle is not wrong. Yet killing a stray dog is sin.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: There is no sin except the mental concept of guilt. It is the conditioning of the mind which brings about the feeling of guilt.
Dr.Thomas: For the Jains, even inadvertent killing of insects is sin, and they really feel guilty for the death of tiny insects caused by their breathing. They are supposed to go around covering their mouth and nose to avoid that. Many of them follow that practice even now. Similarly among hunters there were certain codes to be followed to avoid committing sin. Animals should not be killed while they drink water from their water holes. Neither pregnant animal or a couple in mating should be killed. Once these are in their mind they naturally feel guilty when they go against the codes.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Each person’s thinking is based on the way he is brought up. It is based on past experience and is limited by his experience. And there are certain rules of society that everybody has to follow in order to keep harmony among its members. The concept of sin comes from that. Any violation of the standards brings a feeling of guilt or sin. All sins are the manifestations of the feelings of the mind. But you can, of course be emotionless like saints and then you may be free of guilt. One is afraid of ghosts as he has been told stories and experiences relating to them. Imagination takes over and he is afraid. But if you analyze the mechanism of the process in the mind, the fear disappears and the person becomes calm. Certain amount of intuitive analysis is required. If the imagination goes uncontrolled, fantasy takes over resulting in psychosis etc. It is an aberration of the mind.
In a situation of unbiased thinking or comment, one’s previous knowledge or preconceived ideas should not interfere.
Dr. Abdulla : Only a pure mind can have balanced thoughts. That is why I say that purity of mind is essential for unbiased thinking.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: One must be able to understand that external things and extraneous matters always come up and interfere with free thinking. In one is aware of that then free thinking will be possible.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Yes. If I am aware that I have my prejudices and my past experience is continuously interfering with my thoughts it makes a difference. I can think with an open mind and think freely. Free thinking is thus possible.
Dr. Abdulla: My past experience and my opinion need not be always wrong. If you are pure at heart you can be absolutely correct and you can insist that your opinion is correct. There, one is sure of one’s opinion. A man who is pure at heart can make a good and correct decision.
Dr. Sadanandan: Conscience is built upon so many factors. Past experiences, Rules and codes, ideas of right and wrong, religious beliefs, etc. etc.
DR. Abdulla: One must be prepared to hear others’ points of view also for the thinking to be free.
Dr. Sadanandan: But we act on our conditioning. We are patriotic and love our country intensely. Therefore we kill, and killing becomes thus right. But basically where is the enemy? He also is patriotic and loves his country. Countries are mere border outlines, and a person born on the other side cannot become automatically an enemy. Ultimately there is no enemy. I believe that no human being should kill another human being. I may not be patriotic and I may be persecuted as a traitor. But I am right. I act according to what my conscience tells me is Truth.
That is free thinking. But we act on our conditioning. We act on the basis what we are told by others to be patriotism. The thinking itself is biased.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Who was it that died in prison taking Hemloc? Yes, Socrates died for the Truth that he was sure of. Unbiased thinking has its consequences when one acts accordingly.
Dr. Sankarankutty. Bernard Shaw said that we act on a state of conditioning, not on realization.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: I cannot be said to be biased if I am aware of my conditioning and prejudices, and am willing to understand others and to change my opinion if I am wrong.
Dr. Md. Abdulla: The one great character I admire as absolutely unbiased, is Mahatma Gandhi who truly lived in Truth.
Dr. Thomas. In the events of the world, right action or wrong action is said to be known only long after the events are over. Therefore it is only from history correct action can be judges, known and studied. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are being judged now on the basis of the results of their actions. They were both sure of the correctness of their ideas and theories in their time. They had no doubts. But their actions created great miseries in the world and they are being judged now accordingly. Trotsky was different. He was more flexible in his thoughts and was a liberal. Therefore he suffered at the hands of the other two. He had his convictions for which he suffered. Marx and Engels were both biased by their own notions and ideas, but still they firmly believed then that they were right.
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 10-11-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Prof. P.M.Sankarankutty, Green Hills, Temple Gate, Tellicherry-670103
Coram: Seven members attended. Prof. Hay and Sri. T. Bhaskaran could not attend as they are out of station to the Gulf.
Subject: Facts in Unbiased Free Thinking.
Dr. Md. Abdulla: In our discussions we have now reached a point where the question to be tackled is whether any unbiased thinking is at all possible for human beings. While caught in the worldly affairs, every individual faces problems and agonies of different kinds and intensities. The practical reaction to search for a solution in such circumstances has been to seek God Almighty’s assistance. While praying the problem seems to become lighter, but when we come out of the prayers the problem returns. This would make it clear that we are unable to hold on to “Bhakthi Bhava” or the devotional attitude. We are able to experience the emotion of devotion only fleetingly.
The secret of leading a life where problems do not affect us is therefore to learn to sustain the devotional attitude or in other words, to maintain the purity of the mind. All religious texts give us the advice to reach that goal by continuous devotion and prayers. In short Purity of the Mind is the prerequisite for unbiased free thinking, and devotion or Bhakthi is the simplest way to attain and sustain it. And they have to be realized in one’s inner self as an experience of God’s all pervading Truth. That results in a state of absolute humility.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: What is actually purity of mind? Is it a mind without any feeling of doing wrong or a feeling of guilt? I think doing wrong is a mental concept. One feels that he has done wrong.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: A person has an idea that killing is wrong. He has been brought up to think so. But killing an enemy soldier in battle is not wrong. Yet killing a stray dog is sin.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: There is no sin except the mental concept of guilt. It is the conditioning of the mind which brings about the feeling of guilt.
Dr.Thomas: For the Jains, even inadvertent killing of insects is sin, and they really feel guilty for the death of tiny insects caused by their breathing. They are supposed to go around covering their mouth and nose to avoid that. Many of them follow that practice even now. Similarly among hunters there were certain codes to be followed to avoid committing sin. Animals should not be killed while they drink water from their water holes. Neither pregnant animal or a couple in mating should be killed. Once these are in their mind they naturally feel guilty when they go against the codes.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Each person’s thinking is based on the way he is brought up. It is based on past experience and is limited by his experience. And there are certain rules of society that everybody has to follow in order to keep harmony among its members. The concept of sin comes from that. Any violation of the standards brings a feeling of guilt or sin. All sins are the manifestations of the feelings of the mind. But you can, of course be emotionless like saints and then you may be free of guilt. One is afraid of ghosts as he has been told stories and experiences relating to them. Imagination takes over and he is afraid. But if you analyze the mechanism of the process in the mind, the fear disappears and the person becomes calm. Certain amount of intuitive analysis is required. If the imagination goes uncontrolled, fantasy takes over resulting in psychosis etc. It is an aberration of the mind.
In a situation of unbiased thinking or comment, one’s previous knowledge or preconceived ideas should not interfere.
Dr. Abdulla : Only a pure mind can have balanced thoughts. That is why I say that purity of mind is essential for unbiased thinking.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: One must be able to understand that external things and extraneous matters always come up and interfere with free thinking. In one is aware of that then free thinking will be possible.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Yes. If I am aware that I have my prejudices and my past experience is continuously interfering with my thoughts it makes a difference. I can think with an open mind and think freely. Free thinking is thus possible.
Dr. Abdulla: My past experience and my opinion need not be always wrong. If you are pure at heart you can be absolutely correct and you can insist that your opinion is correct. There, one is sure of one’s opinion. A man who is pure at heart can make a good and correct decision.
Dr. Sadanandan: Conscience is built upon so many factors. Past experiences, Rules and codes, ideas of right and wrong, religious beliefs, etc. etc.
DR. Abdulla: One must be prepared to hear others’ points of view also for the thinking to be free.
Dr. Sadanandan: But we act on our conditioning. We are patriotic and love our country intensely. Therefore we kill, and killing becomes thus right. But basically where is the enemy? He also is patriotic and loves his country. Countries are mere border outlines, and a person born on the other side cannot become automatically an enemy. Ultimately there is no enemy. I believe that no human being should kill another human being. I may not be patriotic and I may be persecuted as a traitor. But I am right. I act according to what my conscience tells me is Truth.
That is free thinking. But we act on our conditioning. We act on the basis what we are told by others to be patriotism. The thinking itself is biased.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Who was it that died in prison taking Hemloc? Yes, Socrates died for the Truth that he was sure of. Unbiased thinking has its consequences when one acts accordingly.
Dr. Sankarankutty. Bernard Shaw said that we act on a state of conditioning, not on realization.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: I cannot be said to be biased if I am aware of my conditioning and prejudices, and am willing to understand others and to change my opinion if I am wrong.
Dr. Md. Abdulla: The one great character I admire as absolutely unbiased, is Mahatma Gandhi who truly lived in Truth.
Dr. Thomas. In the events of the world, right action or wrong action is said to be known only long after the events are over. Therefore it is only from history correct action can be judges, known and studied. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are being judged now on the basis of the results of their actions. They were both sure of the correctness of their ideas and theories in their time. They had no doubts. But their actions created great miseries in the world and they are being judged now accordingly. Trotsky was different. He was more flexible in his thoughts and was a liberal. Therefore he suffered at the hands of the other two. He had his convictions for which he suffered. Marx and Engels were both biased by their own notions and ideas, but still they firmly believed then that they were right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)