What stuff we are really made of?

What stuff are we really made of?
Myths and Truths of Physical Body
Dr. Parmjit Singh

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Our everyday reality dictates that some things are solid, some fluid and some in between. They also feel so: the chair is solid, and water is fluid and there is no disputing the fact that they are what they look like. Science has taught us those things in elementary schools and our perceptions confirm it. Things are what they look like; there is no deception and no underground reality to them. Or at least, we are taught to believe so.

But may be it is not that simple. Appearances can be deceptive and what we take as a solid physical body may not be as solid as we tend to believe. Let us have a closer look at a given living physical body:

If we look at the adjacent illustrations, we will understand that what we believed as a solid mass disappears into atoms, subatomic particles and then into ? and blankness . Where do those atoms which make the physical basis of our body come from? Is the blankness also an organic medium? It could be. Latest knowledge in science dictates that what we believe to be solid physical mass could just be gravitationally trapped information in a condensed form. Could it be then that we are just a conglomerate of congealed information unfolding under the instructions of a master intelligence manifesting itself through DNA? Possible implications of this new revelation about the ultimate nature of physical body are encouraging and pave the way for better understanding of how we make ourselves sick and healthy.

However, for this program, it is sufficient to know that this piece of information gives us a big hope. Contrary to what was believed in science few decades ago that our bodies are mindless mechanical apparatus, scientists are beginning to recognize that they are an intelligent system. Therefore, we no longer are damned to inevitable disease, aging and bad health with time. We hold the power to heal ourselves.

In the human body, which is composed of similar atoms and molecules as that of a car we drive, mental impulses (immaterial) keep on transforming into bio-chemical molecules (material) all the time. E.g. a bout of anger (an immaterial emotion) will generate corresponding turmoil in our body in the form of raised blood pressure (material) etc. This process of conversion where an emotion transforms into physiological consequences is not a linear one and is often affected by our state of mind and consciousness.

If we are in a good mood and somebody gives us an offhand remark, our reactions may not be as extreme as when we were in bad mood. Therefore, our state of being is also very important in generating the final response. This is where lies our hope of creating healing physiology in body by understanding the mechanism through which emotions and attitudes turn into physical reality. Let us check out the following illustration to understand this mechanism:

As seen in the accompanying illustration, not every thought or emotion automatically turns into good or bad chemicals unless we allow them to. We used to think that heart rate cannot be controlled with conscious will, but now science has proven it beyond doubt that with training we can do that. This is also true of so many other things which determine whether we are going to fall sick or not. If we have a positive outlook towards life or have a deep seated purpose, the likelihood of recovering from an illness is much brighter than the person who likes to moan or groan all the times.

Unlike olden times where patients were passive recipient of medical verdicts, we can become active participants in the healing process and a necessary adjunct to medical treatment. Fine-tuned awareness can heal us and the way we process or metabolize attitudes, lifestyles and outlooks toward life goes on to determine whether we are going to fall sick or not.

A word of caution here: this does not mean that we are responsible for our sickness. It only means that our awareness can help us in starting a renewal and healing process. Our sick body could be crying for attention and awareness which we might have lost while being too busy in the nitty-gritty of life. That awareness lies in the blankness or silence which we just saw when we broke down the body to its constituent parts. It lies beyond the existence of physical matter and is accessible through various techniques ranging from meditation, yoga, prayer, chanting, diaphragmatic breathing, body scan, progressive relaxation, autogenic training, and imagery to physical exercise. In this wellness program, we will show you how to tap into that pristine silence.

ZEN OF LIVING'S INFORMATION BANK

Singh, P. (2001). Mind in health, healing and wellness. A course proposal* submitted to Dept. of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Canada.

Satinover, J. (2001). The quantum brain . Toronto: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Walker, E. H. (2000). The physics of consciousness. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books.

Targ, R. and Katra, J. (1999). The miracles of mind . Novato, California: New World Library.

Chopra, D. (1990). Quantum healing. New York: Bantam Books.

Goswami, A. (1993). The self-aware universe. New York: A Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Putnam Book.

Davies, P. and Gribbin, J, (1992). The matter myth. Toronto: Simon & Schuster.

Hooper, J. and Teresi, D. (1986). 3-pound universe. New York: A Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Putnam Book.

Zukav, G. (1979). The Dancing Wu Li masters . New York: Bantam Books.

*It was approved by Faculty of Social Sciences as a credit course and subsequently offered for senior-level students through Dept of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Ontario.

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