Gland. See PINEAL GLAND; PITUITARY GLAND

(See also: Gland, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Ajna, ( 'command' in Sanskrit ) is positioned at the eyebrow region and it has two petals, said to represent the psychic channels Ida and Pingala, which meet here with the central Shushumna channel, before rising to the crown chakra, Sahasrara. One the left hand petal is the letter 'ham', and on the right the letter 'ksham', the bija mantras for Shiva and Shakti respectively. It is here that all energies of the body meet up and become one, and meditation on this chakra is said to bring about the dissolution of the i ...

See also:

Ajna, Ajna - Description, Ajna - Practices, Ajna - Other Associations, Ajna - Alternative names

Read more here: » Ajna: Encyclopedia II - Ajna - Description

Wisdom-eye.

See PINEAL GLAND

(See also: Wisdom-eye, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Siva-Eye.

See EYE OF SIVA; PINEAL GLAND; THIRD EYE

(See also: Siva-Eye, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Inner Eye. See EYE OF SIVA; PINEAL GLAND; THIRD EYE

(See also: Inner Eye, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

cranial chakras: The ajna, or third-eye center, and the sahasrara, at the top of the head near the pineal and pituitary glands.

See: chakra.

(See also: Cranial chakras, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

THIRD EYE

Ocellus frontis. Today, generally regarded as the pineal gland, vestigial organ serving an unknown sense, formerly believed to be the seat of the soul.

(See also: THIRD EYE, Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul, )

Eye of Siva The third eye; physically the pineal gland, which when awakened into activity becomes the organ of the inner spiritual vision of a seer.

The pineal gland was in former ages an active physical exterior organ before the present-day two eyes were developed, and was then the faculty both of physical vision and of interior illumination. As the ages passed, this third eye or pineal gland receded within the skull, finally being covered by hardened bone and the scalp. This eye may be described as the organ on this plane of spiritual intuition, through which direct and certain knowledge is obtainable at any time at the will of the seer.

"The 'eye of Siva' did not become entirely atrophied before the close of the Fourth Race. When spirituality and all the divine powers and attributes of the deva-man of the Third had been made the hand-maidens of the newly-awakened physiological and psychic passions of the physical man, instead of the reverse, the eye lost its powers" (SD 2:302).

(See also: Eye of Siva, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Pituitary Gland or Hypophysis Cerebri A small, bi-lobed, ductless gland, resting on the bony floor of the brain just above the palate. Its familiar name came from the mistaken notion that it secreted pituita (phlem) which was discharged through the nose. The technical term describes it as the "growth underneath" the brain with which it is connected. It is also closely related to the optic and other sensory nerves, as well as to the general coordinating centers of mental and physical sense and sensation in the region of the third ventricle, including the pineal gland.

Modern physicians have called the pituitary the driver gland, because of its active influence upon the growth and function of different parts of the body. Theosophy holds that the pituitary body is the seat of the organ of will; likewise, as an organ that functions through the sympathetic nervous system upon various levels of the psychic plane, it is one of the links that connect the intermediate nature of man with both his spiritual mind and his instinctual, animal mind. Thus it serves as manifesting point where the cosmic force of will, flowing through the spiritual center of man's being, works as a physical energy. As the bodily organ of will, it acts as a vital transformer, stepping down the high power, electromagnetic currents of universal will and desire, thus providing a series of special currents of growth which are diffused through the thyroid and other ductless glands. These currents, acting as automatic or vegetative will power, first affect the linga-sarira (model-body), and through it stimulate the physical body.

The pituitary, as a transformer, may also step up these diffused currents of physical and animal will and desire, raising them into the aspiring mental-spiritual will and desire, as when the high adepts concentrates his whole consciousness upon attaining spiritual vision and knowledge. When the focused power of the active pituitary is directed to the higher psychic levels, its influence, through radiated wave-energy, reaches the pineal gland which responds with spiritual clairvoyance. If, however, the increased activity is upon the lower astral levels, the effects are distorted and misleading. The pituitary being closely connected with the optic and other sensory nerves, and with the important nerve centers, its enlargement or uncontrolled, abnormal activity often give rise to strange hallucinations of vision, hearing, etc. This explains the bizarre sights, sounds, odors, or what not, which are so real to the sufferers from brain fever, delirium tremens, insanity, epilepsy, and some other disorders.

However, no one of the organs of a human being can function alone and apart from coordinated activity with the other parts of the human constitution; thus it is that while the pituitary body can stimulate or arouse to increased activity the pineal gland, nevertheless the pineal gland in its turn can act strongly upon the pituitary body; and as the pineal gland is the physical seat of the spiritual and higher intellectual faculties of the human constitution descending to the physical brain through the linga-sarira, when the pineal gland thus influences by radiated wave-energy the pituitary, the latter is awakened and begins to vibrate, strongly influencing the physical brain with will-currents guided by the spiritual and higher intellectual inspiration from the pineal.

(See also: Pituitary Gland, Hypophysis Cerebri, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

THIRD EYE: this is the sensitive area between the eyes & up on the forhead about an inch. Site of a Major Chakra, the Pineal gland. It relates to intuitive input to the Conscious Mind & is often called The Mind's Eye.

(See also: THIRD EYE, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Sahasrara: The "thousand-petalled lotus" in the brain that corresponds to the pineal gland in the center of the head. The highest center of consciousness, the point at which the spirits (atma) and the bodies (koshas) are integrated and from which they are disengaged.

(See also: Sahasrara, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Devakshi or Devakasha devaksi, devakasa (Sanskrit) (from deva spiritual, celestial + akshi eye)

The deva eye; the name given by Eastern occultists to the pineal gland, also called the Eye of the Dangma or the Eye of Siva.

(See also: Devakshi, Devakasha, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Third Eye

Organ of intuition, located between the eyebrows; sixth chakra. The etheric correspondence of the pineal gland which sees, creates, communicates, heals, destroys obstacles, unveils mysteries, and controls and directs energies

(See also: Third Eye, Body Mind and Soul)

MELATONIN

hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain and released mainly at night in the absence of light on the retina. Regulates the onset and timing of sleep and seasonal changes in the body such as winter weight gain. Levels of melatonin decline with age.

Melatonin is being investigated as a sleep promoter and to prevent or reduce jet lag. Synthetic melatonin and melatonin derived from bovine pineal glands are available as over-the-counter dietary supplements. Melatonin occurs naturally in some foods but in fairly small amounts.

Reported side effects include reduced fertility, inhibition of male sexual drive, hypothermia, damage to the retina. Some physicians and scientists advise against taking melatonin as a long-term supplement.

(See also: MELATONIN, Alternative Health, Healing, Body Mind and Soul)

MELATONIN: hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain and released mainly at night in the absence of light on the retina. Regulates the onset and timing of sleep and seasonal changes in the body such as winter weight gain. Levels of melatonin decline with age.

Melatonin is being investigated as a sleep promoter and to prevent or reduce jet lag. Synthetic melatonin and melatonin derived from bovine pineal glands are available as over-the-counter dietary supplements.

Melatonin occurs naturally in some foods but in fairly small amounts. Reported side effects include reduced fertility, inhibition of male sexual drive, hypothermia, damage to the retina. Some physicians and scientists advise against taking melatonin as a long-term supplement.

(See also: Melatonin, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Contemporary spiritual literature often notes that the chakras as described in the esoteric kundalini documents bear a strong similarity in location and number to the major endocrine glands, as well as nerve bundles called ganglions. One speculation is that the traditional practices have formalized a method for stimulating the endocrine glands to work in a different mode which has a more direct effect on consciousness, perhaps ultimately by stimulating the release of DMT by the pineal gland, which may ...

See also:

Kundalini, Kundalini - Historical source text, Kundalini - The interpretation of Kundalini, Kundalini - Kundalini Yoga, Kundalini - Kundalini in the world's religions, Kundalini - Kundalini rising, Kundalini - The Kundalini Syndrome, Kundalini - Kundalini and development, Kundalini - Kundalini and physiology, Kundalini - Pathological Kundalini

Read more here: » Kundalini: Encyclopedia II - Kundalini - Kundalini and physiology

Acervulus Cerebri Brain-sand; minute particles of a yellowish, semi-transparent, hard, brilliant substance found in the pineal gland in the human brain. Its exceptional absence occurs in congenital idiots, in young children, and in the senile aged. The physiologists report that this "sand" is composed of alkaline phosphates and carbonates and some animal matter, but they fail to account for its presence or purpose.

The fact that this brain-sand is of mineral rather than of osseous character is in keeping with the occult history of the once external, active third eye of early humanity. The ancients knew that, with the racial evolutionary descent into gross matter, this spiritual eye, gradually becoming atrophied and petrified, retreated deeply within the developing brain when its course was run (SD 2:294&n). The pineal gland being the chief organ of spirituality in the human brain at present, this mysterious sand is the result of the work of mental electricity upon the surrounding matter. This is based on the ancient idea that every atom of matter is only a concretion of crystallized spirit or akasa, the universal soul.

See also PINEAL GLAND.

(See also: Acervulus Cerebri, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Eris has been adopted as the matron deity of the modern Discordian religion. In the process, however, she has lightened up considerably in comparison to the rather malevolent Graeco-Roman original. A quote from the Principia Discordia, the holy book of the Discordian religion, attempts to clear this up: One day Mal-2 consulted his Pineal Gland and asked Eris if She really created all of those terrible things. She told him that She had always liked the Old Greeks, but that they cannot be trusted with historic matters. "They were," She added, ...

See also:

Eris, Eris - Greek Mythology, Eris - Discordian Mythology, Eris - Eris in popular culture, Eris - Discordia in popular culture

Read more here: » Eris: Encyclopedia II - Eris - Discordian Mythology

Thalamus, Optic [from Greek optikos visual from op to see + thalamos chamber]

The optic thalami are the two great posterior ganglia at the base of the brain, forming part of the wall of the third ventricle. They are the bed from which the optic fibers arise, as well as a special center for the correlation and transmission of sensory, motor, and ideational impressions which, consciously and subconsciously, interact between the body and the brain. The thalami are a central station for the reception, condensation, and transmission of all the intercommunicating lines between the conscious, thinking person and the external world.

Embryology shows the optic thalami playing an early and leading part in connection with the pineal gland, then at the apex of the developing head, a biological review of early racial conditions when the pineal gland functioned as the only eye of vision. At that stage of evolution, the human was as unselfconscious in personality and as gelatinous in physical structure as the embryo now is at first. Nevertheless, he was a spiritual being, as he now is, being the reincarnating ego which directs the evolution of its marvelous body from the unit of a fertilized cell.

The embryo repeats the gradual growth and dominating position of the cerebral hemispheres which, in the history of the third root-race, gave play to intellectual faculties at the expense of spiritual vision. Then the pineal "eye," no longer active, retired to the hollow of the brain where the optic thalami became concerned with the development of the two eyes of physical vision. "It is a curious fact that it is especially in human beings that the cerebral hemispheres and the lateral ventricles have been developed, and that the optic thalami, corpora quadrigemina, and corpora striata are the principal parts which are developed in the mammalian brain" (SD 2:301).

(See also: Optic Thalamus, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Third Eye Possessed by early humans and, up to the physicalization of the third root-race, it was the only seeing organ in most living species. At the beginning of that root-race, the organ which has developed into the eye was beneath a semitransparent covering or membrane, like some of the blind vertebrata today.

In early humanity, the third eye was the organ of spiritual vision, as it was that of objective vision in the animals (SD 2:299), as indeed it still remains, and it appears as the pineal gland inside the skull of modern mankind. In the course of physical evolution, with corresponding loss of spiritual vision, the cyclopean eye was gradually replaced by the physical vision of the two front eyes. The original eye has since then continued to function -- although unrecognized by the vast majority of people -- as the organ of intuitive discernment. As this recession was not complete before the close of the fourth root-race, there were late subraces of Lemurians and of early Atlanteans who were still in some degree at least physically three-eyed (SD 2:302).

Hindu mystics speak of this inner organ as the eye of Siva, the Tri-lochana (three-eyed). In Tibet the same functional organ was called the eye of Dangma, and references to it may be found under various names scattered throughout the world's literatures.

See also PINEAL GLAND

(See also: Third Eye, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Sight Among the elements, correlated with fire or light. Like the other senses it has its spiritual originant which expresses itself through its several forms, corresponding to the different planes.

The organ of spiritual vision in the human body is the third eye. Some of the Atlantean magicians and initiates had this inner sight, which was even in their material race highly developed, so that their vision could pass any distance and penetrate opaque bodies.

In the order of evolution of the physical senses and their organs, sight comes third, and was evolved as a physical sense towards the end of the third root-race, though existing in rudimentary form in the preceding root-race. The third eye was once external and an organ of physical vision, but retreated inwards when it was replaced by the two eyes as at present functioning; the third eye has now become the pineal gland.

(See also: Sight, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)