Shrikailasa🔗

Paramahamsa Nithyananda

The meditation techniques included in this book are to be practiced only under the direct supervision of an ordained teacher of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam and in consultation with your personal physician to determine your fitness and ability to do the techniques. They are not intended to be a substitute for medical attention, examination, diagnosis or treatment. If someone tries these techniques without prior participation in the meditation programs of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam and without the direct supervision of an ordained teacher of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, they shall be doing so entirely at their own risk; neither the author nor Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam nor the publisher shall be responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Copyright © 2011 - 'Year of Sharing Enlightenment'

First Edition: September 2006 Second Edition: July 2011

Print Edition ISBNs: ISBN 13: 978-1-934364-45-1 ISBN 10: 1-934364-45-2

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. In the event that you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

All proceeds from the sale of this book go towards supporting charitable activities.

Paramahamsa Nithyananda ..................................................................................... 5

Dr. R. Murali Krishna, M.D. ................................................................................... 7

Integris Jim Thorpe Rehab. Center - PET tests .................................................... 10

Body, Mind & Spirit ............................................................................................. 18

Dr. Juan Acosta-Urquidi & Ann Trechak - EEG ................................................... 19

Intelligence, Consciousness & Energy ................................................................. 41

Nithyananda Meditation Academies ..................................................................... 56

Paramahamsa Nithyananda is a Master and modern mystic living amidst us today. Starting out at a young age, and enduring years of intense penance, he persevered with the single-pointed vision of experiencing inner bliss. He traversed the length and breadth of India, studying yoga, tantra and other Eastern metaphysical Sciences with great Masters in India and Nepal. He had many profound spiritual experiences before experiencing the ultimate inner bliss.

His mission is to help each individual actualize his inherent potential. With a pragmatic and compassionate approach, and an enlightened insight into the core of human nature, he has emerged as an inspiring personality touching and transforming the lives of millions of people across the world.

His divine healing touch has taken the shape of Nithya Spiritual Healing – a scientific system of spiritual healing through meditation. Through his direct touch and through ordained healers, this system of healing simulates the body’s inherent healing powers to heal various diseases at the physi-cal and mental levels.

His lucid explanation of practical issues and simple and dynamic meditation techniques, help indi-viduals blossom at the physical, emotional and spiritual levels.

Life Bliss Foundation is his worldwide movement to spread his message of meditation and bliss. With its spiritual nerve center in Bangalore, India and the Western Hemisphere headquarters in Los Ange-les, USA, it operates across 30 countries, working steadily in transformation of humanity through transformation of the individual. Thousands of volunteers – Ananda Sevaks - work to support the mission world over.

By offering himself as a living laboratory, Nithyananda works with scientists across the globe to record and analyze the mystic phenomena through modern technology. He strives to bridge the mod-ern Western system of logic and evidence and the ancient Eastern system of mysticism, for the benefit of humanity.

He is continuing to intrigue the world of medical science with results from the study of his own neurological and cardiac system. From the results recorded, scientists feel that the potential for alter-ing the rates and progression of many diseases like heart ailments, cancer, arthritis, alcoholism etc. is beginning to look achievable. They are compelled to declare that there continues to be indications that the human mind can choose to heal the human body.

For centuries, science and spirituality have been battling on these issues of perennial importance for humanity. Although spiritual leaders have always maintained that the no-mind state is a 'real' phenomenon, and a perfectly realizable goal for all of us, the scientific community has naturally been unwilling to accept this without solid proof.

For the first time in our century, science has hopefully found a key to supernormal and paranormal phenomena, with sound medical evidence that explains why the spiritually super-evolved are blessed with 'powers' that the rest of us can only dream about. The following pages are summaries of various types of medical research conducted on Nithyananda during his visits to the United States of America.

Meditation is the inherent nature of man. It is nothing to be discovered anew. Every child is born with infinite intelligence in a state of meditation in this world. Society and state gift the 'mind' element to the child and start conditioning its meditative state. When this process starts, the child slips from intelligence to intellect.

Meditation is the art of keeping our inner space peaceful and blissful. It takes us from unconscious decision-making to conscious decision-making. It frees us from the clutches of our own obscure emotions. It brings us to the present. It gives us tremendous freedom in the inner and outer worlds. It helps integrate the body, mind and spirit. It propels us from logic to intuition. Logic is a servant while intuition is a Master. Meditation is the key to become a Master.

President, James L. Hall, Jr. Center for Mind, Body & Spirit President COO, INTEGRIS Mental Health Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

(Following is a write up by Dr. Muralikrishna explaining why doctors and Scientists the world over are time and again researching spirituality to obtain tangible results; to bridge Science and spirituality.)

For many people, spirituality underlies all that they do every moment. Every thought word or deed of theirs stems from the spiritual chords within. Spirituality is the ground in which they are rooted as they work at their job, parent their children, visit with friends or greet acquaintances. It may be an outwardly obvious action like volunteering in a spiritual organization or it maybe a quiet thing, an inner sense of peace and serenity, a trust in life, strength of conviction beyond mundane logic. No matter how it manifests, medical research says that harboring spirituality may bring a bonus: better health.

What is spirituality? It is about having a belief system that focuses on intangible elements or forces, that add vitality and meaning to our life and life’s events. Plain believing in those intangible elements or forces is not enough, though. It is essential that the belief leads to personal experience of these intangible forces adding meaning to our life.

Spirituality is not a concept limited to any one religion or denomination. It is not even linked to worship in a church or temple, or belief in a certain God. Regardless of occupation, age, color or religious affiliation, anyone can discover spirituality and benefit from it.

Medical science is finding more and more evidence of those benefits. Every progressive medical study supports the notion that spirituality may have a positive effect on health. To be accurate, many of these studies look at people’s participation in religious activities, not strictly spirituality. But from these studies, we have learned that regular attendees of religious services are likely to have lower blood pressure than those who attend these less frequently or not at all. We have seen that elderly people who regularly attend church have healthier immune system than those who don’t. Another study found that people over 60 years of age, who attended church weekly or more often were significantly less likely in the previous year to have been admitted to the hospital.

These studies are scientifically valid, but still don’t tell the whole story. Was it the spirituality inherent in their religion that kept these people healthier, or was it the social support they received by being part of a church community? Were they were healthier because the church helped them discover meaning in their lives, or because their religion or church community discouraged use of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs? Or was it simply that healthier people are able get up and go to church on a weekly basis, while people in poorer health remain at home?

While these studies are indicators of the benefits of spirituality, the stronger evidence comes from medical research into the power of prayer. There have been quite a number of studies in this area, of which one of the more intriguing works has been done by Mitchell Krucoff, M.D., and Suzanne Crater, N.P., at Duke University's Medical Center.

In their study, Krucoff and Crater looked at heart disease patients. The level of each patient's spiritu-ality was determined through surveys and other assessment tools. Some patients received only stan-dard medical therapy. Others received standard therapy along with therapies such as healing touch, stress relaxation and guided imagery. A final group of patients (who also received the standard therapy) were prayed for by diverse prayer groups – Carmelite nuns near Baltimore, Baptists in North Caro-lina, Buddhist monks in Paris and Nepal, etc. None of these people knew there were special prayer groups saying prayers for their recovery.

Compared to the standard therapy group, the prayer group experienced a 50 percent reduction of every adverse outcome. Broken down even further, the results were equally interesting. Patients strongly rooted in a spiritual community did well, regardless of the therapy they received. Patients not rooted in a spiritual community had better outcomes when they were prayed for than when they were not. Patients who prayed on their own at least once a day or who felt spirituality was important in their daily lives, had better outcomes when receiving healing touch, stress relaxation and guided imagery than when receiving only standard therapy.

Prayer is a spiritual practice. It is intangible. And yet we are learning that when you offer prayers, or even when others pray for you without your knowledge, there are health benefits.

How can you get in touch with your spirituality?

First, make a conscious effort to tune into spirituality. In the air all around you right now, there are signals from television stations. To you, they are intangible. You cannot hear, see or feel any of them – unless you turn on your television, a mechanism for tuning in the signals. For spiri-tuality, too, you must have the capacity to tune in. You must have openness and willingness to look into seemingly intangible processes.

Second, you must become more aware of the readily observable effects of spirituality. Love is intangible, but you know it when you feel it. Hope is intangible, but it can profoundly and positively affect the course of a person's illness. Trust is intangible, but living out of a sense of trust can calm your anxieties, lower your blood pressure and help you feel inner peace and se-renity. Love, hope and trust are components of spirituality, and their effects are there for you to see and feel.

Nithyananda with the research team at the INTEGRIS Mental Health Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Third, live out your spirituality. It is said that God comes to us in the form of suffering human beings. Toward people you know who are in physical or emotional pain, practice kindness and compassion. Put yourself in their shoes, understand what they think and feel, and act accordingly.

Fourth, marvel at creation. A movie or television show might bore you if you watch it over and over, but watching a sunset or viewing a range of snow-covered mountains does not. Those are God's creations, not ours. When you wonder at the majesty and complexity of a mountain stream, flowers or stars, you are engaged in a very spiritual act.

As is the case with everyone, your life will have its share of difficulties. Through spirituality, you can increase the chances that you will come through them with health and hope intact.

Scientists, researchers and doctors of the Integris Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center and the PET center of Oklahoma, USA administered various tests and analyzed the mystic phenomena on Nithyananda's neurological system. Following is the summary of the findings.

A Mind Matters Column™

The Mind of a Mystic

By R. Murali Krishna, M.D. President, James L. Hall, Jr. Center for Mind, Body & Spirit President COO, INTEGRIS Mental Health, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Sri Nithyananda Swami is a trim, healthy looking young man with dark, shoulder-length hair. Handsome and polite, possessing an open manner and a wealth of curiosity, he could be any ordinary American college student.

The difference is that ordinary American college students do not wear orange robes and turbans, have not experienced spiritual enlightenment and are not regarded as a teacher, healer and mystic by millions of people in all corners of the world.

A mystic? The term is not a bad fit for 'Swami,' as he is known. Mystics, popular culture tells us, have direct communion with God. Through means not understood or measurable, mystics are thought to have access to ultimate realities or truths. Picture a mystic and you'll probably picture someone full of bliss, someone gifted with lofty thoughts and insights the rest of us do not possess. The very presence of a mystic is thought to bring peace and healing to others.

That's an apt description of Swami, a 27-year-old from South India. He is approached by thousands of people a year seeking relief from diseases and ailments that conventional medical approaches have not cured. Swami's background lends him the air of a mystic, too. He left his home as a teen, visited ashrams across India, immersed himself in philosophy, read extensively and mastered the art of meditation.

The procedures Swami went through were administered by some of Oklahoma City’s finest and most experienced physicians, neuropsychologists and researchers: Drs. Fordyce, Ruwe and Higgins of the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center Neuropsychology Department and Dr. Chacko of the PET Center of Oklahoma. These doctors were using technology they use with patients on a routine basis. When they look at images obtained by their technology, they know what’s normal and what’s not.

The results from testing Swami? Decidedly not normal.

Our first look into Swami’s brain was achieved with the help of a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) device. Unlike traditional diagnostic techniques that produce images of the body’s structure or anatomy, such as X-rays, CT scans or MRI, PET produces images of the function of the brain through the metabolic activity of cells. An analog of glucose is attached to a radioactive PET tracer. The PET scanner then images the metabolically active brain areas at any given time.

In the case of Swami, the drug was intended to identify highly active areas of the brain in an alert and conscious state, in the early stages of meditation and during deep meditation.

The results of the PET scan tests were stunning. To begin with, the activity in the frontal lobes of Swami’s brain were significantly heightened, even in early meditation stages. The level of activity was higher than would be seen in the average human brain under any conditions.

When we then asked Swami to go into the deepest meditation state, there were two more remarkable findings.

First, the dominant hemisphere of Swami's brain was more than 90 percent shut down. It was as if Swami's brain had packed up and gone on vacation. It was quiet and still, completely at peace ... and Swami had made it so at will. A second amazing aspect of Swami's deep meditation was that the lower portion of his mesial frontal areas lighted up in a very significant way. This area roughly corresponds to the reputed location of the mystical "Third Eye." When we later asked Swami what he was doing when the mesial frontal areas lighted up, he said he was opening his third eye.

Associated with both cosmic and inner knowledge and thought to be a place of clarity and peace, the Third Eye is considered by many to be the seat of the soul. Were we seeing an indication that deep meditation can open an area of the brain responsible for communicating with the divine, looking deep into the mysteries of self or creation? I believe the PET scan revealed what I call the brain's "D-spot." Whether you consider the "D" in D-spot to stand for delight, the divine or even dopamine, the chemical through which our bodies experience pleasure, initial indications are that meditation can stimulate it.

The second procedure we used to look into Swami's brain is known as Quantitative Electroencephalography, or QEEG. QEEG measures electrical patterns in the brain, patterns commonly referred to as brainwaves.

There are four bandwidths of brainwaves, each different in speed and each associated with a different state of mind.

For instance, beta brainwaves are small and fast and linked with an awake, alert state of mind. Alpha brainwaves are slower and larger and are connected to feelings of well-being. Theta waves represent

a state of consciousness between that is close to sleep, a stage in which there is a sense of calmness and serenity without active thought.

In a day's time, most people will experience all four types of brainwaves. The progression from one bandwidth to another, though, is not so easily in their control.

From Swami's QEEG, though, we can see that he has complete control over his brainwaves. When in deep meditation, his brain smoothly shifted from one state to another, like a talented pianist playing the scales. There was no hesitation and no retreating, just continuous, fluid shifts from one type of brainwave to the next. Because the QEEG represents the five brainwave bandwidths as colors, it was as we were watching Swami float from color to color within a rainbow.

The brain is the body’s most complex organ, containing more than 100 billion neurons, each of them in chemical and electrical conversation with up to 10,000 other neurons. Its sheer capacity to process information is astonishing.

Remarkably, that complexity presents little difficulty for Swami in managing his brain activity. Swami’s mind – his thoughts, emotions and intellect – control his brain. He can, in a very fluid, easy way, shift his brain function and alter his brainwaves.

More than answering questions, the voyage we took into the mind of a mystic brings intriguing questions for study:

Are there techniques we can learn and teach that will bring balance and peace into people’s lives? Can we invoke a healing response or accelerate healing through specific training? Can we learn techniques that will allow us to control pain or alter the course of a disease? Can we learn to activate what I call our D-spot, thus putting us in instant connection to delight or the divine?

The results from our study of Swami are new pages in our world’s growing book of research on the brain. There continue to be indications that the human mind may be able to choose to heal the body. We’re now looking at the possibility of people learning and acquiring these healing capabilities, an event of immense benefit for humankind. The potential for altering the rates and progression of many diseases – heart disease, cancer, arthritis, alcoholism and many others – is beginning to look achievable.

Swami is a bridge between the invisible, ancient world of mysticism and the modern, visible world of science and discovery. As brain research continues on a widespread basis, and as we appropriately bring the phenomena of mysticism into the realm of science for further study, we are taking strides on a path of hope and health.

Following are images from the PET SCAN:

SN: FDG PET Scan: Transaxial Views: Vertex to base Time of injection: 60 mins into deep meditation The Oklahoma PET Center @ Deaconess, Oklahoma City 73112 White arrows: areas of reduced FDG uptake - left cerebral cortex Red arrows: areas of increased FDG uptake Operculum, Rt & Lt sup Temporal cortex & mesial frontal cortex

SN: FDG PET Scan: Transaxial Views: Vertex to base Time of injection: Non meditative - awake - eyes closed Findings: Relative normal uptake FDG Rt & Lt Cerebral Cortex. Red arrows: show continued uptake Sup temporal cortext/Operculum & relative decrease in mesial frontal uptake.

Time of injection: Non meditative - awake - eyes closed Findings: Relative normal uptake FDG Rt & Lt Cerebral Cortex. Red arrows: show continued uptake Sup temporal cortext/Operculum & relative decrease in mesial frontal uptake.

SN: FDG PET Scan: Brain: Transaxial Sections: Vertex to base Time of injection: 30 mins into deep meditation The Oklahoma PET Center @ Deaconess, Oklahoma City 73112 White arrows: reduction in glucose uptake. Red arrows: increased FDG uptake Operculum and deep temporal cortex & mesial frontal cortex.

Pictures of electrode placement

Our body is intelligence, not just a bio-mechanism. It is created, maintained and destroyed by our own thoughts. The emotions that we engrave inside ourselves are toxins that create a distance between our bodies and ourselves. The consciousness that we create within can dissolve these toxins and produce tremendous changes in our body, destroying disease at the physical and psychosomatic levels. When we meditate, our consciousness deepens. When we learn to relax into our own body, we will be healthy and vibrant.

Our mind is the center for processing and assimilating sensory information and has a strong influence over our body's setup. The root of our mind is most often 'dilemma'. When we choose with dilemma, we choose only suffering. Choosing is always suffering. Choicelessness is bliss. Our inner space needs to be free from dilemma so we may live in the present, enjoying it as it is. When we live in the moment, we explode in all directions entering into infinite possibilities. We then live with complete awareness and actualize our entire potential.

Verbalization is the constant inner chatter that goes on within us. We repeat sets of words inside us and continuously create self-contradicting results for ourselves in the outer world. Our thinking is not real thinking; it is mere 'association'. It is an association of unrelated thoughts from the past and the future. Any information perceived is processed through this database of unrelated information. As a result, we make illogical decisions and miss the present. Meditation frees us from this pattern of unconscious decision-making. It keeps us in a state of complete awareness and deep consciousness.

Meditation is done to reach the level of the spirit or being. The being is nothing but consciousness. When you achieve your being, you feel completely at home; you feel you have come to your space. In your quest, you need to have the courage to find your space, the courage to experiment with the Truth. Meditation is the way to experiment with the Truth and experience it. It is the way to your being.

- Nithyananda

Dr. Juan Acosta-Urquidi and his associate, Ann Trechak from Sound Health Designs, LLC, Wichita, KS, USA were offered the unique opportunity to record an EEG (Electroencephalography) session with Swamiji.

The observations showed Swamiji switching his brainwave patterns as he transited through different altered states of Consciousness. Another aspect of the research involved Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis, which is a useful tool to explore the energetic transactions between two subjects.

(Refer Acosta-Urquidi, JACM, 2004, vol. 10(4); Acosta-Urquidi and Trechak, 15th ISSSEEM Confer. '05; see also www.heartmath.org).

The Heart Rate Variability (HRV) from Swamiji and a volunteer subject were simultaneously recorded while the subject received healing from Swamiji. The HRV measurements obtained before (the control baseline) and during the healing session were then compared.

As shown in the data below, shifts in the power spectra signal were recorded in the receiving subject during the healing by Swamiji and also when Swamiji was sending healing energy into the room, not specifically directed at the subject.

Above: Ann Trechak records the HRV baseline from Swamiji before He starts the healing session.

Right: Swamiji performs healing on the subject. Both Swamiji and the subject are hooked up to HRV analysis equipment.

Following are a few pictures that show that Swamiji's healing energy affects the HRV signals recorded in the receiving subject:

Baseline heart rhythm tachogram recording (approximately 7 mins.)

The following 3 graphs show the power frequency spectra of tachogram signal.

The graph below shows the spectral signal value, at approximately 0.25, indicating parasympathetic state dominance (the subject was very quiescent).

In the graph below, a new peak appears at the far left, indicating robust sympathetic arousal, which mirrored Swamiji's spectral signal (not shown).

In the graph below, peaks at the far left and far right persisted (reduced amplitude) and a new signal appeared at 0.20, indicating a significant shift towards sympathetic arousal to match the energy of Swamiji's heart.

It was concluded that the subject's heart rhythms entrained to Swamiji's during the healing session.

The team concluded the experiments saying, "We look forward to more scientific studies of Swamiji, to objectively validate His great spiritual gifts at this crucial time when planetary healing is such a priority."

Juan Acosta-Urquidi, PhD. and Ann Trechak can be contacted at: Sound Health Designs, LLC., www.soundhealthdesigns.com 3700 E. Douglas #20 Wichita, KS, 67208 ph: 316-652-8989 [email protected] [email protected]

On 17 June 2005, while Swamiji was attending annual AAPI Convention in Houston, TX, Dr. Juan Acosta-Urquidi and his associate, Ann Trechak from Sound Health Designs, LLC, Wichita, KS, USA again, had the unique oppor- tunity to hook up Swamiji to an EEG machine and examine his brainwave patterns as he shifted into distinct states of consciousness.

_In all his previous experience working with some very gifted subjects, Dr. Acosta had never recorded such a unique pattern of EEG mindstates._

Swamiji proved to be a dream subject as he demonstrated his mastery at switching mindstates while remaining motionless.

A representative sample of the recorded data is shown below.

The brainstate patterns are displayed as colored topo maps, showing average power values (600 sec. samples) for different brainwave frequency bands (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma).

The most striking findings were: At first glance, Baseline (eyes closed) condition pat-tern was almost indistinguishable from Medi- tation state, except for some minor differ-ences. Notice subtle changes in the localiza-tion of Theta and Alpha maximum power val-ues (hot spots), as if they swap places. The Meditation state showed slightly higher Al-pha power, which also extended into more posterior (parietal) sites. The other detect-able change was the antero-posterior edistribution of Gamma hot spots: from ini-tially frontal-central in Baseline, to focalized occipital in Meditation state.

By contrast, the Healing state showed more robust differences: Delta power increased and was very fo-calized to frontal region, and Theta and Alpha power values reversed. Note also Beta1, 2 & Gamma slightly increased compared to Baseline. These findings re-veal that Swamiji has the unique ability to remain in a near-meditative state during rest eyes closed baseline conditions, when he was deliberately not at-tempting meditation. His Healing state is character-ized by shifting into a more active and aroused con-dition, where he gains access to an energetic linkage with his client and his surroundings.

Baseline: Note highest power values are in Delta frontal sites; Theta highest at frontal-central and parietal sites, slightly left of midline. Alpha power comparable to Theta but restricted to frontal-central sites. Alpha and Beta 1, 2 overlap exactly.

Meditation: a comparison to Baseline topo maps reveals slightly increased Delta power; Theta concentrated more central and frontal; Alpha extends to parietal sites; Beta 1, 2 not much different, but Gamma band reveals a marked shift from frontal to occipital region

Healing State: Notice increased Delta power and restricted focus on frontal region. Theta power is reduced ca. 60% and now focused in frontal sites. Alpha power increased by 40% and shifted to parietal area.

Seattle, Wa. USA. Dr. Juan Acosta-Urquidi and his associate, Ann Trechak from Sound Health Designs, LLC, Wichita, KS, USA made observations of brain waves and other vital metabolic activity during normal, deep sleep, meditating and healing states of Swamiji.

During Healing: The graph below shows simultaneous records of Temperature and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response, a measure of autonomic arousal) during a Healing session. Swamiji had a very steady consistent low baseline GSR reading (values less than 1.0 Mhos) at all times - baseline, meditation and samadhi state - except when entering the Healing state. In this example, his GSR started to in-crease gradually as he was getting ready to heal and then shows rapid very robust increases (spikes in the blue graph). His mean GSR values changed from a minimum 4.49 to maximum 11.0.

Temperature on the other hand, showed very little variation uring the entire session (mean 96 F).

This suggests Swamiji metabolic state is very constant and stable.

GSR (also referred to as Skin Conductance Level, SCL) is a measure of skin conductance to electric-ity (measured in mhos, the reciprocal of ohms, a measure of resistance). GSR reflects sweat gland activity (perspiration), which is under the control of the ANS (Autonomic Nervous System). GSR sensors on the fingertips measure the level of arousal, relaxation vs. tension, a subject is experienc-ing. Low GSR values represent very low level of arousal (deep relaxed, calm state). A sudden in-crease in GSR value reflects increased arousal level (increased skin perspiration conducts electricity better) due to ANS sympathetic activation, such as occurs when subject is in high alert.

In the case of Swamiji, I interpret sudden increased GSR in preparation for, and during healing, as an increased level of sympathetic ANS activity, because he is running energy to deliver during Healing! The HRV (Heart Rate Variability) measures I obtained when Swamiji is healing a subject also reveal increased sympathetic ANS activation. This result during healing is therefore consistent, and two separate physiological measures (GSR and HRV) confirm it!

Following are brainstate patterns and colored topo maps of the brain with Baseline readings, Meditation, Deep Samadhi and Healing states’ readings.

Power-frequency spectra reveals delta (1-4 Hz, burgundy) is the dominant rhythm, followed by theta (4-7.5 Hz, red) and some alpha (8-12 Hz, yellow).

19 channel International 10-20 electrocap hookup, linked ears referential using Mitsar equipment (St. Petersburg, Russia).

Baseline eyes closed. Topographic brainmap shows highest delta power localized at frontal-central sites.

At higher gain setting topo maps reveal roughly symmetrical distribution of delta, theta and alpha around Fz and Cz (frontal and central vertex sites).

During meditation: Note the only difference compared with Baseline pattern is the slight increase in theta and alpha power, and also the appearance of small beta1 peak (12-15 Hz, SMR rhythm, green indicating increased focus during meditation).

Topo maps during meditation: Note increased beta rhythm: beta1 band reveals more green color (indicating increased power), and beta2 (15-20 Hz) now appears in light blue at same central site.

Deep Samadhi state: Shows a marked increase in beta1 power (SMR, green). This remarkable pattern of brainwaves during samadhi state demonstrates Swamiji is engaged in active focused state while still sustaining a high delta background state.

Samadhi state topo maps reveal marked increase in the background delta rhythm (note power scale is 15.0 at maximum, pink color).

At higher gain, topo maps show some increased theta power and Beta1 (12-15 Hz, SMR), which is visible as orange color localized to central site (Cz, vertex).

Healing State: This analysis revealed a striking shift of brainstate during healing; alpha rhythm (8-12 Hz, yellow) now shows marked increase and slow rhythms (mostly delta) are markedly suppressed. This finding is consistent with my previous studies with many energy healers, (Acosta-Urquidi, J., 2004, JACM, vol. 10, no. 4, p.725.)

Conclusion: Swamiji demonstrated a remarkable ability to shift into different brainstates during meditation, samadhi and healing conditions. The change between his baseline pattern and meditation is small, indicating that he is always in a permanent state of meditation when he sits still with eyes closed.

Baseline eyes open condition: Power-frequency spectra data from an earlier recording session on 6/ 05, shows alpha band is dominant, with some small amount of theta during eyes open condition. FP2 high frequency (20-30 Hz) is due to EMG contamination (muscle signals).

Topo maps showing the dominant alpha state during eyes open condition.

Healing is restoring physical and mental health. Good health is not just an absence of disease or a clinically good report, but a positive well-being ness at the level of the body, mind and spirit. Beyond this, it is a continuous bubbling of bliss inside oneself at the being level - what is called the flowering of Energy.

Our body and mind are deeply rooted in consciousness and therefore most diseases have their roots at the psychosomatic level although they manifest themselves as something at the periphery. These dis-eases can be cured if our consciousness is directed upon them - and this is exactly what Energy Healing does. The Existential Energy is pure healing energy. It is pure intelligence also. When used for healing, it brings one's consciousness to the disease and thereby heals.

The human body has inherent intelligence in itself. If only we allow this intelligence to function, it is capable of miraculous healing. Pain itself is nothing but the rush of energy to heal the affected area. But we resist pain and prevent the natural body healing from happening. Energy healing is simply play of energy over matter to heal.

All efforts to heal are efforts only to awaken the body's inherent healing power. Nothing can heal from outside. The ultimate healing can happen only from within.

Someone asked me, 'Will meditation really help?' There is no eed to speak in the language of belief or faith. To know that an apple is tasty, you don't have to have any belief - just have a bite and you will understand!

Nithyananda met with Dr. William Collins, a leading Researcher and a practicing Neurofeedback specialist at the latter’s office in St. Louis, USA. Dr. Collins requested to study the brain activity of Nithyananda along with that of a patient at the time he was healing the latter. The patient was in-jured in a car accident 10 years ear-lier consequently suffering from af-fected motor nerves. Nithyananda readily agreed to his request. The ex-periment was conducted and the re-sults recorded which are presented here in brief.

‘The world is not going to believe this!’ exclaimed Dr. Collins at seeing the as-tounding observations recorded.

There were 4 main states in which the brain readings of Nithyananda and the patient were recorded and compared: (a) both just sitting normally, (b) Nithyananda meditating, (c) Nithyananda healing the patient and (d) Nithyananda radiating healing energy, without directing it specifically towards the patient.

When Nithyananda was just sitting and his brain waves were recorded, Dr. Collins observed the following:

1. Nithyananda’s brain was unusually quiet (especially the right side of his brain). Brain metabolism was 1/20th of normal people – this is significantly lesser that what he has seen even in very calm persons.

• This implies there is an enormous conservation of energy.

• Oxygen and other chemicals consumed by the brain to process information is greatly con- served.

2. The activity was a minimum; only the energy required to run vital body functions were being consumed.

3. The readings of brain activity and metabolism were at such low levels that Dr. Collins changed electrodes to more sensitive ones and even adjusted them a few times to make sure he was getting the readings. Despite the adjustments, the readings continued to show unusually low levels! 4. The left and right sides of his brain were working simultaneously.

5. The strength of Alpha waves, which is generally high for people who are stressed, was signifi-cantly lower than normal.

Dr. Collins could not believe that Nithyananda was in his normal state with this level of activity in the brain. He remarked, ‘there is no such thing as normal state for you!’ And Nithyananda replied that he was right, because even during normal state he is really in Samadhi.

While Nithyananda was meditating:

1. Higher frequency brain waves increased. This was found only in people who had meditated for 20 yrs or so.

2. Lower frequency waves decreased in strength. This was the reverse of what is normally observed in average persons, where lower frequency waves become more prominent during meditation.

While Nithyananda healed David, Dr. Collins noted the following readings:

1. Nithyananda’s brain readings were dramatically different.

2. The right side of His brain became much more active. The difference between the right side and the left side was dramatic!

3. The strength of the waves implied a tremendous level of metabolic activity.

At the same time, from the patient’s brain readings:

1. Certain high frequencies that we don’t normally produce, were being produced by his brain.

2. In the David's brain, not only were these waves being produced, but they were maintained during the entire healing period!

3. Dr. Collins commented, ‘The world is not going to believe this! This is extremely unusual....it seems as if his brain was changing and 100s of 1000s of neurons/nerves in the brain was being re-wired!’

4. The sustained levels of high frequency waves also meant a very high metabolism of the brain.

In this phase, Swamiji created the same healing energy, but instead of directing it to one person, he radiated it. Dr. Collins once again recorded the brain activity in Swamiji and David, and found that:

1. The high freq. waves continued to occur in David’s brain (i.e. re-wiring of the brain continued to occur).

2. There was still a significant difference in the strength of the high frequency waves in David’s brain.

3. Both sides of David’s brain became like the right brain of Swamiji.

4. Swamiji’s brain activity was quite similar to the levels during one-to-one healing.

Swamiji explained, “In the normal state, myself, the person getting healed and the Cosmic Energy are all different, but during healing, all 3 get connected. That could be the reason why David’s brain behaved like Swamiji’s brain.”

David's brain activity map showing 40 Hz high frequency wave (in yellow)...

Dr. Collins interpretting Nithyanandas brain activity

Let us define the terms - Intelligence, Energy and Consciousness.

Intelligence is that which happens when the intellect of the mind is dropped and inner consciousness takes over.

Consciousness is thoughtless awareness or pure witnessing, without the play of the mind.

Energy is the Existential energy that pervades all forms of Life.

How are these three related?

Intellect of the mind is nothing but dead knowledge that creates solid layers of unconscious patterns and draws us repeatedly into this unconscious bank for decision-making. When allowed to happen in this manner, decision-making becomes a dull and unintelligent by-product of the mind. Intellect does not allow the mind to respond; it simply makes it react, unconsciously. A reactive mind is never spontaneous; it is pre-meditated. Intelligence on the other hand is meditative and spontaneous. It therefore provides total solutions.

When the intellect is dropped and the inner consciousness is allowed to surface, we move into a different plane of existence. Consciousness is deep awareness. With deep awareness, one can harness the Existential energy, which pervades the cosmos. Existential energy is nothing but pure intelligence. When we harness this Energy, meditative intelligence happens.

The deeper our consciousness, the better we harness the energy and the more intelligent we become. Intellect is of the mind while consciousness is of the being. Mind is societal while the being is natural. If the mind is used as a mere tool and consciousness is allowed to grow, the energy pervading the cosmos becomes available to us as the ultimate intelligence – Cosmic Intelligence.

When consciousness reaches the peak, individual consciousness merges with the universal conscious- ness and the Existential energy flows through seamlessly. Intelligence then becomes infinite and this is what is called enlightenment or samadhi or inner bliss or whatever you may call it.

Intelligence, Consciousness and Energy become one and the same in this ultimate state of Existence.

- Nithyananda

EEG Electroencephalogram

QEEG Quantitative (or Quantified) Electroencephalogram

a.k.a., brain-mapping or topographic EEG analysis, it is computer-based processing of EEG data obtained from electrodes attached to the scalp

Advantages of QEEG More objective assessment of EEG alterations is possible, which can be interpreted more easily by those who are not specifically trained in reading conventional data. Uninterrupted monitoring of instantaneous information about the changes in neurophysiological function is pos-sible. Attributes of brain function that cannot be seen in the raw EEG signal may be observed.

Application of QEEG Researchers have demonstrated that specific deficits were related to left and right hemispheric dysfunction as measured by electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis.

Quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) and topographical brain mapping have been suc-cessful in demonstrating localization and verification in studies concerning right and left cere-bral hemispheric dysfunction.

The strength of QEEG as a measurement tool is established when utilizing an ideographic basis to make within-patient comparisons across homotypic brain regions (e.g., left frontal leads F1, F3, and F7, with right frontal leads F2, F4, and F8.

The QEEG is an effective and flexible neuropsychological assessment tool.

Types of Analysis ❖ Interhemispheric comparison (left versus right hemisphere sites) ❖ Within-subject statistical approach (patient serves as own control) ❖ Comparison of patient to normative database ❖ Comparison of specific sites (i.e., F8 & T4) based on current brain-behavior relationship theories

EEG Bandwidths The EEG (electroencephalograph) measures brainwaves of different frequencies within the brain. Electrodes are placed on specific sites on the scalp to detect and record the electrical impulses within the brain.

Frequency is the number of times a wave repeats itself within a second. It can be compared to the frequen-cies that you tune into on your radio. If any of these frequencies are deficient, excessive, or difficult to access, mental performance can suffer.

Amplitude represents the power of electrical impulses generated by brain. Bandwidths 2

The raw EEG has usually been described in terms of five frequency bands: DELTA (less than 4 Hz), THETA (4-8 Hz), ALPHA (8-13 Hz) and BETA (13-20 Hz).

Delta (<4 Hz) The lowest frequencies are delta. These are less than 4 Hz and occur in deep sleep and in some abnormal processes. It is the dominant rhythm in infants up to one year of age and it is present in stages 3 and 4 of sleep. It tends to be the highest in amplitude and the slowest waves.

Peak performers decrease Delta waves when high focus and peak performance are required. However, many individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder increase rather than decrease Delta activity when trying to focus. The inappropriate Delta response often severely restricts the ability to focus and maintain attention.

Subjective feeling states: Deep, dreamless (non-REM) sleep, trance, unconscious

Associated tasks & behaviors: Lethargic, not moving, not attentive

Effects of training: Increasing delta can induce drowsiness, trance, deeply relaxed states. Decreasing delta is asso-ciated with increased alertness.

Theta (4-8 Hz) Theta activity is classed as "slow" activity. Theta brainwaves occur at two levels. The lower range of theta (4-6 Hz) represents the twilight zone between waking and sleep. It is a pro-foundly calm, serene state. In this range, conscious intellectual activity is not occurring. The higher range of theta (6-8 Hz), when it is frontal-midline, signifies that the brain is engaged in complex, focused problem solving, such as mental arithmetic. It is also seen in connection with creativity and daydreaming. Theta waves are strong during internal focus or meditation.

It is abnormal to see widespread theta in awake, alert adults, but it is normally seen in children up to 13 years old. When the theta rhythm appears to function normally it mediates and/or promotes adaptive, complex behaviors such as learning and memory.

Subjective feeling states: Creative, recall, fantasy, imagery, drowsy.

Associated tasks & behaviors: Creative, intuitive; but may also be distracted, unfocused.

Effects of Training: If enhanced, can induce drifting, trance-like state. If suppressed, can improve concentration, ability to focus attention

Alpha (8-12 Hz) Alpha waves tend to peak around 10Hz. Healthy alpha production promotes mental resource-fulness, aids in the ability to mentally coordinate, and enhances overall sense of relaxation. In this state you can move quickly and efficiently to accomplish whatever task is at hand. When Alpha predominates most people feel at ease and calm. Alpha waves represent the stage when the brain is shifting into idling gear, relaxed and disengaged, waiting to respond when needed. It is considered to be "potential" activity of cortical areas.

It is the major rhythm seen in normal relaxed adults - it is present during most of life especially beyond the thirteenth year when it dominates the resting tracing.

Alpha is a common state for the brain and occurs whenever a person is alert, but not actively processing information. You can increase alpha by closing your eyes or deep breathing or decrease alpha by thinking or calculating.

Alpha-Theta training can create an increase in sensation and abstract thinking.

Subjective feeling states: Relaxed, not agitated, not drowsy, tranquil.

Associated tasks & behaviors: Meditation, no action

Effects of Training: Can produce relaxation, inner-awareness of self, mind/body integration, balance, centering.

Beta (12-35 Hz) Activity is 'fast' activity. It is low amplitude, high frequency activity associated with a state of mental, intellectual, focused attention or concentration. It is an active processing state. It is usually seen in symmetrical distribution and is most evident frontally. It may be absent or reduced in areas of cortical damage.

It is generally regarded as a normal rhythm and is the dominant rhythm in those who are alert or anxious or who have their eyes open. However, high beta during relaxed states often signifies difficulties with excessive anxiety or obsessions.

It is the state that most of brain is in when we have our eyes open and are listening and thinking during analytical problem solving, judgment, decision making, processing information about the world around us.

Specialized meditation programs are designed and offered continuously worldwide to benefit mil-lions of people at the levels of body, mind and spirit. Some of the meditation programs currently offered are:

Ananda Spurana Program (ASP) / Life Bliss Program (LBP) • Energize yourself!

The ASP or LBP is a chakra meditation camp. It introduces us to the 7 vital energy centers in our body called the chakras, whose functioning has a direct bearing upon our physical and mental well-being. It explains the direct relationship between our emotions and these energy centers and offers simple meditation techniques for effective handling of our own emotions, better clarity and a positive mental setup, better inter-personal relationships, renewed and inspired attitude towards work, and a blissful life.

There is a similar such program designed for students, referred to as the student ASP or student LBP.

Nithyananda Spurana Program (NSP)

• Death demystified!

Death is the mystery of all mysteries. Our idea and fear of death pervades every moment of our lives and creates conflicting emotions in us. We simply miss out on the art of real living because of this.

This program clearly explains what happens at the time of death. It draws the relation between our created emotions of desire, fear, guilt, pain and pleasure with the seven energy bodies in us. It explains how each of these emotions arises from one of these seven bodies and how they work upon the departing soul as it crosses each of them. It brings to surface all our conscious and unconscious emotions that have been accumulated over the past lives, so we may be free from their clutches. It is like a complete spiritual bath to be reborn, equipped with the technique to live and leave joyously with astounding awareness to replace deep ignorance.

Atma Spurana Program (ATSP)

Man is an integral part of Existence. When he realizes this experientially, he is enlightened. This meditation program describes the five body sheaths called koshas that stand in the way of man realising this truth. It offers techniques that pull our awareness through these sheaths to reach the Self.

Bhakti Spurana Program (BSP)

Over passing years, the mind has taken over the being. Humanity has fallen victim to the futil-ity of the intellect. The emotional being suffers as a result of this.

Bhakti or devotion is the language of the being. It is supreme love towards Existence or God. It frees us from base emotions, bringing equanimity of the mind and deep fulfillment. It fulfills all our wants and takes us beyond them. The Bhakti Spurana Program unfolds the path of bhakti to the modern man. It steers us from intellect to the being, from mundane worship to sheer inti-macy - with the Divine.

Nithyanandam • Enlightenment intensive...

This is an intense meditation camp - a unique and first ever offering of the technology of Bliss or Nithyanandam. All keys to the ‘Experience of Enlightenment’, are handed over in totality by the Master himself. This is an opportunity to go beyond body and mind and experience pure Consciousness.

Dhyana Spurana Program (DSP) • Mind is a myth; realize and liberate!

Our mind is nothing but a collection of our thoughts. By nature, our thoughts are unconnected, independent and illogical. But we try to connect all these thoughts and create suffering for ourselves. The moment we realize that our thoughts are unconnected and independent, we drop our mind and become un-clutched. The moment we drop our mind, we are liberated.

The Dhyana Spurana Program is a meditation program that helps us drop our mind and remain centered in pure Consciousness. Arogya Spurana Therapy Program • Be healthy!

Arogya or Good Health is not just an absence of disease, it is a positive well-being ness.

The Arogya Spurana Therapy program is an intense meditation camp on the integrated science of body, mind and spirit. It is an opportunity to understand that our body is not just a bio-mechanism but one that has its roots in deep Consciousness and Intelligence.

It is a health and healing program that takes you through meditation and healing to heal specific ailments, besides creating a new mental setup attuned towards a positive wellbeingness.

Nithya Spiritual Healing initiation (for Nithya Spiritual healing) • become a healer!

The Nithya Spiritual healing initiation is a scientific process by which you are initiated in the Ananda Gandha chakra to become a channel for the Divine Energy to flow through you to heal others. It works on the principle that Energy is Intelligence. The uniqueness of this is that, it not only heals the patient but also helps in your own spiritual growth. Outwardly it is Healing and inwardly it is Meditation.

Ananda Yogam

Ananda Yogam is a free one-year residential program for youth between 18 and 30 years of age. With its roots in the Eastern system of Mysticism and Vedic learning, this program is to em-power the modern youth with

❖ Vocational skills ❖ Success Formulae and deeper Truths for Life ❖ Healing, meditation and yoga for overall well-being ❖ The capacity to actualize one's entire potential ❖ Creative intelligence and spontaneity

This program creates a clear and sound mental makeup in every individual. It unleashes the un-tapped and infinite capacity within, to excel in the outer world while remaining centered within. It instills in one, the essence of the ancient Vedic principles and the modern system of Logic. It creates individuals with a capacity to be economically and spiritually stable.

Above all, this is a lifetime opportunity to live and learn under the tutelage of an enlightened Master.

ANANDA GALLERIA (Divine Shop) The Ananda Galleria offers a wide range of books in English, Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati, Telugu, Hindi, Portuguese, French and other languages, compiled from Nithyananda's discourses worldwide. Also available are Nithyananda's discourses in cassettes, Audio CDs and Video CDs. In addition are available a host of items like photographs of the Master, shawls, chanting boxes, malas, chain dollars, photograph of His eyes, T-shirts and so on.

SUGGESTED READING

Guaranteed Solutions This book provides a clear understanding of our base emotions like sex, fear, worry, attention-need, jealousy, ego and discontentment. It offers understanding that can transform these base energies to higher spiritual energy so that we may discover the higher dimensions of our Being. It is a revela-tion that can steer our life towards totality and fulfillment at the physical, mental and spiritual levels.

Bliss is the path and Goal This book is a compilation of Nithyananda's discourses covering a range of subjects, from How the Mind Works to How we abuse our bodies, from the topic of Surrender to that of coping with the duality of material and spiritual life. It answers many questions giving an updated understanding, kindling our inner intelligence, and tuning us to inner awareness. It is a handbook to guide us through the workings of the mind, body and being so that we may live our life in bliss.

Love is your very Life (Bhagavad Gita chapter 12)

Q: Master, Krishna says, ‘my devotee never perishes.’ But if everything is God, what perishes really? Krishna makes it sound like his devotee does not perish and the rest do. Please explain and remove my doubt.

A: Understand, the moment you realize that you do not perish, you become a devotee of Krishna. There are no categories like Krishna’s devotees and others, or that Krishna’s devotees will not perish while others will. Whoever understands that he will not perish becomes Krishna’s devotee automati-cally. The moment you understand this concept, you become his bhakta, his devotee. So be very clear, if you understand that everything is God, then nothing perishes.

Nithyananda talks on the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, traditionally called Yoga of Devotion. He gives it the title, ‘Love is your very Life’ and explains how unconditional love to one another is the way to reach God.

In this book, Nithyananda talks on the science and art of meditation. He says, ‘You don’t have to learn meditation. You are already a meditator! Just remember any moment in your life when you have experienced extreme beauty. The sun rising suddenly from behind a mountain. Or the first time you hear an inexpressibly lovely piece of music. At such a moment, suddenly, you become still, wordless, totally aware. Haven’t we all experienced such moments? That moment is meditation...’

Uncommon answers to common questions

This book is a distillation of Nithyananda’s words on topics ranging from the universal quest for happiness, to the reasons for failing relationships, to the true relevance of spirituality in our time. This compilation of talks, delivered in Nithyananda’s deceptively simple style, not only reflects our indi-vidual hopes and struggles, but also points to the forces that are shaping global communities today.

For all further details and to purchase any of the above items, please visit www.nithyananda.org.

USA

India

This book compilation of astounding research observations recorded on the neurological and cardiac system of Nithyananda. The researches recorded here are by doctors and scientists who are experts in their fields. Studies of records indicate the potential for altering the rates had progression of many disease like heart ailments, cancer, arthritis, alcoholism etc. Above all, scientists are compelled to declare that there continues to be indications that the human mind can choose to heal the human body.

928 Huntington Drive, Duarte, CA 91010, U.S.A. Telephone Number : 1-626-205-3286

India Ashram: Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam Nithyanandapuri, Kallugopahalli, Off Mysore Road, Bidadi - 562 109, Bangalore District, Karnataka. Ashram : +91-80- 65591844 Fax: +91-80-7288207 E-mail: [email protected] URL: www.nithyananda.org