Summary🔗

The SPH Himself has been the subject of scientific studies since 2004, and over the past decade, an enormous amount of data about not only His altered state of neurophysiology, but that of His disciples as well, has continued to be recorded. This impressive array of data will be presented systematically in this chapter, as well as in the chapters to follow.

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 phenomenon 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.

When Swami passed through Oklahoma City recently as one stop in his world travels, I asked him if he would let me use some of modern medicine’s newest technology to peer into his brain while he meditated. My goal: to understand, measure and demystify what happens during the mystic phenomena. Swami, who believes that meditation has a scientific basis, happily agreed. 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, pattens 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.

The images from the PET SCAN are given in the book “Mystic Phenomena, Scientific Data” attached in the Appendix.

Pursuing his conviction that kundalini activation can be physically measured, the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam undertook the medical surveillance of participants in his breakthrough residential three-week yoga spiritual program, Inner Awakening®. Attendees were tested in relation to a variety of parameters upon arrival at the retreat. The same tests were repeated just before their departure. The results of the study were astonishing, demonstrating that Kundalini activation erases a host of chronic illnesses, mental and emotional blocks, and behavioral problems. It has a measurable effect on cell structure, creating a positive shift in genetic function and raising personal energy levels by an amazing 967%.

Inner Awakening® is a unique life-transforming 21-day spiritual program centered on awakening the highest inner potential energy within the participants: the Kundalini energy. While the authentic morning yoga sessions prepare the body to hold and express the powerful Kundalini energy, the SPH personally guides the participants through deep cleansing

meditation processes, aided by the natural high energy available at some of the world's most powerful Cosmic energy fields like Varanasi, Cambodia, etc. Each day culminates with an initiation from the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam, during which he awakens the Kundalini energy. With this transmission, He also awakens the various previously dormant dimensions within each individual that express themselves as completion, creativity, and mystic powers. Kundalini Awakening works on all the essential dimensions of life, effecting deep and lasting healing at the physical, mental, and emotional levels. This is experienced variously as peace, productivity, and awareness. With the initiation into the Science of Completion℠, participants learn to rewrite their future with peak possibility.

Since the first Inner Awakening® program happened in 2008, many of the seekers who came from around the world seeking spiritual solace reported amazing health recoveries as one of the main benefits of attending the program. This discovery, in addition to increased energy levels, set the stage for scientific research to validate these observations. The study was structured to quantify the changes and statistically evaluate their benefits. The intent is to determine the physiology behind these changes through appropriate scientific studies so that more in-depth examination can be done in future programs by external researchers. We would like to share the health benefits experienced by the participants in recent days. These results are based on pre-and post-program questionnaires answered by the participants.

The Study

1. Physical and physiological parameters

2. MTT assay

3. Genetic studies

4. qEEG studies

5. Materialization studies

Physical and Physiological parameters

The following physical and physiological parameters were evaluated on Day 0 and Day 18 of the Inner Awakening® program:

Study Design: An evaluation to study the effectiveness of the intervention on Anthropometry Parameters and Clinical Variables.

Statistical Methods: Descriptive statistical analysis has been carried out in the present study. Results on continuous measurements are presented on Mean SD (Min-Max) and results on categorical measurements are presented in Number (%). Significance is assessed at a 5% level of significance. The student’s t-test (two-tailed, dependent) has been used to find the significance of study parameters on the continuous scale within each group. 95%

Table: Gender Distribution of Participants Studied

Table: Effects on Clinical Variables

Results are presented in Mean ± SD

Confidence Interval has been computed to find the significant features. Confidence Interval with a lower limit greater than 50% is associated with statistical significance.

Table: Incidence of pre-existing complications

Objective: To investigate the significance of the difference between single population means. No assumption is made about the population variances and di is the difference formed for each pair of observations.

Statistical software: The Statistical software namely SAS 9.2, SPSS 15.0, Stata 10.1, MedCalc 9.0.1, Systat 12.0, and R environment version 2.11.1 were used for the analysis of the data and Microsoft Word and Excel have been used to generate graphs, tables, etc.

The results are further validated by ongoing research done on subsequent batches of Inner Awakening® participants. A summary of the findings has been included here.

The Science of Mitochondrial Function

The human body is essentially an assembly of 50 trillion individual cells living in unison, working towards a common goal. Each cell is by itself a complete living entity with its own processes for sustenance of life, reproduction, and so on. Most of the components of the cells are common to all, fulfilling basic common needs, yet each has its own specialized departmental work, be it secreting hormones, enzymes, and so on. All these cells are powered by a single battery within the cell called the mitochondrion.

The mitochondrion is an interesting structure, only 1 micron in length, situated outside the nucleus in the cytoplasm of the cell. Mitochondria are the cell's power producers. They convert energy into forms that are usable by the cell. They are the sites of cellular respiration which ultimately generate fuel for the cell's activities. Their function is to optimize the utilization of energy-producing substances like glucose, and to produce ATP which is the energy molecule of the cell. Without mitochondria, the cell can produce only 2 ATPs per glucose molecule. The mitochondrion, on the other hand, can produce 32 ATPs per molecule of glucose, which is a 1700% increase in efficiency. Mitochondria are also involved in other cell processes such as cell division and growth, as well as cell death.

Mitochondria have their own set of DNA, which allows them to function independently. Unlike the DNA in the nucleus of the cell, which is covered by a protective layer of histones, the mitochondrial DNA is naked and thus exposed to increased possibilities of damage. As it is, the repair mechanism of the mitochondrial DNA is not as efficient as that of nuclear DNA. As we age, significant errors creep into the mitochondrial DNA, that go unrepaired or insufficiently repaired. This leads to malfunction in the electron transfer chain of the mitochondria. Instead of producing pure energy in the form of ATP, a non-productive oxygen species called reactive oxygen species (ROS) is produced. This ROS damages cellular structures including the exposed mitochondrial DNA, leading to a vicious cycle of dysfunction and aging, which in turn leads to cell death.

Mitochondrial Assay—The Study

a. 10 random blood samples from Inner Awakening® participants above 50 years of age as study group

b. Blood samples were taken on Day 0 and Day 18

c. Labelling was double-blinded and sent to the laboratory for MTT assay

d. All participants received the powerful ‘energy darshan’ (shaktipata) from the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashiva every day, in addition to participating in yoga, meditation, and cathartic processes.

ROS mediated cell damage

Since the etiology of many diseases is currently being quoted as related to free-radical mediated damage, mitochondria seemed to be the right subject for study and that is where we started. Genetics also plays a major role in the etio-pathogenesis of diseases. Genetic studies were carried out on participants who had significant health recoveries. QEEG studies were also done to study the effect on brain waves.

Laboratory Analysis

The MTT assays were performed at the Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology, Mangalore University.

All results including the physical, physiological measurements and the MTT assay were statistically evaluated by professional biostatistician Dr. K. P. Suresh, Scientist (Bio-Statistics), National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bangalore.

Material and Methods

This colorimetric assay is dependent on the ability of viable cells to metabolize a water-soluble tetrazolium salt (yellow color) into a water-insoluble formazan product (purple color). It measures the activity of cellular respiratory enzymes that reduce MTT. Since only viable cells perform this activity, the assay is used to measure the viability and proliferation of cells.

Procedure: Isolation of Mononuclear Cells (MNC)

Human Mononuclear cells can be separated from heparinized blood samples or the buffy coat of centrifuged blood samples with sodium citrate as an anticoagulant after removal of the erythrocytes and the plasma. The residual fraction (25–40 ml) contains more than 90% of the leukocytes, 10% of the erythrocytes, and 5% of the plasma.

1. Dilute buffy coats 1:4 (v/v) or heparinized blood samples 1:2 (v/v) with Dulbecco’s Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) without Ca2+ and Mg2+.

2. To a 10 ml centrifuge tube add 2 ml of defibrinated or anticoagulant treated blood and an equal volume of balanced salt solution (final volume 4 ml).

3. Mix the blood and buffer by inverting the tube several times or by drawing the mixture in and out of a pipette.

Procedure for Isolation of Mononuclear Cells

1. Invert the Ficoll-Paque media bottle several times to ensure thorough mixing.

2. Using aseptic techniques, add Ficoll-Paque media (3 ml) to the centrifuge tube.

3. Carefully layer the diluted blood sample (4 ml) onto the Ficoll-Paque media solution.

4. Centrifuge at 400 g for 30 to 40 minutes at 18ºC to 20°C (brake should be turned off).

5. Draw off the upper layer containing plasma and platelets using a sterile pipette, leaving the mononuclear cell layer undisturbed at the interface.

6. Transfer the layer of mononuclear cells to a sterile centrifuge tube using a sterile pipette.

Washing the Cell Isolate

1. Estimate the volume of the transferred mononuclear cells. Add at least 3 volumes (~ 6 ml) of balanced salt solution to the mononuclear cells in the centrifuge tube.

2. Suspend the cells by gently drawing them in and out of a pipette.

3. Centrifuge at 400 to 500 × g for 10 to 15 minutes at 18°C to 20°C

A Micro-titer Plate after MTT Assay Tetrazolium salts are converted by metabolically active cells to formazan, which can be quantified by measuring absorbance at 570 nm

4. Remove the supernatant.

5. Re-suspend the mononuclear cells in a 6 to 8 ml balanced salt solution.

6. Centrifuge at 400 to 500 × g (or 60 to 100 × g for removal of platelets) for 10 min at 18°C to 20°C

7. Remove the supernatant.

8. For cell counts, dilute first 1:10 in supplemented RPMI -1640, and then 1:2 with 0.1% trypan blue solution, and count the cells with a Hemocytometer.

MTT Assay – Steps

1. Remove the culture medium from cell monolayers cultured in 96-well plates.

2. Reconstitute each well with 0.2 mL supplemented RPMI-1640 containing 1 mg/mL MTT.

3. Incubate the cultures for 2–4 hours at 37°C.

4. Remove the supernatants from the wells.

5. Add 0.2 mL per well of a lysing reagent containing 0.04 N HCl in isopropanol.

6. Mix the content of the wells thoroughly.

7. Read the plates in an automated microplate spectrophotometer at 570 and 630 nm as reference.

Statistical Analysis

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference in the mean value between the two groups, i.e. μ1 = μ2

Alternate Hypothesis: There is a significant difference in the mean value between the two groups, i.e. μ1 ≠ μ2

Level of Significance: α = 0.05

Statistical test used: t test

Decision: The p-value and the level of significance are compared. If p < 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternate hypothesis is accepted. If p ≥ 0.05, the null hypothesis is accepted.

Computations: The tables below give us the various computations and the p-value.

Comparison of the change in MTT Assay at Day 0 and Day 20 in study group:

Denotes significant difference

In the study group, there was an increase in mean MTT Assay from Day 0 to Day 20. The increase in MTT Assay from Day 0 to Day 20 in the Study Group was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Summary

Conclusion

Mossman, T. (1983). Rapid colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival. Journal of Immunological Methods, 65 (1-2), 55-63.

Sieuweters, A. M., Klijn, J. G., Peters, H. A., & Foekens, J. A. (1995; Nov. 33). MTT tetrazolium salt assay scrutinized. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem, 11, 813-823.

Darzynkiewicz, Z., Li, X., & Gong, J. (1994). Assays of cell viability: discrimination of cells dying by apoptosis, Methods in Cell Biology, 41, 15-38

DNA is an essential molecule found in all human cells, which controls the body's growth, structure, metabolism, and immune functions. It carries the genetic information passed on from generation to generation.

Human beings have about 25,000 genes, of which only 5% are actively expressed and functional. Differential gene expression studies conducted on Inner Awakening® participants before and after the program registered the spontaneous expression of new genes—a phenomenon that is impossible to reproduce through any other known means.

Findings:

a. Greatly increased immune modulation

b. Increased immunity to cancer

c. Clinical improvement in rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain conditions

d. Significant recovery from asthma

e. Significant improvements in memory

A series of QEEG studies were also conducted on participants who had Kundalini awakening to study the effects of Kundalini Awakening on electrical activity in the brain.

The same studies were also conducted on a control group. These included:

1. Short-term effects observed at the moment of initiation by the SPH.

2. Long-term effects measured through post-activation assessment of various mental and cognitive functions.

Findings:

1. At the moment of initiation, certain instantaneous changes were recorded in all participants who had active Kundalini awakening, including:

a. sharper focusing abilities

b. higher alertness levels

c. extremely rapid multi-processing

d. better short-term memory

Significantly, the brain waves of subjects during the activation showed a high incidence of delta waves, indicating that they were in a state of deep relaxation comparable to sleep. In Vedic science, this state of intense restful awareness is known as Samadhi.

Post-activation assessment conclusively showed:

a. Better problem-solving abilities

b. More effective decision-making

c. Enhanced interpersonal relations

d. Warm and positive personality trends

During eyes closed baseline rest, the theta rhythm (4-8 Hz) dominates the spectral energies of a child’s brain whereas the alpha rhythm (8-12 Hz) dominates the adult brain.

Statistics for 9: Eyes Open (1 segments/Total: 6)

Statistics for 10: Eyes Closed (1 segments/Total: 6)

Statistics for 19: activation (3 segments/Total: 6)

Statistics for 20: transportation (1 segments/Total: 6)

Materialization is the creation of matter from energy. In the only known instance of materialization on our planet today, a vast range of objects were materialized by the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam, channeled through the bodies of receptive individuals. Materials ranging from vibhuti (sacred ash) and kumkum (holy vermilion) to solid objects like diamond, pearl, solidified mercury, etc. were produced through devotees who were either physically present or communicating with the SPH through videoconferencing.

Laboratory investigations and findings are displayed in the following section, where the phenomenon of materialization is examined in detail.

1) Whole-body baseline CT scan of the subject Baseline whole-body CT scans proved the absence of any hidden objects in the body and vicinity of the subject.

After the energy transfer from the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam to the subject, a repeat scan clearly shows the sudden appearance of a radio-opaque foreign body in the oral cavity without any delay or repositioning.

The recording of the spiral CT after materialization revealed the presence of materialized objects both in sections and 3D format.

2) Simultaneous qEEG of the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam and the subject

The qEEG recording of both the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam and the subject done during the process of energy transfer clearly showed ‘Entrainment’ (Synchronicity) in the brain waves of both individuals during the process of materialization, proving that a process of attunement was indeed taking place at the time.

Medical Report of whole-body CT scan proving foreign body in the oral cavity of Ms. Poornima Ganesh (Ma Nithya Mahayogananda)

Scan (top left) taken a few minutes earlier clearly shows the absence of any such object in the oral cavity. Scan (top right) showing the sudden appearance of the foreign body (green colored tone) in the oral cavity of the individual. Laboratory investigation (bottom) in progress with CT scan of the SPH’s energy channel and simultaneous qEEG (brainwave) studies of the SPH Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam and the channel to demonstrate entrainment.

Sammyama happens when your ability to feel, think & be – all three are centered on one subject. To be completely effective, sammyama needs three components – the presence of an Avatar who initiates one into the sammyama, the technique itself, and the Sangha or group of practitioners experimenting with the technique. The right ambiance creates a powerful energy field where beginners can simply pick up the positive bio-memory of those who are already trained in that sammyama.

Initiation or Deeksha is a technique of transferring bio-energy directly from the Master to the practitioner. This involves both the quantum concept of entanglement as well as a direct or classical transmission of energy, which results in changes at the levels of bio-memory (gene and gene Expression), cellular energy (mitochondria), and several other changes at the molecular level.

Shitkari Kumbhaka described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Yogi Svatmarama

One should always inhale through the mouth, retain and exhale through the nose. With this practice, one becomes a cupid. He is regarded adorable by all the yoginis and does not suffer from hunger, thirst, sleep, and drowsiness.

As per the Trisikhibrahmanopanisad, the height of the human body is 96 digits length with the vital breath or Prana longer than the body by 12 digit lengths.

In the middle of the body is the Sikhi or the fire situated just at the level of the nabhi (navel) and is called the Nadi Chakra.

The regulation of the vital life-energy, Prana and Apana happens at the level of the Nabhikanda, i.e. region originating from the navel.

Unlike traditional pranayamas, which are used to raise the Kundalini (the potential energy) up from Muladhara Chakra to Sahasrara (from the base of the spine to top of the head) and therefore, the in-breath and out-breath flow from the nose or occasionally the mouth, in Nirahara sammyama, the in-breath is through the mouth. This allows part of the prana (the life-energy) to enter the traditional route and the other part to directly enter the belly to activate the nadi chakra. This increases the redistribution of prana into the samana system, thus providing energy in lieu of gross food. The Kumbhaka or breath retention after filling the lungs with breath, allows time for the energy to be distributed from the Nadi chakra into the various abdominal organs, thus energizing and purifying them.

The exhalation through the nose allows for Prana to move through the Ida and Pingala, and enter the Susumna activating or resetting the hypothalamus to control hunger, thirst, sleep, and drowsiness. increases the sensitivity of the body to realign itself at both macro and micronutrient levels

Vitamin D

Vitamin D levels rose 100% in all participants. High levels of Vitamin D lead to reversal of aging, heightened immune function, and promotion of calcium absorption. This reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Implication

Normally vitamin D is either acquired from food sources like milk and meat or from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D3 increase following direct exposure to the sun is usually estimated in relation to the number of sun hours of exposure.

Though the Nirahara Sammyama participants were largely indoors, the availability of indirect sunlight including UV light during the day cannot be discounted. Considering the very significant increase in the Vitamin D3 levels in just 3 weeks, the likely mechanism is a heightened sensitivity of the skin to manufacture Vitamin D3 even at minimum sunlight exposure.

Hemoglobin The hemoglobin of male and female participants combined rose 70%. Hemoglobin is essential in producing red blood cells which carry oxygen and provides us with vital energy.

no. of days

Compiled Results

For the first time in history, using the combination of modern science and yogic science, it has been unequivocally demonstrated that a liquid vegetarian diet in combination with yogic techniques not only maintains good health but enhances various parameters of wellbeing.