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Perspective  
Nature of Human Thought – 2

Thought as a Synchronized Geometric Structure

We can call thought as a dissipative structure or an “attractor”. It is produced by the firing of a large number of neurons. How does such firing produce a structure called thought? Emerging science of synchronization might help to explain it. This field emerged when it became possible to explain successfully how a very large number of fireflies start glowing in a synchronous manner in a short time after their random initial firing. Thus synchronization of fireflies firing, heart cells beating (pace maker) etc. are all outcome of a spontaneous order by which a large number of similar objects or oscillators work or fire. These oscillators spontaneously synchronize since they are influenced by each other via a positive feedback-type mechanism. The positive feedback allows the oscillators to adjust their phases so that they synchronize. This type of synchronization can explain the emergence of a geometric structure called thought when a large number of neurons fire from a certain portion of the brain. As one thought emerges and subsides down (if not enough energy is provided to it), it is replaced by another thought emerging from another part of the brain and in this way the brain chatter
takes place!

The emergence of thought is a function of signals from sense organs or stimulation of certain memory space in the brain. However, an entity called ‘I’ (ego, will, sense of identity, etc.) acts like a symphony director and helps provide the necessary energy to maintain a given thought for a longer time. Besides it also provides coherence to random thoughts emanating from different parts of the brain. We still do not understand how ‘I’ can influence this process, but just like the conductor who determines which part of the orchestra plays for how long, ‘I’ decides how long a particular thought will remain in the “vision” field. This process seems to also exist in most animals. It is called concentration. With practice concentration becomes stronger till a person can make nearly all the 100 billion neurons fire in a laser-like fashion for a long time on a single thought. The ability to concentrate and to keep a single thought on a subject in the "vision" field for a long time is unique to human beings because of our huge brain size and is also governed by the will of a person. Yogis claim that will power is increased by continence. Recent scientific evidence suggests that the brain is full of sexual chemicals and their increased concentration helps in memory enhancement. The desire to save these chemicals could be the basis of celibacy preached in almost all religions.

Once the mind cultivates the habit of focusing on a particular thought for a long time, then the neural pathways for other thoughts sublimate and regroup to provide energy for this single thought. Because of the formation of new neural pathways, it is quite possible that earlier memory (Patanjali calls it Sanskar) can be dissolved and new memories can be formed. Patanjali alludes to this concept in his book. Recent scientific evidence also suggests that the adult human brain is pliable and capable of creating new neural pathways and connections. Removal of past memory by Yoga is a mechanism for liberation and a central theme in Patanjali Yoga Darshan.

The deep thought has produced the greatest discoveries of this planet. Einstein’s relativity theory, Newton’s gravitation theory and the truth revelations of Yogis and great spiritual leaders have all come because of deep thought. It is a common utterance among scientists and lay persons that one particular person thought so deeply about a particular problem that Nature revealed her secrets to him. This Sanyam done on any particular idea or object leads to its complete knowledge or mastery over it and ultimately to Samadhi.

Deep thought also brings great joy and happiness to a person. The exhilaration that one feels in getting deep knowledge, creating new inventions or discoveries, is beyond any other experience obtained through human endeavor. Deep thought may help stimulate the pituitary gland and produce a sense of happiness. Our brains are somehow wired in such a way that we get a sense of well being when in deep thought. Maybe a union with the truth, super consciousness or God via deep thought is inbuilt in our system. Hence to understand how deep thought is produced and its attributes can help mankind progress towards fulfillment and happiness.

It is quite possible that the firing of 100 billion neurons in a synchronized and laser-like
fashion to produce a single thought and keep it in the "vision field" for a long time produces a stable structure in a higher dimensional space-time fabric. We still do not know the nature of this space, but can at least conjecture on a general picture of what its attributes are.

Nature of Higher Dimensional Space

Our world that we see and feel is four-dimensional (three dimensions of space and one of time). However, theoretical physicists have recently suggested that there could be 10 dimensions of space and one of time to make our universe 11-dimensional. These extra seven dimensions are invoked by cosmologists and physicists in order to relate electromagnetic, nuclear and other forces with the all-pervasive gravity field. Unfortunately we cannot see these higher dimensions but at best can conceptualize them through higher mathematics. Interestingly our present universe has only 4% ordinary matter. The rest 96 % consists of "dark matter" and "dark energy" which we cannot see and know very little about. It is quite possible that this energy and matter may exist in higher dimensional space. An interesting aspect of higher dimensional reality is that a being residing in it will be able to predict events of our four dimensional world since he/she will have a “better view”. Some yogis get this power through Sanyam.

Since Universal Consciousness is even more ancient and pervasive than gravity, it is quite possible that our universe may be multi-dimensional and substantial part of it exists in higher dimensions. It is also possible that the four-dimensional space-time continuum, which we can visualize and feel, could be a “crystallization” or “shadow” of multi- dimensional reality. In Bhagwad Gita Lord Krishna showed Arjun the “Virat” form (Virat means huge) or the birth of cosmos. The description of “Virat” form is very similar to that of destruction of matter by a black hole! However for Arjun to see this form Lord Krishna gave him a divine vision since with the existing vision it was not possible to show him the multi-dimensional reality. Maybe for us also it might not be possible to see the higher dimensions till we remain in the present four-dimensional world.

The four-dimensional space-time continuum is slightly flexible and thus it can be bent by massive bodies. The bending of this continuum results in deflection of light when it passes near these bodies. Einstein predicted this bending of light in his famous paper on General Theory of Relativity published in 1915. This prediction was confirmed experimentally in 1919 by the British physicist Arthur Eddington when he showed that the light from a distant star bent as it passed the sun during the total solar eclipse. As the space dimensions increase and become greater than three, it is possible that the rigidity of space also increases and it is this rigidity that we are interested in looking at for our deep thought.

One aspect of this rigid space is that the loss of information from a signal is very little. In the existing four-dimensional space-time world the attenuation of signal is via 1/d² law i.e. the signal strength reduces from the source by inverse of distance squared. As the space dimensions increase and the space gets rigid the signal attenuation may follow the path as shown in Fig. 2 below. With increasing rigidity the velocity of signal also increases and in higher dimensions it could be many times the velocity of light.

Since the signal loss is reduced drastically in higher dimensions, it is possible that this space may contain structures or memories, which are very stable, and thus an information or knowledge structure will remain there forever. I think a deep thought structure, which is geometric in nature, occupies this space. This knowledge space (KS) contains fundamental knowledge produced in the past and is continuously fed by the ever-increasing knowledge from various civilizations. A prepared and focused human mind can access knowledge from this space and I feel that great discoveries of mankind have come from such access. It is also possible that as earth moves around the sun and the solar system revolves around the center of the Milky Way galaxy, periodically we come across KS, which helps the mankind to evolve. Similarly a younger civilization than ours may come across KS developed by us and thus the evolution continues.

The movement of earth and the sun around the Milky Way galaxy is time-dependent (it takes about 226 million years for the solar system to make one round of the Milky Way galaxy) and so is earth's encounter with KS. Thus our discoveries are time-dependent and not person-dependent. Any prepared mind encountering the KS at a particular time can get that knowledge. There are many instances in the history of mankind when quite a number of people had similar ideas and thoughts at about the same time. Prepared minds encountering KS react in the same manner. Interestingly this also raises the possibility that there may be knowledge cycles, since the movement of earth in space is cyclic. We are not sure what may be the period of such cycles, but in ancient texts there are references that it may be anywhere from few hundred to tens of thousands of years. Periodic appearance of great souls on this planet earth may be an outcome of these cycles.

The transformation of one space-dimension to another can take place via a “thought engine”. This is similar to a reversible heat-engine, where energy flows from higher temperature (source) to lower temperature (sink) and in doing so the engine produces work. Similarly, in the “thought-engine” when a certain dimensional space transforms into a lower-dimensional space, energy or mass comes out and by application of these energy and mass, a lower-dimensional space can be transformed into a higher-dimensional space. The transformation from one space-dimension to other is via a quantum jump and hence is not a continuous transition. Fig. 3  below, shows a concept of thought engine.

If we take this analogy further, then we can conjecture that at the highest space dimensional transformation, even the time gets sucked in and only space remains. This is a novel concept showing that time can be introduced and removed from the universe and hence the total time in universe is constant. Maybe the final dimension (which we can call ‘G’) is GOD. Probably it is ‘Akash’ (Sanskrit word for space) or the final entity as
discussed by the ancient Indian philosopher Adi Shankaracharya in his famous book
Vivekachudamani. This ‘G’ space has always existed with no past, present or future. Since time is used (sucked in) for transforming lower dimensions into ultimate ‘G’ dimensional space, it is equivalent to energy and since it devolves into ultimate space, it may have geometric properties. Thus it is possible that TIME ↔ ENERGY ↔ SPACE. Since time is the last thing to devolve, it is possible that our present world may have time dimensions. We are not sure what that dimensional space is.

Thought engine also provides a possibility of annihilation and production of matter. This
could be a mechanism by which some Yogis claim to produce material from thin air and could also explain the poltergeist phenomenon! It also opens up a possibility of higher dimensional-based form-templates being transformed into matter and hence creation of completely new designs and inventions. Similarly thought engine also provides a mechanism by which personal consciousness is connected to Universal Consciousness since we can reach space 'G' through deep thought. Thus deep thought, matter, space, time and Universal Consciousness are all related. With this relationship it may be possible to find out how we can get Universal knowledge.

– Continued

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