Chakras And Neurotransmitters?

[Matt]

Edited March 19, 2009 by Matt

[sunshine]

whichever name you call it...

 

I'll probably never understand why it is tried to establish connections to "words" of the western world...

 

 

Harry

[Matt]

Edited March 19, 2009 by Matt

[sunshine]

Harry,

I dont quite understand where you're going with this. Would you mind elaborating on your statement?

 

Do you mean that western words dont accurately describe the processes? Or maybe translation suffers?

 

Maybe it was that you think the use of western concepts is not applicable?

 

What do you mean by "whichever name you call it..."?

 

Call what?

 

Thanks,

 

Morning Matt,

 

I was actually mixing two different things here. "whichever name you call it" refers to two things:

 

1. "what he calls "spiritual centers". I am going to assume that these "centers" are the same as Chakras."

2. "It was later revealed to me that the four centers correspond to the four neurotransmitters, Dopamine, Acetylcholine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine, in that order."

 

In the second case the question is if the "trial" is made to not actually establish only a connection but if the attempt is revealed to possibly replace terminology.

 

My other statement refers to the often for the application of the practice "useless" trials to endlessly look for western explanations for traditional concepts.

 

Why look for corresponding neurotransmitters? [besides: I actually doubt that statement!]

 

It does not help in any way to make the practices better!

 

It would be in no way giving more truth to the "chakra-point-of-view"...

 

I tend to have my troubles if whoever tries to "translate" concepts. It doesn't help but more distorts them...

 

but this is just my point of view...

 

Harry

Edited September 16, 2006 by sunshine

[三江源]

well, whatever you call them. what is 'the association' between them and the dopamine or whatever it's called.

I assume it isnt a housing association.

[Trunk]

.. PETER MUTNICK. He purports that there is an association between neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, and what he calls "spiritual centers". I am going to assume that these "centers" are the same as Chakras.

I'm not familiar with the chemistry, but there are clearly corresponding physical aspects to the spiritual energetic centers. Nerve plexuses and endocrine system, for instance. I'd be surprised is there weren't identifiable chemicals involved.

[Matt]

Edited March 19, 2009 by Matt

[sunshine]

 

Harry,

 

When in Rome...

 

Yep, Matt, it's true:

 

If in Rome they hadn't killed Caesar we'd (probably) face a different world order!

 

Thing is: I do very much enjoy if serious science is used to make old systems of practice/believe understandable.

 

If today the understanding of anatomy is used to explain why certain Yoga exercises produce certain specific effects: fine. If Yoga teachers today say that it is ones nervous system that is the door to higher states of existence: fine.

 

Trying to give physical correlates to Chakras like nerve-plexus or endocrine organs (while sure not doing them justice it at least makes people "understand" that reactions in these areas mustn't be purely illusionary...): fine.

 

But using terminology of an area that isn't even well enough understood by itself (science is far away from completely understanding Neurotransmitters and all mechanisms involved) is just replacing one not so-well understood "concept" by another not-so-well understood area in an attempt to make it sound scientific, which it isn't... and at the end of the day it makes things more obscure and even less valid than before... AND:

 

it DOES NOT help the practice

 

Harry

Edited September 18, 2006 by sunshine