WELLBEING
Neuron nirvana
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`Abraham's quest is for the spiritual neuron, and he very elegantly traces this function to the neurons in the prefrontal lobes of the brain.'
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IT is only fitting that in this 21st Century, when the WHO itself defines health as physical, mental, social and spiritual well being, we have a doctor, and a former president of the Neurological Society of India at that, Dr. Jacob Abraham, come out with a book on the "spiritual neuron". A fine writer, Abraham looks at the complex neurology involved through the eyes of his alter ego Don Quixote (DQ) whose wry sense of humour enables the book to lighten as well as enlighten the reader.
While the concepts of physical and mental health are familiar, ideas of social and spiritual health fox even doctors. In a nutshell, they refer to one's behaviour and the feelings that motivate one's behaviour. Basically, behaviour may be motivated by the animal instincts of hunger, fear, sleep and procreation or by the demonic urges of anger, lust, greed, envy, pride and so on, or by humane/ divine qualities such as love, compassion, sharing, caring, giving, forgiving and sacrifice. Animal and demonic traits are grounded in narrow selfish ego while humane/ divine qualities arise from an ever expanding self-view. Now, all human behaviour is controlled by neuronal circuits and Abraham's quest is for the spiritual neuron, so to speak; and he very elegantly traces this function to the neurons in the prefrontal lobes of the brain.
The role of prefrontal lobes
About half a century ago, surgically severing the connections of the prefrontal lobes with the rest of the brain was a way of treating refractory extreme behaviour problems in the psychiatrically ill, of reducing intractable cancer pain and so on. A lobotomy could transform even the worst psychopath into a gentle lamb; and it was the lobotomies performed by the author that led him to suspect that human spiritual growth, which is but the transformation of one's attitude and behaviour from the animal and demonic to the humane/ divine, could well be a function of the prefrontal lobes.
The book subsequently explores the ladder of evolution and reveals how nature has, by creating the human brain, finally conceived a creature who could not only unlock her secrets but study his own role in the scheme of things and become aware of his oneness with creation and the creator. This awareness is also largely thanks to our prefrontal neuronal circuits, says the author, who next delves into the concept of consciousness.
Abraham defines consciousness as a medical man would; as that which an organism is endowed with, to formulate appropriate responses to external and internal inputs. One's level of awareness, perception, analysis, understanding and response are all parts of one's consciousness. The term Consciousness (with a capital C), as used by eastern philosophers and seers has a slightly different connotation in that it refers to that which underlies all creation and is changeless over time and space. All that is, was and will be, including consciousness, are subsets of Consciousness which is also referred to as the Absolute, Truth, Self, The One or, common parlance, as God. Abraham terms it "extra-dimensional energy".
Seat of power
Next, the author skilfully links up the prefrontal cortex consciousness and extra-dimensional energy. Thanks to its rich connections with the rest of the nervous system, the prefrontal lobes are the seat of "power" in our bodies and consciousness is the CEO who occupies this chair and directs our activities in the business of life. Yet we are not just our prefrontal lobes or our consciousness, points out the author. Some food for thought there. Finally, the author propounds a theory that is familiar to Vedantists — that the extra-dimensional energy beyond the space-time cocoon (read as Consciousness/ God) can give inputs to the prefrontal neuronal circuits resulting in profound sensory or sensori-motor experiences that result in the total transformation of one's attitudes and behaviour. He backs it up with evidence from quantum mechanics. Physicists state that the "fuzzy", i.e., mathematically unstable borders of the universe, can facilitate the entry of extra-dimensional energy into the space-time cocoon. The borders of our neuronal circuits are likewise "fuzzy" and the same phenomenon can occur in our prefrontal lobes; as in the macro, so in the micro. The visions and voices that helped make great masters of ordinary men, come in this category, says the author, as he recalls the experiences of "doubting Thomas", the Apostle and Saul the feared who became Paul the loved.
The divine form
Crossing into the territory of religion, Abraham points out that for anthropomorphic reasons, man is able to relate better to extra-dimensional energy with form rather than to the formless; a Krishna or a Jesus thus were mandatory for man to be able to relate to the extra-dimensional formless One. Echoes of Niraakaar Brahman and Saakaar Brahman?
Interspersed with the main narrative are many thought provoking asides on nature; and DQ's good-humoured banter makes the book a delightful read. One wishes though the paper was better and the print more readable.
The Quest for the Spiritual Neuron, Dr. Jacob Abraham, Dharmaram Publications, p.136, Rs. 85.
Dr. HIRAMALINI SESHADRI
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