The ancient symbol of the Orphic Mysteries was the serpent-entwined egg, which signified Cosmos as encircled by the fiery Creative Spirit. The egg also represents the soul of the philosopher; the serpent, the Mysteries. At the time of initiation the shell is broken and man emerges from the embryonic state of physical existence wherein he had remained through the fetal period of philosophic regeneration.30
Hall also believed the unicorn was another mythical symbol of the awakened pineal gland:The single horn of the unicorn may represent the pineal gland, or third eye, which is the spiritual cognition center in the brain. The unicorn was adopted by the Mysteries as a symbol of the illumined spiritual nature of the initiate. . . .31
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, René Descartes believed that human beings were composed of two main ingredients—a body and a soul—and the pineal gland was the junction point between them. In Descartes’s view, the pineal gland is “involved in sensation, imagination, memory and the causation of bodily movements.” Though much of what Descartes said does not line up with modern understandings of the brain, some of his thoughts may have come directly from the ancient mystery schools.
The part of the body in which the soul directly exercises its functions is not the heart at all, or the whole of the brain. It is rather the innermost part of the brain, which is a certain very small gland situated in the middle of the brain’s substance. . . . A low-pressure image of the sensory stimulus [from the soul] appears on the surface of the pineal gland.32
Descartes’s idea of visual images appearing on the surface of the pineal gland may be far more accurate than most people realize—as we are about to discover. This suggests that he did not think of this concept himself, but might have leaked ancient secrets he had been entrusted with—mixing them in with his own ideas as well.
The Edgar Cayce Readings also spoke about the pineal gland on a variety of occasions—and agreed that this was a literal eye in the center of the brain stem, and that it was the anchor point where the soul joins with the body.33
Medical Investigations of the Third Eye
According to Dr. Richard Cox in USC’s Health & Medicine journal, Descartes “perceived the mind as some sort of out-of-body experience expressed through the pineal gland.”34 Cox reveals some surprising facts about the pineal gland.
Under the skin in the skull of a lizard lies a light-responsive “third eye” which is the evolutionary equivalent of the boneencased, hormone-secreting pineal gland in the human brain. The human pineal is denied access to light directly, but like the lizard’s “third eye,” it shows enhanced release of its hormone, melatonin, during the night. . . . Dissected, the reptile’s pineal looks much like an eye, with the same shape and tissue. The pineal . . . uniquely remains the major source of circulating melatonin, [which tells us] when to go to sleep at night and when to get up in the morning. . . . The presence of light reduces the pineal gland’s secretion of melatonin, and darkness stimulates production. Since daylight and darkness affect the gland’s production of the hormone, the pineal functions as a kind of internal timepiece.35
It is certainly strange that a reptile’s pineal gland has the same shape and tissue as a normal eye—considering the ancients literally believed the pineal gland was a third eye within the human body, performing a similar biological function. The more I researched this subject, the more I found clues the ancients may have indeed known something that has since been lost. An article in Science News by Julie Ann Miller began to reveal the biological connection between the pineal gland and the retina of the eye.
The retina and the pineal gland are the organs primarily responsible for the body’s recognition and sophisticated processing of external light. Until recently these two organs in mammals seemed to have little else in common and were consequently studied by separate groups of scientists. But a new alliance of researchers is now exploring striking similarities that are speeding research efforts in both fields. . . . Once the groups of scientists began working together, they discovered surprising similarities between the two organs.36
An article in Science Daily featured startling statements from Dr. David Klein, the chief scientist in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Section on Neuroendocrinology. Many sub-mammal species already detect light with their pineal glands—as a third eye.
Dr. Klein noted that the photoreceptor cells of the retina strongly resemble the cells of the pineal gland, and that the pineal cells of sub-mammals (such as fish, frogs and birds) detect light.”37
An even more surprising suggestion can be found in a 1986 paper by A. F. Weichmann, in the professional science journal Experimental Eye Research.
It is apparent that several relationships exist between the pineal gland and retina. The similarities in development and morphology have been obvious for many years. A recent resurgence of interest in this field has led to a further understanding of many functional similarities between these two organs. . . . Although the mammalian pineal gland is considered to be only indirectly photosensitive, the presence of proteins in the pineal which are normally involved in phototransduction [light sensing] in the retina, raises the possibility that direct photic events may occur in the mammalian pineal gland. This possibility awaits further study.38
Weichmann is openly speculating that “direct photic events”—flashes of photons of light—may be somehow occurring in the pineal gland by an unknown mechanism. Due to the similarity of the pineal gland and the retina in the eye, the cells within your pineal gland may be detecting photons and sending them to your brain—by a process called phototransduction.
R. N. Lolley and associates also noticed the similarities between the light-sensing activities of the retina and the pineal gland—in a paper from the peer-reviewed science journal Neurochemical Research. Recent breakthroughs in understanding how the retina actually works have made this connection much clearer than it would have been before.
As the mechanisms of phototransduction in retinal photoreceptor cells have become more clear, it has equally become apparent that pinealocytes [pineal gland cells] have . . . a selective group of retinal proteins that are involved in the phototransduction cascade. How the pinealocytes utilize these proteins and whether [they] participate in signal transduction in the pineal is still unknown. . . . The pinealocytes and retinal photoreceptors seem to possess a similar repertoire of activities. . . .39
No one has proven that the area inside the pineal gland is completely dark. Trace amounts of photons may be appearing by an unknown mechanism, as Descartes appears to have suggested. The pineal gland does appear to be set up for signal transduction, just like the retina of the eye, where it picks up visual images and sends them to the brain. Another group of scientists studying the pineal gland in chickens also concluded that “the pineal gland may contain a rodlike phototransduction cascade.”40
Piezoluminescence
Why would the body go to all this trouble to make a third eye, with the same tissues and light-sensing mechanisms as the retina, if there was nothing for us to see in there? What are we really seeing when we dream, have an out-of-body experience or get sudden images flashing into our minds? And why were ancient cultures all over the world so obsessed with this gland as the center of our psychic vision? In a 2002 study published in the Bioelectromagnetics journal, S. S. Baconnier and associates may have found the answer—without even realizing it. They dissected twenty different human pineal glands and found one hundred to three hundred microcrystals per cubic millimeter that were floating inside—largely composed of a common mineral called calcite. Each of these crystals were between two and twenty micrometers in length, basically hexagonal in shape, and were very similar to other crystals we find in the inner ear called otoconia. These inner-ear crystals are known to be piezoelectric—which means they expand and contract in the presence of electromagnetic fields.41 The hairs inside the inner ear detect sounds when the otoconia bump against them—as they move around from the
vibrations picked up by the eardrum.
Piezoelectric crystals can be used to tune in to radio stations without any electricity. The electromagnetic waves that are jittering all around us make these crystals expand and contract constantly. These movements can then be detected and amplified to make sound.42 Microphones also have piezoelectric crystals that pick up sound vibrations and turn them directly into electrical current. Some, if not many, piezoelectric crystals also give off varying amounts of light—in a process known as piezoluminescence.43 This can be seen in a handheld lighter; when you push the button down, a spark of light comes out—which is caused by compressing a piezoelectric crystal inside. Through a process called piezochromism, some piezoelectric crystals release different-colored photons from the same crystal, depending upon the signal they receive. So far, these piezoelectric color changes have only been spotted in crystals under high pressure. According to the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom, these piezoelectric color changes “have been observed in a few systems, but have not been exploited in any commercial way.”44 So far, no one has needed to make a microscopic computer monitor or video projection system, for example.
Baconnier’s calcite crystals may not be the only potential source of light in the pineal gland. Some scientists, such as Dr. Rick Strassman, suggest the pineal gland may also secrete a psychoactive chemical called DMT—though this has not yet been proven, due to how fast it breaks down. DMT also appears to release light by piezoluminescence, as we will see. Dr. Laurance Johnston discussed the controversial idea that the pineal gland creates DMT, which is chemically similar to melatonin and serotonin—two chemicals that appear naturally in the pineal gland and appear to be synthesized by it.
DMT is structurally similar to melatonin. The biochemical precursor to both molecules is serotonin, a key neurotransmitter whose pathways are involved in mood and targeted in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. DMT also structurally resembles other psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and psilocybin, and is the active agent in ayahuasca brew Amazon shamans use to provoke out-of-body experiences. . . .
Trace amounts of DMT have been found in humans, particularly in the lungs, but also in the brain. Strassman emphasizes that the pineal gland is theoretically more capable than virtually any other tissue to produce DMT, including possessing prerequisite biochemical precursors and transforming enzymes. However, we do not yet know for certain whether DMT is made by the pineal.45
DMT may very well be the “resin” that Manly Palmer Hall said the ancient mystery schools were looking for. However, I am definitely not an advocate of taking psychedelic drugs, as they can be very dangerous and upsetting. There are spiritual practices that achieve similar effects in a positive way, and I’d rather use what I already have—naturally and safely. However, I was fascinated to discover that Nick Sand, the son of a prominent scientist on the Manhattan Project, found that DMT had enormous piezoluminescence—and apparently color-shooting piezochromism as well.
Sand was . . . the first underground chemist on record to have synthesized DMT. Sand and a lab colleague were the first people to notice that DMT exhibits piezoluminescence: when hardened DMT that had collected in a tray was being chipped out with a hammer and screwdriver in a brightly lit room, the blows emitted massive amounts of colored light.46
Since the pineal gland is not protected by the blood-brain barrier, flooding the bloodstream with DMT may load up the pineal gland with piezoelectric microcrystals. This in turn may cause the third eye to pull in many more photons—which might be emerging directly out of the Source Field, thanks to principles we have not yet discussed. (DNA also appears to be pulling in photons by a similar process, as we will see.) Baconnier’s groundbreaking pineal gland studies helped set the stage for this speculative idea of how the third eye could actually be “seeing” photons of light.
If piezoelectricity were to exist [in the pineal calcite microcrystals], an electromechanical coupling mechanism to external electromagnetic fields may be possible.47
These crystals could be responsible for an electromechanical biological transduction mechanism in the pineal gland, due to their structure and piezoelectric properties.48
For this same reason, Baconnier expresses deep concern about our use of cellular phones and other microwave-emitting devices—as they may couple directly with these piezoelectric crystals in the pineal gland and change how they function. This could interrupt our synthesis of melatonin—with negative health consequences.
Health Consequences of Pineal Gland Calcification
The more we find out about the pineal gland, the more important it becomes in human health.
Until relatively recently, the pineal gland was considered a vestigial organ lacking function, i.e., the brain’s appendix. Then scientists showed it produced melatonin, a hormone that profoundly affects us. The pineal gland converts the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin (a neurotransmitter) and, in turn, melatonin. The melatonin then is released into the bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid where it is transported throughout the body. The release is closely correlated to our sleep-wake cycle. . . . Researchers have actually found magnetite clusters near the pineal gland. Like homing pigeons, humans have residual ability to orient to geomagnetic directional cues, an ability lost with pineal dysfunction. . . .
Because the gland accumulates fluoride, it contains the body’s highest fluoride concentration. Research shows that this accumulation depresses melatonin synthesis with adverse consequences such as accelerating puberty onset . . .
Because pineal dysfunction and, in turn, low melatonin secretion are correlated with MS [multiple sclerosis] symptoms, pineal failure may predispose one to MS. For example, Dr. Reuven Sandyk (New York) has stated, “Dysfunction of the pineal gland can explain a far broader range of biological phenomena associated with MS, and therefore the pineal gland should be considered the pivotal mover of the disease.” . . . Sandyk suggests that MS severity may be related to the degree of pineal failure. . . .
Clearly, MS is associated with pineal calcification. For example, one study showed 100 percent of individuals with MS who were consecutively admitted to a hospital had pineal calcification compared to only 43 percent for similar-aged controls with other neurological disorders. In addition, groups that have a low MS incidence (e.g., African Americans, Japanese) also have less pineal calcification.49
Fluoride—such as you get in tap water and commercial toothpaste—is very likely a no-no if you want a healthy pineal gland. Fluoride apparently passes directly into the pineal gland through the bloodstream, where it then attaches itself to the tiny crystals that are already floating around inside and covers them with hard mineral deposits—creating the white, bonelike lumps we see in X-ray images. This may damage the pineal gland’s ability to synthesize the chemicals we need.
Fluoride may affect the enzymatic conversion of tryptophan to melatonin . . . Fluoride may also affect the synthesis of melatonin precursors (e.g., serotonin), or other pineal products (e.g., 5-methoxytryptamine). . . . In conclusion, the human pineal gland contains the highest concentration of fluoride in the body. . . . Whether or not fluoride interferes with pineal function in humans requires further investigation. 50
As your pineal gland fills up with brain sand, or calcification, such as from fluoride, you may well be losing your ability to produce melatonin—and that’s definitely not a good thing. One study in the Journal of Pineal Research revealed how many problems could be caused by pineal calcification and malfunction—including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness.
Collectively, these findings suggest that melatonin probably is significantly associated with the regulation of memory, cognition, and also involved in emotional processes. . . . These findings emphasize a specific role for melatonin in mechanisms of consciousness, memory, and stress, [and] are also consistent with reported studies that indicate melatonin alterations in psychopathology mainly in patients with depression, schizophren
ia, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and also in other mental disorders. . . .
For example, in many studies decreased melatonin levels in patients with depressive disorder were reported. . . . Typical melatonin alterations have also been found in schizophrenia and suggest that diminished melatonin secretion may be associated with the pathophysiology of a subgroup of schizophrenic patients. . . . [C]haracteristic alterations in rhythm of melatonin secretion have been found in various mental disorders. . . .51
I learned in 1995 that emotions like happiness don’t just happen automatically because you want them to—they are controlled by chemicals in the brain. If your brain doesn’t have enough serotonin, you will be chemically incapable of feeling happiness—even if you have many things in your life that should otherwise make you feel good. I had no idea how important the pineal gland was in manufacturing serotonin—and therefore in how happy we will feel—until I did the research for this book.
Nicholas Giarmin, a professor of pharmacology, and Daniel Freedman, a professor of psychiatry, confirmed that the human brain manufactures serotonin at various sites in the brain. For example, in the Thalamus, they discovered 61 nanograms of serotonin per gram of tissue; in the Hippocampus, 56 ng.; in the Central Gray Section of the Midbrain, they found 482 ng. But in the Pineal Gland, they found 3140 ng. of serotonin per gram of tissue. The Pineal Gland was unmistakably the richest site of serotonin in the brain. This discovery implicates the Pineal Gland as an important site of serotonergic [serotonin-forming] activity.52
The Source Field Investigations Page 7
