The Third Eye - Gateway to the Paranormal?

The spiritual concept of a "third eye" refers to one's unique capacity to reach a higher level of consciousness. Within this state, a person is more prone to visions and out-of-body experiences, and may possess clairvoyance, precognition, and the ability to visualize ghosts and other paranormal phenomena. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the third eye symbolizes enlightenment. In Taoism and other Chinese religious sects, it is the pathway to an advanced state of meditation and universal harmony. Regardless of the third eye's spiritual source, one common thread shared is its anatomical location: centered between the brow. Coincidentally, the pineal gland resides on the same latitude, albeit further within the cranium, at the geometric center of the deep brain. Could this supposed gateway to the paranormal be related to an anatomical structure and physiological process?

Rene Descartes, renowned French philosopher, mathematician and scientist labeled the pineal gland the "seat of the soul;" the point at which intellect and the body connect. Ancient Greeks believed it served as the connection to realms of thought. When this diminutive organ of the endocrine system is stimulated, the pineal gland was alleged to elevate a person's level of awareness. Whereas the normal level of consciousness is primarily concerned with identity and self, a higher functioning pineal gland could presumably allow one to bypass the ego and achieve a heightened, or extra-sensory, perception, drawing irrevocable comparison to the spiritual concept of the third eye.

Located deep within the center of the brain between two hemispheres, the pineal gland's primary function is to produce melatonin, a hormone that chemically regulates the sleep-wake cycle by causing drowsiness and lowering body temperature. Increased melatonin levels, like those effected by exogenous supplements, are even said to produce a mild hypnotic effect. The resulting dream-like state created by an overly-stimulated pineal gland may provide insight into what happens when the third eye is "activated." A person with an active pineal gland can theoretically have a sharp increase in their melatonin level, become entranced in a semi-hypnotic state, and ultimately lose sight of the real world. Consequently, this altered mental state may create a feeling of extra-sensory perception and engender hallucinations that blur into the person's reality.

Though it remains unproven, the pineal gland may also be the culprit behind producing the chemical dimethyltryptamine (DMT) found in trace amounts within every human brain. DMT, a psychotropic chemical usually found in certain plants, is said to induce dreams, near-death experiences, deep meditation, and hallucinations. It is often used in South American shamanic practices, though it is banned in the United States. The actual source of endogenous DMT within the brain remains unknown. However, the ramifications of elevated levels of a self-produced perception-altering chemical cannot be ignored and warrants further study.

Whether it is a spiritual portal to a higher realm of existence, an overactive hormone-producing organ, or the result of an abnormal amount of an endogenous psychotropic chemical, the third eye plays a vital role in understanding paranormal phenomena. Unlocking its secret may be the missing link to explaining the mysteries of the unknown.

Reincarnation - The Numbers Game

According to a 2005 Gallup poll, 20 % of U.S. adults believe in reincarnation. The belief that our souls live on after our bodies die is as old as the earliest semblance of religion. Many people debate whether this means the soul goes on to an afterlife existence, or reincarnates on Earth in living form. There is seemingly a numerical problem with reincarnation if one considers population growth, though. Consider at one point in the early history of humanity a total population of 100 people. Under an assumption that more people are born than die in a given period, this number will increase to 300 people at some later time. The question that arises is, “Where did the extra 200 souls come from?”

Reincarnationists have provided numerous possible explanations for this. One model of circular migration suggests a fixed number of souls, let’s say 10 billion, may have existed before the first human came into existence (See Bashai’s article: http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_14_3_bishai.pdf). Those souls that do not occupy human bodies wait in some other form of existence for their chance to occupy a human form. As the population grows, the “dwell time” decreases. For instance, in 50,000 B.C. each soul would have needed to wait 57,114 years to reincarnate. Today, the “dwell time” would only be 30 years. What will happen when the souls run out?

Another school of thought is that some new births coincide with the creation of new souls, while still other births involve reincarnated souls. This limits the frequency of reincarnation, and thus provides a potential solution to the numbers problem. This also implies that the majority of souls go on to exist in some other realm, or that souls are destroyed at the time of death. Why would a soul then be reincarnated? Many accounts of past life regressions describe tragic deaths due to accidents or murder. Could a premature or traumatic death be the reason that a soul would come back?

Still others believe that reincarnation can occur across dimensions and forms of life, which helps address the numbers problem. Others suggest that past civilizations, undocumented through history, might make up for the missing souls.

Here is a link to an interesting story about a young boy believed to be the reincarnation of a WWII pilot.  http://www.reversespins.com/proofofreincarnation.html