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The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM The Pineal Gland,
LSD and Serotonin
by Russ McClayhttp://taolodge.com.tw/Alternative version: http://taolodge.com.tw/pineal_frames.htmlOriginally written: March 19, 1976 From a pharmacology paper prepared at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, California Dedicated to John Blofeld Om Mani Padme Overview:
To present correlations between the Pineal Gland, the psychopharmacological molecule LSD and, it's
antagonistic neurotransmitter Serotonin.
Outline of the Paper
I. Brief Description of the Discovery - Historical Findings
a. Descartes
b. Ancient anatomy - to 14th Century
c. Initial misinterpretations of evidence
II. Description of the General Location of the Pineal Gland
a. Brain sections surrounding the pineal
b. Where the Serotonin is manufactured
c. The location of the pineal in various animals
i. Pacific Treefrog - Hyla regilla
ii. Sea Lamprey - Petromyzon marinus
iii. Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis
iv. South American mammal-like reptile - Lystrosaurus murrayi
III. The Optic "Third Eye" Compared to the Endocrinal Pineal Gland
a. The various animals with protruding pineal receptors
b. Other evidence of the optical quality of the Pineal Gland
c. Speculation of the connectional relation of the semi-mythical 'Third Eye' and
the factual pineal gland
IV. Recent Findings of Pineal Function and Its Physiology
a. Biorhythmic cycles
b. Sex hormones and their relation to light
c. Day/night cycles (circadian - light/dark phases)
d. Serotonin and melatonin - their role in the Pineal
V. Serotonin, LSD and the Pineal Gland
a. The antagonistic aspect of LSD on Serotonin
b. Personal speculation on meditation's effect on the Pineal Gland and
Serotonin production
c. Personal speculation of how Light (love-light) effects the Epiphysis
VI. Research Needed for Further Understanding - How This All Relates
a. Further experimentation with light on the pineal of various animals and
b. Further experimentation on LSD-Serotonin Antagonism
c. Further research on meditation's effect (that is, certain frequency brain
waves) on Serotonin/Melatonin production
The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM VII. Concluding remarks on how this information is useful to one's life
now - how to further alter the delicate chemistry of the body without
ingestion of substance
1. Footnotes and Reference
2. Bibliography and Literature Cited
Om Hail! the Light of the Ages Coming in From above like the The Pineal Gland, LSD and Serotonin
The following is an attempt to correlate seeming unrelated material into ameaningful whole. The goal is to synthesize information gathered about the pinealgland, the psychopharmacological molecule LSD, and the neurotransmitterserotonin. There have been detailed studies done on each one of these subjects.
For instance, there are volumes of work and research done on the molecule LSD;the pineal gland has been studied extensively; and even the hormone serotonin hashad its day in the lab. But there are few studies which have brought together thisthree-fold relationship. This paper involved a great amount of research. It is the result of manipulatingmany manuals, texts, and magazines published by the lay and the respectable.
Almost all the literature available on LSD, serotonin and the pineal gland iswritten in their native scientific nomenclatures. In spite of the amount of study,very little is really known about these three subjects which is what makes thisreport valuable as an initial exploration. The informational pool this paperprovides will be valuable to those true seekers of inner transactions, that is, subtlemetabolic processes which are influenced consciously. Brief History of the Discovery of the Pineal Gland
(Epiphysis)
The pineal gland is about the size of a grain of rice. Therefore its initial discoverywas difficult and late in coming. Galen (2nd century) was probably the first todescribe it in the West. He thought it might be a valve to regulate the flow ofthought from the lateral ventricles--cavities on each side--of the brain. [1] ReneDescartes, the French philosopher, who made a number of rather remarkablescientific discoveries wrote about the gland 1500 years after Galen. In Descartesopinion the pineal was the "seat of the soul". He also postulated a directconnection between the eyes and the pineal by means of "strings" in the brain.
Also that the gland acted as an interpreter, indeed the chief interpreter of vision.
Not only did the gland operate as an interpreter but it also directed the muscles torespond to objects in the visual field. This was done, Descartes believed, throughthe flow of humours passing through hollow tubes between the gland and themuscles. [2] The first person to give the pineal gland an endocrine status was Otto Heubner, afamous German pediatrician. In 1898 he described precocious puberty in a boywho had a pineal tumor. To confuse the situation, there were reports of patientswith delayed sexual maturity who also had pineal tumors. As the result of thesereports, conflicting though they were, it was believed for the next fifty years thatthe pineal had something to do with the control of puberty. A slight diversion from the puberty theory came in 1918 when Nils Holmgren, aSwedish anatomist, made detailed microscopic examinations of the pineal glandsfrom frogs and dogfish sharks. In these glands he found cells that looked very The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM much like cone cells (color sensitive photoreceptor cells) of a retinal nature in thetip of the pineal. Because of the resemblance Holmgren suggested that the pinealwas not a gland at all, but that it functioned as a 'third eye' in frogs and dogfishsharks. Holmgren made no study of mammalian pineal glands. [3] A new round of investigation began in 1958 when Lerner and his team at the YaleUniversity of Medicine extracted a substance they called melatonin from thepineals of cattle. Giving more evidential information towards the validation of thehypothesis that the pineal gland is an endocrine gland. Further microscopic probing, this time with mammalian pineals, indicated anintimate association between the epiphysis (the pineal) and the sympatheticnervous system. It also revealed no cone cells of the type found in the retina, sothe mammalian pineal did not seem to have the resembling third eye structure thathad been reported for frogs and dogfish sharks. [4] Obviously the discovery of the pineal is a recent one. Research is fragmentedbecause of the variety of professionals interested (e.g. theologians, biologists,endocrinologists, and zoologists). At this point it can be conjectured there is stillmuch history to be written about this curious pineal gland. Hopefully the nextentry in the historical text will be the discovery of the "spiritual" connections ofthe pineal gland to the brain. The star of this essay is the pineal gland. LSD and serotonin are taken inconsideration because of their mysterious relationship to the pineal. Most of thefindings regarding LSD and serotonin will be better understood after being firstfamiliar with the epiphysis (the pineal gland). General Location of the Pineal Organ in Various
Animals
Indian yogis who use third eye meditations and exercises refer their students tothe center of the forehead between the lateral eyes. This is the aft/stern relation ofthe pineal gland. If anything could be called the "center" of the physical brain itwould be the epiphysis. In higher vertebrates it rests between the two largecerebrums at the anterior end of the cerebellum. It appears to be a vestige of someone-time larger feature. Strangely enough it persists in most animals. If you wereto draw an imaginary line from the center of your forehead crossed by a linethrough your head at the ears you would have the general location of the pinealbody. It is definitely buried deep in the great mass of neurons known as the brain.
One fact immediately raises interest: the pineal, in higher animals, is connected tothe cerebellum. The cerebellum is one of the oldest features of the brain. It consists of two deeplyconvoluted hemispheres. Its most important function seems to be coordinatingmuscular activity in the body. [5] Such activity is initiated by impulses arising inthe motor area of the forebrain. These impulses not only travel down the spinalcord to the motor neurons but also pass into the cerebellum. As the body action iscarried out, sensory impulses from the proprioceptors, the eyes, the semi-circularcanals, etc., are also sent to the cerebellum. The cerebellum then compares theinformation on what the body is actually doing to what the forebrain hadinstructed it to do. [6] If a discrepancy exists, the cerebellum sends modifyingsignals to the forebrain so that appropriate corrective signals can be sent out to themuscles. It is not surprising that birds have relatively large cerebella when weconsider that they must be capable of moving swiftly and accurately in threedimensions of space, while we and other earth-bound animals spend most of ourlives moving about on fairly flat surfaces. [7] When thinking of the location of thepineal gland think of it as being near the upper end of the spinal cord. It ends orterminates in the oldest anatomical region in the brain. It might be useful here to note the various locations of other animal's pinealglands. The most popular creature in third eye studies is the Western FenceLizard-Sceloporus occidentalis. This little gentleman not only has a fine and The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM functional pineal gland but also a photoreceptive element plainly called a 'thirdeye'. The pineal of the Western Fence Lizard is located directly on top of thehead. A small opening (foramen) can be seen in the skull where the 'third eye'actually protrudes. Similar to this tiny reptile is a very distant relative, the Pacific Tree Frog-Hylaregilla, which also has the pineal topside. H. regilla does not share the Fencelizard's foramen or optic lens. The pineal of the Treefrog is barely visible becauseof the many similar "bumps" on the skin. Nonetheless it is functional. Another classic example is the Pacific Sea Lamprey-Petromyzon marinus. Thislamprey represents the lowest forms of living vertebrates, the cyclostomes, whereare jawless, limbless creatures of great evolutionary significance. [8] The lamprey,too, has a conspicuous pineal gland. In fact it has two, both located together. Thepineal gland of the lamprey is usually studied when the lamprey is in the larvalstage. It is then when the gland is most visible. And like the Treefrog and Fence Lizard, the Lamprey has its pineal organ locatedabove the brain. We will look closer at these three dealing with the optic qualityof their receptors. It should become apparent after looking at the embryological evidence that theepiphysis and its possible pathways have semi-receded in the higher vertebrates. Ithas migrated from the position of above to the position of below and center. The Optic Third Eye Compared to the Endocrinal
Pineal Gland
The three animals previously mentioned (Western Fence Lizard, Pacific TreeFrog, and Sea Lamprey) are to be considered now for their contribution to theresearch being done on the optic importance of the pineal body. Since the first discovery, right on down to present findings, there has been thequestion of the pineal's relation to light. How romantic to think of a functionalthird eye pointed skyward for the ultimate in ground protection! Other obviousbenefits are associated with the having of such a receptor. In the Western Fence Lizard (S. occidentalis) the pineal and the parietal third eyeare connected by means of the parietal nerve. The epiphysis is located above thecortex and under the bone of the skull. Under high magnification one sees theultrastructures of the cornea, lens, and retina. The cornea is composed of an inner,highly fibrous layer and an epidermal layer. The cornea is fused with the lens, apalisade of elongate, cylindrical cells whose nuclei lie at their basal ends. Afibrous capsule encloses the eye and attaches it to the skin. The parietal nerveleaves the retina, passes through the capsule, and courses posteriorly under theroof of the cranium and then ventrally to the epiphysis and brain. [9] We know that the parietal eye is functional because there are changes in electricalactivity, which can be recorded from the retina (ERG) or parietal eye nerve whenlight to the eye is turned off or on. It is also interesting that a deficiency of vitaminA causes a breakdown in the outer segments of third eye receptors in S.
occidentalis. Let it be said now that the third eye contains a light sensitivesubstance (or perhaps two substances) since it reacts differently to short and longwave lengths of light. [10] The Pacific Treefrog has a similar structure for the third eye and epiphysis. Eventhough close observation does not reveal this. Detailed examination illustrates thatit too has a pineal third eye which protrudes above the surface of the cranial wall.
It is responsive to light stimulation. [11] The Pacific Treefrog is the amphibianexample of animals with third eye function. The Sea Lamprey-P. marinus is the aquatic example of third eye animals. It has,in the larval form, two parietal eyes and nerve which runs through the epiphysis.
The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM And as mentioned, the Sea Lamprey is a representative of an ancient group ofanimals. The fact that it has a third eye is relevant to this story. To know thatnature has been working with the third eye through many cycles of evolution givesjust more inspiration for further studies concerning our pineal organ. While looking over the many diagrams and sketches of the brain region of variouscreatures, one can not help noticing the proximity of the third eye to the pineal. Infact in some animals there is no dividing line distinguishing the two. Furthermorethere is a relatively major nerve which comes from the parietal eye to theepiphysis. Certainly this anatomical connection suggests that light received by thethird eye is sent to the epiphysis for translation and storage. The literature in thespiritual community may not be so far off when they postulate that the pineal isthe 'Oracle of Light'. The light of the body is the eye:
therefore when thine eye is single,
thy whole body also is filled with light;
but when thine eye is 'evil',
thy body also is full of darkness.[12]
But we know from anatomy that Homo sapiens and all higher vertebrates have noprotruding third eye. They do have a pineal which is sensitive to light. [13] But itis buried quite deep in the bed of cortical tissue. The Recent Findings of Pineal Function and
Physiology
Since light on this planet is regulated alternatively day and night (circadian), itwould be easy to discern the relation of such cycles to the pineal and other glands.
Indeed, this has been proven. [14] There are 24 hour cycles in the concentrationsof serotonin (N-acetylserotonin - NAS) and melatonin in the pineal of the rat.
There is also a 24 hour cycle in the conversion of the norepinephrine (one of theneurotransmitters needed for the functioning of the synaptic sites in he nervoussystem's soma) in the sympathetic nerves innervating in the pineal gland. "Thisrhythm persists in blinded rats and animals but is suppressed in normal rats bylight. The same rhythm in norepinephrine turnover generates the rhythms in pinealindole-amines and N-acetyltranferase." [15] There is a relationship between sex hormones and the light receptive quality of theepiphysis. It has been proposed that one function of the pineal in the rat is to serveas a neuroendocrine transducer, mediating the effects of environmental lighting onthe gonads. [16] Accordingly information about lighting is perceived by the retinaand nervous impulses are conveyed to the pineal gland by way of the sympatheticnerve. The pineal responds by altering its production of methoxyindoles, theseenter the bloodstream and influence endocrine economy of the body. Themethoxyindoles are synthesized by the pineal in the absence of light andpresumably exert inhibitory effects on the gonads. [17] Another curious feature of the pineal organ is the production of melatonin andserotonin. Serotonin is produced in the gut of the intestinal tract as well as thePineal organ. Serotonin is another transmitter. It is one of the major four, this is,one of the commonest neurohumors. The interesting thing about serotonin is its change over to melatonin which occurschemically in the pineal gland. The pineal gland is the only area where this isdone. This has direct significance to what happens to the larval stages of mostamphibians. It is known as blanching. Larval forms of amphibians undergo amarked blanching when maintained for a time in darkness. A similar response isdisplayed by many fishes. [18] It is likely that blanching is due, in some measure,to a degree of decrease in MHS (a hormone) release in darkness, but for the most The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM part it is believed that the principle effect results from the release of melatonin(N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) from the pineal. [19] This hypothetic scheme, advanced by Bagnara and supported by others [20]suggests that under conditions of darkness, the pineal is stimulated to releasemelatonin, presumably a pineal hormone, in the general circulation. [21] Melatoninexerts a profound contracting effect on dermal melanophores (pigment pores)leading to rapid blanching. [21] The involvement of the pineal in this responserelates to two aspects of its physiology, light reception and endocrine function.
[22] Morphologic and electrophysiologic studies have clearly established that thepineal can function as a photoreceptor, but its role as an endocrine organ is moreobscure, despite the fact that circumstantial evidence strongly indicates that this isthe case. [23] The first evidence indicating that the pineal organ contains humoral agents comesfrom the experiments of McCord and Allen, who made the important discoverythat tadpoles underwent profound blanching when they were fed mammalianpineals. [24] But they discarded this as an unusual pharmacological phenomena.
Later Lerner and his colleagues isolated a potent "melaosome-aggregating agent"(hormone) from beef pineal glands, which they identified as melatonin. Since thenthis indole has been found in the pineal of other animals (e.g. monkeys, cows,rats, birds, and amphibians). Of great interest is the remarkable fact that relativelylarge amounts are found in the lateral eyes. [25] The lateral eyes as well as thepineals contain all the substrates and enzymes essential for the synthesis ofmelatonin. [26] Melatonin is synthesized from serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) in the followingmanner: (1) An N-acetylating enzyme converts serotonin to N-acetylserotonin; (2)the latter compound is O-methylated through the action ofhydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT). Serotonin is metabolized to5-hydroxyindole acetaldehyde by the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). Theactivity of this enzyme in the destruction of serotonin and that of HIOMT in theO-methylation of N-acetylserotonin provide convenient vehicles for controllingthe amount of melatonin present in an organism at any one time. [27] In view of all available data, the hypothesis that the body-blanching reaction ofamphibian larvae is mediated by the pineal seems rather convincing. However, itmust be mentioned that this mechanism is restricted to the larval form. The adultsdo not have such a function. The melanophores of adult fishes and amphibians aregenerally unresponsive to melatonin. The body-blanching aspect of the pineal isthe most convincing and clear cut evidence for endocrinal activity. So far this cannot be said of any of the other implication, aroused in this exploration, or pinealfunction. [28] Serotonin, LSD, and the Epiphysis (Third Eye)
In the last section we described some of the physiology of serotonin, the pinealgland and its synthesis of the hormones serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is anormal, necessary chemical transmitter of electrical impulses across the synapses(the gaps between nerve cell bodies). It is intriguing to find that certainhallucinogens have the same chemical skeletons as serotonin. [29] This reallydoesn't surprise neurologicians, for the fact of psychedelically induced psychosishas been known. As mentioned, serotonin is one of the four main neurohumors or neurotransmittersin higher vertebrate nervous systems. I have mentioned the location of serotoninproduction and note here that the serotonin is transported via the bloodstream tothe nerve cells throughout the body, but most especially in the neurons of thebrain. Here they accumulate in the their minutest molecular form. The moleculeserotonin is utilized by the nerve cells for the complete execution of electricalimpulses across the synaptic gap (which is the micro-gap between everyconnection of every nerve cell in the entire nervous system). The impulses comesalong the nerve cell going through the electro-chemical processes with the ionic The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM forms of calcium and potassium (the two vitals of the nervous system) until theyreach the terminal end of the cell's dendrites. Upon reaching the end of theelectrical impulse is translated into the neurochemical serotonin. This is then"squeezed" out into intercellular space only to connect and meet the other sidewhich is the beginning of the next nerve soma (lining of the nerve cell). [30] Few molecules can penetrate what is known in biology as the "blood brainbarrier". Those that do go directly to the neuron. After that it becomes a matter oftheir ability to imitate one of the neurotransmitters. Our neurons have a safetydevice for this type of situation. The neurotransmitters have a unique molecularshape and can only fit in a specific slot on the synaptic surface. Mind-alteringdrugs all operate on mimicking one of the neurotransmitters. (Most all drugs workinternally, one exception is alcohol. Alcohol's effect is caused by altering thesensitivity of the some or cell wall.) LSD happens to be one of the more famous antagonists. It not only penetrates theblood brain barrier but slips slyly into the transmission site inside the nerve cellsthemselves. It can mimic serotonin to the point where the body thinks its serotoninand consequently shoots it across the synaptic gap. When LSD reaches the otherside it is accepted but the LSD doesn't carry the message any further. The impulseof electricity is redirected down less familiar pathways, pathways which have notbeen highly conditioned. Specifically LSD affects the oldest parts of the brain first(e.g. upper end of the spinal cord, medulla oblongata, cerebrum, pineal gland andhypothalamus region) then the bloodstream takes it forward into the immediateback brain (location of sight interpretation) up through the area of hearing, thecerebellum, other sense interpretive centers, and the motor areas. Using radioactive molecules traced with LSD, science has been able to follow thecourse of LSD through the various channels and avenues of the body. It has beenfound found that after selecting certain areas of the various parts of the brain itthen migrates to sections with fewer imprints, for instance the right of thehemisphere, the so-called creative center. By redirecting consciousness, as itwere, into the unimprinted areas of the cortex, one hypothetically experiences theworld anew, hence the variety of interpretations which arise upon questioningpsychedelic voyagers about their "trip". Because of LSD's antagonistic effect onserotonin and the pineal gland itself, it would seem quite likely there is a chemicalrelationship between mental illness and deficiencies of serotonin. [31] Butintravenous doses have been administered to humans with no psychedelic effectsnoted. [32] Melatonin itself has the same indole structure as LSD. Interestingindeed! I have a few speculative concepts on meditation's effectiveness on thepractitioner. I hypothesize that performing various breathing techniques, whileconcentrating on the third eye (pineal pseudo-location), will inevitably andimperceptibly stimulate the pineal to produce less melatonin and serotonin whichin turn brings about a change in consciousness, creating naturally the dynamicsomatics of a truly religio-spiritual experience. Indeed we know now how lightplays an important role in the pineal's production of various hormones andneurotransmitter-related molecules and we can rather loosely associate this withthe "Light" that often accompanies one during solitudinous "third eyemeditations". Many have witnesses the light in the past and many more willwitness. [33] The following is a question and answer dialogue between Lu K'uan Yu (student)and Liao Jan (teacher) concerning taoist meditation techniques: Question: I have read Taoist books which all urge the development of the
light in the original cavity or center of spirit (tsu ch'iao, in the center of the
brain between the eyes) at the start of practice but I do not see why. All
Taoist schools regard this as the aim of the cultivation of (essential) nature
without giving details. Will you please tell me where true nature actually
The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM manifests?
Answer: (The tsu ch'iao cavity in) the center of the brain branches out into twominor channels on its left and right; the left one stands for t'ai chi (supremeultimate) and the right one for ch'ung ling (immaterial spirit); they are linked withthe t'ien (heavenly valley) center above them and yung chuan (bubbling spring)centers in the soles of the feet after running through the heart in the chest. The Tao Ching says: "Nature is (in) the heart and manifests through the eyes; lifeis (in) the lower abdomen and manifests through the genital organ." (Essential) nature is spiritual vitality in the heart that manifests through twochannels from the center of the brain. So when seeing is concentrated on the spotbetween the eyes, the light of (essential) nature manifests and will, after longtraining, unite with (eternal) life to become one whole. This union is called seeingthe void that is not empty and he who is not awakened to this union will achievenothing in practice. Question: When I was taught meditation I was urged to empty my heart
(house of fire) of all thoughts, set my mind on cultivating (essential) nature
and open my eyes to contemplate the void to accord with the correct Way;
will you please explain all this to me?
Answer: Seeing the void as not empty is right and seeing the void as empty iswrong, for failure to return to the (tsu ch'iao) center (which is not empty) preventsthe light of vitality from manifesting. Under the heart and above the genital organis an empty space where spiritual vitality manifests to form a cavity. When spiritand vitality return to this cavity, spiritual vitality will soar up to form a circle (oflight) which is not void. Voidness which does not radiate is relative but voidnesswhich radiates is absolute. Absolute voidness is not empty like relative voidness.
Voidness that is not empty is spiritual light which is spirit-vitality that springsfrom the yellow hall center (huang ting or middle tan t'ien, in the solar plexus). My master Liao K'ung said: "When the golden mechanism (of alchemy) begins tomove and gives out flashes of light, that hall of voidness (hsu shih, i.e. the heartdevoid of feelings and passions) will be illuminated by a white light which revealsthe mysterious gate (hsuan kuan), the presence of which does not meanemptiness." Man lives and dies because of this immaterial spirit-vitality; he lives when it ispresent and dies when it scatters. Hence it is said: 'Spirit without vitality; does notmake a man live; and vitality without spirit does not cause him to die.' Prenatalspirit in the heart is nature and prenatal vitality in the lower abdomen is life; onlywhen spirit and vitality unite can real achievement be made. Question: Will you please explain the saying: 'If one reaches the original
cavity of spirit (tsu ch'iao, in the center of the brain between the eyes) one
will find the source of immortal breath.'?
Answer: Worldly men who discover the original cavity of spirit are very rareindeed. It is under heaven (the top of the head), above the earth (the lowerabdomen), west of the sun (the left eye) and east of the moon (the right eye).
Behind the mysterious gate (hsuan kuan) and before the spirit of the valley (kushen) is true nature (chen hsin) which is the source of true breath (chen hsi).
Although this true breath is linked with postnatal (ordinary) breathing--the lattercoming in-an-out through the mouth and nostrils, cannot reach the original cavityof spirit to return to the source. The immortal breath that comes from inner (vital)fourfold breathing (a four-fold breath consists of in-and-out breaths withcorresponding ascent and descent of vitality in the microcosmic orbit) and notthrough the nose and mouth, can then return to the source. In your quest for immortal breath, you should regulate post-natal (ordinary)breathing in order to find its source. This immortal breath is hidden in the originalcavity of spirit and is genial and will not scatter away when post-natal (ordinary)breathing is well regulated. Hence my master Liao Jen said: "When vitalityreturns to the original ocean (its source) life becomes boundless." (Note: the part that follows is very important.)
The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM Question: Will you please give me the exact position of the original cavity of
the spirit?
Answer: It is (in the center of the brain behind) the spot between the eyes. LaoTzu called it 'the gateway to heaven and earth'; hence he urged people toconcentrate on the center in order to realize the oneness (of all things). In thiscenter is a pearl of the size of a grain of rice, which is the center between heavenand earth in the human body (i.e., the microcosm); it is the cavity of prenatalvitality. To know where it lies is not enough, for it does not include the wondrouslight of (essential) nature which is symbolized by a circle which fatherlyConfucius called virtuous perfection (jen); the Book of Change (I Ching) calls itthe ultimateless (wu chi), the Buddha perfect knowledge (yuan ming) and theTaoists, the elixir of immortality or spiritual light; which all point to the prenatalOne True Vitality. He who knows this cavity can prepare the elixir of immortality.
Hence it is said: 'When the One is attained, all problems are solved.' Therefore, during the training both eyes should turn inward to the center (betweenand behind them) in order to hold on to this One which be held in the originalcavity of spirit (tsu ch'iao) with neither strain nor relaxation; this is called fixingspirit in the original cavity which should be where (essential) nature is cultivatedand the root from which (eternal) life emerges. [34] The above is a translation from a very ancient Chinese dialog between master andstudent, a conversation which illustrates there were and are some who have putthe knowledge of the pineal gland to beneficial use by concentrating upon itsgeneral location which we have described in quite some detail. Those who alsouse this information will be directly altering their biochemical balance for thebetter. I will go one further step in speculative ideology. It is my assumption there is aLIGHT which penetrates even the deepest of neural tissue. I believe this has adirect effect on the physiology of the pineal gland which in turn affects theorganism as a whole. Research Presently Needed For Further
Understanding
At present we need further research in specific fields. First there should beextensive research done on the effects of light on the ultrastructure of theepiphysis. These experiments should not be limited to selected species but carriedout in relation to all species which have a pineal organ. Along with this should bethe research on the whys and wherefores of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.
Serotonin/LSD antagonism and neurological disease and health should be openlyresearched. Evidence found along the way should be related to the findings ofpineal studies. There should be further endeavors regarding melatonin and itsrelationship to neurological functioning; further exploration on meditation's effecton the chemical balance of the body and effect of meditation the production andsynthesis of serotonin and melatonin. All in All there is Much to be Done!
This information can be useful to your life now. To know that there are physicaleffects of "mind-drugs" that mimic natural body effects and that physicalphenomena is altered through external methods (drugless), is to bring more lightto all these new and dynamic ways to truly "change" one's "consciousness".

The Pineal Gland, LSD, and Serotonin - Updated: Thursday July 16, 1998 at 12:31 PM Om Hail! the Light of the Ages!
Shining within your own mind!
Coming in from above
like the Righteous Thunderbolt of the Source!!!
O Holy, yet Mysterious Pineal!
Your secrets are Unfolding
like the Thousand Petaled Lotus
that you are!!!
Footnotes - Reference
1. Ruthann LeBaron, Hormones, a Delicate Balance (New York 1972) p. 140. Regasus.
2. Ibid., p. 141.
3. Ibid., p. 141.
4. Earl Frieden, Biochemical Endocrinology of the Vertebrates, (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey) p. 258. Princeton.
5. John W. Kimball, Biology (Palo Alto, California 1965) p. 354. Addison-Wesley.
6. Ibid., p. 350.
7. Ibid., p. 351.
8. Richard M. Eakin, The Third Eye (California 1973) p. 5. University of California Press.
9. Ibid., p. 27.
10. Ibid., p. 124.
11. Ibid., p. 130.
12. Luke 11:34 The Holy Bible (King James Version) 13. Loc. cit., p. 25. Earl Frieden.
14. Brownstein and J. Axelrod, "Pineal Gland and the 24 Hour Rhythm in Norepinephrine Turnover" Science (April 12, 1974) pp. 163-5.
15. Ibid., loc. cit., Brownstein.
16. Julius Lee, Animal Hormones (London 1975) pp. 588-593.
17. Loc. cit., Julius Lee.
18. Op. cit., p. 603. Julius Lee.
19. Loc. cit., p. 604.
20. Ibid., p. 588.
21. Ibid., p. 589.
22. Ibid., p. 590.
23. Clarence Donnell Turner, General Endocrinology (Philadelphia 1971) p. 463. Saunders.
24. Ibid., pp. 476-480.
25. Ibid., p. 481.
26. Op. cit., Animal Hormones, p. 151. 27. Ibid., p. 153.
28. Bernard Aronson and Humphrey Osmond, Psychedelics (New York 1970) 29. Ibid., p. 198. 30. Ibid., pp. 198-201.
31. Urantia Foundation, The Urantia Book (Chicago 1955), pp. 1007-1098. 32. Lu K'uan Yu, Taoist Yoga New York 1973) p. 3-6.
33. Ibid., p. 7.
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