True love - valentine day

Valentines Day.
The social media and other mesaging modalities were full of valentines day messages, professing about love. It made it appear that everyone around  was keen to declare, celebrate, proclaim their love. What connotation does this word "Love" have for me ?  Is it gloating about ones posession? Is it about basking in the attention of the person who claims to love you? Is it about acceptance of oneself by another? Does the word merit all the hype that surrounds it? In recent times, not having and demonstrating ones object of affection is  considered almost heretic. Such a person is doomed to a desecrated miserable existence.
What is Love. An emotion? A mood? A whim? A fancy? An addiction? An indulgence? An instinct? A figment of imagination? A deception? A delusion? An ego trip?
            History, folklore,celluloid and fiction had lent an almost ethereal, surreal texture to this phenomenon.
Did i really grasp the full import of this entity?
 What was the moistening of the eyes of the mother as she disconnected her fingers clutched by her young one as he was wheeled into the operating room?  What was the sound of my ailing mother hurriedly cooking a meal when i got back after a particularly hard day at work? What was the realisation that my father postponed his decision to buy formal shoes for himself to provide for my extra classes? What was the excruciating back breaking labourious work done in the raging hot sun by a father to provide a rudimentary meal to his extended family? Did this love ever need to be demonstrated or declared on any platform? Love in these situations was more  in the obscurity, anonymity and unobtrusiveness of the act.  It was probably best experienced. Some  emotions get trivialised by parading them for public consumption. Love is a very personal experience  intangible, inexpressible and indemonstrable. Like the fantastic composition of Gulzar.
Haath se chuke ise rishton ka ilzaam na do.
Don't touch it, or trivialise it by reducing it to a noun, adjective, adverb.
It is the sound of an unnoticed tear falling from a remote corner of the heart. It is the fragrance of one self as one immerses in the thought of the loved one. It is the sight of one's own reflection when looking into the eyes of the loved one.
I recalled the look in my father's eyes when I  strode into his home. It was a celebration. It was unadulterated joy. It was exhilaration. It was ecstacy. He never uttered that word. Probably it was not  love after all. Because he never articulated it or expressed it as  was the norm. Though i still feel the fragrance when he descends into my thoughts.
Rahen na Rahen hum
Meheka karenge

The feminine principle

The Feminine Principle

The cervix is a part of the uterus. It  is a very rigid, firm unyielding 1 inch long structure that permits access to the uterine cavity.  It acts as a kind of barrier, selectively opening and softening to allow sperm to enter the uterus, and other times staying firm and closed. Its integrity is vital for sustaining pregnancy and it needs to be surgically tightened if it is rendered incompetent due to any reason. However, during childbirth, when the lady goes into labour, the cervix  undertakes a magical transformation. This begins by a progressive dilatation of the cervix. This very rigid, impenetrable and unbreachable part of the uterus, now starts dilating and losing its distinctiveness. This gradual merging of the cervix with the body of the uterus is called as effacement. The birth of the baby is possible only when the cervix is fully dilated and effaced. The baby is delivered smoothly only due to the total obliteration of this tough muscular resistance.
The ability to efface oneself is the hallmark of  femininity. Femininity is a principle. It is not just restricted to the physical form. The mother is specially endowed with the ability to put her child's interests and welfare above her own self. She can efface herself, her identity, her ego for a larger cause. Effacement is not a sign of weakness. It's the hallmark of her innate strength. The woman principle is one that encompasses the ability to yield, to to tolerate, to be sensitive,to accept, to adapt, to transcend her own interests, to care, to nurture, and to bear. The male principle is about adventure, aggression, subjugation, more programed  to facilitate the role of a provider. These two principles are apparently antagonistic to one another. There is however no hierarchy amongst these two principles. They are complementary to each other.
In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (dark—bright") describe how apparently opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.
The feminine principle under provocation can unleash aggression and intimidation that can at times even rise above the masculine principle. There is an oft quoted example of how a young mother almost single handedly lifted an approaching car that threatened to run over her child in the pram.
Since the woman is entrusted with the responsibility of giving birth and also nurturing the new born, she is omnipotent. The feminine principle empowers the woman with an instinctive intelligence and strength as also with a unique ability to efface. The feminine principle sometimes finds it much harder to cut the umbilical cord. Dependence of the offspring is an extension of the strong bonding between the mother and her child. Severing the cord is facilitated by the male principle, with the aim of inculcating survival skills and capabilities.The feminine principle true to its inherent nature eventually has to efface itself for one last time to deliver the now independent offspring from its shackles. The principle highlights its identity by its ability to lose it. Therein lies the strength of this almost divine feminine principle.

Dr. Deepak Ranade

Who teaches the hatchlings


The frantic flapping, the sheer effort required for locomotion minutes after emerging from the confines of its egg and tunnelling its way from the nest, buried about a foot under the sand was indeed mind boggling. We were spellbound as we watched the hatchling trudge across the beach paddling along with its flippers. It was embedded with  navigational technology that ensured the perfect route towards the oceans. Within 10 to 15 minutes, it had reached the waterfront and was soon engulfed  by the departing wave. It was the beginning of another absolutely incredible journey of a vulnerable, helpless, fledgeling  battling unimaginable odds. It was a plunge of faith, that was more a challenge to the creator than its own self to ensure its survival. It was totally oblivious of the daunting journey it was embarking.     The dice  for this game of survival was cast. Every moment, every centimeter was fraught with perils and threats. Predators lurking  all around, prowling for a meal, or perhaps just a snack. The hatchling totally defenseless, with no one to guide, protect or defend was a sitting duck.  Every year, around November-December, adult female Olive Ridley turtles come to the shore of Velas to lay their eggs. These turtles visit in large groups for mass nesting called Arribadas. Olive Ridley turtles are endangered because they only lay their eggs at select beaches. The sites for laying the eggs are very specific. The females note down the beach they were born at and return when they attain adulthood, to lay their eggs at this very beach, no matter where in the world they are.
The female Olive Ridley turtles are laying eggs for centuries at Velaas and a few other beaches in the vicinity. Velaas is a quaint little town in Konkan. The eggs are located by following the trail left by the 50 odd kg mother turtle. They are located, retrieved and transferred to a safe, barricaded spot by locals and NGOs, protected  for the next 55 to 60 days till they hatch. This is known to be an endangered rare species. This whole exercise is indeed remarkable.  The mother turtle locates and reaches the specific destination, during a specific period, lays eggs after digging a pit, and covers it to protect from the predators. Thereafter when the temperature crosses a threshold level, the eggs hatch, the young ones dig their way out from about 12 to 18 inches beneath the ground and return to the warm ocean waters to begin life and perpetuate their species. Where, how and by whom  is this information embedded in different species?
The DNA carries the blueprint to develop the brain. The nervous system is responsible for specific behavioral patterns and paradigms. The  DNA is responsible for producing the 'hardware' of the brain, and the neuronal architecture that initiates, coordinates and supervises all motor activities . The neuronal  structure has some form of embedded information that ensures specific 'behavior' which doesn't have to be learned. This is known as instinct. Behaviour that is conditioned congenitally.
        Learning is an acquired phenomenon. It could be explained by the mirror neurons that are currently a subject of great interest and research.  Mirror neurons were discovered by Dr. Rizzolatti an Italian Neurophysiologist and professor at the University of Parma in Italy. He discovered unique neurons in the frontal and premotor cortex while doing research on the neural representation of motor movements in monkeys
A mirror neuron is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Thus, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting. Such neurons have been directly observed in primate species.
Birds have been shown to have imitative resonance behaviors and neurological evidence suggests the presence of some form of mirroring system.In humans, mirror neurons have been located  in the premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area, the primary somatosensory cortex.The function of the mirror system in humans is a subject of much speculation. It is almost as if these neurons perform a dress rehearsal as the animal is observing a fellow animal perform different activities.  Mirror neurons may be important for understanding the actions of other people, and for learning new skills by imitation.
 Intelligence is of two kinds. An innate, embedded intelligence that is an inbuilt program. This is the ROM of the neural program. The second is an acquired adaptive intelligence that is developed in the course of interfacing and interacting with a rapidly changing and at times a hostile environment. This is the RAM of the neural program.Both these types of intelligence are mandatory for effective Survival Skills.
             As i watched the baby turtle disappear in the oncoming waves of the ocean, my mind was filled with an awe and total surrender to that supreme intelligence, that designed and embedded all life with different forms of intelligence, necessary for its survival, sustenance and propagation. The drama that we witnessed forced my intelligence to acknowledge a higher form of intelligence. An intelligence that can manifest in a plethora of different forms, each embedded with its own unique, discrete intelligence. An intelligence that is sublime. An intelligence that makes reality appear virtual, or then gives the virtual a touch of reality.  An intelligence that generates this illusion of diversity, and also the conviction of the virtual being the reality.

Potentiating by Diluting.

My temper had bestowed me notoriety. It had become the defining trait of my gregarious and rather overbearing disposition. Initially I took great pride in being able to intimidate and almost terrorise my subordinates. The anger would cascade as the object of my rage looked on helplessly. My ego would lust for that overwhelming sense of power, a sadistic joy  of  trampling all over the self esteem of the person at the receiving end. Such acts were in reality sado-masochistic as i realised later in life. Masochistic because such vulgar and unbridled display of negative vibes travelled inwards as well. Such acts resulted in flooding the circulation with adrenaline and similar neuro-endocrine mediators causing increased heart rates, increase Blood pressure. There was also  a feeling akin to a hangover after the the dressing down session had concluded. The work atmosphere remained vitiated for a few hours as other staff members worked in an uneasy silence. The frequency of such episodes kept increasing and after a while, the staff realized that they had to put up with  momentary lapses of reason. They developed a kind of resistance to this emotional extravaganza. The entire objective of such a brazen and unpleasant display was soon lost. And along with it I ended up losing important staff members too. The ineffectiveness of any therapeutic medication over a period of time is called Tachphylaxis. Its similar to development of resistant strains of bacteria due to the abuse of anti- biotics. There surely had to be a saner, more effective means to express displeasure without causing any collateral damage.
        I  reminisced about how petrified i was of my father as a child. He scarcely would raise his voice when he was upset. The appearance of a wrinkle on his forehead was enough of a cue to all of us in the family. Degree of anger was never subservient to a decibel system. Silence and facial lines very subtly but effectively conveyed their displeasure. An occasional expletive was the sole indicator of  extreme rage. The silent akinetic state kept us guessing and imagining all the possible outcomes. The dose of expressing their resentment was far too diluted. It was paradoxically much more effective than the rather generous dose that I administered to my subordinates. It reminded me of a very perplexing principle of Homeopathy. The basic principle of homeopathy is that a substance that triggers a certain disease can also be used to treat that disease, and diluting the substance increases its potency – a process referred to as potentization or succussion.
Dilution quite paradoxically increases the potency of the drug that is administered.
My mother's very subtle act of adjusting my blanket believing i was fast asleep made my young mind more acutely aware of her tender loving care than the priciest gift that i give my child. Frugality was the order of the day. Frugal means, frugal lifestyles, frugal expressions and frugal desires. The doses for any gratification were fractions of doses required in our present day ostentatious life. Yet the therapeutic effect on the degree of happiness was much greater. Dilution of indulgence was certainly increasing the potency of satisfaction. Dilution almost certainly eliminated the possibility of developing any form of tachyphylaxis. The lower frequency of eating in restaurants certainly ensured sustaining the degree of enjoyment.
The  potency and efficacy of expression of any  emotion might lie in its subtlety. The next provocation saw me merely raising my eyebrows. My assistant scurried for cover, possibly in anticipation of my regular normal animated response. Or perhaps dilution actually potentiated my anger.

Discovering the Self - Selflessly

Spirituality deals largely with understanding the true nature of the 'Self'.
Is the Self just a belief, an a priori conviction, or an illusion?  Does the Self  depend on reaffirmation from others to perceive its own self or is it self referential? 
Our emotions and beliefs and ideals are constantly evolving. — Anaïs Nin put it perfectly: “I am a series of moods and sensations. I play a thousand roles… My real self is unknown.”  The psychologist Susan Blackmore hypothesises that the self is a collection of what she calls ‘memes’ - units of cultural information such as ideas, beliefs and habits. At birth the 'self' doesn't exist but as we are exposed to environmental influences, the self is ‘constructed’ out of the memes we absorb.

          Biologically, most cells in our bodies are completely replaced every seven years. What then is that constant formless entity of the "Self" in a  dynamically  changing  body form? How do we retain or hold the “self” with a steadfast firmness?
Neurologically, the Medial Prefrontal Cortex (MPFC) plays an important role in developing and sustaining the "Self". It represents  and reflects  on our own self-beliefs, but also plays  a crucial role in thinking about how we are seen by others. The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) appears to play a prominent role in two fundamental aspects of social cognition  -  self-referential processing and perspective taking. It crucially takes stock of itself and all that it observes simultaneously. The software that generates an identity as well as the conviction of this delusion being the true self. 
Could the 'self'  be a quantum phenomenon? This strange 'out of of the box' quantum  concept  helped resolve the schizophrenic duality of light. Light simultaneously behaves like a particle and a wave. The self could be a simultaneous projection of "Consciousness" as both- an observing  subjective individual and the observed objective  universe. 
The 'Self' is being observed by an 'awareness' which  is also observing the  'Non-self' universe. A Self centric universe that is in line with the Biocentrism theory proposed by Robert Lanza. The observed universe created and observed by the "Self". The ocean of consciousness in which the wave of the self arises and submerges.
'Aham Brahmaasami ' a fundamental Upanishadic Truth suggests that "I" am the universe. 
This statement alludes to the consciousness that manifests as the 'Self' and the universe. It points to the state of an unresolved dichotomy. The original form of consciousness that is in quantum superposition. Quantum superposition is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics which  states  that a physical system—such as an electron—exists partly in all its theoretically possible states simultaneously; but when measured or observed, it gives a result corresponding to only one of the possible configurations. The "Self" may be one of the possible configurations when consciousness splits itself to observe itself and begin this play of "Life". Self  realisation is when the "Self" realises that it is a transient spatio- temporal construct of consciousness, and the identity, merely a binomial nomenclature for convenience. The momentarily discrete wave realising that it is neither the wave, nor the ocean but a formless abstraction - water. 
The true 'Self' is never the transience of the wave but the eternity of the water in the ocean. 

Dr. Deepak M. Ranade

Consciousness as a computing process

Consciousness As Computing Process

By Deepak M Ranade

Posted on Jul 25, 2014 at 06:08 pmComments 187 | 8549 Views

The human brain is the most highly advanced data processor in terms of the speed volume and complexity of the data it processes. One could therefore say that it is the epitome of the evolutionary process. At any given moment the brain is exposed to a deluge of data. The sense organs are generating terabytes of data each moment, being constantly shovelled into the brain real time by transmitting pathways or neurons.

What determines prioritisation of data processing? Which data is to be assimilated and which is to be discarded?  Cognition can fluctuate between a general background unfocused awareness to sharp focusing on a specific target.

The brain has the amazing ability to process and sieve through this incoming barrage of data. One of the mechanisms deployed is called Latent Inhibition. Data (LID) that is repetitive in nature.

Signals Transmission

LID causes neurons carrying this data to suppress adjacent neurons carrying the same information. These neurons are deployed to transmit other signals or at least not transmit "more of the same." An adaptation by neural pathways which narrows the bandwidth and accords a lower priority or inhibits data is meant to prevent crowding on the cognitive horizon.

An example is the tactile sensation of clothes touching the skin which is constantly being relayed to the brain. The neurons keep this data in a "Standby" mode, relegating its transmission to a lower priority.  This phenomenon becomes even more important in increasing the accuracy of visual perception.

Our Perceptions

Different photoreceptors in the eye respond to varying degrees of light. When one cell activates in response to light, its activity impairs or prevents neighbouring cells from getting activated. This causes the edges between light and dark areas to appear more prominent than they would otherwise. In the absence of lateral inhibition, the border between a black tile and a white tile would appear less obvious. Perception is greatly impacted by the content of the delivered data.

When the filtered data arrives on the cognitive screen, the data is tagged with an emotion- byte. This emotion- byte is unique to each individual. This emotion tagged data is transcribed into samskaras or anagrams for encryption, storage and subsequent retrieval.  This emotion- byte tagged database (samskaras) is unique to each individual.

Stored Samskaras

This emotion tag could be pain, fear, grief, pleasure or joy and becomes vritti or the software- that determines one's inclinations or aversions.

The concept of vritti is central to the main definition of Yoga- "yoga chitta vritti nirodha" given in Sutra 1.2 of the Yoga Sutras by the great sage Patanjali.

Vrittis refer to the different tendencies, or psycho-physical propensities.  They are an expression of stored anagrams or samskaras. Collectively they represent motivation, behavioural patterns, desires, repulsions, predispositions and complexes.

Eightfold Path

The software thereafter not only shapes or personalises but also operates the hardware, the physical form with its identity.  The eightfold path of  Ashtanga Yoga aims to disconnect (nirodha) this database (vritti) from the personalised consciousness (chitta) to effect a pure, impersonal awareness. It ceases the generation of new software obviating the need for any appropriate hardware -- liberation "from" the person rather than "of" the person. 

Are we conscious or is consciousness impersonating us?

Scientists have for the first time separated a particle from one of its physical properties - creating a "quantum Cheshire Cat".
The phenomenon is named after the curious feline in Alice in Wonderland, who vanishes leaving only its grin.
Researchers took a beam of neutrons and separated them from their magnetic moment, like passengers and their baggage at airport security.
The researchers used an experimental set-up known as an interferometer, at the Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France.
A neutron beam was passed through a silicon crystal, sending it down two different paths .
By applying filters and a technique known as "post-selection", they were able to detect the physical separation of the neutrons from their magnetic moment - as measured by the direction of their spin.
"The system behaves as if the neutrons go through one beam path, while their magnetic moment travels along the other," the researchers reported.
This raises issues serious issues about the 'measurement paradox'.
On one hand we have the  Lockean “realist” account according to which perception involves the creation of an “inner reflection” of an independently existing external reality, and, on the other hand, a Kantean “anti-realist” concept of the “veil of perception.”Separation of matter and it's characteristics, attributes or qualities will be an important landmark in our understanding of the phenomenon of consciousness.
Consciousness is traditionally attributed to an emergent quality of neural networks. It is  very intriguing to note that even a single celled creature like the amoeba is conscious and takes appropriate measures to feed and avoid any hostile milieu exterior. Does consciousness operate necessarily through mediation by  a  biological matrix? Could it be all pervading like a magnetic field with the organic or biological substrate serving  as merely a receiver and or processor?
Could consciousness be merely a form of energy that manifests in different forms by modulating it's  frequency and amplitude?
Can perception, be merely a play  of consciousness, a phenomenon that simultaneously projects and  comprehends the external world as a holographic reality? The separation and distinction of the  objective world is because of the external appearances. If the elementary fundamental constituent is the ubiquitous atom, then the perceived difference of the external form may just be a program of the subject's perception. Rather than different particles carrying the information of matter and it's qualities, it could be that different loci in the brain might be activated to perceive matter and it's qualities simultaneously.
Monists like Spinoza adhere to the position that there is some  neutral substance, of which  both matter and mind are properties. The Advaita or non duality too believes in a non-numerical holistic all pervading unity that simultaneously manifests as the subject and the object.  The object and therefore all its qualities and attributes might just be a projection of a self referencing subject that generates  an apparition of separation as well as perception.

Dr. Deepak M. Ranade.