Wheels of Life

by Anodea Judith

  At this point there is not enough evidence to say. Melatonin, as a sleeping aid, increases dreaming, showing that it has some relevance to inner vision. Melatonin is chemically similar to native plants known to induce visions and can cycle into a compound called 10-methoxyhar- malan, which is potentially hallucinogenic. Some psychotropic drugs, such as LSD, increase melatonin synthesis. 10 There may indeed be chemical properties associated with the pineal in advanced humans that trigger the phenomenon of inner vision. Now that melatonin has become so widely used as a sleeping tonic, it will be interesting to see over time what effect this may have on our pineal glands or our psychic sensitivity.

  LIGHT

  If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be filled with light.

  -Matthew 6:22

  At the fifth chakra level of awareness, we experienced vibration as an underlying manifestation of form. At chakra six we encounter a higher, faster vibration than that of sound, though of a fundamentally different character. Here we embrace the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we perceive as visible light. Ultraviolet radiation, radio waves, x-rays, and microwaves are just a few of the many wave forms within this spectrum that are not visible to the eye. Light is the form directly perceivable by consciousness. Whereas sound is expressed through a wavelike oscillation of air molecules, light is a far finer vibrational energy, produced by radiative emission from atomic and molecular systems as they undergo energy-level transitions. In a very real sense, light is the voice of atoms and molecules, whereas sound is the voice of larger structures."

  Visible light consists of wave packets called photons, which exhibit either wave-like or particle-like properties, depending on the method of observation. Because light is wavelike, some of the principles we discussed with sound waves apply equally well to light, such as waveforms that can be coherent. Variations in frequency give us the different colors, just as frequency in sound gave us different pitches. Since light is also particle-like, we can think of it as discreet packets or photons, each containing information that allows us to see.

  Light travels the fastest of any of the elements discussed so far. Extreme wind, which may reach over 200 miles per hour, and even sound, at 720 miles per hour, are left far behind by light at 186,000 miles per second-the fastest known speed of any material phenome- non.12 Again, we step further out of the physical limitations of time and space with each new dimension, and the extreme speed of light distorts and transcends our very sense of time. Indeed, if one were to travel at the speed of light, time would cease to pass. This too becomes important at the sixth level, for as Vissudha transcended distance, the Ajna chakra transcends time. In this way, we may see a star in the sky, thousands of light years away, which may even have gone nova and disappeared - but the light of that phenomenon has not yet reached our eyes.

  Light is electromagnetic energy. Though the photons are without mass, light can induce an electric current upon striking metal, a phenomenon known as the photoelectric effect. Photons, striking the metal, displace electrons in the metal, which induces a current. The interesting thing about this effect is that the lower frequencies of light-such as red light, for example-do not have enough energy to induce a current, regardless of their intensity. At higher frequencies, such as blue or violet, a current is produced, which then will vary with the intensity of the light.

  This implies that in the nearly nonphysical dimension of light, quantity of light is far less important than quality, and quality is dependent upon frequency, which we experience as color. For this reason, any study of light must include an excursion into color.

  COLOR

  Color, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.

  -Pablo Picasso13

  Color is the form through which we perceive light. Vivid in experience, rich in depth, color is the very fabric of our seeing. Color is produced by different frequencies in the wavelengths of light. The "hotter" colors-such as reds, oranges, and yellows-are of a lower frequency than the "cooler" colors of green, blue and violet, and therefore the photons have less energy. (Hot and cool are our own subjective assessments, and say little about the actual energy of the light.)

  Light is produced by the excitation and de-excitation of electrons within the atom. Electrons lose or gain energy by "leaping" from one energy level to another. Each leap is called a quantum jump, a discrete step and amount of energy much like the steps on a stairway. When an electron jumps to a higher level, it must absorb a certain amount of energy. When it falls back again toward the nucleus, that energy is released as a photon of light. An electron falling through two levels releases more energy than an electron falling through only one level. Therefore, the photon emits light at a higher frequency, giving us the blues and violets of the upper chakras.

  Color carries very definite psychological effects. Red, which physiologically stimulates the heart and nervous system, is also associated with aggressive and initiatory energies-anger, blood, beginnings of things. Blues, by contrast, are associated with peace and tranquillity, and have exactly that effect on most people. Even wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum have an effect on our health and state of mind. Fluorescent lights, for example, which do not contain the invisible ultraviolet rays, have been shown to have a negative influence on health, both in plants and animals." By contrast, full sunlight, containing the complete spectrum, have in some instances helped heal arthritis, cancer, and other diseases.15

  If we consider that a large percentage of our information comes to us in visual form, and that visual information is perceived as patterns of color, the subtle changes in frequency exhibited by light must have an enormous affect upon our minds and bodies.

  If sound waves affect the physical arrangement of subtle energy, it would follow that color, being such a high octave of material manifestation, could influence matter in much the same way. For this reason, color has been used in healing, with remarkable success. Recent studies have shown some colors of light can be 500% more effective in stimulating certain bodily enzymes.16 This art was known by healers in the early part of the century, (before such things were scoffed upon by the medical profession) as witnessed by the following quote from a practicing physician versed in the art of color therapy :

  For about six years I have given close attention to the action of colors in restoring the body functions, and I am perfectly honest in saying that, after nearly thirty-seven years of active hospital and private practice in medicine and surgery, I can produce quicker and more accurate results with colors than with any or all other methods combined-and with less strain on the patient. In many cases, the functions have been restored after the classical remedies have failed .... Sprains, bruises, and traumata of all sorts respond to color as to no other treatment. Septic conditions yield, regardless of the specific organism. Cardiac lesions, asthma, hay fever, pneumonia, inflammatory conditions of the eyes, corneal ulcers, glaucoma, and cataracts are relieved by the treatment."

  Various theories on the healing effects of color have been written and documented in the last century or so. Using methods such as bathing a person in sunlight passing through a stained glass of a particular color, or drinking water that collected sunlight in a colored glass, has had a remarkable healing effect in many cases. Treatments of blue light, for instance, have been known to provide permanent relief in cases of sciatica and inflammation. In one case the patient had had unrelenting symptoms for eleven years and was relieved within a week of color treatments, with no relapse." In other cases, yellow light has been used to bring mental clarity, red to combat physical exhaustion, and golden-orange has helped diabetics.'9 If diseases begin at the subtle level, should they not be treated at a subtle level as well, using such things as color-especially in conjunction with positive visualization?

  The colors of the chakras follow a logical progression through the spectrum, correlating the lowest frequency of light, which is red, to the lowest chakra, matching the rest of the chakras to the spectrum accordingly. Thi
s seems to be both the most sensible and the most universal system of coordination to the chakras, but it is by no means the only system, and should not be confused with the colors that the chakras appear to be when viewed clairvoyantly, or the colors described in Tantric texts. Some clairvoyant studies, however, such as those conducted by Valerie Hunt, completely corroborate the "rainbow" system as witnessed by the following quote:

  Chakras frequently carried the colors stated in the metaphysical literature, i.e. kundalini-red; hypogastric-orange, spleen yellow, heart-green; throat-blue, third eye-violet, crown-white. Activity in certain chakras seemed to trigger increased activity in another. The heart chakra was consistently the most active. 20

  In addition, Jacob Lieberman, Ph.D., found in his research that when people were unreceptive to a particular color, it correlated nearly 100 percent of the time to stress, disease, or injury in the part of the body related to the chakra of that color.21

  According to the rainbow spectrum, the colors for the chakras (according to modern systems) are as follows:

  Various Tantric texts describe the chakras differently, saying the first chakra is yellow, the second white, the third red, the fourth smoky, the fifth blue, with the sixth gold and the seventh lustrous beyond color. Perhaps as we evolve, our chakra vibrations are changing frequency, and the colors are now becoming more aligned to the pure colors of the spectrum.

  When viewing chakras clairvoyantly, it is equally unlikely that one would see a set of chakras exactly reflecting the above rainbow description, for these are optimum colors occurring in chakras that are fully developed and clear. (In Valerie Hunt's study, subjects were observed throughout weeks of intense rolfing therapy-the clearer colors occurred only toward the end of therapy.)22 From my own experience, it is far more common to see many colors in each chakra, twisting in and out of the chakra and forming patterns and images that relate to that person's life.

  You can also use the associated colors as meditational or mnemonic devices to gain access to your chakras or to find out more about them. First, we can take a small reading of our own chakras through examination of the colors we tend to surround ourselves with-as in our clothing and home decor. Do you always pick the purples and blues or do you consistently go for the vibrant reds and oranges? Are you fond of dark or light colors? Is it a mere coincidence that some monks, who practice celibacy, wear saffron (pale orange) robes, a color related to the second chakra?

  Secondly, we can choose colors that complement the chakras we feel are the weakest. For a long time I was aware of an absence of yellow in my auric field which was also confirmed by many friends and psychics who looked at me. Simultaneously, I had metabolic problems, and many issues related to the third chakra, such as low energy and feelings of powerlessness. I found that wearing a yellow gemstone (topaz) and yellow clothing helped my attitude considerably, to the point where other people remarked about an improvement. On a subtle level, this brought balance into my personal energy system.

  Colors can also be used in visualization for self-healing. In the above case, especially on darker days, I would sit and visualize my aura as a bright yellow; or alternately, visualize golden rays of energy coming to me from the sun. What I projected outward from myself gradually became manifest around me. When Selene Vega and I teach our chakra workshops, we encourage students to wear colored clothing to match the chakra we are studying each day. In this way, we immerse ourselves in the vibrational spectrum of that particular chakra. Colors, like the sounds associated with each chakra, are another form of expression of the seven planes associated with this system.

  THE HOLOGRAPHIC THEORY

  In the Heaven of Indra, there is said to be a network of pearls so arranged that if you look at one you see all others reflected in it. In the same way, each object in the world is not merely itself but involves every other object, and in fact, IS every other object.

  -Hindu Sutra 23

  How do light and visual process connect to what we experience in perception? Why do so many mystics claim to see patterns of light when they meditate, eyes closed? Why do dream images seem so real? And what constitutes memory?

  The most plausible theory put forth to answer these questions comes from a neuroscientist named Karl Pribram, and is based on a model of the mind as a hologram. A hologram is a three-dimensional image formed by two intersecting laser beams. This is analagous to dropping two pebbles into a pond at different locations, and quickly freezing the water. The intersections of ripples would be permanently recorded onto the ice, just as the interference of the light beams are recorded onto the holographic plate.

  In the creation of a hologram, a beam of light produced by a laser is reflected from an object, and recorded on a light-sensitive plate. The plate also receives another beam of the same frequency, called the reference beam, which goes directly from the source to the plate. Looking at the plate itself, we would see only a meaningless pattern of dark and light swirls. This is the coded information of the intersection of the two beams, much as the grooves on a record are the coded representation of a sound track.

  When the plate is later "reenacted" by a reference beam that contains the same frequency as the original laser, the image of the holographed object eerily jumps out at you in three dimensions. You can move to the side of the hologram and see the side of the object as if it were really there, yet since it is only light you can pass your hand right through it.

  There are many remarkable things about holograms. The first is that the information is stored "omnipresently" on the plate. In other words, if the plate were to break into pieces, any piece of the plate would be capable of reproducing the whole picture, though with increasingly less detail as the pieces diminish in size. The second remarkable thing about holograms is that they are nonspatial. Many holograms can be superimposed upon one another in one "space," or on one plate by using laser's of different frequencies. Karl Pribram's theory states that the brain itself functions like a hologram through constant interpretation of interference patterns between brain waves. This is fundamentally different from previous brain models, where each bit of information is stored in a particular place. This theory has shaken the foundations of physics and physiology, creating a paradigm shift in the study of consciousness. Its ramifications are far reaching in the understanding of the mind as well as the world around us. This model seems particularly relevant to the understanding of the ajna chakra. Let's look at how this theory developed:

  Pribram first began by doing brain research on rats and monkeys in 1946. Working with Karl Lashley, he dissected numerous brains, looking for the mysterious basic unit of memory, called the engram. Thinking, as many did at that time, that memories were stored in various nerve cells in the brain, they expected that certain memories would be wiped out by removing brain tissue.

  Not so. Instead, they found that memory seemed to be stored omnipresently throughout the brain, much as the plate stores holographic information. When tissue was removed, memories became fuzzier but didn't disappear. This explained why memories survived massive brain damage, why the brain can store an entire lifetime of memory, and why memories were often triggered by certain associations, or "reference beams."

  When we view an object, light is transformed into neural frequency patterns in the brain. The brain is filled with some thirteen billion neurons. The number of possible connections between these neurons numbers in the trillions. Where scientists have previously looked at the neurons themselves as significant to brain activity, they are now looking at the junctions between the neurons. While the actual cells exhibit a kind of on-off reflex action, the junctions at the nerve endings exhibit wavelike qualities when viewed as a whole. In Pribram's own words: "If you look at a whole series of these (nerve endings) together, they constitute a wavefront. One comes this way, another that way, and they interact. And all of a sudden you've got your interference pattern!"24

  As impulses travel through the brain, the wavelike qualities create what we experience as
perception and memory. These perceptions are stored as encoded wavefront frequencies in the brain and can be activated by an appropriate stimulus, triggering the original wave forms. This could explain why a familiar face brings up recognition, even though that face may look different from the last time you saw it. It may explain why mention of roses brings to mind a particular smell, and why snakes may generate fear even when there is no particular threat.

  Our perception of the world around us seems to be a reconstruction of a neural hologram within the brain. This applies to language, thought, and all the senses as well as to the perception of visual information. In the words of Pribram: "Mind isn't located in a place. What we have is a holograph-like machinery that turns out images, which we perceive as existing somewhere outside the machinery."25

  Because this model hints at each of our brains containing access to all information, even that of other time dimensions, it can explain many things beyond the normal functions of memory and perception such as remote viewing, clairvoyance, mystic visions, and precognition.

  Contemporary to Pribram's holographic brain theory, theoretical physicist David Bohm has described a model which suggests that the universe itself may be a kind of hologram.26 His term for this is holoflux, as hologram is static and not fitting for a universe so filled with movement and change.

  According to Bohm, the universe is "enfolded" or spread as a whole throughout a kind of cosmic medium, much as we would enfold egg whites into a cake batter. This enfoldment allows for an infinite number of interference capabilities, giving us the forms and energies that we experience with our holographic minds. In this context, then, the brain itself is part of a larger hologram, and would therefore contain information about the whole. Just as we perceive the world in a holographic fashion, so may the world itself be a larger hologram in which we are just small pieces. But as pieces, we each reflect the whole.