Category: Samahdi

In his book, The Master and his Emmissary, Dr. Ian McGilchrist takes the reader through how the structural differences in attention of the left and right brain affect individual and societal perception and behavior. Illustrating in allegory and story what McGilchrists  research and work of 20 years conveys, the Yoga Sutras describe 3 different perceptual experiences that belong to the 8 branches of Yoga. They are Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. These three forms of perception appear to be describing the same phenomenon of left/right lateralization described by McGilchrist as well as the ego dissolving attention found in the modern definition of Flow. McGilchrist and research on the phenomenon of Flow echos what the Yogic texts have observed and what modern neuroscience proves – that the optimal state of existence is derived from a perception that is both detailed and expansive. A vision that grants the capacity to comprehend and experience total independence as well as all inclusive connection. Left vs. Right Brain Lateralization: Focused (Dharana) vs. Global (Dhyana) attention Dharana develops and sharpens intelligence, dhyana purifies consciousness and samadhi leads consciousness towards the soul. (3.7 Patanjali Sutras B.K.S. Iyengar) It appears that our ability to pay attention to the opposing and complimentary perceptions offered by the meditative practices of Dharana and Dhyana are built right into the asymmetrical structure of our brain. McGilchrist explains that generally speaking the main differences between the two hemispheres of the brain is not what they do, but HOW they do it. Their differences exist in their attention and resulting perception – not tasks or actions. VERY broadly speaking one could say that the left brain attends to details and is drawn to the familiar. It views reality as a composition of separate distinct parts pieced together. In contrast, the right brain is drawn to the unfamiliar and takes on a more global perspective. Rather than putting pieces and parts together, it observes the whole and then figures out how the parts fit into it.  Dhāraṇā धारणा – The Elephant Tail Dharana is often referred to as the initial step of deep concentrative meditation. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali , the practice of Dharana implies fixing one’s mind on an object of meditation. It can be translated as single-pointed concentration and focus. In practice the mind thinks about one object and avoids other thoughts. The Indian philosopher and theologian Adi Shankara gives the example that contemplating on the sun’s orbit alone, without being interrupted by its color, brilliance or other related ideas is an example of Dharana. Another more terrestrial example, and one I will refer to throughout this blog,  would be the deep contemplation of the texture, color, form and composition of an elephants tail while disregarding the rest of the elephant completely. Left Brain Attention and Dharana The left brain is what enables us to focus in on the details and mechanics of reality. For instance, a bird who is out searching for food uses the right eye (left hemisphere) to pick out a worm or piece of grain from gravel. The left brain is also what allows us to express and explore our reality through the EXPLICIT tool of spoken and written language. It is associated with the neurotransmitter dopamine and therefore addiction, as well as the drive for security, grasping and consumption. It is strongly associated with the experience of anger and is reduced in its capacity to see peripherally and is generally´blind´to unfamiliar experiences and concepts. This makes it excellent at completing tasks and exploring the detailed mechanics of how something works. However, without the global context offered by the right hemisphere, the selective and detailed attention of the left brain can skew the perception of reality. For example, to make sense of the image of an elephant, the left hemisphere would take bits and pieces of the elephant and quilt them together into something that might look much more like a Picasso abstract painting rather than a living, breathing, elephant. In the practice of Yoga Asana, the detailed activity of the left brain (Dharana) is activated as we explore the mechanical architecture of the asana form. For instance, the detailed attention of the foot and how it is affected by the physical placement of the toes and heel to lift the arch would be an act of Dharana. Taking that mechanical observation into sensory perception and noticing how it affects the placement of the spine and the whole felt experience of the body, breath and mind would be entering into the practice of Dhyana – where greater activation of the right brain begins to takes place. Dhyāna ध्यान – The Whole Elephant Dhyana is associated with the goddess Saraswati, the powers of wisdom, music and poetic eloquence. It is defined as the practice of sustained, non-judgmental, non-presumptuous contemplation of a concept/idea in all its aspects, forms and consequences. It is the ablity to observe the color and brilliance of the sun as well as its orbit. It integrates the focused observation of the Elephants tail (Dharana) into the composition and experience of the entire elephant. Right Brain and Dhyana According to McGilchrist the right brain offers a more global perception and allows us to see reality as a whole rather than in parts. For example, a bird favors its right eye (left hemisphere) to pick out a piece of grain. However, it uses its left eye (right hemisphere) to maintain a awareness of the world around it. This global awareness helps to ensure that the bird is safe from outside threats while maintaining an awareness of a potential mate, as it pecks out food on the ground. The right brain is associated with IMPLICIT communication and comprensión of reality as expressed through body language, music, art, poetry, story and dance. It is associated with the neurotransmitter norpenephrine and is responsible for ´the theory of mind´ – the capacity to ´feel another´s pain ´. This capacity to understand and perceive ´the other´ is developed right along with our capacity for