Meditate and your brain grows!

First if we look at more spiritually developed species, ET s, they have usually bigger brain comparing to body - and we will also start to look like that! According Sarkar

About meditation studies:

http://www.news.wisc.edu/13890: Among all experienced meditators with MRI scan: "We found that regions of the brain that are intimately involved in the control and regulation of attention, such as the prefrontal cortex, were more activated in the long-term practitioners," Davidson says.
But while looking only at the most experienced meditators (with 40,000 hours); "There was a brief increase in activity (attention) as they start meditating, and then it came down to baseline, as if they were able to concentrate in an effortless way," says Davidson. "Most people, if they heard a baby screaming, would have some emotional response," Davidson says, “but not the highly experienced meditators. They do hear the sound, we can detect that in the auditory cortex, but they don't have the emotional reaction." 2007 study; meditators have longer attention spans.

Meditation helps to grow bigger brains; Researchers have found that experienced meditators had increased thickness in parts of the brain that deal with attention and processing sensory input. Meditation can retain brain fitness and reverse the effects of aging. Sara Lazaar has found in her study that meditation reduces age-related thinning of the brain. And a study in University of California has shown that meditation may affect multiple pathways that could play a role in brain aging and mental fitness, preventing dementia.

Meditation and Plasticity; http://www.braintraining4all.com/posts/brain-fitness/how-does-meditation-impact-brain-plasticity/221/#ixzz2HIzmFZR8. More: http://www.braintraining4all.com/posts/brain-fitness/how-does-meditation-impact-brain-plasticity/221/#ixzz2HIzgavUm. Due to reduced stress meditation helps us to experience positive emotions and increase a sense of well- being and joy. And http://www.braintraining4all.com/posts/brain-fitness/how-does-meditation-impact-brain-plasticity/221/#ixzz2HIzuIuiv.

The researchers report that those who meditated for about 30 minutes a day for eight weeks had measurable changes in gray-matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. http://www.psyn-journal.com/article/S0925-4927%2810%2900288-X/abstract. M.R.I. brain scans found increased gray matter in the hippocampus, an area important for learning and memory and reduction of gray matter in the amygdala, a region connected to anxiety and stress.

2009 study suggests that meditation may reduce blood pressure in patients with coronary heart disease.

In a 2008 study published in the journal PloS One, when meditators heard the sounds of people suffering, they had stronger activation levels in their temporal parietal junctures, a part of the brain tied to empathy, than people who did not meditate.

And improved balance between right and left brain after meditation: http://www.newbrainnewworld.com/?Altered_States%26nbsp%3B:Meditation. Gifted matematicians; showed a faster and more accurate ability to exchange information between hemispheres than those of average mathematical ability.

http://www.superconsciousness.com/topics/health/meditation-key-unlocking-human-brain. Dr. Shanida Nataraja: We have two sides of our brain and each of those sides contains a different way of thinking and perceiving. In our modern world, a lot of us tend to be very left brain focused. So we’re very rational, analytical and strategic, and our society in many ways encourages those characteristics. Meditation gives us a tool by which we can switch our brain activity from the left to the right brain, because sustained attention is a right-brained function, and in doing so, we gain access to a different way of thinking and perceiving. Modern society discriminates against the right hemisphere." — Nobel Laureate Roger Sperry.

British science documentary told the story of a little girl's brain scan which revealed that half of her brain contained very little more than fluid, but performed none of the cerebral duties that it ought to. Her parents approved surgery to excavate her skull of its watery contents. In his book Half A Brain is Enough: The Story of Nico, Spanish cognitive psychologist Battro recounts the moving story of a young boy in a similar situation who underwent a hemispherectomy to remove much of the right half of his brain. Both children recovered well from the procedure. Battro; "how can half a brain sustain a full mind? Do we really need so many neurons and so many synapses to be human?"

Yogies; The left brain controls the right side of the body and the right brain controls the left side of the body. The right brain contains the fifth brain circuit which is a holistic, superconscious state and is a major goal of Tantric rituals - brings the feeling of bliss, a vision of wholeness, and a neurosomatic ability to see, among many other benefits. It is also the first step to even higher brain circuits with abilities we almost never tap into.

The left brain has been most revered in western culture. Only recently have investigators linked the increase in potential and feelings of wholeness reported by meditators with the activation of the right side of brain, including increased empathy, relaxation, creativity and mental alertness. Experiments showing significantly reduced anxiety and neuroticism in meditators and increases in the sense of self control and self-actualization suggest that meditation may be an important aid to good psychological health.

A preliminary report on a five year study of Ananda Marga meditators shows that average blood

pressures are lower than for a comparable group of non-meditators. Two major studies, one at

Dartmouth University and the other at Stanford University, showed experienced Ananda Marga

meditators to be producing a high level of theta brainwaves which seem to be associated with higher

levels of consciousness.

This theory seems a bit strange, but getting popular: Dennis Mackenna http: A-new-theory-of-neural-evolution. Short cut, Tony Wright explains; Human brain rapid expansion in size and complexity stalled suddenly roughly 200,000 years ago and our brains have been shrinking ever since... goes hand in hand with our species wide insanity.

During millions of years of evolution in the African tropical forest we developed a symbiosis with fruit, the most complex tissue in the known universe evolved... Fruit has very unique, highly complex hormonally active chemistry.... Today’s ‘junk’ food has the opposite effect, causing the unique process to reverse.

Even the slightest alterations in the structure or chemistry of the brain can result in major changes in overall functioning, how we perceive the world, and our sense of self. The powerful effects of taking even a minute dose of a psychedelic being a perfect example of this sensitivity! 
 
... Our reproductive, immune and highly sensitive neural systems were mostly affected, especially during its early development in the uterus.... and because the left hemisphere of the brain is more sensitive to steroids this side inevitably erodes at a quicker rate.

The characteristics of the dominant left hemisphere, conceptual and rational thought/speech, are some of our most advanced traits. The development of the brain and in particular one side of the neocortex is now incomplete, and paradoxically the most retarded side has assumed control. With a loss of functioning we become less able to experience, understand and know, and with this comes fear. Fear played a part in suppressing the more baffling perceptions of the right hemisphere. The evidence suggests those abilities as well as a wholly different sense of self lie dormant in the right side of our brain and is only occasionally glimpsed by a tiny minority of people.

The myths of a previous golden age and humanities fall into dark times are found all over the world; Bible, Eskimos, Aborigines, Mayans etc. The origin of these ancient practices, such as shamanism, meditation, etc, were borne out of techniques to reduce the influence of left hemisphere and/or engage the abilities of the increasingly suppressed right hemisphere. Although if you do meditation, dream or use psychedelic drugs, it may still be only a glimpse of a state of being that our distant ancestors considered “normal”.

Some thoughts: We are learning more about the beneficial properties of fruit bio-chemistry. One tomato for example contains 10,000 different phytochemicals, influencing the way the DNA is read and thereby influencing the structures, can affect brain size? Katherine Milton has found that our diets now contain only 5% of what they used to when we lived in Africa on average. That means we lost thousands of transcription modifying chemicals. Or that what a mother consumes can have a life long impact on the child after birth?

That our left hemisphere has advanced abilities, is a conclusion reached by our left hemisphere!
http://beyond-belief.org.uk/
http://www.disinfo.com/2012/04/planthuman-symbiosis-and-the-fall-of-humanity-... : http://leftinthedark.org.uk/Files/Foreword%20as%20in%20book.pdf

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/sep/25-modern-humans-smart-why-brain-sh...

In his book Food of the Gods, McKenna proposed that the transformation from Homo erectus to the species Homo sapiens mainly had to do with the addition of the mushroom Psilocybe cubensis in its diet - about 100,000 BC. One of the effects; mushrooms significantly improves the visual acuity of humans - an evolutionary advantage to humans - made it easier for them to hunt. In higher doses, the mushroom acts as a sexual stimulator – evolutionarily would result in more offspring, and to "dissolve boundaries"; community-bonding and group sexual activities - mixing of genes; genetic diversity. The mushroom had also given religious experiences. Dennis McKenna, new theory of neural evolution: http://leftinthedark.org.uk/sites/default/files/Left%20in%20the%20Dark%20free%20edition.pdf.

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Critisism: "The 'Stoned Ape' Theory of Human Evolution", lacks evidence. There aren't any mushrooms at ancient fire sites. Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of evolutionary biology can see that there is no logic behind this story. And small squirrel monkeys do like to intoxicate on fermented fruits and even would steal beer cans.
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Sarkar said that most beneficial for human brain and spirituality is to eat greens, but also (alkaline) fruits, nuts, and vegetables are beneficial for meditation. Yogis found sentient food to be most beneficial for uplifting mind and body functions. Junk food, meat etc are harmful to both body and mind. For sure also drugs, as they destroy the mind and body although they might have in some sense short time benefits, but eventually which will come back to haunt down the user.

Sarkar said that human scull is increasing in size compared to body in the future, because we will use our brain more than body.

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There might be some truth also, who knows, what comes to Mackenna's theory of shrinking left side of brain, but human beings are becoming more spiritual: Sarkar said that human development was first more in physical level (I.e stone age, agrarian revolution), and then next in intellectual and psychic level (middle age) and now human beings are developing more spiritually.

Wide consumption of mushrooms by Homo Sapiens, I don't believe - by the way, interestingly, we should not eat mushrooms, because they take energy from human body, as they are parasite plants, utilizing other plants for their growth.

So if you eat lots of mushrooms, the mushrooms might eat your brain!!! But as the greens take photons from the sunshine, your brain might grow if you eat lots of greens!!! And not only that, but you might become green like Ets!!! Wow!!!

But this is too much: http://www.expansions.com/irradia-couple/, Russian scientist eating radiated food!
 

And this: Scientists Say You ARE Artificial! “Physicists say they may have evidence that the universe is a computer simulation. How? They made a computer simulation of the universe. “And since there would be simulations within simulations, it is therefore more likely that our world is artificial. “Now researchers, University in Germany say they have evidence this may be true.” Wow who will believe!!!

Didi Annapurna