A. SHORT ARTICLES:
1. Origin of the Universe
Excitement of doing Science vs. authoritative statements. Big Bang and
String theory with a blow-by-blow account of Origin of Universe.
2. What makes up the Matter in the Universe?
We know what is there on the earth. Is the whole universe like the earth?
3. "You Don't Belong Here!"
On the origin of living beings; you come from distant
stars and are older than Sun.
4. Nanrishih Kurute Kavyam
(Remembering Dr. Albert Einstein)
Talks about Dr. Eisntein’s Rishi-like life, work and thought
5. The True Nature
of Man
Discusses
the natural state of man and what it means to be truthful.
6. Hormones and Swings
in Emotions
Though we desire to act in one way, why do we behave differently?
7. Three Myths
Our scriptures are not correct about Love, Non-violence
and Man being supreme.
8.
The Power of Thinking
“Thought” is a form
of energy.
9. Pain, Suffering
& Placebo
Swamis do cure our chronic illnesses.
10. Sex and the Brain
Do women need to read Vivekachudamani? Says that women are
by nature more balanced.
11. Ship of Theseus
When everything in you and around you is changing, how do
you
know you are still “you?”
12. Experiencing
Other’s Pain
Role of Mirror Neurons in sensing other’s mind and
learning skills.
Explains ‘ empathy’.
13.
Comfort, Happiness and Energy Dynamics
Provides a definition for comfort in terms of energy expended
14. Prediction
by Phone
Bayesian statistics help forecast future with sparse information.
15. Karma Theory and Perceptual Control
Points out the basic assumptions in Karma Theory and how they are not valid.
16. Effect of Meditation on Brain
Neuroscientific findings show functional and structural changes in brain
with Meditation.
17. The Four
Outcomes
Assuming a Mind-Body duality
(notionally at a functional level), what is Nirvana?
18. Pure Mind
Fun with optic and logic illusions. Shows what you see around is not truly what you think you see.
19. The “Self” Within Us
“Self” is a mere
concept for the processes coordinated by
several parts of the brain for autopreservation.
20. Disinfect Mind And Realize Truth
‘Memes’
are the replicators of ideas which infect mind. Ancient sages knew the havoc memes could play as illustrated by the story
of Lord
Vishnu advising Sage Gadhi to purify mind to be able to realize Brahman.
21. What You Think, That You Will Be!
The influence of Environment and Thought on Gene Expression
22. Reality “Out There” and Quantum Physics
Quantum Uncertainty, ‘Cat states’, Role of Perception in giving raise to observed
Reality and Oneness.
23. We are All an Entangled Web
How everything is connected to everything else, EPR Paradox,
Holographic World, Teleportation, All Info at one point, and Gaudapada’s Concept of ‘Nothing is ever Created’.
24. The Weird World of Small Things
Experiments leading to Quantum Theory, Heisenberg’s
Uncertainty Principle, World as a Wave, Interpretations of Qunatum Physics, Concept of Many Worlds, Does Quantum Theory need a Revision?
25. Invisible Energy in Empty Space
Overwhelming Emptiness within Space and Atoms, Cosmological and Quantum Estimate of Energy of Empty Space, Cosmological
Constant and Quantum Foam, Upanishadic Concepts.
26. Wakeful, Deep Sleep And Dream Worlds
The three states are examined from the angle of brain’s activity. Brain is a high energy-consumptive organ. Deep sleep helps in energy conservation and in cleaning up the waste products of daytime activity. Dreams help in off-line processing of information, in clearing up the clutter of day’s
information and in organization of memory.
27. You Are A Walking Zoo
Microbes constitute 3-4 Kg of our body weight and outnumber our cells by 10 times.
A number of them have a symbiotic relationship with body functions. They work as colonies in maintaining our health.
Our choice of food depends on the flora we have in our guts.
28. The Arrow of Time
Time and Expanding Universe - Time not detected by any of our senses - it is a construct of the
mind. Lord Vsihnu's explaination - Thought creates time and Non-Dual Truth exists when Time and Thought do not.
29. Pleasure of Sex v.
Bliss of Self in Brain Scans
Brain structure – No G-Spot
– Sex is sensual – Salvation transcends senses – Brain scans vary depending on the type of Meditation –
Epilepsy and Religious feeling - Reward circuits more active in Sex – Scans exhibit many differences between Peak Sex
and Religious High.
30. "Sniff, Sniff, We are Earthlings!"
Discusses the importance of the sense of 'smell' for the creatures living on the earth - Smell
signifies the predominant quality of the Element Earth (gandha) - how human beings lost the full potency of
this faculty - the play of smell in our lives in mutual attraction.
B. LONG ESSAYS:
31. Religion Demystified
Examines the development of religious thought from the latest
concepts in Neuroscience, Physics, Anthropology,
Cell and Molecular Biology etc.
32. Biology of Belief – The Missing Link Between Prarabdha
and Free Will
Can we change the heritable characteristics through meditation and
thus affect the Sanchita Karma (stored effects)?
33. Infirmities in Karma Theory
The concepts underpinning The Theory of Karma (that
the effect of present action will be reaped in a future birth) cannot be scientifically not valid.
34. Meditations on Advaita
Traces man’s evolutionary history, abstract thinking capability
and realization of non-dualistic awareness as a coping mechanism for survival. Presents
the concept of an individual ‘self’ and a universal ‘Self’
to represent a shift in the information processing gateways of neuronal networks. Raises
the question whether such a shift can be available for mass scale applicability through an understanding of the neurochemistry
and brain structure.
Plus:
Book Review of John Wheeler's "You Were Never Born";
Translations of the Works of Shri K.V. Krishna Murthy, Chairman, I-SERVE, on Yogavaasishta, Yogataaraavali
etc. etc.
For
LINKS and Other Publications: Please Go to the 'Essays/Books' page.
