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Silence - Melathonin and Meditation
by Maria Ferreira da Silva
in 14 Dec 2016
 (...previous)  The thought mechanism works just like a machine which is switched on at birth and off at death. Therefore, during the intervening period, the life of a being, steps can be taken to develop the brain and the mind.
There are certain requirements for the development and training of thought in a conscious manner and at an accelerated rate: purity of living, positive attitudes and ideas, higher objectives and ideals, care and moderation in eating, and the practice of Meditation. Meditation is of essential importance and the main subject of this piece of scientific and spiritual research. The conclusions I have reached after so many years of practising Meditation and studying its beneficial effects on the brain are described in this book and I believe they can provide a valuable contribution to Science and Spirituality.
Meditation provides the means for concentrating the mind on itself and releasing mental tensions in the brain. Through the process of Meditation the brain is gradually able to rid itself of these tensions; by practising regularly, improved clarity of thought (mental purity) can be achieved, which allows naturally for the development of more intelligence. Altruism, patience, kindness and spiritual aspiration are the result of a conscious process of development and purity of living (right attitude), leading naturally to pure thought; and only this leads to silence. Silence is the state of being which emerges from inner quietness when our baser feelings have been calmed. It arises when the mind, having no reason to seek either mental or physical movement, is able to remain calm and indifferent to the outer world (even though it is enveloped by the world and its tireless movement).
Silence is a state of Being, and in this state we can best identify with the Spirit; the mind is merely the subtle vehicle, which enables its manifestation. It is the mind, housed within the brain, that directs, controls and creates thought, according whit the brain´s specific areas, using it in accordance with its own requirements, and the intellect is the result of the overall development of the thought functions of the brain. The brain is divided into specific areas, each sector acting and working in accordance with its particular requirements and functions. Cell clusters operate their own specific cognitive systems which govern eating, walking, storing knowledge (memory), emotions, feelings, and so on. In this way the mind regulates itself.
When human beings first evolved, only limited areas of the brain were used to perform primitive functions and its capacity for thinking, creating and other cognitive activities was also limited. As Man’s consciousness developed, he gradually learned how best to survive; there was a stimulus for new areas of the brain to function and for this organ to think more deeply. The first object of Man’s contemplation and thought would have been Nature itself. Now, visual and sound stimuli are the principal means for the development of the brain. Contemplating beauty stimulates thought. For instance, a painter who seeks to express the perfection of Nature uses his mind to search for the best form of expression, by impelling certain specific and creative areas of the brain. Primitive Man’s brain was characterised by limited mental functions and a degree of mental chaos; nevertheless, in order to survive in a demanding world he had to make a great effort to use his mind and organise his thoughts above and beyond the habitual plane.
Climatic changes have taken place on our planet causing great geological revolutions with far-reaching consequences, and Man has had to adapt constantly. These circumstances have changed the way the mind works. Neurons have had to multiply and reorganise themselves into new functional systems which have gradually impregnated the memory. This impulse of the brain as a whole has contributed for a more complex and favoured mind.
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