THE BRAIN

The Brain is the instrument of the mind, the body is the servant of the mind.The Brain is the most complex part of the nervous system.The Brain is surrounded and protected by the bones of the skull, by the meninges, and by the cerebrospinal fluid.The human brain is made of many parts.Each part has a specific function.

Brain activity is controlled by currents and chemicals. Brain makes up only 2% of our body weight, but takes 20% of the energy produced.The energy comes from glucose and oxygen brought by the blood.When your blood glucose that is , sugar is low, you feel hungry and irritable.Your brain parts shut down its operation so that you become very weak and tired.

Now lets look at the human brain. The human brain is as big as a coconut, almost the shape of a walnut.It has two hemispheres which are covered in a thin skin of deeply wrinkled grey tissue called the cerebral cortex.At the very back of the Brain, tucked under its tail lies the cerebellum the little brain.Each half of the cerebrum is split into four lobes. 

The Cerebral Cortex controls all your voluntary movements. It receives all your conscious body sensations. It is responsible for Learning, Judgement, Creativity and some of our emotions.

Majority of the people depend more on the left hemisphere of their brain than on the right.That is the reason why most people are right handed.The left hemisphere in most right handed people is responsible for producing and understanding speech, reading, writing and logical thinking. The right hemisphere is more important in the perception of music, artistic ability, creativity and the emotions.The cortex functions at a slower rate when we are sleep than when we are awake. If a specific part of the Cortex is affected in case of Stroke will result in a loss of function associated with that part. So a Stroke in the left hemisphere will paralize all or part of the right side of the body and may cause a loss of ability to speak.

The Brain controls movement both voluntarily and involuntarily. Passion begins in the brain, so does love, hate, anger, imagination, Motivation, inspiration and all our thoughts and feelings.

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THOUGHTS

James Allen in his Book "As a Man Thinketh"says Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes, and man is mind and evermore he takes , The tool of thought, and shaping what he wills, brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills. He thinks in secret and it comes to pass.Environment is but his Looking Glass.

A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of his thoughts. Prof.William James points out 'The greatest discovery of our age is that man by changing the inner aspects of his thinking can change the outer aspect of his life.

Thoughts are powerful. Without thoughts there is no life. God has given you the power to think what ever you want in your life. Everything we created in this world good and bad began as a thought. Emerson said 'We are what we think all day long'.Solomon said 'As a Man thinketh so is he as he continues to think so he remains'.You are responsible for every thought because you pay the price. If you think good, good will follow, if you think evil, evil will follow.

James Allen says 'If a man's mind has evil thoughts pain comes to him as wheel the ox behind, If one has purity of thought joy follows him as his own shadow.Every thought is a cause and every condition is an effect. By changing your thoughts you can change your character and by changing your character you can change your destiny.Nothing controls from outside.Everything is controlled from inside of you.So start searching outside and start to search inside. Whatever happens to you is through your thought, so by changing your thoughts you can change your life once for ever.

Positive thoughts yield positive results-Joy, Happiness, Success,
Prosperity, abundance, health etc.
Negative thoughts yield negative results-unhappiness, pain, envy,
Suffering, selfishness, hatred and jealousy.

If you persist in your thoughts of health and wealth, this produces a consciousness of health and wealth.An abundance of everything,
Health, wealth, riches and happiness. Our thoughts produce our physical realtiy. Again James Allen Points out the Effect of thought on circumstances. A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated, or allowed to run wild. But whether cultivated or neglected it must and will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind. Like a gardener who cultivates his plot keeping it free from weeds and growing flowers and fruits, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out of all the wrong and useless, and impure thoughts and cultivating toward perfection the flower and fruits of right, useful and pure thoughts.

Finally Allan wrote 'A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely shape his circumstances.

Whatever you want to do or what you experience right now is through your thought. So you can change your destiny. You are the Master of your fate. So breed good thoughts and fill your mind with positive and successful thoughts.

Recommended Books
As a Man Thinketh, James Allen

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CONCENTRATION

Concentration means to focus your attention on a single point.So to focus is to concentrate on one given thing at that moment. Every time you try to read a book , watch television or try do some work your mind starts wandering, your eyes feeling heavy and your body starts to ache. Take a simple object and place it in front of you.Now take a deep breathe and let go. Relax.Then focus on that object. Now try to concentrate on that particular object.See how many minutes you can focus your attention. Now sit in front of the mirror watching yourself.Try to focus for 3 minutes.Slowly you can increase your time. Many people when watching t.v.programmes or video will be doing other things like eating, drinking, sleeping etc. Focus is simply bringing back your attention to that particular object.Meditation helps you to focus on your breathing, thoughts and well being. You know your mind is like a pendulum swinging to and fro with your thinking, feelings and emotions.Concentration helps you to steady your mind from the chaotic swinging pendulum. While focus it is good to open your eyes. You can use many things to focus on.You can also focus on your worries, pain etc. Your focus is simply a central point on which to fix your eyes.A favourite focus is a burning candle. So start breathing and relaxing your body in the same manner as before.

Pictures, flowers are also excellent focus points during your concentration. In using these objects you can concentrate better.By practising this every day you can learn to sit in one place and focus your thoughts on a particular thing.You can also concentrate by standing in front of a full length mirror. Make direct contact with your eyes in the reflection.Focus totally on your eyes for 10 minutes.It is very helpful for concentration.

Recomended Books
A Better Life, Ainslie Meares M D

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MEDITATION

We are surrounded by negative forces like jealousy, hatred, fear, doubt, worry, despair, guilt, resentment, anger, pride  hatred and anxiety. These are the dominating forces of the universe.We are constantly attacked by these negative forces day in and day out.The only medicine to fight this deadly disease is Meditation. Through Meditation we can get everlasting peace, that is what we know the "Divine Peace". To grow in light and to fulfill ourselves in light and purity we need to practice meditation regularly.

What is actual Meditation?
Meditation doesnot mean just sitting quietly for 15 to 20 minutes. It requires concentration. You have to calm and quieten your mind.It requires conscious effort. You have to free yourself from repetitive and unwanted thoughts that distract your attention. As you learn to calm your mind you feel a new creation is dawning inside of you.  When your mind is vacant and tranquil your whole existence becomes an empty vessel. You will attract infinite peace, joy peace happiness. This is actual meditation.

The aim of meditation is to free yourself from all worries and unhappiness.All the negative thoughts attack your mind. The heart is much purer than the mind. Love, grace, mercy, peace, tranquility, affection are already there in the heart.

Before you start Meditation  'Repeat Supreme'or Heavenly Father 400 times. By doing that your concentration will improve.It is almost a waste of time if you want to purify your mind because negative thoughts are always floating on the surface. So concentrate your attention towards your heart. It is already illuminated. It has all the good qualities you desire.So everytime when you are not able to control you mind please donot feel unhappy. But focus your attention towards your heart and within few seconds you will be able to meditate without any disturbance.Heart is like a fountain full of peace, joy and love. You can sit at the base of the fountain and enjoy it. So it is better to meditate in the heart than in the mind.From your mind you get inspiration and from your heart you get aspiration.

How to Concentrate
1.	Find a quiet place
2.	Make a Black dot on the wall
3.	Stand 20 inches away from it.
4.	Concentrate on the dot.
5.	Then Breathe in deep and breath out.
6.	Feel that when you are breathing you breathe is actually coming from the dot and that the dot is also breathing in, getting its breathe from you.
7.	Feel there are two persons. You and the dot.
8.	Do it for 15 to 20 minutes every day before you start to meditate.
9.	If you dont want to concentrate on the dot you can concentrate on counting your heart beat mentally.

As you practice doing it for few weeks you can concentrate better. Also when you meditate negative thoughts will slow down and you will have full control over your mind. As James Allen has pointed out:

Self Control is strength
Thought is Mastery
Calmness is Power
Say unto yourself "Peace Be Still"

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