Dahn Yoga DC Metro Member’s blog

Let us examine the brain stem. Although little is actually known about the brain stem, now and then we glimpse its inexplicable powers. The work that the brain stem does cannot be controlled or even sensed by the neo-cortex. All the essential functions of the body are controlled by the brain stem. If we had to con­sciously sense and control every little thing that the brain stem does, we wouldn’t be able to do anything else for fear of killing ourselves by neglect or by mistake. We can be thankful for the benevolence that separated the brain stem and the neo-cortex. Imagine what would happen if our basic life functions were affected by the type of information that came into our head! A harsh word from our boss and we would have trouble breathing. One kiss from a lover might overload our hearts. Any passing thought of suicide would stop our breathing. Thank God we have the cerebral linibic system to act as a barrier between the neo-cortex and the brain stem. We don’t have to think about staying alive. We just do.

However, there are cases in which the information in the neo-cortex has an immediate and dramatic effect on the function of the brain stem. When the neo-cortex determines without an iota of doubt that a piece of information is true, then it has an effect on the brain stem. However, the neo-cortex must believe one hundred percent in the truth of the information. Normally, when information conies in, the neo-cortex critically and skeptically examines it. However, something that is believed absolutely is delivered directly to the brain stem. The incredible power of absolute belief is that it can actually affect the most basic functions of life itself.

Ilchi Lee writes in his new book about brain respiration for example, it a suggestion is made during a state of deep hypnosis that a scalding hot coin has been placed on your hand, a blister will appear on the spot where the coin is placed, even if the coin is not actually hot. This is possible because, in hypnosis, the function of doubt in the neo-cortex is temporarily suspended. Therefore, the message goes straight to the brain stem, causing it
to signal the body part to activate the self-defending mechanism for a burn. The body then gathers water to cool the heat and to mobilize immune cells to fight against a possible invasion of harmful germs.

Here is a true story, reported in Korean newspapers in the mid-Seventies. A mother whose little child had somehow slipped into a tiger’s cage bent the metal bars of the cage apart with bare hands and rescued the child. Afterwards, she couldn’t even move the bars a millimeter, despite using all her strength. How did this happen? Where did such strength come from? It came from the power of her brain stem, activated when information that her child was in mortal danger was registered with purity and urgency without being filtered through the neo-cortex. This is the same type of extraordinary power we read about in the Bible when a cripple is suddenly able to walk or an incurably ill child wakes up smiling at a word from Jesus. The absolute belief in Jesus’ divinity and healing power, registered directly by the brain stem, brings about a miracle. This is actually the exertion of the potential power of our brain which effects on Yoga Excercies.

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