Yoga is not a science, although it is scientifically endorsed
Scientific theory is the most rigorous, reliable, and complete form of knowledge possible. Theories are constantly improved depending on the new evidence that is obtained, so theories improve over time. In other words, the basic hypotheses can be refuted, annulled by presenting new evidence that contradicts the fulfillment of a previous axiom or law…. In this sense, Yoga is empirical, but unscientific, it does not use the scientific method. The knowledge it provides should not be taken as definitive or as a parameter of absolute truth. The knowledge of the Being will only be a scientific truth when it is corroborated through the scientific method, meanwhile it only has the character of a philosophical, unscientific theory.
Yoga is a psychophysical system, supported by a holistic philosophy based on the Vedas and the Upanishads, with a strong psychological effect that produces well-being on the balance of body and mind. It is not a science, although it is scientifically endorsed.
According to researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University, Yoga is a good substitute for medication for the treatment of fibromyalgia. In individuals who practiced Yoga versus a control group that did not practice, depression decreased 42%, fatigue 30%, and pain 24%.
Yoga increases the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, decreasing anxiety and depression disorders related to a low level of it. It has been established that Yoga improves mood, decreases anxiety and increases GABA levels; producing a more positive overall effect on the mind-body binomial than walking. It also stimulates the thalamus.
According to research from the Center for Health Studies, its practice is more beneficial than other exercises for the treatment of chronic back pain. Through the continuous practice of yoga and meditation in just 10 days, anxiety levels are significantly reduced, according to a report in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. On the other hand, older people increase their stability and balance, experiencing less risk of falls and breaks. . At Ohio State University they have found that regular practice helps reduce blood levels of the cytokine interleukin (IL-6), which plays an important role in the body’s inflammatory response by promoting swelling.
Stress is reduced with just a twenty-minute session a day, something that scientists from Ohio State University have been able to verify. Improvement has also been verified in cases of patients with breast cancer. According to a study published in November 2009 by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, individuals who practice this discipline enjoy better cardiovascular health than those who do not.
The gray matter of the hippocampus increases its density after practicing yoga for two months. Fact verified by Harvard Medical School. This has the effect of increasing clarity of consciousness, memory efficiency and learning ability. Changes also occur in the amygdala, the part of the limbic system that controls emotions, the effect of which is to reduce anxiety and stress. Likewise, according to a study from the University of Wisconsin, the combination of meditation and Hatha Yoga increases the activity of the right prefrontal cortex, promoting greater stability of positive moods for longer.
Yoga strengthens the brain, increases the number of its convolutions, making it easier for it to process information faster and more efficiently, which leads to more accurate and timely executive decisions. Yoga neutralizes the sympathetic system and activates the parasympathetic system by reducing heart rate and blood pressure, thereby increasing blood flow to internal organs. Through Hatha Yoga and meditation, the thickness of the brain’s cortex and the number of synaptic connections increase, thus increasing the intellectual quotient and all the cognitive abilities of the subject.
Yoga today mobilizes billions of dollars of annual turnover worldwide. It has become a lucrative business. But it is not a science like medicine is. It is a psychophysical system whose versions vary from school to school and author to author. It is the same that happens with the description of the benefits and contraindications of the postures or asanas of Hatha Yoga, everyone has their version. There is no universal official definition. For this, it would be necessary to opt in a similar way to medicines, have a multidisciplinary commission that would test each asana during a trial period and with a certain number of people and describe all its effects in detail and contraindications, using the scientific method.
with the pranayama is the same, there are several rhythmic breathing systems, but they lack scientifically based research to support them and from which variations can be experienced. And the same thing happens with meditation, hundreds or thousands of books have been written on the subject, but meditation follows a psychophysical process, not a scientific one. It has been and is scientifically studied, but it is not practiced using a scientific method.
How to change this reality? To start by taking Yoga to the university, transforming it into a degree course and making it the object of serious scientific research at the neuroscience level. The philosophy of Yoga does not have all the answers, it does not contain the ultimate Truth, it needs to be complemented with the knowledge provided by science and leave behind all traces of mysticism.
Neuroscience, especially contemplative neuroscience, is building the necessary bridge between science and Yoga meditation. Applying the scientific method, through empirical verification, this psychophysical discipline will cease to be subjective and will become objective, capable of developing new research projects, formulating hypotheses and establishing laws and truths based on science.
Religion and meditation change the internal thought model, but they do not modify the global collective external reality as technology does, for example the impact that the use of cell phones has had on billions of users and the impact it will have about our civilization the next colonization of Mars… But, what would happen if this changed? This is what is proposed from the combined programs of Siddha and Zeus.
The first consists of 100 recruits meditating a minimum of 8 hours a day, including military and academic psychophysical training, with the participation of 50 neuroscientists controlling the experiments and perfecting the techniques that will be put to the test. The objective is to develop the siddhis or yogi paranormal powers, such as telepathy and telekinesis. While the Zeus Program is a second, more evolved phase in which these same highly trained meditators participate, at the level of psychonauts, wearing a special suit made of fiber optics that pumps laser beams towards energy points classified by acupuncture. They experience meditation immersed in a tank containing a breathable liquid and suspended by means of a gyroscope to balance the body in order to find the maximum relaxation posture. Through an umbilical cord of optical fibers they are connected to a quantum computer that processes all the data that the psychonauts perceive and think. Those who also wear special contact lenses that connect visually and mentally with the central computer.
The goal of the program is to digitize thought processes and ESP abilities when they occur, so that they can be replicated indefinitely by computers in the next step. This will allow access to super technologies in the short term. We know that the human brain is a machine that connects with 4D and that it can operate with this dimension. If the AI replicates thought, it will be possible to copy this processing and digitize it to reproduce it through the machine, to have it available at all times. .
Guru, what for? From the hippie wave of the 60’s, the fashion of the gurus of India prevailed. The idea of path and spiritual progress was associated with the assistance of an advanced teacher who takes charge of the disciples and teaches them the correct path so that they can evolve along the golden path. This idea was added with respect close to the adoration of the figure of these characters and to take all their teachings as absolute truths. Which is absurd and leads to blind alleys, to ignorance and spiritual obscurantism.
What then should be the modern position on the subject? If we have to choose between samadhi and a doctorate, we choose first the experience of samadhi, because it allows us direct knowledge of the Truth. Once obtained, we must choose the doctorate and be guided by the scientific method to continue our search for relative truths and the definitive Absolute Truth. The heart is the source of the soul and intuition, but it must be guided by logic and reason; science is essential for the light of knowledge to shine in our minds, everything else is hollow and empty mysticism. We must not discard the essence of religion, faith in God is everything; but we must prop it up with scientific knowledge to acquire balance and move away from dogmatism and false beliefs and doctrines. Faith and reason must come together and combine to illuminate our minds and shape our destinies.
Personally, I am working intensely to illuminate Faith with Knowledge and Knowledge with Faith.As? Integrating the body of scientific truths into Buddhist and Yogi thought systems. To achieve this I am developing the series “Buda Maitreya Data”, where I postulate that Samadhi is a means and not an end. A medium for what? To access more and better knowledge by applying the Superconscious Scientific Method. By amplifying the potential capacity of the subject, the perception of the object is modified and as a result we approach the truth about its ultimate reality.
Through the upcoming series “Yoga Technology” I review the techniques and scientifically support them, exposing them directly to objective controlled experimentation.
The method that I apply has four pillars: 1.- Meditation and concentration to access superconscious states of mind in a regular and controlled manner, 2.- Constant psychophysical training, training the body through disciplines such as Karate, Tai Chi Chuan or Chi Kung , taking care of diet and personal hygiene. 3.- Constant academic training, studying and passing a minimum of one master’s or postgraduate degree per year and 4.- Teleworking.