The Pineal Gland, Seat of Spiritual Connection

You may think of the spiritual world as being completely beyond and outside of the body, but in fact spirituality is a built-in feature of the human brain. Just as we have ears to help us hear sound waves and eyes to help us see shapes and colors, we have a bodily organ to help us attune to the spiritual world. It is called the pineal gland.

Shining new light on the pineal gland

The pineal gland is a small structure that in humans is located deep within the brain but in zebrafish is found directly under the skull. Its primary function, however, is conserved in fish and humans: the nightly release of melatonin. While the human pineal gland detects daylight via the eyes, the fish pineal gland senses light directly.

What our ancestors’ third eye reveals about the evolution of mammals to warm blood

French philosopher René Descartes believed that the pineal gland, a tiny button of neurons located in the depth of our brain, was the seat of the soul.

An Overview of the Pineal Gland

For being such a tiny structure, the pineal gland has a colorful and misunderstood history. It’s considered a somewhat mysterious organ, as its function was discovered last of the endocrine glands.

Keys To The Universe Are Hidden In Your Pineal Gland

Squint your eyes a little, and check out this raisin-sized gland inside your brain: Would you believe me if I told you that this tiny, unassuming organ may be the gateway to your highest potential as a being of infinite power? As you may have already deduced, it’s not a misplaced honey roasted peanut: it’s your pineal gland.

Know your brain: Pineal gland

There are no neurons that leave the pineal gland to carry signals to other areas of the brain. Instead, the main output of the pineal gland--and the way it communicates with the rest of the nervous system--is melatonin.

My 9-Year Love Affair With Melatonin

Melatonin’s basic mechanism is simple: The brain’s pineal gland naturally secretes melatonin, a hormone, when darkness falls—signaling to the body that it’s time to sleep. Melatonin supplements mimic this process, tricking the brain into thinking it’s bedtime.

The Pineal Gland

The pineal gland was called the "third eye" by ancient people. It was thought to have mystical powers. This may be why the French philosopher Descartes decided that the pineal gland was the seat of the human soul, the location of what we call the mind. The pineal does contain a complete map of the visual field of the eyes, and it plays several significant roles in human functioning.

The Secrets of Sleep

Even God needed a seventh day to rest from all that he created.

Third Eye - Pineal Gland

The pineal gland (also called the pineal body, epiphysis cerebri, epiphysis or the "third eye") is a small endocrine gland. It produces melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and photoperiodic (seasonal) functions. It is located near to the center of the brain between the two hemispheres, tucked in a groove where the two rounded thalamic bodies join. Unlike much of the rest of the brain, the pineal gland is not isolated from the body by the blood-brain barrier system. It is reddish-gray and about the size of a pea (8 mm in humans).

Third Eye Blind? A Guided Meditation

So, how do we open our third eye? Thank Shiva, the answer's simple: Yoga and meditation. In fact there are studies proving that meditation triggers the pineal gland to produce melatonin, creating the relaxed state of sleep in an awake brain.