Components Of Mind According To Ancient Scriptures Of India

By Siva Prasad

ABSTRACT: The components (or faculties) of mind according to ancient scriptures are
explained with inferences and interpretations. Connection of the components with states of
mind known as dreamless sleep, sleep with dreams, wakefulness, trance and para-trance
are given. Analogy of the working of the components with the parts of a computer, and with
feedback control systems in Electrical Engineering are given. Through analysis, it is shown
that the spine works like the CPU of a computer.
1. INTRODUCTION No metaphysical problem is more vigorously discussed by the present
day psychologists than that of mind and body. Most of us assume that all thinking takes
place in the brain. It is only since a few decades that psychologists are treating body and
mind as a single unit called psycho-somatic system. This led to the development of new
subjects like Psycho-biology and Psycho-neuro-immunology. Modern medicine has
recognized the brain-spine system as a single unit, but it does not assign thinking functions
to any part of the spine. It is now known that even when a considerable amount of brain is
removed through surgery, a person can still have reasonable mental abilities and can lead a
near normal life. Modern research found that one region in brain can perform several tasks
and so can compensate for the loss of damage of another region. On the contrary, surgical
removal of some 'safe' parts from womb of women is known to cause problems of mind like
dementia. Then, what are the components of mind and where are they located? The present
paper tries to provide some information in this line, using interpretations of the principles
given in ancient scriptures of India. Indians put their hand on the chest when they say "I am
saying this from the depths of my Manas". Manas (rational mind) is a common word used in
India, and no one shows his head when he uses that word. The Europeans have an esoteric
tradition that mind exists independently of the physical brain, and thoughts become known
to a person through the brain [1]. During the 1970s, neurologists became increasingly
dissatisfied with the epiphenomenalism [2] theories of mind and brain. More scientists
came to suspect that mind and brain were different in a kind and could interact.
2. COMPONENTS OF MIND
Carl Jung distinguished persons according to four primary functions of mind - thinking,
feeling, sensation, and intuition - one or more of which predominated in any given person.
According to ancient Hindu scriptures, the various components (or faculties) of mind are
[3,4]: Ahamkaara (Self-sense): The need that "I have to survive" originates here. The sense
of smell is connected with this center. It has the lowest vibration of energy among the
components of mind. Some of the traits of this center are similar to the influences of planet
Saturn according to astrology. This center works dominantly on Saturday. Chitta
(Emotion): It deals with the particular. Subconscious instincts like "I am hungry", "I am
thirsty", and "I have to sleep" originate here. This center is connected with emotional
thoughts like fantasies, artistic inspiration, and biological needs. The sense of taste is
connected with this center. It has higher vibration of energy than Ahamkaara. Some of the
traits of this center are similar to the influences of planet Venus according to astrology.
This center works dominantly on Friday. Manas (Reason): It deals with the general. Manas
is connected with rational thinking, and mental interaction with others. Conscious thoughts
of will-power like "I have to do this", "I do not want to do this", "I can not tolerate this"
originate here. We know that a person always shows his chest, and never shows his head,
when he utters such expressions. This center is connected with traditions and social needs.
Manas lists out the applicable pros and cons of the subject under consideration, and
suggests the practical possibilities. The sense of touch is connected with this center. It has
higher vibration of energy than Chitta center. Some of the traits of this center are similar to
the influences of planet Mercury according to astrology. This center works dominantly on
Wednesday. Buddhi (Intellect): It deals with deliberation of the pros and cons using
discrimination to determine on a subject [5,6]. This center gives out the judgment after
considering what is emotional and what is rational. Buddhi deals with a person's normal
abilities . Thoughts like "I do not have enough resources (or energy) to handle this
situation", " This is some thing not known to me before, but I can manage it", and "I can do
it, but I have to think again whether I should do it" originate here. This center has the
ability to balance and control other parts of mind. The sense of seeing is connected with
this center. It has higher vibration of energy than Manas center. The traits of this center are
similar to the influences of planet Jupiter according to astrology. This center works
dominantly on Thursday. Jnaata (Knowing): It deals with a person's extra-ordinary
abilities. Instability and restlessness are it's characteristics. Commands for doing physical
actions are given by this center. The sense of hearing is connected with this center. It has
higher vibration of energy than Buddhi center. The traits of this center are similar to the
influences of planet Mars according to astrology. This center works dominantly on
Tuesday. It is known to many that more quarrels are likely to take place on Tuesday than
any other day of the week. Jnana (Knowledge): Modern medicine knows that direct
stimulation of the surface of the brain (the cortex), while the patient is conscious on the
operating table during surgery, has the effect of bringing long forgotten experiences back to
awareness. Removal of specific parts of the brain abolishes the retention of specific
experiences in memory. The pineal gland in the brain is the seat of Jnaana center which
controls memory, knowledge, and serenity. It is the seat of personality with which a person
is born. Stability and peace are it's characteristics. The sixth sense is connected with this
center. It has higher vibration of energy than Jnaata center. The traits of this center are
similar to the influences of planet Moon according to astrology. Jnaana center works
dominantly on Monday. This center is connected with beginnings. Most cultures consider
that the beginning day for a week long work is Monday. It is a fact that most cultures
named days of the week after the same planets. When the memory and knowledge stored
at this center is accessed during information processing, the common man assumes that the
thinking process is taking place in the brain. The centers of these parts of the mind are
located on the spine. The Ahamkaara center is located at the base of the spine. The Chitta
center is located behind the private organ. The Manas center is located behind the thymus
gland. The Buddhi center is located behind the navel. One writer located Buddhic plane [2]
in the fourth chakra. The Jnaata center is located behind the throat. In the study of army
veterans with spinal-cord injuries, researchers found that they can become emotional but
they do not feel it - they do not have the bodily heat that they used to have before the
injuries. Ahamkaara, Chitta, Manas, Buddhi and Jnaata centers are the seats of elements
Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Aakasa respectively. Some modern authors connect element
Earth with stability and practicality, element Water with sensitiveness, emotions and
melancholy, element Air with communicative and sanguine thinking, and element Fire with
activity and power. The Buddhist text Skanda says that the five elements of creation sum
up the whole of an individual's mental and physical existence in five levels. Hindu
philosophical texts described Sukshma Sareera (subtle body), Stoola Sareera (gross body)
and Kaarana Sareera (causal body). They refer to the components of mind in the body -
Chitta, Manas and Jnaana respectively. The Sukshma Sareera (subtle body) is called Linga
Sareera (private organ) in some texts to indicate it's location. The theosophy describes
seven planes [2] of consciousness or components of mind. Some medieval Europeans wrote
that mind has a number of faculties such as perceiving, comparing, thinking, recalling and
discrimination which contribute to knowing. It is known to many persons at present that
knowing involves (1) sensation (or stimulus) (2) analysis (or imagination), (3) synthesis
(or interpretation), and (4) evaluation (or justification). These phases are carried out by
Ahamkaara, Chitta, Manas and Buddhi centers respectively after accessing the Jnaana
center through Jnaata center.
3. STATES OF MIND
The Upanisads define the following states of mind: Sushupti (Dreamless sleep): This is the
unconscious state. Ahamkaara center controls this state. Nidra (Sleep with dreams): This is
the subconscious state. Chitta center controls this state. For this reason, we feel the action
of Chitta center only indirectly. Modern psychology says that subconscious is the source of
phantasy and dreams. F.W.H. Myers wrote that subliminal self [2] (beneath the threshold
or subconscious mind) could perceive sensations and emotions, and could work in
cooperation with normal conscious mind. Jaagruti (Wakefulness): This is the conscious
state. The lungs are said to be 'awake' because the heart-lung system continues to work
even in a person who has gone into sleep or coma. Manas center controls this state. Hence
we point towards the chest for all our conscious thoughts and intentions. Tureeyam
(Trance): Buddhi center controls this state. It is a known fact that not all persons can be
induced into trance. Women in general are said to excel in inducing trance, and also to go
into that state easily and deeply. A woman is said to throw her trance inducing looks into
the eyes of a man of her liking, and Buddhi center of that man goes into Nidra or Sushupti
for a period depending upon the intensity of her looks. It is to be remembered here that the
sense organ which is under the control of Buddhi center is the eye. Modern science knows
that a person under trance can readily distinguish between two 'identical' blank sheets of
paper - by recognizing minor blemishes or differences in the grain. Tureeya Ateeta (Para-
trance): This state is known as 'that which goes beyond trance' or 'that which annihilates
trance'. Jnaata center controls this state. If trance is a female dominated state, para-trance
is a male dominated state. Experiences of this state happen mostly in men, and that too in a
small percentage of people. Some achievable levels of this state can be experienced through
devotional dance, Dyana (meditation), chanting of Mantras, and Tapas (austerity). Rare
experiences like religious enlightenment and spiritual visions are examples of this state. In
This center is connected with charisma or personal magnetism observed in some men.
Ananda (Joy): This is the super-conscious state. The Vedic texts describe it as Sat-Chit-
Ananda (truly felt joy). This is the timeless and spaceless transcendental state which is
variously known as relaxed alertness, higher awareness, great happiness, abundant peace,
sublime elation, tranquility, serenity, ecstacy or bliss depending on the level of experience.
The Jnaana center is connected with this state. Superconscious mind [2] is regarded as the
source of much of the inspired writing and speaking. Some modern western musicians
wrote that music is a higher revelation than wisdom and philosophy. Some ancient Hindu
texts wrote that music transcends all limitations of language and races. It is known to many
of us that babies, animals and even snakes enjoy listening to music. Poets described that
soft music moves the chord within like a moon beam that tranquillizes the mind, and acts
like an orison. Modern para- psychology knows that crops give better yields if soft music is
played in the fields regularly. Katha Upanisad described the connection between Chitta,
senses, and sense objects like money and pleasure (1.3.10): "Indriya (senses, semen) gets
overcome by Artha (money, pleasures). Higher than Artha is Manas, and higher than Manas
is Buddhi. Higher (than all these) is the state of bliss connected with soul" Sushipti, Nidra
and Jagruti are commonly experienced by all. Tureeyam is an uncommon state; existence of
plasma state of matter in nature is also uncommon. The five components of mind can
become unconscious, subconscious or conscious; either independently or collectively in
varying degrees of intensities. That would make up for the widest range of personalities
that we observe. Elements of Nature are called 'created' elements because they were
created from Sakti - the energy of nature. Sakti is the cause for the first beginning - the
creation. Modern science also agrees that all matter was created from energy. The Jnaana
center is connected with Sakti (energy) and time.
4. ANALYSIS OF WORKING AND INTERACTION OF THE COMPONENTS
Ahamkaara (Self-sense) center: In Sanskrit, Aham means 'I'. Ahamkaara is the technical
terminology word, used in ancient Hindu scriptures on mind, to give the meaning
'component of mind connected with I'. The words self-centeredness, self-concept, self-
deception, self-defense, self-doubt, self-image, self-importance, self-interest, self-
justification, self- limitation, self-love, self-opinion, self-pity, self-possession, self-
preservation, self-protection, self-regard, self-sacrifice, and other similar words which
describe the basic concepts connected with the self nearly explain the workings of this
center. Ahamkaara is also connected with conservation, inferiority complex, knowledge of
an illiterate, and latent mental potential to recognize the unseen. In Kundalini Yoga texts,
the base of the spine is called 'Moola Chakra' (root center, primitive part of mind, or that
part of mind with which a person is born) or Aadhara Chakra (foundation center or the
basic part of mind which is used as basis for all further learning). Yoga exercises aim at
awakening of dormant abilities from the unconscious component of mind at this center.
Ahamkaara is described as the most complicated of all components of mind because it
contains seed forms of all the other components of mind and assuredly something beyond.
Yoga texts say that this is the seat of undifferentiated Karma accrued through all past lives.
A differentiated part of this Karma becomes Punya (virtue) and Papa (vice) which affects
the present life. This center is the seat of the element Earth. It controls the processing of
solids in the body, and interaction of the body with the solids out side the body. The "
beastly" requirements to sort out the elementary properties of an object like " danger - no
danger", "edible - inedible", "warm - cold", "large - small", "far - near" and the like are
processed at this center. For example, one-day-old chicks can unfailingly distinguish a
flying duck from a hawk, although they have never seen either. Chicks rush to take refuge
even if a stuffed hawk is made to slide on a string over them. This center is connected with
self-protection, self-defense or Fight-or-Flight mechanism needed for survival of the body.
It has the inherent capacity to restrain annihilation of the body and preserve the self
identity. It works like a very large fly-wheel rotating at a slow speed. If you throw a small
stone on it, it will absorb the small momentum of change imposed by the stone, and
continues it' s rotation as if it is almost unaffected. The unexpected strength in combat or
unusual speed in fleeing from an enemy are provided by this center. Modern medicine has
not found the seat in the brain which controls the Fight-or- Flight mechanism. Let us
consider a case that a man is walking through a forest at dawn. Some thing has fallen down
from a nearby tree. Survival of the body is more important to this center than display of
valour. This center decides whether it is possible to fight (or kill that thing) or should the
person take to his feet to save himself. The decision to be taken should be a split-second
type because survival of the person is more important to this center. If the fallen object
does not appear to be a threat to the self, then the received signal is passed on to the next
higher center, the Chitta center. Persons in whom this center works actively can be called
service givers or diligent workers. They are forgiving and like to keep everyone happy with
their services. They are so much work minded that they will not leave any assigned work
until they complete it irrespective of the time it takes. Their strength is the commitment to
do the assigned job, and no personal requirement can distract them. They see things from
everyone else's side. They lack initiative most of the time and wait for others to tell what to
do. In hospitals and charitable establishments, they attend to chores selflessly, never
minding that these are details that would repel anyone else. Easily imposed upon and often
submissive even to those who lack any real authority, they remain under the control of
everyone else at work. Chitta (Emotion) center: Plato wrote that opinion (or the sensory
information) was a form of apprehension that was shifting and unclear, similar to seeing
things in a dream or only through their shadows. Modern psychologists say that passions
have the same limitations of senses as they tend toward immediate emotional discharge.
Chitta is the quick acting component of the mind which can be termed as leftist or negative
thinking part. It is called negative because some psychologists felt that emotion separates
the received information into pieces, contains unintentional and contradictory ideas, and
lacks internal organization, inner consistency and concrete solutions. On the contrary,
some philosophers thought that this is the 'idealistic view' of thinking about a problem.
This center can handle divergent thoughts like a multi- channel parallel processing
hardware in a super computer. It is known to psychologists that adolescents can hold in
mind several dimensions of a topic simultaneously, whereas children can focus on only one
dimension at a time. Compared with children, adolescents are more likely to generate
different opinions and examine a situation from a variety of prospectives. Chitta is the seat
of the element Water. It controls the processing of liquids in the body and interaction of the
body with the liquids out side the body. This center is connected with instincts, urges,
impulses, desires, imagination, sentiments, intuition, passions, caring, pleasure,
exploration, unconventional ideas, moods, insight, superstitions, immodesty, immorality,
analysis of details, concern about particular features, capacity to find novel relationships,
unrestrained expressions connected with body or mind, molding of past experiences into
new constellations of meanings, creation of artistic, poetic and musical works and the like.
Art is based on intuition, which is a direct apprehension of reality un-mediated by thought.
Thus art cuts through conventional symbols and beliefs about people, life and society, and
confronts one with reality itself. Seeing a good work of painting or reading a novel sets
waves of emotion in Chitta center. As romantic literature everywhere developed, intuition
was praised over reason, and emotions over logic making way for a vast body of literature
of great sensibility and passion. Some youths variously describe sex as that which meets
the requirements of pleasure urge, emotional fulfillment, passionate craving, instinctive
motive, subconscious desire, lustful feeling, or release of pent-up desires. Men of wisdom
wrote that likings and desires connected with sex are shrouded in darkness beyond reason.
Dictionaries connect the word "desire" with thirst, craving, dream, fancy, feel like, impulse,
lust, passion, and urge. They give the meaning of words "crave" and "lust" as "thirst"
indicating the connection with the center governed by element Water. Sentiments are
described as tender emotions, romantic feelings, preconceived ideas or preconceptions.
Passions are known to be connected with subconscious feelings like emotionality,
irrational motive, sexual desire, wildness and zeal. Chitta center stores Papa (vice) of a
person which affects the present life. The urge to have sex will be higher on Friday than any
other day of week. The Sanskrit word for Venus is Sukra which also means semen. Like the
semen, Chitta represents an extraordinary spontaneous creative energy which is an
independent primordial essence. This center has seeds of past memories and can access
Jnaana center for more details of each memory. It may be noted that the expression
"sensory indulgence" refers to sexual activity. This center controls the sensitivity of the
sense-organs. If the vitality of this center gets reduced due to any reason, the sensitivity of
the sense-organs also gets reduced. For example, the sense-organs feel sleepy after an
ejaculation in man. Even if the man has very high artistic talents, they also will not respond
normally soon after ejaculation. It takes about 40 minutes before some recovery is felt.
Even a man of high rationality needs about 20 minutes to become normal and to do
complex mathematical calculations after seeing an erotic movie. This center can be
compared to a convex lens - it provides insight for the subtle. It's working is similar to
Differentiation in mathematics. It helps to observe all the minor details, and each minor
detail is given very high importance. In the fallen object case that we are studying, Chitta
will help to observe the individual parts of the fallen body as if they are seen through a
convex lens. The first phase of the pattern recognition takes place here. It will pass on the
original signal along with it's pattern recognition report to it's higher center, the Manas. A
creative person is usually very intelligent in the ordinary sense of the term, but often he
refuses to let intellect rule; he relies strongly on intuition, and he respects the irrational in
himself and others. An artist is said to go to the extremes to divorce himself from
environmental constraints. Aristotle wondered "Why is it that all men who are outstanding
in philosophy, poetry, or the arts are melancholic?" Many other thinkers over many
centuries observed the association of mood swings and intense emotional pain with
creative artists. They are the same symptoms described for love-sick persons in romantic
literature of ancient India. Psychological studies of highly creative people have observed
some tension in terms of such dualities as logic and intuition, the conscious and the
subconscious, mental health and mental disorder, the conventional and the unconventional,
and complexity and simplicity. Many creative people show a strong interest in apparent
disorder, contradiction, and imbalance; they often seem to consider asymmetry and
disorder a challenge. At times creative persons give an impression of psychological
imbalance, but immature personality traits may beam extension of a generalized
receptivity to a wider-than-normal range of experience and behaviour patterns. Such
individuals may possess an exceptionally deep, broad, and flexible awareness of
themselves. Modern research showed that as adolescents, between 29 and 34 percent of
eminent-artists-to-be exhibited psychiatric symptoms compared with 3 to 9 percent of
future achievers in the sciences and law. Many artists attested that persons who are mildly
maniac can uncover areas of thinking which are normally shrouded in darkness. Modern
psychology says that a creative thinker, whether artist, writer, or a designer, is trying to
create some thing new, or a conventional thing with a novelty. What ever be the area of
specialization, creative thinking involver a considerable amount of subconscious re-
arrangement of symbols and images. Nishida Kitaro, after a long struggle with something
that was impenetrable to his logic, wrote that pure mental activity - the unity of conscious
thought and intuition - ultimately finds itself in the abyss of darkness that envelopes every
light of self-consciousness. Even though this darkness is like dazzling obscurity, Kitaro
observed that it gives the self some unfathomable depth of meaning and being. Ancient
astrologer Satyacharya described Venus as a damsel of 16 years age. Russian researchers
have found that highest liveliness in a human body exists at the age of 16 years, and that a
person can live for 10000 years if the biological systems are maintained at the same
efficiency of working as they are at the age of 16 years. Soon after the completion of 16
years of age, 'brain sand' starts forming in the pineal gland. This can be likened to 'onset of
gradual death'. Many fairy tales say that a princess will die on her 16th birth day. This is the
reason why adolescents feel subconsciously that they are unique like fairies, invincible in
some way, and that no one can understand how they really feel. They also believe that they
are the main actors with super personalities and all others are the audience. The sense of
uniqueness is their motivating force of life, and also the cause of high suicide rate. The
duality of 'age of eternity' and 'onset of gradual death' bothers them subconsciously.
Modern researchers found that 15-year-olds not only detect inconsistencies of self across
various roles but also are much more troubled by these contradictions than younger or
older adolescents. Some older adolescents describe that certain aspects of their mental
experience are beyond their awareness or control, indicating the influence of subconscious
mind. The Hindu scriptures say that Chitta center is the seat of Prana. The word Prana
means life or liveliness. Many modern scientists tried to locate the seat of Life. Some
proposed the heart to be the seat of Life. But there are many cases that people revived to
life after some hours of stopping of the heart. Some medical experts theorized that a body
will not revive after it's brain ceases to emit the electrical signals. Even this theory could
not stand the test of truth. Modern medicine knows that the first organ to decompose in a
dead body is the private organ. There is not single case in the medical history that a person
revived after the private organ started decomposing. Chandogya Upanisad says (VI.5.4): "
Water when drunk becomes three fold; it's coarsest portion becomes the urine; it's middle
portion the blood, and it's subtlest portion Prana." An adolescent can be cheerful one
minute, anxious the next, and then be sarcastic for the one that follows. Men of wisdom
wrote that adolescence begins in biology, goes through intense emotional changes and ends
in culture. Chitta can be called adolescent's mind because they can notice even minute
changes in familiar objects. It may be remembered here that private organ matures during
adolescence period. It is a known fact that emotions forge bonds between the infant and
her mother, the husband and his wife, and a person with others in the family. This way, the
center of creation (the private organ) is also connected with creative ideas and bonds
between life forms. However, scientists are not sure how the so called emotional
mechanism of the brain works [7]. Some modern philosophers wrote that emotion has a
strong physical component which is primarily felt in the body [8]. Some modern writers of
books on mind-control described 'emotion' as energy of body in motion. The very meaning
of the word 'emotion' is given in some dictionaries as that which causes physiological
changes and prepares the body for immediate vigorous action. This effect is attested by
many painters and music composers who felt intense sensation in private organ when they
created master pieces. Hystera in Greek means 'womb'. History knows that every great
discovery contains an irrational element or creative intuition. Orthodox psychology says
that such discoveries are the result of ideas arising from the individual's subconscious
mind. Persons in whom this center works actively can be called romantic or lazy drifters.
When they think of something, it will be more in terms of pictures and less in terms of
words. They have the urge for constant but continual attempt to equalize the situations of
life. They have many creative ideas. Their intuition is phenomenal, and they can recognize
things instinctively. They can magnify trifles. When they are in good moods, they are easy
going, very sensitive, imaginative, excitable, sophisticated and charming. They have a
craving for excitement that seems innate, which often causes them to go in opposition to
their own normal interests. Quite paradoxically, their initial craving becomes horribly
unhappy in the very setting that they did so much to create. (It is as if their centers of liking,
thinking and doing are not very interactive). Given a choice, they prefer to gravitate to
feelings rather than rules of practicality - they are ruled by instinct more than reason. All
the argument in the world will simply make them all the more stubborn. They are
sympathetic and anxious to learn the views of others, no matter how wide apart their
interests are. They display a fascinating charm; quick, ready minds; with an amazing
aptitude at solving the problems of others. Often they lavish affection upon those who do
not deserve it. They do not hesitate entering into new and unexplored regions, and may go
to the extremes to quench their zeal. They have the innate ability to recognize ventures that
bring luck and quick success. They are good at arts like theater, music, song, dance and
painting. They feel that art is not only inspiration, but it is the essence of life. They are
endowed with a religious frame of mind and do not miss a pious duty or holy rite. At other
times, they are indecisive, gullible, frivolous, shallow, flirtatious, and easily influenced.
Their face expresses a wide range of feelings. They do not show much concern for home
and family. They are sensitive to the needs of others and have the gift, which at times
appears psychic, of understanding the emotional needs of their companions. Their advises
appear to bring luck to some persons. Most of the time, they have the ability to make others
feel better about themselves and their innate abilities. They like business situations, and
can lose themselves in their goals. They may indulge in romanticism bordering on
sentimentality. At times, they like the opposite sex to the extent of promiscuity. Many of
them will have a tendency to value every thing in terms of monetary gain. In addition to
being intuitive and passionate, they constantly strive towards some kind of spiritual
fulfillment. They feel lazy to do an assigned job. Their tendency is to circumvent problems
than meet them head on. But with a little push, they become surprisingly energetic to do a
great job. (This attitude is similar to the state of penis which normally remains un-erect.)
They will always be searching for what is missing in their lives because most of their their
notions conflict with reality. Many persons of this type become designers, decorators,
sculptors, poets, cosmetologists and fashion experts. Some women of this type may become
midwives, college lecturers, editors of women's magazines, sports stars, prostitutes, and
witches. Manas (Reason) center: Even after seven decades of research, the seat of reason in
the brain still remains a lively subject of debate for researchers of our time. This should
necessarily be so because the seat of reason is the lungs which is a spread system that
includes skin of the body. Manas is a slow acting component of the mind. We know that
most of the people are quick to act on desires, but are slow to learn something consciously.
The working of this center can be termed as the rightist or positive thinking part. On the
contrary, some philosophers say that a method based on reason alone is a 'mechanistic
view' of thinking about a problem. Manas handles convergent thoughts using single-
channel integrated processing of information and provides a holistic view. Aristotle wrote
that the individual things that men perceive with their senses are but imperfect copies, and
that it is necessary merely to be able to say that something is generally true of certain types
or groups of things in order to build up a system of knowledge about them. Immanuel Kant
wrote that knowledge demanded both that there be acquaintance with particulars and that
these be brought under general descriptions. Acquaintance with particulars was always a
matter of the exercise of the senses; only the senses could supply intuitions. Every sensory
experience is a mixture of a sensory content and a temporal form which is contributed by
the (rational) mind. Further, if one formulates a sensory experience into a judgment, then
the mind also contributes certain additional objective features: the judgment incorporates
ideas of something being a substance or quality of that substance. According to Kant, the
raw data of sensory input is only a small part of what constitutes human knowledge and
most of it is contributed by the human (rational) mind itself. Manas center will do active
exploration of the information provided by Chitta, grasps the essentials, tries to solve the
problem using simplification, and provides an abstract model. It is the seat of the element
Air. Manas means reason, logic, synthesis and rationality. Manas center deals with defense
against physical attacks from other persons. Manas helps a person to speak correctly and to
do complex mathematical calculations. This center is connected with conscious thoughts
like synthesis, combining, ethics, doubting, examination, foresight, argument,
interpretation, common sense, general structures, coherent ideas, planning, tactics,
strategies, ambition, jealousy, sacrifice, cunning, marital faithfulness, disciplined systematic
thinking, enveloping thoughts, partiality to relatives, suspecting the presence of a person
who is hiding, craving to do some physical work, duty-mindedness, dislike for perfumes
and swimming, and the like. Since Manas is connected with logic and doubt, it can also be
called inner critic, cautioning voice, or moral adviser. Daniel Goleman wrote the following
about the faculties of emotion and reason [9]: "In a very real sense we have two minds, one
that thinks (the rational mind) and one that feels (the emotional mind). These two
fundamentally different ways of knowing interact to construct our mental life. One, the
rational mind, is the mode of comprehension we are typical conscious of: more prominent
in awareness, thoughtful, able to ponder and reflect. But alongside that there is another
system of knowing: impulsive and powerful, if sometimes illogical - the emotional mind ....
There is a steady gradient in the ratio of rational-to- emotional control over the mind (way
of thinking); the more intense the feeling, the more dominant the emotional mind becomes
- and the more ineffectual the rational. .... Ordinarily there is a balance between emotional
and rational minds, with emotion feeding into and informing the operations of the rational
mind, and the rational mind refining and sometimes vetoing the inputs of the emotions."
This center stores Punya (virtue) of a person which affects the present life. In theosophical
writings, Manas [2] (faculty of reason) is the intelligence of the individuality which
continues from one incarnation to the next. If a person suffers suffocation due to some
reason, say accidental exposure to harmful gases in an industry, then normal working of
this center gets affected. Similar effect is observed in drunkenness state of a person. Some
disturbance in the working of Manas is found in persons who work in rooms filled with
pure oxygen. Manas can be compared to a large concave lens - it deals with the gross to
provide overall view. It's working is similar to Integration in mathematics. Psychologists
know that in emerging adult-hood, self understanding becomes more integrative with
disparate parts of the self, so pleasant and enjoyable in adolescence, pieced 'together' more
systematically. The second phase of the pattern recognition takes place at Manas center. In
the fallen object case, Manas center calls for required pictorial patterns from those stored
at the Jnaana center and narrows down the possibilities. It will pass on the original signal
along with the pattern recognition report of the Chitta and it's own rational model to it's
higher center - the Buddhi. If the thin 'skin' of the lungs is spread on ground, it will
approximately occupy the area of a tennis field. It is the largest reservoir of energy in the
body. Manas which is connected with lungs also has these qualities; it will consider only the
gross aspects, neglects minute details and aims at long term planning. The skin is the
extension of that which is formed first in an embryo. This center was given the highest
importance in ancient Yoga texts. Psychologists say that the majority of scientists and
engineers are non-creative and non-inventive because they use the logic of Manas. Using
the reason and logic of Manas center in all our mental activities appears to be highly
scientific. Are there any arguments against it? Yes. In the 1930s, Austrian mathematician
Godel proved a theorem which became the "Godel theorem" in cognition theory. It states
that any formalized 'logical' system in principle cannot be complete in itself. It means that a
statement can always be found that can be neither disproved nor proved using the means
of that particular system. To discuss about such a statement or to take a decision, one must
go beyond that very logic system; otherwise nothing but a vicious circle will result.
Psychologists say that any experience is contingent - it's opposite is logically possible and
hence should not be treated as contradictory. The Buddhi center does this difficult job of
going beyond the problem of logic. In some medieval European drawings, women were
likened to upward pointing triangles, and men were likened to downward pointing
triangles. Among persons with weight proportionate to their height, men are supposed to
have broad chest and women are supposed to have broad loin region (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).
Ancient Hindu scriptures say that women in general excel in Chitta center and men in
general excel in Manas center. In India, if a man asks his wife to explain her feelings in
detail, she would say "Woman's sentiments are beyond the logic of men". Some medieval
European books described women as unreasonable (see Fig. 3) and men as less instinctive.
Western medicine knows that women are more easily alarmed and emotionally aroused
than men. It has been the experience of many in India that the intuition of a woman has
helped her husband to take a better decision. Hence the saying that there is a woman
behind every successful man. Modern psychology says that the characteristics of
convergent thinking is the concern for a particular end result. The thinker gathers
information relevant to the problem and then proceeds, by using problem-solving rules to
work out a rational solution. The result of convergent thinking is usually a solution that has
been previously arrived at by someone else under the same circumstances. The
characteristics of divergent thinking is the variety of thoughts involved. When thinking
creatively, people tend to think in a divergent manner, thus having many varied thoughts
about a problem. At times, the person may drift into autistic thinking, or free association, in
which the symbols of thought have private meanings. In the process of this divergent
thinking, some useful ideas that would have been missed by concentrating strictly on the
problem may occur. Many creative persons may not score high in standard intelligence
tests. They have certain specific abilities which they can use in their search for new ideas.
They resist conventional approaches that have been determined by others, and would
rather do their own thing even if it is unpopular, seems to be rebellious or non-confirming.
Chitta center is connected with divergent thinking and Manas center is connected with
convergent thinking. Persons in whom this center works actively can be called managers or
perfectionists. When they think of something, it will be less in terms of pictures and more
in terms of words. They are the best among others in general knowledge and current
affairs, and are rarely interested to become experts in any particular specialization or
differentiation. They are smart, bold, tactful, cultured, proud, ambitious, aristocratic, and
great-hearted. They keep their thoughts and spirits high most of the time. They urge others
to 'shine', never giving up hope, and impel them onward and upward even when things are
the darkest. They demonstrate fearlessness, honour and persistence in whatever they do.
They are persistent, aggressive, ardent in their zeal, and not easily shaken in adversity.
They perform their work with speed and precision, and expect others to follow their way.
Persons in whom Manas center works dominantly enjoy more with work, discussions with
others, and less with rest. (The Japanese language has many words for "work" and no word
for "rest".) They certainly like to control others, but never towards evil ends. They look
down at any happening or situation from a higher vintage point. They act like big brothers
(or sisters) to every one to give right suggestions in any situation. Their face expresses only
a small range of feelings. However, they are broad minded, expansive, plain spoken,
faithful, and can provide the highest expression of love or sacrifice. They are dualistic in the
sense that they can be pompous, patronizing, intolerant, interfering, dogmatic and bossy at
the same time. Their innate courtesy can bring out the best of loyalties from their
subordinates. They organize the home incredibly well and keep their surroundings as tidy
as their minds. They give a very high value to human relationships and exchange of
feelings. They usually have many people in their homes, friends or relatives coming and
going, and enjoy cooking or caring for them. They seek popularity and are sensitive to the
moods of the masses, through which they aim to gain social influence and recognition. They
crave for luxury and power. They are drawn to the company of the well-to-do and
powerful. They like to shine in social situations and try to dominate others. They prefer to
be the center of attention, and give high value to honour, respect and prestige. They have
the ability to implement at the right time and make sure that a job is always done well.
They rarely feel queasiness and act promptly to promote themselves when the opportunity
strikes. Their ideas are expansive and refuse to give up or give in at any time. They do not
go after small or second rate accomplishments. In thinking big, they sometimes overlook
some minor or obscure details. Their assessment of time and circumstances are usually so
correct that they know exactly what needs to be done and by whom. Their energy is best
utilized in taking charge, giving orders and getting things done. They are highly principled
and have strong views of what is right and what is wrong. They have a high mental
integrity with very good memory and try to do the best that is possible in any situation.
They are inclined to favouritism. They are more disillusioned than the average if let down
by near and dear. They are restless, constantly suffer from some worry caused by others,
and rarely accept fate. When a crisis strikes a person, they sometimes refuse to help that
person. Further, they may put a few small (and right type of) hurdles in his path. They
remain observing him only to see that he develops his innate abilities to tackle the situation
with courage and confidence. Most of the people around them obey their commands. They
are respected even by strangers. The percentage of persons interested in meditation or
Yoga will be lowest in this type. Women of this type have the ability to become ideal
housewives and mothers. They have high sense of duty coupled with an innate loyalty.
Manas center causes queen- like traits in some women. Such women appear some what
masculine in face and body gait. They use logic and reason most of the time, and will have
less belief in dogmatic aspects of religion. The energy that emanates from their eyes is
sharp and synchronized like a laser beam, and resembles that of a lion. They plan things in
advance and execute them with mathematical precision. However, they rarely accept any
unrelated person to become very close, and maintain some inner distance. They have
forethought and foresight in all their executions. They prefer to commit suicide than to
loose honour and die a moral death. Buddhi (Intellect) center: This is the balancing
component of mind which gives judgment after assessing leftist and rightist thoughts. It is
the seat of the element Fire. Yoga texts define fire as the central channel which balances the
left and right channels of the spine. Most people think that element fire is what we see
when something is burning. The Ayurveda uses the word Jathara Agni which means gastric
fire. This center will not be working with it's normal ability after a heavy dinner,
particularly if the meal consists of hard to digest items like fried mutton. It takes about 40
minutes before some recovery is felt. In ancient Hindu scientific terminology, Agni is the
fourth state of matter - the plasma state. One may wonder how the plasma, which is made
in science laboratories using sophisticated equipment, is also available in the body. The
alternative word for Agni is Tejas which indicates that this center is the controller of aura
around the living body. Buddhi means decision making. It discriminates between what is
fine (Chitta) and what is gross (Manas). This center has the ability to solve contradictions.
Buddhi clarifies the doubt about the attributes and nature of a thing expressed by Manas,
overcomes mistaken interpretation of what is felt by Chitta, goes through the memory for
related experiences stored at the Jnaana center, and provides a settled and correct
understanding of a thing. Buddhi does not condemn the urge for pleasures from Chitta
center, but takes a view that the pleasures should not be treated as ends in themselves. It is
something like the saying that a man should eat to live but not live to eat. Buddhi is
connected with decisiveness, moderation, modesty, humanitarian consideration,
acceptance of responsibility for process and result, conviction of universal cause-and-effect
relationship, ability to abstain from premature conclusions, and reluctance to conflict with
certain people and with their habitual ideas. This center controls rhythmic coordination
between all components of mind. The working of this center can be compared to a critically
damped feed-back control system in Electrical Engineering. It means that when some
energy, from an outside source, is imposed on this center, it will continue to vibrate for a
long time at a stable rate. The display of valour for a right cause is connected with this
center. It is also connected with defense of a person against mental and psychic attacks
from other persons. In the fallen object case under study, this center analyzes the received
information along with reports sent by Chitta and Manas centers, and makes the final
decision whether the fallen object is a snake or some thing which resembles a snake. This
center also decides whether the fallen object is some thing not known to the person. It
sends the final decision to it's higher center, the Jnaata center, for taking the necessary
physical action. Persons in whom this center works dominantly can be called achievers or
trailblazers. Men of this type are large-hearted and exhibit a type of shyness. They like to
dress with care and taste, never showy, but often reflecting an even puritanical sobriety.
Their face expresses only a small range of feelings. They are cheerful, energetic, modest,
decisive, self-controlled, and confident in their abilities. They are meticulous, practical and
incredibly resourceful and tackle a thing head on. They have profound and wide ranging
ideas equipped with foresight and good judgement. They are born intellectuals with a deep
and incisive intellect for right understanding. The world of scholarship and research holds
a deep interest for them. The qualities of piety, charity and mercy predominate their mind.
They aim for bold ventures, noble deeds and high achievements, and are fortunate in
attaining their goals of life. They never bow before force or threats, but are easily
supplicated and won over by kind treatment, appropriate praise and affection. They are
always grateful for any small favour. They are discriminating and exacting about details,
and prefer cleanliness and order. Although they are confident in their own opinions, they
do not force their convictions upon others to whose ideas they listen patiently. They are
respectful to the religious, elders and learned. They work hard to buildup the needed
resources. Sometimes, a setback puts such a person on the right track providing good
learning from that experience. Those who appear to neglect their wives in their early
youth-hood will give all their affection to them in later years. Some of them who are
staunch atheists in their youth-hood may become theists in their later years. Persons of this
type are the best examples for the Vedic dictum "Asatoma sad gamaya, tamasoma jyotir
gamaya" (moving towards nobler traits from the inferior ones). Although they are
interested in many branches of knowledge, they are likely to master one branch of learning
and become an authority. Their un-tiring activity, coupled with clear vision, critical
thinking and dependability will bring them to the forefront sooner or later. They have
commendable power of endurance and do not tire easily. They keep a sharp eye out for the
right time to make a move. Lack of some experience is normally not a problem for them.
They are capable of inventing things if the necessity so demands. They have the courage to
stand up for what they believe in, and the initiative to lead others. They are sensitive to
their own needs and feelings, but do not make excessive demands for gratification of their
own needs. They are great at providing for and protecting people. They never let down
persons who trust them in the times of need even if the situation is very difficult to manage.
Their decisions are accepted by most of the people around them. Not easily led astray by a
pretentious show, they use diplomacy and shrewdness in dealing with others whose
motives are less than honorable. When they feel disturbed or frustrated, they take refuge in
hard work and incessant activity. Though they are diligent and intelligent most of the time,
they also become over critical, harsh, and worry a lot about the persons whom they love
most, and can go to any extent to provide the highest expression of love or sacrifice.
Persons of this type are found mostly in men. Buddhi center provides kingly traits in some
men. The eyes of such men will be smaller than normal. Their glances concentrate on the
person with whom they converse and rarely get distracted. They some times possess
penetrating eyes which make their shyer companions feel naked and defenceless before
them. Their face appears slightly more aged than what they are. The wording in their talk
will be clear, precise and to the point. Practical and cautious, they see small things clearly
and judge any work by it's end result. They have a knack at seeing the unfolding of a trend
before the final result takes shape and predict. They are very good at trend analysis and
technological forecasting. (Seers of the yore who predicted future belonged to this type).
Men of this type have the ability to become ideal husbands, fathers, and good teachers.
They receive good cooperation from wife, children and women. Many of them are
ceremonial minded, and take up an interest in philosophy. They have the ability to attract
and lead a following. The sense of righteousness and fair-play will be very strong in
persons of this type. Australian psychologist Louise Samways designates the energy in
human beings to be 'mind-body energy', and describes the connection of Chakra 2 (the
center on the spine behind genital organ) with instincts and unconscious mind, and Solar
Plexus Chakra with balancing of upward and downward energies to create the 'heat'
needed for life [10]. Jnaata (Knowing) center: It is the seat of the element Aakasa. In
Sanskrit, the word Aakasa means sky. It represents the fifth state of matter - the nuclear
state. Since a very large amount of nuclear particles received by the earth from the sun and
other astral bodies is through sky, the name for the element is so given. Many nuclear
particles are unstable; hence instability is the key word for this center. Modern psychology
says that mentally unstable persons are emotional, dissatisfied, gloomy, and pessimistic.
The working of this center can be compared to an under damped feed-back control system
in Electrical Engineering. It means that when some energy, from an outside source, is
imposed on this center, it will continue to vibrate for a long time at an increasing rate to
become unstable, and requires intervention of other centers to quieten it. Soviet
researchers found that the thyroid gland puts one electron on each red blood cell in the
stream of blood that is going up into the brain. The negative charge of the electron on one
red blood cell makes it to repel from the other similarly charged red blood cells. This
prevents clotting of blood in the brain. This center controls and monitors production of
direct-current (D.C.) electricity in the body. Jnaata means the Knower. The decision taken
by the Buddhi center gets known to the Self at this center and is executed here. Signals are
sent to various organs of the body for taking the necessary physical action. It will pass on
the report on the decision command received from the Buddhi center along with it's report
of action taken to it's higher center, the Jnaana center. Modern medicine says that
consciousness resides in the reticular formation, a group of cells inside the brain stem -
oldest, 'lowliest' region of the brain. Without the reticular formation's altering and
activating signals, the brain goes sleepy. Damage to this arousing mechanism can cause
coma and sometimes death. Modern psychologist say that a balanced life's development
should consist of physical development, aesthetic development, moral development and
intellectual development. The mind centers that control these developments are
Ahamkaara, Chitta, Manas and Buddhi respectively. The Jnaata center monitors whether
these developments are taking place as per one's expectations in the present life, as
governed by personality information stored at Jnaana center. We know that every thought,
word and deed leaves an impression. These impressions, along with many desires, lie
dormant in seed form in the subconscious mind (Chitta) of every one. Jnaata center can
arouse them to manifest level into the conscious mind (Manas). Traits like greed,
hallucination, delusion, miserliness, superiority complex, sadism and the like are
characteristics of Jnaata center. Thoughts of an extremist originate here. Because it is the
controller of Sakti at Jnaana center, it can make a man of this type feel that he has all the
energy to do just anything. Jnaata center is the place where nerves from the left half of the
brain switch over to the right side of the body, and nerves from the right half of the brain
switch over to the left side of the body. This center has the ability to balance and control
other parts of the body. Accordingly, Jnaata center can govern rhythmic coordination of
body parts with music - the dance. Consequently, it is to be expected that Jnaata center
disturbs rhythmic coordination between components of mind. Some persons in whom this
center works dominantly may exhibit psychotic delusions of ideas like grandeur (I am the
Emperor or god of this universe, or I can create live souls using my thoughts), persecution
(people are trying to poison me, or strange creatures of darkness are trying to kill me),
external control (my thoughts are influenced by radio waves from planet Mars, or cancer
cells are forming in my body due to impulses from electricity wires) or depersonalization (I
am not a common person anymore, or cells in body are getting rotted away faster like
abnormal cancer). Many thinkers over millenia observed the association of mood swings
and uncanny skills of athletes with back-handed pathology (or beastly capabilities) for
short-term achievement instead of crediting perseverance. Modern psychology knows that
self-understanding of adolescents becomes increasingly differentiated to describe
themselves according situational variations. For example, a 15-year-old girl might describe
herself by using one set of traits in connection with her family, another set with her peers
and friends, and yet another set with her lover or lovers. In sum, adolescents are more
likely than children to think that they possess several 'different' selves, each one varying to
some degree according to a particular role or context. Existence of 'several different selves'
may cause 'split personality', 'multiple personality' or 'altered states of consciousness' in
some persons. Such persons with lack of unified personality often experience sudden shifts
in consciousness, identity, and memory. They detach or dissociate themselves from their
immediate circumstances as a means of protecting themselves from overwhelming mental
pain or self-damaging behavior. Each of the components of mind may alternately inhabit
the person's conscious awareness to the exclusion of the others. Modern psychologists
agree that such mental disorders result from dissociation mental processes - the splitting
off from conscious awareness and control of thoughts, feelings, memories, will power, and
other mental components in response to situations that are painful, or somehow
unacceptable to the person experiencing them. Understanding of the the split personality
story "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" becomes easy if we remember that planet Mars has the two
geographical extreme opposites of elevation in our solar system - the tallest mountain
(which is taller than Mt. Everest) and the deepest valley. It is implied that persons who seek
higher knowledge of Jnaana center have to pass the tests of negative characteristic traits
imposed by Jnaata center. Persons in whom this center works dominantly can be called
audacious or emotionally unbalanced. They are energetic persons who seek change and
interchange to overcome the feeling of inertness. Their face expresses a wide range of
feelings. Their glances are never steady on the persons with whom they converse, and will
be looking around for something. (Modern psychology says that 'shifty eyes' or a general
lack of eye contact is indicative of serious emotional disturbance.) They are inquisitive,
energetic, shameless, crafty, unscrupulous, inconsistent, restless and agitated. Their vital
energy is not always as high as their imaginations. Their quickness and short-term
adoptability is better than many others, but they get exhausted with a little excessive
activity. They are the most changeable of all types, and are always on the go until their
energy fails them. They look for abnormal nervous excitations and stimulations, and can
get easily addicted to stimulants. They are very ambitious and always try to do something
more for themselves. They pursue ideas for their own sake, or get caught up in their own
unrealistic fantasies or worries. Ideas tend to crowd their mind many at a time, causing the
tendency to craftiness and secretiveness. The very high agility of their thinking makes them
deceptive, unreliable, tricky, and hard to pin down. They are indecisive in many situations
and rarely bring anything to fruition. In the work of their liking, they can multi-task giving
high importance to each task. Inwardly, they are nervous, tense, superficial, inconsistent,
and conning. They demand attention, affection, and require much of their loved one's time,
energy and money. They can be at once very romantic, yet little touched by love or passion.
Persons of this type have many such dualities. The surprising monetary or romantic gains
they make in a short term do not lost long. They are worried about their future, and feel
that their life span is uncertain. They see threats every whare, often imagining the worst.
They rarely trust others. The strong bonds they form with the selected few do not lost long.
They find it hard to commit, and do things to excess. They make grandiose plans with little
attention to practicality. They feel that they have more virtue than any one around, and
want to use it to get as many gains as possible in a short period. Some of them abandon
moral inhibitions and exhibit unrestrained behaviour. They can become sadistic monsters
of passions and sex. Males of this type feel attracted towards low class females who are
older than themselves. Cold lack of sympathy is their exclusive feature. They do have strong
religious convictions, but they maintain them entirely separate from their work or
business. Persons of this type are found mostly in men. Some men of this type may become
cult gurus, commando captains, or leaders of extremists. In the field of sports, these
persons can excel others with their agility, precision and split-second responses. Persons of
this type have a marked weakness for gambling and have many get-rich-quick ideas. Jnaana
(knowledge) center: This center is located at the pineal gland, the third eye. The Yoga and
Tantra texts describe this eye as Jnaana Netra (eye of knowledge) or Divya Chakshu (eye
that provides access to higher collective psychic energy). The Hindu scriptures also say that
Jnaana center is the seat of Mukhya Prana (Prime Prana), Jeeva (liveliness), or Ojas (vital
essence). The word Aayus (longevity), used in astrology, was derived from the word Ojas.
Western medicine also knows that if the pineal gland is removed through surgery, the
person will not survive. This center controls storage of all knowledge. It is the seat of
individuality - the totality of a person's way of thinking, nature, attitudes, and
characteristics that endure over long periods of time. It deals with higher relationship
which transcends all differences of culture, of religion and of race. In learned persons,
Jnaana center deals with astrological, metaphysical and philosophical aspects of all
knowledge. It is also called Sakti (energy) center because it controls all types energies
required for the body and the components of mind. The working of this center can be
compared to an over damped feed-back control system in Electrical Engineering. It means
that when some energy, from an outside source, is imposed on this center, it will vibrate
only for a short period of time and regains it's stable position. Modern medicine knows that
the pineal gland influences the pituitary gland which controls all other glands in the body.
Jnaana center also controls the outer ' covering' of aura around the body. In spiritually
enlightened persons, this center will be working dominantly. Jnaana center is the seat of
wisdom which has the seeds of cumulative knowledge gained through all the past lives. In
Yoga and Tantra texts, the awakened third eye is said to provide peace of mind that goes
beyond all normal understanding, and to give access to higher knowledge. The writers of
Vedas and other Sastras received their knowledge through this center. Among all countries
in the world, India has inherited the largest number of ancient manuscripts from time
immemorial. They were written on the widest range of subjects known to humans. Modern
medicine knows that the pineal gland [2] of Indians is larger than that of others. Persons in
whom this center works actively can be called peace makers. Most of them are first borns
to their parents. They have a great liking for flowers, and they are soft in body and mind
like flowers. They are blessed with a well- proportioned figure and lustrous eyes. They love
dressing artistically, and a little differently than others. They like reading many books. They
clarify doubts of other students on difficult topics. They get one of the top ranks in college
examinations, and first prizes in arts, essay or music competitions. They are exemplary for
the saying "slow and steady wins the race". They get along well with almost any person
around. They are generous in friendship with a great energy for affection. They posses
strong emotions and passions, and have the ability to control them. They are at peace with
themselves, and are capable of forming great and stable relationships. They seek balance
and harmony in the organization of their immediate environment. They are sometimes
prone to argument, but do not resort to violence. They are slow to anger, generous to a
fault, and not inclined to nurse grudges. Their face appears slightly less aged than what
they are. Their smile contains the innocence and tranquility of a child. (Women of this type
are called popular babes by their neighbours). They are not status seekers, position
hunters or social climbers, and love others for their inner worth. Stability, enthusiasm and
hope are always with them to surmount toughest times of stress and hardship. Their mind
has a sharp acumen and clear thinking ability with which to judge time and circumstances.
Any assignment given to them is completed satisfactorily, and a little more is done than
what is expected of. For them, money is a key to convenience and comfort, and is never for
hoarding. However, they tend towards laziness unless they are goaded by their family
members, by friends, by circumstance, or by necessity. They usually have too many friends
to please, and too many interests to please themselves. Hence, they may at times loose
focus on the main task at hand. Many a times, they get overly occupied with themselves.
They tend to become obstinate and do not like to move from a position once they have
accepted it as their own. They transcend the limitations of time while playing tunes a
musical instrument or listening to music. They scrupulously attend to their own affairs
even amidst a troubled and disturbed atmosphere. They have a strong sense of form and
beauty, and can become artists and poets. They are good at building things up from the
beginning, laying the foundation for some thing new, initiating a new phase of
manifestation, developing some new ideas, or innovating in non-conventional realms of
knowledge. They like projects which they can finish single handedly to show their
originality. Most of the time, others get benefitted by their work than vice-versa. They
accept fate in some situations in which they are unable to do any thing. The percentage of
persons interested in meditation or Yoga will be highest in this type. They are generous in
giving and are usually predisposed to perform pious deeds and acts of charity. Even those
who do not take to a particular spiritual discipline nonetheless try to follow some practical
code of ethics in daily life. They hate to incur even small debts. They rarely force or beg
others for any thing. They can make large sacrifices of time and energy, hating to fail or
disappoint the ones who trust them. If the situation so demands, persons of this type can
access the highest of knowledge in any field. Maslow's ladder model of self-actualization
describes five levels of needs. It does not describe the self-defense need for survival of the
body. The physiological needs such as hunger, thirst and sex are controlled by Chitta
center. The belongingness needs for conscious identification, affection, affiliation, stability,
order, job security, and to be a part of society are controlled by Manas center. The esteem
needs for prestige, success and self-respect are controlled by Buddhi center. The self-
actualization need for enjoyment, self-satisfaction, and realization of inner potentials is
controlled by Jnaata center.
5. COMPARISON WITH COMPUTER HARDWARE AND ROBOTICS
On the hardware side, the working of the components of mind can be compared with
working of components in a computer . The Jnaana center (the head) can be compared to
the hard disk. The spine consisting of Ahamkaara, Chitta, Manas and Buddhi centers works
like the CPU (Central Processor Unit). The Aakasa center can be compared to the Hard Disk
controller (and partly the DMA controller). It cooperates exchange of information between
the hard disk and the CPU. This is how the brain-spine system works in a common man. In
a general purpose personal computer, the CPU is usually 32-bit type. But a game computer
requires a graphic card with 256-bit GPU (Graphic Processor Unit) to handle 3D graphics
and Virtual Reality softwares. If a simple software like word processing is loaded on a game
computer, it works like a common PC because simple softwares cannot use the 256-bit
GPU. Even though the brain has the highest component of mind (like the 256-bit GPU) at
the pineal gland, the common man will not be able to use it. In Artificial Intelligence, the
'describe and match' method for identifying an object consists of the following steps: (1)
describe the object using a suitable representation (2) match the object description against
library descriptions (3) if a satisfactory match is found, it is announced. These functions are
performed by Chitta, Manas and Buddhi respectively. Image processing techniques used in
Robotics involves the following stages: (1) center of area of the object using location
methods, and it's placing relative to the known objects (2) finding features of the object like
shape, geometry, radius etc (3) pattern recognition methods to find similarity or
dissimilarity with stored images, (4) pattern discrimination system to overcome effects of
improper lighting, shadows, disturbances in the environment etc. In the human body, these
stages are carried out by Ahamkaara, Chitta, Manas and Buddhi centers respectively.
6. CYBERNETIC SYSTEMS OF THE BODY
A living being requires adaptation to the changing conditions of external and internal
environment. French physiologist Claude Bernard proposed the law of Homeostasis which
states that constancy (or stability) of internal environment is a necessary condition for a
living being. It uses it's internal autonomous regulation systems to accomplish this task. It
may be noted here that the very logic of 'constancy' prohibits development with time
required for a living being. In feedback control systems of Electrical Engineering, existence
of a negative component is a must, and it is used as feedback to obtain automatic control of
a system. Accordingly, development (or growth) should be called a 'disturbance' (or
deviation) of constancy, and it is programmed in the genes of a living being for continuation
of the species. The law of deviation of Homeostasis was developed in 1979 by Soviet
physiologist V.M. Dilman [11]. If these two fundamental laws are of opposite nature, then
the biological system requires a balancing mechanism. This mechanism is called Metastasis
(metabolism or vital energy) which ensures harmony and optimal working of all processes
in a living being. In Upanishad terminology, the working of Chitta and Buddhi are
connected with sustenance principle of nature. The law of Homeostasis works
predominantly in them. Aging of cells will be normal in persons of these two types. The
working of Manas and Jnaata are connected with annihilation principle of nature. The law
of deviation of Homeostasis works predominantly in them. Aging of cells will be abnormal
in persons of these two types. It is like time running at an accelerated speed. It may be
noted here that Kala is the name of death god; Kala also means 'time' in Sanskrit. The traits
of such persons resemble those of a female and a male respectively who are going to face
premature death due to some cancer like disease. The third possibility is that of time
running at reduced speed in the cells of some persons. In Upanishad terminology, Jnaana
center is connected with creative principle of nature. The vital energy of Metastasis works
dominantly in Jnaana type persons. The fourth possibility is that of the three principles of
birth, sustenance and death will be working in a mixed mode. This can be observed in
Ahamkaara type persons. Modern psychology says that individuals can be classified
according to four gender role orientations - androgynous, masculine, feminine, and
undifferentiated. The feminine individuals belong to sustenance principle of nature. It is a
known fact that females have a longer life span than males. The masculine individuals
belong to annihilation principle of nature. The undifferentiated individuals belong to the
mixed type. The mid-life crisis will be least felt by persons of this type. Androgynous
individuals represent a state of well-being. They are more flexible, more mentally healthy
than others, and have lower levels of stress. They represent the birth principle of nature.
They can be called seekers of higher knowledge or higher consciousness. (Modern
psychology knows that persons with regular reading habit for some knowledge are more
capable of handling difficult situations, coping with stress, and have better cognitive skills.
Persons with a habit of listening to soft music everyday also have similar capabilities.)
Their sense of logic is multi-level, integrated and simultaneous, and transcends the
limitations of well know linear, sequential and either-or type. Their identity is sharing-
collective aimed at noble understanding and expression which deprecates all that is
isolated-individual and suppression. They are rarely competitive or aggressive. They never
crave for administrative power. They will be least interested in business or in amassing
huge amounts of wealth. They know that their virtue is their best guard against any
unexpected emergency or crisis. Racial, religious or political prejudice can claim no part of
their interest or attention. They have the tendency to create, rather than destroy; help,
rather than hinder; and give, rather than receive. They live with a definite sense of life-time
mission, and aim at harmony and moderation. They feel that no cause is holy enough to
justify annihilation. They emanate an aura of kindness, gentleness and goodness which
appears somewhat out of the world or out of current-times. They think of meaning and
direction in all their intellectual activities, and search for new ways understanding and of
living. The highest aim of Yoga is to reach this state which some philosophers designate as
Homo Noeticus. The mid-life crisis will be most severe for persons of this type. It will make
many of them to realize that they have gone through many past lives. The Puranas say that
people who lived in Krita Yuga were androgynous type who lived for 10000 years with
harmony, elation and peace.
7. INFERENCES AND INTERPRETATIONS
When people are asked to describe their emotions, they usually begin by telling about the
arousing circumstances. They go on to describe some of their bodily reactions and their
difficulties in dealing with the situation. But they do not define the emotion solely in terms
of their own internal feelings. Fulfilling, exciting, bewildering, disappointing, exhausting -
countless objectives like these are used to describe human sexual behaviour. Psychologists
say that emotional life is infinitely varied, and it involves many bodily processes connected
with an un- describable mental state. Philosophers say that there is more myth and mis-
understanding surrounding sexuality than any other area of human behaviour. Further,
there are social prohibitions against research and even against open discussion of sex. Few
researchers have investigated the problem of why the private organ should be clothed or
concealed in most of humans. Many such problems can be solved if we understand that the
the private organ is connected with emotions and subconscious mind. The "collective
unconscious" described by Carl Jung consists of three systems. In Yoga terminology of
Patanjali, they are known as Adhi Atmika system (human collective psychic energy), Adhi
Daivika (higher collective psychic energy) and Adhi Bhoutika (lower collective psychic
energy). Bhoota also means ghost in Sanskrit. Manas, Jnaana and Chitta are the seats of
these three systems respectively. A simplified way to understand these three systems is
through the connection of Manas center with psychology, Chitta center with para-
psychology, and Jnaana center with philosophy. It is known that adolescents are interested
in occult stories. Psychic abilities like Psycho- Kinesis (PK), Poltergeist (involuntary PK)
and premonition develop along with development of Chitta center during adolescence.
Adhi Daivika system deals with influence of heavenly bodies like planets, stars, galaxies etc.
Adhi Atmika system deals with mental influence of a person on others and vice versa. Adhi
Bhoutika system deals with influence of Elements of nature, and living beings lower than
humans. The predispositions to be afraid of the dark and of snakes are governed by lower
collective psychic energy system. Stealing food is a crime for humans, but it is instinctive
and natural for animals. Criminals like rapists and murderers are often accused of behaving
like animals or demons; they are influenced by lower collective psychic energy system.
Adolescence period is influenced by planets Mars and Venus which makes them sensitive to
lower collective psychic energy. Adulthood period is influenced by planets Mercury and
Jupiter which make them sensitive to human collective psychic energy. Old age period is
influenced by planets Moon and Saturn which makes them sensitive to higher collective
psychic energy. Classifying the mind of people into types can be found in the folk wisdom of
most cultures. A few persons are called calm type, the majority are known to have some
degree of nervousness, and the remaining are called unsettled type. Every person is
influenced by the three collective psychic energies in varying degrees. In Sanskrit, Guna
means physio-psychological factor. The Upanisads say that Satwa (order, symmetry,
harmony, illumination, knowledge) represents lightness, is pleasing, and is capable of
manifesting others. Rajas (activity, power) is dynamic, exciting, expansive, but also capable
of hurting. Tamas (darkness, static, inertia, concealing) is characterized by heaviness, and
causes obscurity and sadness. Persons who are mostly influenced by the lower collective
psychic energy are called Tamo Guna (activities of darkness) type persons. They belong to
the unsettled type according to folk wisdom. The 'lazy drifters' and the 'emotionally
unbalanced', in whom Chitta and Jnaata centers work dominantly, belong to this type.
Persons who are mostly influenced by the human collective psychic energy are called Rajo
Guna (human level activities) type persons. They belong to the nervous type according to
folk wisdom. The 'managers' and the 'trailblazers', in whom Manas and Buddhi centers
work dominantly, belong to this type. Persons who are mostly influenced by the higher
collective psychic energy are called Satwa Guna (relaxed alertness, peaceful activities) type
persons. They belong to the calm type according to folk wisdom. Yogis, philosophers and
peace makers, in whom Jnana center works dominantly, belong to this type. The persons in
whom the Ahamkaara center works dominantly and other centers work below the average
level are called Misra (mixed) Guna type persons. The 'diligent workers' belong to this type.
The Tri-Kaya doctrine of Yogacara in Buddhism describes about the apparitional body
which deals with the mere fictions of imagination, the enjoyment body which deals with
thoughts connected with relative existence under certain conditions, and the dharma body
which deals with the perfect mode of being corresponding to right knowledge. The word
Kaya (body) is used in this text to designate the centers in the body. The apparitional body,
enjoyment body and dharma body correspond to components of mind connected with
Tamo Guna, Rajo Guna and Satwa Guna respectively. Arndt-Schultz Law states that small
stimuli encourage life activity, medium stimuli impede life activity, and strong stimuli
destroy life activity. Modern psychology knows that a mild level of emotional arousal tends
to produce alertness and interest in the task at hand, and intense level of arousal requires
the central nervous system to respond to too many things at once and causes emotional
disturbance or disorganization. Satwa guna persons spend a happy and contended life with
small stimuli, Rajo guna persons are not happy with small stimuli and try to have medium
stimuli which bring a period of upset and stress in their wake. Such persons accept them in
the light of greater understanding and compassion that accompanies the medium stimuli.
They have the necessity to cope with an environment requiring continual behaviour
adjustment or refinement. Tamo guna persons crave for strong stimuli not bothering about
it's consequences, and live a lifespan which is a little shorter than others. Observations of
people during crises, such as fires or sudden floods, suggest that about 15 percent show
organized and effective behaviour. They belong to the Satwa guna type. The majority,
which makes up for about 70 percent, show various degrees of disorganization but are still
able to function with reasonable effectiveness. They attend to a wide range of rescue and
relief works. They belong to the Rajo guna type. The remaining 15 percent are so
disorganized that they are unable to function properly. They may race around screaming,
or exhibit aimless and completely inappropriate behaviour. They belong to the Tamo guna.
The search for core personality traits that characterize people has a long history in recent
times. Even though the method of formulating these traits is somewhat different from that
used in the ancient Indian scriptures, some approximate equivalence may be given. One
system of personality traits classify people as Openness, Introversion, Extroversion,
Conscientiousness, Irritability and Emotional Stability types. Ahamkaara type persons
belong to Openness trait, Chitta type belong to Introversion trait, Manas type belong to
Extroversion trait, Buddhi type belong to Conscientiousness trait, Jnaata type belong to
Irritability trait, and Jnaana type belong to Emotional Stability trait. The Holland's
personality types model classifies people as Conventional (confirming, efficient, inhibited,
unimaginative), Artistic (expressive, introspective, imaginative, original), Enterprising
(energetic, domineering, talkative, ambitious, status minded), Investigative (intellectual,
analytical, curious, scientific), Realistic (mechanical, materialistic, asocial, engineering
attitude) and Social (cooperative, helpful, understanding, teaching). The Ahamkaara, Chitta,
Manas, Buddhi, Jnaata and Jnaana type persons belong to these personality types
respectively. If Ahamkaara center (which does the first analysis of information) is like the
police who write the F.I.R. (First Information Report) and bring a criminal to the court,
Chitta center works like the defense lawyer and the Manas center works like the public
prosecutor. The Buddhi center works like the judge. After hearing the arguments of the
Chitta center and the Manas center, Buddhi center goes through the past case records
available at the Jnana center. Then it gives it's judgment. The Jnaata center acts like the jail
officer who executes the sentence. Chitta center tries to search for something useful in
what is termed as bad or inferior by people in general. It is qualitative and independent in
nature. The Manas center tries to integrate all the pieces of information sent by the Chitta
center into something practical under the given circumstances. It is quantitative and
dependent in nature. Intelligence implies ability to solve a problem using pre-established
norms and conventional solutions; this is done by Manas center. Creativity implies a new
and probably a nonconformist end product; this is done by Chitta center. At times,
spontaneous and creative ideas of Chitta may appear like hallucinations of a schizophrenic
or a rebel. Chitta is connected with separation, dissociation, diversification and
incomprehensible. Manas is connected with combination, association, unification and
comprehensible. If a great poem is written using impulses from Chitta, it is repeatedly
revised using the laborious instructions from Manas before it can be accepted by Buddhi
center and becomes a masterpiece. In the olden days in Andhra Pradesh, a father used to
say to his son "Naa Manas poortigaa cheppaanu. Vinakapote nee Chittam" (I told from the
depths of my Manas. If you do not like it, you do according to your desires). Baalyam in
Sanskrit and Telugu is the age upto 10 years. "Paatikella paduchoedu" in Telugu means an
adult male of 25 years age. It also means that a person of 25 years age and above is treated
as an adult. The intervening period between 10 and 25 years age is called Koumaaram in
Sanskrit which roughly corresponds with adolescence period. During this period, Chitta
dominates the thinking process. (Kumaara is one of the names in Sanskrit for planet Mars).
Modern medicine knows that the heart-beat in a child is faster than that of an adult. The
pulse rate in a new born baby is about 140 beats per minute. This pulse rate gradually
reduces during the Koumaaram period and settles down to it's stable value of 76 beats per
minute after the age of 24 years. Since the heart is located in the Manas region, Manas of a
person said to function efficiently after 24 years of age. Modern psychology knows that
adolescents behave with playful and 'what if' attitude, and adults find the need to fit their
reasoning into the dimensions of real life. Modern medicine knows that muscular strength
peaks between the ages of 25 and 30. Modern psychologists treat the period from 35 to 40
years as mid-life crisis period. Most of the people may not feel much during this period.
However for those few persons who experience it's full intensity, it will be like a mini-
death. Some psychologists use the terminology 'fluid intelligence' (flexible thoughts that
are not much dependent on culturally based content) which declines over the period from
young adult-hood to old age, and 'crystallized intelligence' (mastering the knowledge of
culture) which increased well into old age. Flourit in English means flowering of wisdom; it
also means the age of 40. Buddhi center starts functioning efficiently after the age of 40.
History knows that major inventions or innovations in science were made by people after
the age of 24, and major achievement in philosophy, history or literature after the age of 40.
Some Puranas wrote there divinity in what children say ("Bala vak Brahma vak"). The
adolescent period of sexual interest is like the night dominated by lower collective psychic
energy system. The youth period of emotional balance is like the dawn and early morning
dominated by human collective psychic energy system. Old age period of interest in higher
knowledge is day-time-like period dominated by higher collective psychic energy system.
The age at which a person gets under this influence differs from one person to another.
Some Puranas wrote that Lord Brahma is aged 50 years. One interpretation of this line is
that some persons enter the period dominated by higher collective psychic energy system
at the age of 50 and others any time after that or just before death. Modern researchers
have also found that personality becomes more stable after 50 years of age [12]. A simple
and safe experiment can be done on the spine. By scratching the skin on these centers with
a finger nail, it can be sensed that touch sensitivity is lowest at the Ahamkaara center, and
that the touch sensitivity gradually increases in the order Ahamkaara, Chitta, Manas,
Buddhi, and Jnaata. A few sensitive persons may experience some thoughts connected with
these centers during the scratching. The preferred time for doing this experiment would be
at 3.30 a.m. when most of the people around are asleep and the influence of the human
collective psychic energy will be at it's lowest. Use of a writing pencil for the experiment
gives better results for some persons. The creative artists like poets and music composers
can use the time from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (the time of sexual thoughts) for creating
good works of art using Chitta. Since Chitta center is connected with water, taking bath
during this time will also enhance emotions. Morning time of Friday can also be used for
this purpose. During Asura Sandya (Devilish Evening) time (3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.), Chitta
center experiences subconscious inertness and Manas center will be working dominantly
and somewhat painfully. For creative artists, this is a good time for using their faculty of
reason to revise their works. Morning time of Wednesday can also be used for such a
purpose.
8. EPILOGUE
The Sanskrit language has more than 20 words to designate the various aspects of mind.
Most of the ancient Indian manuscripts written exclusively on the scientific aspects of mind
are now lost. What we can gather now on this topic are fragments from other texts. Any
symbolism that has evolved from man's desire to understand himself and his function
within the universe must invariably reflect the laws of nature. Henri Bergson defined
intuition as instinct that is capable of reflecting upon its object and of enlarging it
indefinitely. Only by intuition, he declared, can the absolute be comprehended. The
Upanisads say that every thing in creation is unique. No person has the knowledge to
understand every aspect of even a small living being in nature. Chitta describes what is
real. Manas prepares a rational model of what it is. The present paper is an example of such
a rational model. Nature functions through common laws whose dialectical essence is not
always obviously understood. As there is a universe outside the human body (macrocosm),
there is a universe inside the body (microcosm). Hence, there is scope for many scientists
to work on different aspects of this topic.
9. ACKNOWLEDMENTS The authors wish to thank Dr. K.V.S.V.N. Raju, Professor in
Computer Science & Systems Engineering Department, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam,
for his creative criticism. The authors are grateful to Prof. P.S. Ramiah, Professor in
Computer Science & Systems Engineering Department, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam,
for providing some material used in this work.
10. REFERENCES
[1] The Hutchinson Encyclopedia, The topic on "mind", Computer CD Version, 2002.
[2] Donald Watson, A Dictionary of Mind and Spirit, Andre Deutsch Ltd., London, 1991.
[3] P. Sesha Chalam, Parama Pada Margamu, N.V.Gopal & co., Madras, 1982, p. 21.
[4] Mallaadi Venkata Daasu, Sri Rama Guru Boedhaamruta Sara, N.V.Gopal & co., Madras,
1981, p. 26.
[5] Swami Harshananda, A Dictionary of Advaita Vedanta, Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore,
2000, p. 32.
[6] Swami Nikhilananda, Vedanta Sara of Sadananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkota, 2002, p.
46.
[7] The Diagram Group, The Brain: A User's Manual, Berkley Books, New York, 1983, p. 215.
[8] Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, Yogi Impressions, Mumbai, 2004, p. 20. [9] Daniel
Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury Publishers, London, 1996, p. 8-9.
[10] Louise Samways, Your Mindbody Energy, B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd., New Delhi, 2000,
p. 60.
[11] V.M. Dilman, The Grand Biological Clock, Mir Publishers, Moscow, 1989, p. 69 - 71.
[12] B.W. Roberts, W.F. DelVecchio, The rank-order consistency of personality from
childhood to old age: A quantitative review of longitudinal studies, Psychological Bulletin,
Vol. 126, p. 3-25, 2000.