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3. The Crown or Thousand-Petaled Lotus chakra is not the same as the "third eye." The latter, located in the middle of the forehead just above and between the eyes, anatomically corresponds most closely with the pituitary gland. 4. The relationship of cerebrospinal fluid to consciousness recently got a boost from brain science research. There are very high levels of particular serotonin receptors on the cells lining the ventricles. It is these lining cells that make cerebrospinal fluid. LSD attaches to these receptors with extraordinary vigor. Perhaps psychedelics really do alter our conscious- ness in such powerful ways by controlling production of this unique brain liquid. Descartes and his followers would certainly get a hearty laugh out of these "modern" discoveries! 5. Rene Descartes, "The Inter-Relation of Soul and Body," in The Way of Philosophy, edited by P. Wheelright (New York: Odyssey, 1954), 357. 6. We do not know if the opening in the skull, the fontanel, which is located directly above the infant's pineal, allows enough light in to affect the gland. 7. Aaron B. Lerner, James D. Case, Yoshiyata Takahashi, Teh H. Lee, and Wataru Mori, "Isolation of Melatonin, the Pineal Gland Factor That Lightens Melanocytes," Journal of the American Chemical Society 30 (1958): 2587. 8. F. Karsch, E. Bittman, D. Foster, R. Goodman, S. Legan, and J. Robinson, "Neuroendo- crine Basis of Seasonal Reproduction," Recent Progress in Hormone Research 40 (1984): 185-232. 9. The pineal gland becomes full of calcium as we age. The calcified gland is an excellent marker for the mid-line of the brain in skull X-rays and CAT scans. However, little of this calcium collects in the melatonin-producing cells. While melatonin levels do drop as we age, this is independent of the level of pineal calcification. 10. Rick J. Strassman, Clifford R. Quails, E. Jonathan Lisansky, and Glenn T. Peake, "El- evated Rectal Temperature Produced by All-Night Bright Light Is Reversed by Melatonin Infusion in Men," Journal ofApplied Physiology 71 (1991): 2178-82. Early morning also is when we are most likely to be in dream sleep, and some studies suggested that large doses of melatonin enhanced dreaming. We were unable to examine this in our experiments because subjects needed to stay awake with eyes open for light to suppress melatonin. If melatonin did stimulate dream sleep, we would have expected less vivid dreams in volunteers whose melatonin production was inhibited. Interestingly, drugs that suppress nighttime melatonin formation increase, rather than decrease, dreams. Chapter 4 1. While DMT may be involved in both spiritual and psychotic experiences, it is important to distinguish between them. There is some overlap between spiritual experiences and psychosis; for example, the thrilling sense of imminence, heightened visual and auditory perceptions, and a change in the passage of time. Usually, however, mystical experiences result from a mature and conscious effort toward obtaining them. The practitioner seeks them out, there is an intellectual and moral context supporting and encouraging them, and their expression is socially sanctioned and acceptable. On the other hand, symptoms of schizophrenia most often are unexpected, unwel- come, and occur in those with prior behavioral and emotional problems. There is little social support for the experiences, and both the individual and his/her associates wish they would go away. NOTES «+ 351