At the intersection of science and spirituality is the pineal gland, a small ductless gland in the center of the human brain. Hundreds of years ago it was dubbed ‘The Seat of the Soul‘ by French philosopher, mathematician and scientist, René Descartes, who observed that spiritual, visionary or transcendental experiences seemed to be collocated with the physical anatomy of this region of the head.

Mystical experiences do seem to emanate from this part of the mind, and in deep meditative states, a clear internal vision can open up, creating a full sensory experience which takes place wholly inside of the mind without the eyes. Yogis, shamans, and psychedelic adventurers have long known this to be true, and in moments of full activation there is an overwhelming sense that a door of sorts opens, expanding human perception and allowing the mind to connect with vast, unbelievable realms which exist outside of the mind but are only available to us within the mind. A paradox.

Is there a bridge between the world of multiple dimensions and the world we live in?

This is the question asked by Dr. Joe Dispenza, international lecturer, researcher and author of Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon. His work on spiritual science and unlocking human potential compliments our rigid scientific study of the body by allowing for the possibility of not yet understood links between mind and spirit. 

For example, neuroscience has already established that the human brain operates at different resonant frequencies, or brain waves, which naturally cycle throughout the day and night. We don’t yet understand, however, how these frequencies work to create consciousness, or precisely how they relate to mystical experiences. We know that we can induce flow-like states of consciousness with tools such as brain wave entrainment audio recordings, but we get lost on our way toward spiritual experience.

Dispenza looks at the pineal gland as a kind of radio receiver which when tuned to different frequencies brings different programming to the observer. When tuned to the mystical or spiritual frequencies, we experience eg-dissolution and a connection to the cosmos. He notes:

“My interest in explaining this mystical science of the pineal gland is really thinking of the pineal gland as the brain’s radio receiver, and it can only be activated through a certain process. When this latent system switches on, the arousal that’s created is energy moving from the body right up into the brain.” ~Dr. Joe Dispenza

This is most notably similar to the experience of a kundalini awakening which can be triggered by rigorous cultivation in kundalini yoga. Described by many as serpent energy rising from the lower chakras up the spine and into the brain, the experience of a kundalini awakening is often life-changing, forever altering the perception of those who’ve experienced it and commonly offering a glimpse into the divine.

Relating this process to gamma brain wave patterns and the awakening of our internal, third eye vision, Dispenza continues:

“The moment that happens the brain goes into what’s called gamma brain wave patterns. They’re having a full on sensory experience without their senses and whatever is going on between their ears, the vision that they’re having, they’re not visualizing, it’s happening to them. And the person now is literally in a whole other world. They’re in another dimension. that’s why they pineal gland is called the third eye, because it’s a profound vision.”

He continues, linking this to physiological processes already understood by science:

“Once the autonomic nervous system switches on and it goes into gamma brain wave patterns, that radio receiver has tiny little calcite crystals, stacked rhombohedrons that are on top of each other, and those crystals begin to shimmer. They begin to oscillate, and now the radio receiver is activated and when the brain latches on to a frequency the pineal gland acts as a transducer, and the pineal gland begins to release upgraded versions of melatonin.” ~Dr. Joe Dispenza

It is already well-known among scientists that melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, but here, Dispenza takes it a step further to suggest that this is the precursor to the production and release of DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, a hallucinogenic compound) by the pineal into the brain, which would account for the extraordinary visionary states that science has validated by studying DMT.

“Melatonin already causes us to dream… It already causes us to relax… Melatonin is already an antioxidant… And then you make that one amazing chemical called dimethyltryptamine and that begins to switch on, and what happens is you no longer move through space to experience time. You move through times and you experience dimensions or spaces…” ~Dr. Joe Dispenza

As far as a scientific explanation of this type of mystical experience, it may be as close as we have for now, because there is some contention as to whether or not DMT is produced by the pineal gland. Melatonin and serotonin are undoubtedly produced in this gland, but DMT is so far only known to be in cerebrospinal fluid and other body parts.

We do not yet know where it is produced, but we do know that when you consume DMT containing compounds like ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT, you will experience exceptionally hallucinogenic, visionary and spiritual experiences, similar to what can be experienced through sincere meditation and kundalini yoga. In his groundbreaking research of the effects of DMT, Dr. Rick Strassman coined the term Spirit Molecule, introducing the world to the mystical nature of DMT.

Final Thoughts

Looking beyond the current cultural paradigms of fear, instability and scarcity, we are wise to recall that as human beings we are spiritual in nature and that we all have extraordinary potential to feel and to create our own experiences.

These aspects of our nature are suppressed by cultural indoctrination and rigid scientific materialism, but right before our very eyes, we are watching a unification of rational thought and our spiritual inquiry. It’s up to each of us to make the choice to become explorers in this cosmic experiment, and often all we need is the introduction of an idea in order to inspire us to pursue our individual spiritual development.

I find that information and commentary from those like Dr. Dispenza is highly nutritional food for thought in this quest, and Dr. Dispenza shares a similar sentiment in the following comment:

“The biggest lie that we’ve ever been told is that we’re linear beings living a linear life. We are dimensional beings living a dimensional life and when the doors of dimension open to you and you get a glimpse of how big this really is, you are going to care less about politics. You’re going to care less about who’s famous and who isn’t because you’re going to realize you’re all of that and more. We have people that have switched this latent system on and they have a greater understanding of who they really are.” Dr. Joe Dispenza