A tiny, about 5 mm big gland, looking like a small pine cone. It is positioned centrally between our both halves of the brain and it is gaining more and more importance. We are talking about the pineal gland (epiphysis; a pine-cone-shaped body).
In the darkness of the night, the so-called “pinealocytes” in the pineal gland are converting the “happy hormone” serotonin –- built in our brains during the day through sun- and daylight –- into the sleeping- and protecting-hormone melatonin. The function of the gland itself and the released melatonin is important for our health of body, mind and soul and has gained importance from the spiritual point of view as well.
Both hormones are so-called neurotransmitters, meaning, they directly go into the bloodstream and therefore are effective in the whole organism. Melatonin is the central hormone for the rhythmic control of the sleep-wake-dream-rhythm. Incidence of light onto certain receptors of the retina is controlling the production of melatonin, the production increases in darkness. Melatonin is especially enhancing falling asleep and regulating the course of the sleep.
Researches in the field of lucid dreaming (dream in which the dreaming person is aware that he/she is dreaming) show, that a well-functioning pineal gland resp. sufficient release of melatonin is enhancing the ability of lucid dreaming.
Important for our „sleep-wake-dream-rhythm“ as well as for our spiritual sensations
Some scientists assume for some time now, that the pineal gland is also able to produce a substance called dimethyltryptamine (DMT). This substance is giving hallucinogenic plants like Psychotria viridis its intoxicating effect. The substance DMT enables our brain to create thought structures, emotions and feelings of a new kind. Amongst others, it is leading to a significant change of the visual experiences.
One of the important DMT-scientists, Dr. Rick Strassmann (author of the book “DMT, The Spirit Molecule”), is convinced that our pineal gland is mainly releasing this hallucinogen substance especially during mystic-spiritual rituals. He also supports the hypothesis that DMT is especially produced during birth as well as upon death. The production of this hormone is mainly happening during the night.
Back to melatonin: melatonin is not only directing our sleep-wake-dream-rhythm but also further time-depending rhythms of the body. According to latest scientific findings, a dysfunction is not only disturbing the sleep-wake-dream-rhythm but is leading to sexual precociousness or cause a delay resp. an inhibition of the development of the gender.
So, the hormone melatonin is playing a significant part in controlling the inner clock and is essential for healthy falling asleep and sleeping through. As soon as the pineal gland is losing activity and therewith functionality the mental and physical aging process is starting.
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