1. Modern science and Yoga
2. Consciousness
3. Mind and brain
4. Mind and body
5. Layers of mind
6. Mind and homeopathy

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1._Modern science and Yoga
Modern science and its knowledge of the mind are still in the infancy stage. In comparison, Yoga is an ancient science, dating back 7000 years. Yoga means unification with the Supreme Consciousness. (Yoga is not physical exercise. Those exercises or postures are actually called asanas, and they are just one of the practices of yoga.)
___Yogic sages have, through intuitional practices, realised many things about the mind and its relationship with the body. It is a vast topic. Here, I shall mention a few aspects of the mind - based on the writings of yoga Guru Shrii Shrii Anandamurti - so that we can understand ourselves better and understand how homeopathy can help us achieve “the higher purposes of our existence”.

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2._Consciousness
Mind is a state of consciousness. Consciousness exists in unmanifested form in everything in this universe. Under the right physical conditions, it will manifest its potential, eg, the seed bears the potential of the tree but this will only be expressed when earth, water, light and air are present.

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3._Mind and brain
Many people think that the mind is an attribute of the body, that the mind is born with the body and dies with the body. Actually, they are referring to the brain. They equate the mind with the brain. Both, however, are not synonymous. In fact, the mind is an entirely independent entity made of very subtle stuff whereas the brain is a crude object made up of five fundamental factors like the rest of the body: solid, liquid, luminous, air and ether. The mind depends on the brain to express itself via the motor and sensory organs. The brain can be likened to a machine and the mind, its operator. Should the brain become injured or diseased, so will the mind because it will be unable to express itself properly.
___Hence, mental illnesses are of two kinds: brain disease from some physical disorder in a part or parts of the brain, acquired or hereditary; and psychic disease arising from defective thinking in a portion of the mind. Examples of brain disease are cerebral palsy, dementia and Parkinson’s; superiority complex, melancholia and phobias are examples of psychic disease.

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4._Mind and body
The mind controls prana (life force); prana controls the five fundamental factors which make up the body. Hence, the mind indirectly controls the body. The location of the mind for controlling each fundamental factor is in a cakra or plexus. A cakra comprises a collection of glands and subglands which are responsible for balancing the 50 main propensities of the mind, eg avarice, hope, hypocrisy, lethargy, love, spiritual longing. Clearly, mind and body are interrelated.

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5._Layers of the mind
The mind has five kosas or layers:
1.__Kamamaya kosa. This is the crude or conscious mind. Kama means desire. The conscious mind is responsible for sensing and acting based on its desires.
2.__Manomaya kosa. This is the subtle or subconscious mind. Here is where we think, imagine, remember, dream, feel pleasure and pain. There are three types of memory:
a)__cerebral memory – recollection of present life through the subconscious mind with the aid of nerve cells and nerve fibres;
b)__extra-cerebral memory – recollection of previous lives through the subconscious mind without the aid of nerve cells and nerve fibres; and
c)__revelation – this originates from the unconscious mind and is transmitted to the conscious mind via the subconscious using nerve cells and nerve fibres
___The next three kosas are collectively known as the causal or astral mind. In common terminology, we call it the unconscious mind. It knows the past, present and future but, due to the restlessness of the first two kosas, its omniscience cannot be accessed.
3.__Atimanasa kosa. This is where creativity, clairvoyance, intuition and spiritual desire reside.
4.__Vijinamaya kosa. Here, we find viveka or discrimination, and vaeragya or non-attachment.
5.__Hiranmaya kosa. Herein lies the attraction for the Great; it is only one step away from Pure Consciousness.
___With each layer, consciousness becomes more developed. As consciousness develops, the mind’s perceptions also change.

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6._Mind and homeopathy
Homeopathy is not just about getting rid of symptoms or disease. It has a concept of health, what it means to be healthy. Health means freedom from physical, emotional and mental limitations, creativity, and love for the divine within and without us. This is the goal of homeopathy. As Hahnemann had written:

In the healthy human state, the spirit-like life force that enlivens the material organism as dynamis, governs without restriction and keeps all parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both feelings and functions, so that our indwelling, rational spirit can freely avail itself of this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.

§9 Organon

Homeopathy is able to balance and calm the first two layers of the mind such that the qualities of the atimanasa kosa – creativity, clairvoyance, intuition and spiritual desire – can come to the fore and be developed. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill to bring us to the vijinamaya and hiranmaya kosas; the only way to get there is through spiritual practices.

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