College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

@Uni_Verse said

"
Take for example : Do Unicorns exist?
Of course! As when I say "Unicorn" an image pops into your mind of a white horse with a singular horn.
Now, you might say : Do Unicorns manifest on the physical plane?
Of course!
Keeping in mind the Image, that one forms within the mind is an ideal, and does not necessarily manifest that way materially.
"

A thought or mental image of a unicorn is not the same thing as a painting or drawing of one, for example, or a story about one (a manifestation on the physical plane). But unicorns themselves, real physical entities in the physical world, don't exist (and I don't think you're making that claim, although it's not clear to me what you're saying or implying). As a symbol, they're undoubtedly important.

@Uni_Verse said

"
General rule of thumb: If you can discuss whether a thing exists or not - it exists.
It becomes more a matter of determining its "level" of existence.
"

Does this suggest more than the rather self-evident meaning that if one can think of something, then it exists as a thought in one or more peoples' minds?

Thought you had got to be logged in to Google (GMail or Google+, etc) to view docs on Google Drive, but you don't. Looks like these are viewable without a login.

@Gnosomai Emauton said

"Alright... back on topic.

Did a bit of (armchair) research into norepinephrine which led to some thoughts:

• Norepinephrine is most responsible for vigilant concentration thus, to map it to Great Work type paradigms, would be the chemical we are trying to naturally increase through practices of Raja Yoga.
• If we look at the experimental/theoretical exploration of norepinephrine, signal detection theory gives us a theoretical framework on which to gauge bias in practices of vigilance.
• There seems (to me, at least) to be a pretty simple parallel to draw between the pre-scientific practice of dharana on an object and the experimental controls put in place to reduce bias. As long as the yogi is methodical in hir practice, not attaching "meaning" to anything but simply engaging in the work.
• Selective and controlled use of amphetamines or other NRIs could assist in this process if and only if they are taken at a dose that improves attention/concentration without also increasing physical energy, if this is at all possible."

Some of this is empirically testable; for example it's easy enough to measure neurotransmitter activity in someone adept in Raja Yoga.

As far as I know amphetamines are not conducive to any kind of meditative calm. Quite the opposite: on amphetamines one often has "racing thoughts", not single-pointed concentration to the exclusion of other mental activity.

Here's a peer-reviewed scientific study of the actions of neurotransmitters during meditation:

www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~pineda/COGS175/readings/Newberg.pdf

It presents empirical data that shows that norepinephrine production is decreased during meditation. Amphetamine use actually increases the concentration of norepinephrine in the brain and blood.

"Vigilant concentration" is not the same as deep meditative concentration. From the article cited by the Wikipedia article on norepinephrine, which uses the term you used ("vigilant concentration"):

"[Norepinephrine] is the hormone and neurotransmitter most responsible for vigilant concentration" (Wikipedia article on norepinephrine)

"
The functional role of NE [norepinephrine] might be illustrated by imagining the experience of walking alone in the woods. As the sun begins to set, you suddenly hear an abrupt crack, the sound of a stick being broken by an unseen object moving several yards away. Immediately your senses burst alive -- your head turns in the direction of the sound, your heart begins to race as you seek to determine the origin of the noise. Your thoughts quickly seek to discern the object and determine, Is this opportunity or danger? Is this going to eat me or am I going to eat it?
"

from www.medscape.org/viewarticle/523887_2