On Seeing the Light (evidence-based)

Behind any human suffering, there is a being suffused with light.

~ Celia Roberts

Learning objectives

• What you see is not the outside world but your brain’s interpretation of the signals of light detected by the retina.
• The world of form is made of light.
• We see light as appearances (or apparition) of objects because of the way the light is rendered on the eye.
• Why do we see light in meditation and how does the increase in serotonin as a neuromodulator in the temporal lobes relate to this?

As meditation and yoga teachers, we learn to peer through our suffering so we can hold it lightly, eventually not at all. Subsequently, we can hold another’s suffering lightly, with tenderness and compassion. Such is the lightness of being.

Let us explore scientifically and spiritually how we see the light behind all matter.

Light is fundamental to the universe. The ancient Greeks believed that the universe was only darkness and chaos in the beginning. Love sprang from this darkness, and this Love, together with Day, brought light to the universe [1]. Most images we have of divinity or enlightenment always involve imagery of light. It is in the word ‘enlightenment’ itself. Light is fundamental to the way we perceive the spiritual. It is also essential to how we perceive the world in general.

What you see is not the outside world but your brain’s interpretation of the signals of light detected by the retina.

Intuitively, one may assume that the eyes are windows to the outside world. However, this could not be further from the truth. Acknowledging the work of Donald Hoffman, as explained in the previous article on peering through the illusive reality, we realise that we do not perceive reality at all. The science behind perception in the physiology of the eye explains how we are simply processing light rather than seeing objects externally. When the light comes from the sun and hits the objects of the earth, the light rays bounce off these objects with energy. This light enters our eyes and passes through the cornea. The eye’s iris can relax and contract and control the light entering the eye. The light reaches the back of the eye, namely the retina, and gets processed by light sensors (rods and cones) [2]. Cones detect colour, and different cones will activate, given the wavelength of the light that comes through the retina. Depending on what sensors activate in the eye, this triggers neural signals that go back into the brain’s visual areas, which then process the signals and generate an image. What you see is not the outside world but your brain’s interpretation of the signals of light detected by the retina.

The world of form is made of light.

One may explore this question more deeply by asking: what is light? To explain this, it would be helpful to turn to the research of Albert Einstein once again. Most of us have seen or heard of Einstein’s famous equation:

E = M x C2

The universe is composed of matter. All the “hard” things we think of when we think of the universe: planets, suns, gases, etc., are all made from matter. As a side note, 15% of the universe is matter, while the other 85% is made of dark matter. Dark matter is not dark because it is evil; instead, it is not visible to us. Yet, dark and ordinary matter is still matter. However, what is matter? Matter is a general term for atoms, which are made of neutrons, electrons, and protons. These atomic particles are also made from subatomic particles. Nonetheless, what are these subatomic particles made of? The famous equation above proves how they are all made of energy. Energy and mass are interchangeable, according to Einstein’s equation. The universe is made of matter, but matter is made of energy.

Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, a type of energy that travels through space as a wave. Electromagnetic radiation is characterised by its wavelength, frequency, and amplitude. Light has a wide range of wavelengths, from radio waves to gamma rays, with the human-visible light spectrum being only a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Light is emitted from matter. It is the energy that is released from all other energy. All objects above absolute zero (the coldest possible temperature in the universe, where atoms cease to vibrate) emit thermal radiation, a type of light. The hotter an object is, the more thermal radiation it emits. This is how incandescent light bulbs emit light by heating a metal filament and is also why the sun and all other stars emit light that illuminates our life.

This understanding of physics shows us that, in some sense, we are all bodies of light. Our bodies are constantly emitting light as a natural process of being made of energy. Any object that is not at absolute zero temperature, at least, emits infrared light. Therefore, infrared cameras can be used to see in the dark. Even though our eyes cannot see in the dark, an infrared camera can detect anything above 0 degrees Kelvin. Therefore, we are all bodies of radiating light within a universe of energy and light.

Yogis, across various traditions, acknowledge the light of consciousness.
In his book, “An Experience of Cosmic Consciousness”, Paramahansa Yogananda writes,

“All objects within my panoramic gaze trembled and vibrated like quick motion pictures. My body, Master’s, the pillared courtyard, the furniture and floor, the trees and sunshine, occasionally became violently agitated until all melted into a luminescent sea, even as sugar crystals, thrown into a glass of water, dissolve after being shaken. The unifying light alternated with materialisations of form, the metamorphoses revealing the law of creation.”

–Paramhansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi

Why do we see light in meditation or in stream entry first stage enlightenment?
How does the increase in serotonin as a neuromodulator in the temporal lobes relate to this?

Research suggests that meditation can increase serotonin metabolism [3].The interaction between Serotonin and mood is proposed to be bi-directional. If you can self-induce a change in mood, you can influence serotonin synthesis and vice versa. Higher overall levels of Serotonin have been measured in long-term meditators, and also increased serotonin levels have been found during and after meditation practice [4]
The most exciting fact about Serotonin during meditation is that it influences the flow of visual associations and internally generated imagery, acting as a neuromodulator in the temporal lobes. This may give rise to the most extraordinary visual experiences in meditation. Buddhist literature abounds with detailed references to experiences of luminosity and ‘seeing the light’, with anecdotal reports of meditation-induced light phenomena discovered across Buddhist traditions in historical and textual accounts and among accounts from contemporary practitioners [5].
Serotonin levels rising through meditation practice can also influence the dopaminergic system. The link between the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems may increase the euphoria often experienced during meditative states. The lateral hypothalamus is also stimulated through the activation of the autonomic nervous system in meditation, a part of the brain known to give rise to ecstatic states whilst stimulating Serotonin.

Through deep meditation we can essentially dissolve the body into light. We move through various stages of luminosity, joy, fear and eventually the dissolution of all we feel and believe to be solid.
Observe your breath and body as a field of ever-changing energy and let your experience begin to shimmer. Do not attach. Instead notice the dissolution of all phenomena moment to moment. Touch what Buddhadasa called “everyday nirvana.”

Then, the face softens, the body eases.
The light which shines in the eye is really the light of the heart. – Rumi

Meditations for Serotonin (based on research)

• AM: Rise with the sun and face East increasing light to the pineal gland – practice meditation or asana facing East
• PM: Practice evening walk or practice asana facing West and remain aware of sun setting with evening light to eyes
• Pineal Gland Meditation – Joe Dispensa
• Transcendental (Mantra Based Meditation)
• Daily Self Massage (Abhyanga) 5 to 10 minutes
• Sunlight to the body for ten minutes or even up to two hours to the upper portion of the body to balance out testosterone and oestrogen
• Gratitude Meditation
• Contemplate Yoga Sutra 1.36 – Vishoka Va Jyotishmati – concentrate on the inner effulgent light of the heart