Music Is Magic: Sufi Magic

Music Is Magic

Sufi Magic

A newly born human child, anywhere in the world, has no ‘Ego’. It does not know who it is. There is no sense of ‘SELF’. Its ‘SELF’ is really hidden under sheaths – mainly, the ‘Annamaya’ (for ‘dietary’ energy for survival) and ‘Pranamaya’ (for life-sustaining ‘breath’ or ‘pranik’ energy). Its ‘Monomaya Kosha’ is restricted to the relationship with its mother only, although it is not at all aware about the relationship. It had been clinging to its mother, inside her womb, before delivery. The umbilical cord was the biological bridge. It continues to cling on to her, post-delivery – equally intimately, although not through any tissue connection, while being breast-fed. It has to earn its ‘Oxytocin’ which is the brain chemical from which we get our ‘emotional energy’. The newborn’s only goal now is to ‘survive & grow’. Biologically, this is the fact. But, if you look at it meta-biologically (look at ‘References’), it is all ‘Maya’ or ‘Illusion’ because these relationships are only for one lifetime. Bio-energy can never be created, nor can it be destroyed, it only changes its form. In the next life, the child may not be born to the same mother. It is a purely temporary relationship. There is thus no real sense in GETTING ATTACHED TO ANYONE (‘Moh’ in Sanskrit).

The infant develops a sense of ‘Self’ (‘I’, ‘Me’, ‘My’, ‘Mine’) only when it is given a name and is addressed by that name. Such an identity develops into the child’s ‘Ego’. Every religion that I know of has a naming ceremony for the child. Does that mean that the religion approves of, encourages the development of ‘Ego’ in a child? If it does, why does it do? What is the purpose of ‘Ego’? Is it a tool for self-defence – is it a protective shield – an armour? Does it work through the ‘freeze-fight-flight’ circuits of the brain or some other circuits? The father of ‘Psychotherapy’, Dr Sigmund Freud had suggested a different approach and basis of his ‘Id-Ego-Superego’ model (reference cited). Why does, again, every religion tells its followers to conquer the ‘Ego’ – to sublimate it? And, how can it be conquered and sublimated?

Such and many other questions used to bother me as I used to experience daily, in cases of inter-personal communicative transactions, either person’s ‘Ego’ would tend to become a barrier. So, when I took up the colossal task of developing a totally new & novel multi-disciplinary domain of ‘Neuro-management’ (NM), the study of ‘Ego & Its Management’ obviously got a prominent place.

First of all, I started looking for areas in the brain where ‘Ego’ or the concept of ‘Self’ (‘I’. ‘Me’, ‘My’ & ‘Mine’) is located. I could figure out from published research that brain scientists have identified two specific areas as locations of ‘Ego’. One is the ‘Anterior Cingulate Cortex’ (ACC) and the other is the ‘Frontal Insular Cortex’ (FIC). These two areas have the presence of ‘Von Economo Neurons’ (VENs). ACC & FIC have strong connections, forming circuits, with different areas in the brain responsible for (i) sensory inputs from the outside world – the environment external to us; (ii) the autonomic (on a subconscious plane) control of different parts of the body and their movements; (iii) decision-making; and (iv) awareness. VENs which are shaped like long spindles and are responsible for very fast message transmission, decide which of these circuits must be switched on or off at any moment of time. It is very much like an orchestra conducted by a world-class conductor. The VENs play the ‘conductor’ role.

In the Imperial College, London, a group of brain researchers studied the effect of ‘psilocybin’ which is a psycho-active component of magic mushrooms. In the test group who were given a mental task and were administered ‘psilocybin’, the chemical after its administration, turned off certain parts of the brain associated with the ‘Ego’ and, it was described as the ‘Ego Dissolution Effect’. In contrast, in the control participants, who were given the same task but was had nothing to do with ‘psilocybin’, the parts associated with Ego was seen to lit up, and it was identified as the brain’s ‘Default Mode Network’ (DMN). The researchers also observed that children do not develop any ‘Ego’ until the age of around 5 (five) years – as if they are under the influence of a ‘psilocybin’ like chemical. ‘Ego’ starts, getting formed, as childhood progresses with the formation of the child’s DMN circuits. The child becomes possessive: ‘My toy’, ‘My candy’, ‘My mom’, ‘My dad’ and so on.

My point is unless you find your ‘True Passion’ using my ‘3D (Dream-Drive-Domain) Brain Tool’ (refer to my 2021 book) and get immersed in it, your Ego will not keep you stress-free. Your DMN will disturb you. Only getting immersed in your True Passion and attaining the ‘Flow Brain State’ (FBS) can lead to ‘Ego Dissolution’. But my field research has shown that very few people are lucky enough to identify their ‘True Passion’ and are able to market their outputs (products and/or services) professionally. So, I was looking for an alternative ethical way (not consuming ‘psilocybin) for ‘Ego Dissolution’ and have struck the gold after painstaking research.

I’ve been studying the ‘Sufi’ culture with some deep interest of late. In ‘Sufi’ culture ‘spiritual development’ means ‘ego dissolution’. Unless one becomes ‘egoless’, how can you become ‘God-full”? The Sufis describe it as “burning one’s ‘self’” because, my perception is with a heavy ‘Ego-ridden Self’ your soul cannot escape through the pine cone-shaped ‘Pineal Gland’ (PG) at the time of dying. The Sufis use special music, dancing & body movements for ‘Self-annihilation’ which they call ‘FANA’ – a mental state when ‘Ego’ becomes effaced in the reality of God. The special whirling type of dancing, the Sufis claim, help in the loss of ‘Self’.

Some Sufi scholars even claim that listening to a lullaby-like song, regularly, can take us to the ego-less state of infancy or immediate post-infancy childhood when the baby has no perception of ‘Self’ – who he is.

Links have been provided to: (i) a collection of Sufi music; (ii) Sufi song by Ustad Sujaat Khan.

https://youtu.be/KW1aDqnmay8

https://youtu.be/XICCryj-zbQ

[References:

1. “Definition of Metabiology”, Merriam-Webster.

2. Saul McLeod, “Id, Ego, and Superego”, Simply Psychology, updated 2021.

3. Dr. Vince Wong, “The Part of the Brain Responsible for Ego?” 30th Novemberb 2021.

4. Candice Cannone, “Von Economo neurons in depression and schizophrenia”, NeuroLingo, 15th October 2021.

5. John Allman, “CARTA: Uniquely Human Features of the Brain: Von Economo Neurons”.

6. Sam Harris: “The Self is an Illusion” Big Think.

7. “What is Sufi Music? (The Sound of Islamic Mysticism)”, Let’s Talk Religion, 25th February 2022.

8. Siddhartha Ganguli, “SMART Leading & Parenting of Teenage Kids in the Digital Era: A Neuro-managed Way”; New Delhi: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 2021.]