By Alfred J. Plechner, D.V.M.
The third eye is better known as the Pineal gland or epiphysis cerebri.
The Pineal gland was revered by the ancient people as having magical powers, and Descartes, the French philosopher, believed the Pineal gland was the heart of the human brain.
This small endocrine organ is shaped like a pine cone, which relates to its name, Pineal gland or Pineal body.
In humans, the gland is approximately one centimeter long and only one millimeter long in a dog.
The Pineal gland is located in close proximity to the hypothalamus, and when light or darkness passes through
the eye and the retina, the impulse is sent to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which resides in the hypothalamus, which is an area of the brain that regulates hormone production.
Nerve fibers from the hypothalamus actually join the spinal cord, allowing this retinal impulse to penetrate the superior cervical ganglia.
To complete this cycle, the impulse next goes to the post
ganglionic neurons, which then transfer the final impulse into the Pineal Gland for further hormone modulation.
The significance of this cycle is that it allows the Pineal gland to receive impulses from the sympathetic nervous system, and in turn, change these various neurological impulses into regulatory signals to other glands producing hormones.
This cycle, with its completion, is vital for proper hormone regulation, and when there is an imbalance in this cycle, the Pineal gland can create many different types of endocrine imbalances.
When Descartes called the Pineal gland the “heart” of the brain, I agree, but with modern day thinking, I wonder if the Pineal gland should be referred to as the “computer chip” of the brain?
With these impulses, the Pineal gland produces a hormone called Melatonin.
The release of Melatonin, relates to the number of foot candles of light and dark, that pass through the retina, of the eye, and the precursor for Melatonin, is Serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter, whose precursor is the amino acid, Tryptophan.
Any deficiencies in either one of these precursors can cause the Pineal gland to create further endocrine imbalances.
Of interest is, a paper written by George C. Prendergast entitled Cancer: Why Tumors Eat Tryptophan.
It can be viewed by going to Nature-478-p. 192-194, 13 October 2011.
According to this paper, tumors increase their consumption of the amino acid tryptophan in order to evade immune control.
Their findings indicate that the cancer causes an increase in the production of the livers tryptophan metabolic breakdown enzyme that control tryptophan production and with a tryptophan deficiency occurring, this is further evidence why serotonin and melatonin may also be decreased and can reduce the control and moderation of the HPA axis causing even more problems with the endocrine regulation of the immune system.
However, in birds and reptiles, the location of the Pineal gland is in close proximity to the skin, and the light and dark, reaches the Pineal gland through the skin and not through the retina of the eye, for this Pineal gland cycle to occur.
Hence forth, this is where the “third eye” concept developed.
Light impulses, that the Pineal gland receives, inhibit the production of Melatonin.
During the night, and during the dark phase of the moon,
the retro hypothalamic impulses stop, and there are no longer light impulses going to the Pineal gland, and this allows the Pineal gland to release all of its Melatonin.
Again, to reiterate on this cycle, the actual connection is called the retro hypothalamic tract.
As light or dark traverse this tract, the impulse first goes to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, then to the sympathetic nervous system and then to the Pineal Gland.
The foot candles of light and dark, will determine whether Melatonin is released or not, and whether endocrine balance will be maintained.
I think you can now realize, how a cloudy, rainy, dark day, the dark phase of the moon and tanning, whether from the sun or from a “tanning bed” might allow the Pineal gland to create some very important health issues, if it is unable to maintain a proper endocrine balance.
This also may cause an alteration of the circadian rhythm.
A normal circadian rhythm involves a pattern, based upon a 24 hour cycle, especially with the repetition of specific functions like sleeping and eating and certain endocrine feedback mechanisms.
A deregulated circadian rhythm is very common in people that are sight challenged, since there are no impulses reaching the Pineal gland through the retina.
In people, clinical deficiencies in Melatonin have been associated with low body temperature, personality disorders, a suppressed immune system, insomnia and an elevated progesterone- estrogen ratio.
Low levels of Melatonin have been found in many women, with breast cancer, and providing extra Melatonin, may helps treat many patients with breast cancer.
The production of Melatonin from the Pineal gland, has implicated several disorders including sexual dysfunction, hypertension, epilepsy, and Paget’s disease.
Paget’s disease is a disease, usually affecting middle aged to elderly people, causing excessive bone destruction and disorganized bone repair.
It makes you wonder if Paget’s disease may be involved with osteoporosis but to a greater degree depending on the Pineal glands production of Melatonin
People, that appear to have an excess amount of Melatonin production, often suffer from SAD, which stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
SAD is thought to be caused by a lack of sufficient light input into the Pineal gland, causing symptoms of fatigue, excessive sleep, abnormal food cravings, anxiety, depression and definite changes in sex hormones, like estrogen and progesterone.
I wonder, if part of the increased suicide rate, in certain areas of our country, might be caused by a lack of daylight, due to excessive clouds and rain during the day.
It has been reported, that some people do not feel well with depressed sunlight, but on a bright day, they feel fine.
Other signs of excess Melatonin production may cause depressed adrenal and thyroid function.
With a lowered estrogen-progesterone ratio, often low blood pressure may also be present.
In animals, a Melatonin imbalance can lead to infertility, specific regional hair loss, sleeping disorders, and eating and behavioral problems.
Melatonin may also play a roll, with epilepsy, like it does in people.
Melatonin plays a major roll, in reproduction.
With light and dark impulses going into the Pineal gland, the production of Melatonin, can regulate and determined, when a breeding season will occur or not occur in many different types of animals.
The breeding season for sheep, can be manipulated with artificial light.
Researchers have found, during the non breeding season, the testicular sperm count was markedly reduced.
This appears to be due to the Melatonin, stopping secretion of both luteinizing and follicular stimulating hormones, from the anterior pituitary gland.
This causes the hypothalamus, to reduce its production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which is necessary for the anterior pituitary to continue its function.
Another interesting observation was made, when tadpoles were exposed to Pineal gland extracts, the tadpoles lost their pigment and their skin became transparent, devoid of pigment.
It makes you wonder, if the Melatonin might also affect pigment loss in people and other animals.
So far the researchers have not proven this happens in birds and mammals, but I do wonder.
Certain foods, may play may help or hurt a Melatonin imbalance, which is important for you know, for yourself, your family and you’re pets.
Melatonin is present in tart cherries, oats, bananas, rice and corn.
Tryptophan, which is the precursor to Melatonin, is present in red meat, chicken, turkey, almonds, peanuts, seeds, bananas, soy and soy products, tuna and shell fish.
NOTE: Definitely make sure, none of the foods listed above, do not come from genetically modified seeds or are high in phytoestrogens.
You may want to consider a blood test to find out what the Melatonin production is from the Pineal gland to see if any modification is indicated.
A beginning Pineal blood sample should include Serotonin, Melatonin, Tryptophan, Zinc, ACTH, and Total Estrogen.
Do the blood test during light hours and if the Melatonin is normal and you still do not feel well, repeat only the Melatonin during the evening before sunrise. This will give you better opportunity of getting some sleep without having to do the blood draw at 2 to 3 AM unless your physician decides the 2 to 3 Am Melatonin might be more significant.
Salivary Melatonin might, still be the easiest way to check levels in a 24 hours period.
Salivary test are also available to test for Melatonin, which may even be more convenient.
With the work I am doing now with a brilliant Melungeon woman who suffers from many disorders that seem to plague her people and other early Americans.
We have found that during certain moon phases she undergoes a Lunar Estrogen Surge even though she has no ovaries.
In looking at neurotransmitters, her precursor to Melatonin, Serotonin, is very elevated, and her Melatonin is deficient, which may lead to the hormone disruption of her Hypothalamic, Pituitary Adrenal axis which might help explain in part why she suffers from the moon induced Lunar Estrogen Surge and makes one wonder if there is a transference enzyme that is not present or not working that may be leading to her high Serotonin and her low Melatonin.
Low Melatonin will not neutralize the Aromatase in the tissue, which in turn will cause DHEA, DHEAS, Androgen and Testosterone to be turned into total Estrogen and well may part of this Lunar Estrogen Surge.
Obviously more research needs to be done, but so far the facts are quite interesting and hopefully will help her feel better.
It is best to check with your health care professional for further recommendation, including any other tests, they think, might to be important.
Besides the Pineal glands function, with its production of Melatonin, researchers also believe the Pineal gland contains electromagnetic receptors, that monitor magnetic fields, and help the body to align itself in space.
Many species from whales to man and many other animals, including birds and bees, contain a highly magnetic mineral called magnetite.
Dr. Joseph Kirschvink studies have found that these magnetite crystals enable animals, from bees to whales, to navigate by way of these crystals, by using the earth’s electromagnetic fields.
In humans, Magnetite is synthesized by the brain, and occurs all over the brain tissue.
It has been proven, that electromagnetic fields can cause brain cancer and leukemia.
Dr. Kirschvink and his wife traversed honey bees through an exit maze, following a north or south compass, and when they reversed the crystals in the bees with a very strong magnetic field, the bees flew in the opposite direction.
Even a family of bacteria, that contain megnetosomes, when exposed to the earth’s electromagnetic field, will cause them to travel up and down the mud they live in.
Other studies, further suggest that the Pineal glands, in certain mammals, birds and bees, function is to help with proper navigation.
If the magnetic fields are changed in our environment, the birds bees etc, become disoriented as to navigation and alignment in space, and this may explain the loss of thousands of birds and bees, that recently occurred in and out of the United States.
Electromagnetic fields can suppress the Pineal glands ability to produce Melanin and can cause damage to the circadian rhythm.
There also needs to be a consideration of the amount of magnetite that occurs in different species including man.
The more this magnetic material occurs in different amounts, will indicate if that person is more sensitive to electromagnetic fields.
I personally believe this is why some people become ill, after being exposed to xrays.
Extreme cases of electromagnetic imbalances, has led to a person opening the door of the refrigerator and feeling as though they will be knocked to the floor.
Some people become totally dysfunctional during and after being exposed to an MRI.
Acupuncture realigns the positive and negative ions in the body, which can be out of alignment due to external, electromagnetic fields.
Not only do the above electromagnetic exposures exist, but what about the other electromagnetic fields, that humans and animals are exposed to, like lightning, the moon and other celestial bodies besides the earth?
Of great interest are the electromagnetic magnetic sensors that the Great White Shark possesses and has possessed these sensors even before dinosaur lived, according to the experts.
It has to make you think that electromagnetic fields may have been even of greater significance with ancient man and animal, but evolution may have changed this to an a degree, but we are still seeing what was once in our ancient survivors like the Great White Shark.
These electromagnetic sensors occur in the head and nose region of the shark along blue lines that are nerves, and their nerve ends are surrounded by a jelly like substances, and is referred to as the Ampulae of Lorenzini.
These electromagnetic sensors provide the shark with extremely long range information on all living creatures that emit low voltage.
It has been proven that if two 9 volt batteries are placed in the water 1000 miles away from a shark, the shark would be able detect a faint voltage. The researchers refer to this as the sharks “distance touch”!
This is just one example of a prehistoric cartilaginous fish that uses its electromagnetic sensors for survival.
These facts may also be important for you to help avoid a shark attack by one of these prehistoric creatures.
Where do we fit into this electromagnetic world and how can we identify our exposures to these electromagnetic fields that may be hazardous to our health?
This may be a good reason to purchase an inexpensive electromagnetic meter, to make sure you, your family and your pets are not exposed to harmful electromagnetic fields.
These fields exist around electric outlets, microwaves, refrigerators, alarm clocks and probably your cell phone.
Rearranging your furniture, out of range for the electromagnetic fields caused by your electric outlets, would be a good place to start.
Dr Susanne Bennett, DC, CCSP is a holistic chiropractic physician who practices in Santa Monica California and has experience with several patients suffering from melatonin imbalances and also magnetic disturbances that occur due to their Pineal glands.
She also has found the Pineal gland to contain naturally high levels of calcium apatite, which is why fluoride has a high affinity for the Pineal gland.
Apparently, fluoride is attracted to bone and tissues containing high levels of calcium.
Dr. Bennett has found that many of her patients have abnormal sleep patterns and after she helps these patients with the fluoride detoxification, their sleep patterns return to normal.
In summary, I do believe the Pineal gland might be the computer chip of the brain and the cause of many endocrine disorders that are not understood, either due to its production of Melatonin or its electromagnetic components and other maladies, that all may lead to damaged health.
Hopefully this article will stimulate your thoughts on the Pineal glands influence on you, you’re family and you’re pets.
These are only my thoughts and my opinion.
Copyright ©2013
