Endocrines and Human Personality

For the personality to be balanced and healthy, the endocrine glands must be balanced within themselves and with the rest of the body.  Most of these glands are believed to be controlled by a master gland, the pituitary though the latest research shows that the pineal gland may even control the pituitary.  The pituitary and the pineal have direct links to the brain so there is an endocrine nervous system interaction for better control and integration of the body.  When the endocrine glands are not balanced disease can result, both body and personality are affected adversely.  In hypertensive disease we are especially concerned with imbalance of the adrenal and thyroid glands and in turn, their imbalance with the nervous system.  At the physical level the endocrine glands monitor the internal body secretions and ensure that just the right level of hormone is in the blood.  One molecule of adrenaline can affect the whole body.  Any imbalance in the endocrine glands can cause excess secretions, especially when the body is responding to external or internal stresses, and has vast repercussions. 

The brain is protected from certain chemicals in the blood by a blood/brain barrier.  This is a semipermiable membrane which permits only special molecules, such as oxygen, glucose (food) to pass through.  The  pituitary, so called ‘master gland’, was thought to be protected by this barrier.  Recently it has been found, that the barrier is broken at the pituitary.  A small part of the front of the gland is exposed directly to the blood stream.  Any chemical, food or substance we put into the blood will affect the pituitary and thus the whole endocrinal system.  This means that the treatment of disease will have to be re-evaluated to ensure the drugs used do not affect the endocrine balance.

The seven major chakras correspond to the endocrines of the physical body in pituitary – sahasrara, pineal – ajna, thyroid – vishuddhi, thymus – anahata, adrenals – manipura, gonads – swadhisthana.

Perineal body – Mooladhara.  There points are also the locations of nerve plexes which creates a nerve-hormone-chakra complex, and at these points energy flows into the body.  It is the intersection of mind and body energies.  Mental energy direct pranic energy in the physical body.  In disease, disordered mind and cluttered complex personality cannot direct energy in a balanced harmonious way for ex a person with excessive thyroid gland secretion will be anxious, irritable and mentally unstable in the hyperactive direction. Whereas a person of low thyroid function shows lethargy, depression, apathy and a general slowing of mental abilities.

Any imbalance of mind reflects into the endocrines and vice-versa.  This imbalance creates disease but is not a disease entity in itself.  It is one of the causative factors.  Many people have a slight hormonal in the neuro-endocrine axis. This is evidenced at the social level by pre-occupation with sexuality (linked to gonad-swadhisthana interaction) and power seeking competition and lack of regard for others (caused by imbalance in the adrenal-manipura interaction).

Destructive interference describes the situation in the hypertensive person and constructive interference applies to the ideal state of the yogi who has mastered the body, emotions and mind.  If the disturbances in the CHAKRA-ENDOCRINE pair is slow then the wear out of the body will be slow, but if this disturbance is at a high speed and unmanageable then the disease appears faster.  We transmit those negative vibrations into the outer world through our personality which is a summation of all the processes going on within us.  The individuals personality suffers, he experiences anger depression etc. and there is total disharmony between the inner and outer world.

Personality is a reflection of the mind.  It is a reflection of unconscious forces, subconscious impulses, positive and negative complexes rising up into the conscious mind.  The energies from the mind are communicated at extra-sensory levels and are channelled into the body to be expressed.  Mind determines personality and personality determines physical action.

Author

Ms.Geeta R. Rao