Namaskar Oct 2012

Postponing Death
Dr. Mihaiela Pentiuc
It may seem as if we can write easily about our passions, hopes,
dreams, expectations, life. But when it comes to death, words
escape us and inspiration seems beyond reach. It does not matter
how certain death is, we keep on postponing its reality in our
minds. It does not matter how often we have met death – through
loved ones who have left, or even events in the news – we keep
thinking: It’s not about me. In order to live happily we build an
entire coping system that takes the mind away from the frightening
certitude of our own deadline.
Medical books describe a very rare disease that causes people to
think they are dead or that parts of their body are missing or
rotten. It is called Walking Corpse Syndrome (Cotard’s Syndrome)
and its source can be partially found in a disconnection between the
areas in the brain that process information from the sense organs
and the site of their emotional processing. It is like seeing, feeling,
tasting the body, but being unable to appreciate this is me, mine, or
normal. What does the mind do when confronted with this odd
separation? Usually it makes up a story, an explanation that will
solve the dilemma, but most commonly does not match reality.
Generally speaking, when our sense of identity is not associated
with our sensory perceptions, we feel as if we are dead.
to live happily we build a coping
system to take the mind away from
our own deadline
In Yoga, pratyahara, the fifth of the eight stages of Patanjali’s
traditional system, advises the sadhaka to train in the “withdrawal
of the senses,” the voluntary separation of the internal activity of
the mind from external disturbances. In this practice smell, taste,
sight, touch, and hearing are not processed anymore in their
respective centers in the brain; the sense organs are totally
functional while the brain does not acknowledge their activity.
Pratyahara is the essential turning point that takes the practitioner
to the superior levels of yoga – dharana (concentration), dhyana
(meditation), and samadhi.
Stretching the analogy a little, we can say before reaching samadhi the
yogi must change the habitudes of his brain activity, which is in a
way like undergoing death. It is very common before entering
samadhi to experience a certain amount of fear – either a fear of
death or fear of insanity. Many practitioners stop at this point,
while others spend a lot of time roaming to the edge of this range,
which reveals the extinction of the ego. Unfortunately there is no
other way to gain passage to greater depths but by passing through
this gateway, a necessary step that changes the psychological focus
but also imprints on our biology. The brain has to be trained; our
body has to face what will normally be translated as death and
destruction in order to accommodate the higher stages of sadhana.
How does the yogi know he or she is not going mad, is not
damaging the brain, and won’t become a zombie like the severe
sufferers of Cotard’s Syndrome?
It is a common procedure in neuroscience to observe pathological
conditions in order to understand the function of the normal
brain. For a yogi it is even more fascinating to recognize the effects
of yoga practice in what science describes.
Yoga and meditation change both our body and brain. Pathology
and disease are also based on sometimes similar changes of the
brain. Why does one lead to bliss while the other to misery? Are
there signs that tell us clearly in which direction we are heading?
If I want to taste the exquisiteness of infinity I have to accept the
need to courageously look into the face of death. On the verge of
extinction’s abyss, is there something that can reassure me of an
afterlife of samadhi? Unfortunately the answer is no. Facing death
means facing no compromises, no half-doses, and no selfcomforting.
From outside, the guru or teacher can appreciate the
signs but inside it is just that: a solitary confrontation with the dark
night. The only real, reliable, guiding light is gradual consistent
practice: pratyahara – withdrawal from the ongoing processing of
external sensory stimulation – and one-pointed concentration of
the mind leading to deep levels of meditation.
This is no easy step and dreaming about bliss without the courage
to confront death is like suffering from thirst while being averse to
drinking. Speaking about abhinivesha – the fear of death, or the
excessive attachment to life – Patanjali himself acknowledged this
describing it as being “deeply rooted even in the sages.”
All those who hold the ambition to reach the highest yogic
achievements are bound to bear witness to the very deep
transformation brought about by one’s confrontation with death.
It starts with the effort of the mind to redirect its attention and
concludes with physiological changes of the brain. Meanwhile a
wide range of emotional and philosophical challenges can surge up.
We do need to apply new processing terms, to learn new
translation skills or new emotional values. Seeing must be replaced
by inner vision, external consistency exchanged for the certainty of
internal perceptions, permanent sensorial bombardment easily
turned into awakened calmness.
This is how the advanced stages of yoga become the realm of
heroes, men and women with determination and real longing for
truth and freedom. From this perspective we can understand why
Shiva, the archetypal image of the yoga guru, also received the name
Bhairava, the terrible one.
Some who initially feel an enthusiastic attraction to yoga may feel
discouraged at this point. Isn’t there an escape, a shortcut, a
“happy-go-lucky” path to samadhi? We want the bliss but not the
confrontation. Let’s look around: Is there a place where death can
be avoided? Is it possible by facing it courageously we can stop
fearing it and understand death as transformation? Yogic wisdom
provides answers and practical solutions, showing again how this
ancient system is reliable for much more than healthy stretching or
relaxation.
Mihaiela is a senior yoga teacher at Agama
Yoga, Thailand. mihaiela@agamayoga.com
Agama Yoga offers its ‘Art of Dying’ workshop
25-29 March 2013 www.agamayoga.com
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