In this episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Abhijit Naskar sheds light on the psychological elements that make religion an obstruction in human progress.

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Illusion-Religion-Treatise-Religious-Fundamentalism/dp/154704540X/

Transcript:

Religion - this is the term that every human being is very deeply acquainted with, and it has a lot of significance in the human society. More importantly, to some humans this term induces feelings of comfort and serenity, whereas to some others, it induces a sense of violence and stupidity. So in this episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons I, Abhijit Naskar, will mention five psychological elements that make religion an obstruction in human progress not an aid in human development. In the next episode I shall mention the elements that make religion an aid in individual life.



Number 1

Fundamentalism - this is the biggest threat to the human society and in today's world this term is associated more with the so-called realm of religion than with any other system of the society. Fundamentalism means literal interpretation of every word of a scripture and accepting those words with utmost obedience. And that leads to chaos in the world, because scriptures not only have good teachings, they also have evil instructions, originally meant for the spreading of the exclusive authority of their corresponding religions. And this leads to nothing but bloodshed.



Number 2

Bigotry - my God is the only God and yours is false, and if you don't believe in my God then you are doomed. You'll burn in hell after you die for eternity. This kind of mentality requires medical attention. Never engage i a conversation or debate with such an individual, because it won't get you anywhere. You'll only waste precious time of yours.



Number 3

Indoctrination of children - indoctrinating children from a very age to believe in imaginary stories such as the biblical story of creation is only an obstruction in the path of human progress.



Number 4

Unwillinglness to evolve - as I have said in one of my books "any religion that does not evolve with time, either gets destroyed or destroys the world". And that's exactly where most of today's so-called religions fall short. They don't wanna evolve, although they are evolving through their people, because the human mind cannot stay rigid, it has to evolve on its own in order to be suitable with the time and environment. And that's the only way that today's religions are evolving, quite unwillingly. That's why the process is happening in the speed of a turtle. But if humanity is to progress then turtle speed won't do.



Number 5

Obedience to scriptures - in order to become effective, healthy and progressive, religions of the world have to break free from their innate obedience towards their scriptures. Religion cannot bring progress, like Science does, unless it breaks free from its ancestral bondage with the scriptures. Books of the dead people cannot be instruction manual for religion in a civilized human society. The human heart and the human behavior are to be the guiding elements in religion, not scriptures.



We are scientists and philosophers, and we bring progress in the human world, not because we are smart, but because the sole purpose behind our endeavors is to be better in our thinking than we were yesterday. We are changing. We are evolving, with every single step that we take. We never hold on to one book and say that everything written in that book is irrefutable, unless such statement can be backed up with robust evidence. And the moment, the religions of the human society adapts this simple...

In this episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Abhijit Naskar reveals the biological truth underneath the claims of afterlife experiences.

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-God-Biopsy-Cognitive-Reality/dp/152296942X/



Transcript:

A lot of people apparently have visited heaven - and yes they do claim so. And even though it sounds preposterous to rational thinkers, in reality their experiences are quite peculiarly true. Let me shed light on this matter on today's episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons. And I am Abhijit Naskar. Heaven is real - naaaaah, I'm just messing with ya. Let me tell you five facts about heaven.



Number 1

The idea of an afterlife was created by the imagination of our ancient ancestors who lived in tribes and had way little intellectual capacity. And further this idea fueled in people's actual encounter with heaven.



Number 2

There are people who have actually gone to haven and come back. Well, in their subjective reality, it is like that anyways. Which means, even though they did not actually budge even a little from their mortal body, the experience of visiting heaven did manifest in their mind as an actual lively experience.



Number 3

Such encounters often occur when a person faces a life and death situation. I have discussed this matter in detail in my book "Autobiography of God: Biopsy of A Cognitive Reality". So when people face death, in that extreme stress the brain releases a uniquely special neurochemical which happens to be more powerful in terms of its hallucinogenic properties than LSD. This chemical is called DMT, or DimethylTryptamine.



Number 4

When your brain releases substantial amounts of DMT in times of distress such as a near death event, your mind goes into an altered state - a state of profound hallucinations where your deepest desires or darkest fears manifest as reality. And this reality seems so damn real that even a neurosurgeon can become the dumbest man on earth and start to hail it as a real experience in heaven where he apparently flies around on the back of a butterfly. Really!



Number 5

Consciousness is the product of electrochemical signalling in the neurons of your brain. So when the brain stops functioning fully, your consciousness, or to a broader aspect your mind ceases to exist with its unique individualistic qualities. This means that you die with the death of your brain.



Hard as it may sound to some, there is no heaven, or hell, or an ever-enchanting realm of brothels that you go to after you die. And that is more reason that you need to pay attention to this life. Because one life is all you got. Make the most out of it.



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In this episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Abhijit Naskar sheds light on the exact benefits that the practice of meditation brings in your life!

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Search-Divinity-Journey-Conscience-Neurotheology/dp/1539562670/



Transcript:

You obviously know what meditation means. And you'd also know that meditation brings benefits in human life. But do you know what kind of benefits does meditation brings exactly? I am Abhijit Naskar and welcome to Nature, Naskar & Neurons. Today I'll you give five reasons for practising meditation.



Number 1

Meditation makes you have better grip over your emotions. Daily practice of it makes you emotionally more stable than usual. Which means with daily practice of meditation, over time you'd get angry less - you'll get disturbed less - you'd get anxious less.



Number 2

Meditation improves memory.



Number 3

Meditation influences your autonomic functioning in a positive manner. Which means though meditation is specifically good for your mind, it also improves your physiological state of being. In short meditation takes care of your physical health as well alongside being extremely effective in uplifting the mind.



Number 4

Doing meditation in a group such as with friends or family can increases its efficacy. But here one thing you need to know is that, practise meditation in a group only if you are comfortable with the people in the group, otherwise it is better to practise alone.



Number 5

If you can influence your child to make meditation their daily habit, then the possibility of them suffering from anxiety and depression in later life would drop to a huge extent.



Remember, meditation is good for the elderly, great for adults, even greater for children, and greater still for pregnant women. So, meditate and be well.





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In this episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Abhijit Naskar clears the confusion surrounding the glorious idea of transcendence!

Further Reading:https://www.amazon.com/Search-Divinity-Journey-Conscience-Neurotheology/dp/1539562670/



Transcript:

Human history is replete with incidents of an apparently divine state of mind. It is commonly what you's know as transcendence. And because it is a rarely attained state of mind, it induces of lot mysticism and confusions in the human mind. I am Abhijit Naskar, and welcome to Nature, Naskar & Neurons. Today I'll attempt to clear your confusion about the so-called glorious idea of transcendence with six simple facts about it.



Number 1

Transcendence has nothing to do with a Supernatural Entity. It is exclusive a matter of the human mind - the human brain.



Number 2

Transcendence is an altered state of consciousness, in this state various subconscious ideas that your conscious mind never had access to, suddenly bubble to the surface, and make things more clear to you. Suddenly everything begins to make sense.



Number 3

Because these ideas are coming from the depths of your own mind they can have both good and bad elements. Often due to preconceived exaggerated notion of this state, it manifests in the human mind according to that notion. Which means, if a person truly believes that it is the state where a mortal meets God, he or she would actually experience a personal encounter of God, where the image and personality of that God would be made by the brain cased on the person's preconceived ideas of God.



Number 4

In Neuroscience we have pinpointed various regions of the brain that actually become unusually active in this state of mind, while some other regions turn inactive.



Number 5

The state of transcendence often influences a person's moral compass to a great extent. It can also rewire the brain circuits in a way that can turn even an immoral person into a highly moral being. Also the state of transcendence can rewire a person to perceive deeds of great evil such as killing people who hold different belief system, as a divine act. Basically a person goes through an utter personality shift by going into transcendence. In most cases throughout history good people have come out this state of great people, and narcissists have come out as human-looking monsters. There are also occasions where ill minded people have become good and dedicated their lives for a great cause after coming out of transcendence.



Number 6

Any human being can attain the state of transcendence. All you need is dedication and patience. And the most effective way to attain it is through meditation - every day a little bit of practice would bring you closer to that state. And do not worry about coming out of that state as an evil psychopath. If your mind is free from prejudices, then you shall rise from that state as a true sage. And if you ask why would you even bother to attain the transcendence - well there is no great reason really except for experiencing what most of the prophets of human history experienced. So basically you'd be experiencing the birth state of all religions in the world. As I have said in my book "In Search of Divinity: Journey to the kingdom of conscience", it is the "fountain head of all religions". And still if all these do not seem appealing to you, then let me give you the physiological perspective on this matter. The best part of the pursuit of transcendence is that, practice of meditation every day basically makes your mind and body healthy whether you ultimately attain transcendence or not.



So my dear friends, think of it as scavenger hunt where the ultimate reward lies within your own mind. So begin your journey right...

In this episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Abhijit Naskar illuminates human stupidity with four examples.

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Neurosutra-Abhijit-Naskar-Collection/dp/1516804538/



Transcript:

Knowledge is something that can be backed up with reasoning. If an argument cannot be reasoned with then that argument has nothing to do with knowledge, rather it has to do with ignorance and bigotry. I am Abhijit Naskar and welcome to Nature, Naskar & Neurons. Today's episode is a little different than the ones you have enjoyed so far on this show. Today I'll address the Illusion of Knowledge. I'll mention a few examples of the fake glory of human stupidity.



Number 1

The earth is not flat. You'd be surprised to know that even in this age of satellites and space probes there are some people who genuinely believe that the earth is flat, not an oblate spheroid. Such belief is mostly motivated by pseudoscience and literal interpretation of scriptures. In 1881, English writer Samuel Rowbotham published Zetetic Astronomy: Earth Not a Globe, a 430-page book in which he affirmed that Earth is flat. After he passed away in 1884, Lady Elizabeth Blount, who admired his work, established a Universal Zetetic Society whose objective was "to carry on the work of the master." So yes, they still do carry on the work with their argument being, I quote "sensory observation prevail over scientific theory."



Number 2

Vaccines do not cause Autism. A vaccine introduces a diminished form of a pathogen into the body in order to stimulate the immune system to develop adaptive immunity to that pathogen. The idea that vaccination causes autism was attractive to some people who wanted to find a clear cause for Autism, and unfortunately the idea still prevails in some people. However, this idea arose from a few studies that were badly conducted and have since been proven wrong. Many high quality studies have compared the health of large numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated children over many years. The largest study included 537,303 children born in Denmark and found that unvaccinated children were just as likely to develop autism as vaccinated children. So rest assured, there is no correlation between vaccination and autism.



Number 3

Global warming is real. It is as real as the sun being hot or poo being disgusting. Anyone who does not know this yet, well, we'll all drown anyways, so who cares? The bottom-line is, take action to cool your planet or the planet will take action and cool your life - forever. Here are a few actions that you can take right away in order to make a significant impact, or don't and let your grandchildren suffer for your mistakes. Driving is one of the biggest ways people contribute to global warming, so minimize driving in any manner you can, by car pooling to work, riding a bike or using public transportation, or any other way. And also consume as less energy as you can.



Number 4

Scriptures are not books consisting factual truth. The only way that we humans can accept scriptures as part of modern human life, is to accept them as metaphorical. The best thing that you can do however, as a rational human being with a brain, is to read all the scriptures and then accept all the good parts and reject the rest. Remember, humanism first, then books, regardless of whether those books have great value in your culture.



I am Abhijit Naskar, wishing you a planet of less illusions. And just for the record, me wishing you, won't change anything, unless you take action. So take action and bring the change you wish to see in your planet.



References:

In this episode 6 of Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Abhijit Naskar illuminates the issue of social programming and mentions four facts about it.

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Islamophobic-Civilization-Voyage-Acceptance-Neurotheology/dp/1542561817/

https://www.amazon.com/What-Mind-Abhijit-Naskar/dp/1535080558/



Transcript:

The human mind is a sponge that is relentlessly absorbing information from the environment. This ceaseless stream of information influences the mind and contributes to the shaping of your psyche. This is basically what you commonly know as social programming - which means the predominant habits of a society become the habits of its inhabitants. I am Abhijit Naskar, and welcome to another episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons. Today I'll address the issue of social programming and mention four facts about it that you need to know.



Number 1

Social programming occurs throughout a person's lifetime - since birth till death. It is a relentless process which programs your mind without you being even aware of it.



Number 2

The society you are born in determines your character and personality to a huge extent. In fact the power of social programming can be so intense that the predominant prejudices of a society can become the prejudices of the newly born members of that society when they grow up.



Number 3

Very few individuals with a strong conscience and an active faculty of reasoning can actually look beyond the predominant norms and habits of their surroundings. These people are not specifically immune to social programming, or which we clinically call "social conditioning". They simply have a more rational mind which overpowers the society's influence.



Number 4

The earliest scientific experiment which brought the attention of our scientific community towards the vast impact of conditioning was an experiment conducted on dogs by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov discovered that any object or event which the dogs learnt to associate with food would trigger them to salivate. In his experiment, Pavlov used a bell as his neutral stimulus. Whenever he gave food to his dogs, he also rang a bell. After a number of repeats of this procedure, he tried the bell on its own without giving the dog any food. As you might expect, the bell on its own now caused an increase in salivation. Which means he basically programmed the dog to salivate not at the sight of food but simply at the sound of the bell. This same phenomenon happens to general human population all through lifetime in various walks of life. One of the most horrific examples of such conditioning of the human mind is the phenomenon you know today as Islamophobia, as I have depicted in my book "The Islamophobic Civilization". Either directly or indirectly the media has conditioned the minds of the general population to associate acts of terrorism with the religion Islam. For example the other day I watching an old episode of Homeland and I came across that even that specific TV Show has the potential to induce Islamophobia in its viewers as it gloriously depicts a simple religious conversion of an American man from Christianity into Islam as his communion with terrorism.



So you see conditioning occurs in the human society without most of the humans even being aware of it. Those with a stronger mind are the only ones who can actually stand invincible to such conditioning. I am Abhijit Naskar wishing you a life less conditioned.





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Abhijit Naskar destroys Homophobia with five intriguing facts of Homosexuality, while destroying Homophobia.

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Either-Civilized-Phobic-Treatise-Homosexuality/dp/1546603034/



Transcript:

If you live in a human society, then hopefully you have heard these phrases - "homosexuality is a sin", "homosexuality is blasphemy", "homosexuality is against god". So do these phrases have even an ounce of truth behind them? I am Abhijit Naskar, and you are watching Nature, Naskar & Neurons. In today's video I'll address the issue of homosexuality and mention five facts of it.



Number 1

Homosexuality is not a sin, it is a biological variation. As I have said in my treatise on Homosexuality "Either Civilized or Phobic" - "being homosexual is no more abnormal than being left handed."



Number 2

Homosexuality is a neurological diversity which cannot be reversed or muted.



Number 3

Homosexuality is not a disease that needs to be fixed. It is a common variation of sexual expression. And the only disease that actually needs to be fixed is the notion that homosexuality is a disease or a sin.



Number 4

Here I'd quote from my book "Either Civilized or Phobic" - "Homosexuals are not made, they are born."



Number 5

The evolutionary purpose behind homosexuality is to serve as a population control mechanism.



This is Abhijit Naskar and you were watching Nature, Naskar & Neurons. For more videos like this hit the subscribe button down below. And remember, those who hail homosexuality as a disease or a sin are the real disease on this planet. Prejudices have no place in the society of civilized humans. As the title of my treatise "Either Civilized or Phobic" implies - one cannot be both civilized and homophobic. A person simply cannot want to be hailed as a human being and at the same time be homophobic. Homophobia, Islamophobia, Misogyny - these are the greatest threats of today's society. So you must my friend, work to get your environment rid of those heinous elements - these heinous mental elements. And the most effective way to start that is to make your kids real conscientious beings - raise your kids as civilized, conscientious human beings without the evils of prejudice in their heart.





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Abhijit Naskar shares five interesting tricks to keep a relationship strong and healthy.

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Wise-Mating-Treatise-Monogamy-Humanism/dp/154681759X

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Sutra-Neuroscientific-Manual/dp/1515324400



Transcript:

A pleasurable romantic relationship is something that everybody wants in this world, yet when they have it, after some time they begin to feel less and less pleased with their choices. But why? I am Abhijit Naskar, and you are watching Nature, Naskar & Neurons. In this video I'll give YOU five tricks to keep your relationship strong and healthy through time.



Number 1

Commit to a relationship only after you are convinced that the other person is good human being and truly trustworthy. And once you commit, do not ever show mistrust with your partner's behavior no matter how weird the situation is. If you must then have an open conversation out of curiosity, not out of mistrust. Never let your partner feel mistrust towards him or her. Be mad, be sad, be jealous, but never mistrustful.



Number 2

Here I would bring up a quote from my book "Wise Mating"

"Do not seek for the best partner, but seek for the person who makes you a better version of yourself." Which means, choose the person who makes you a better human being.



Number 3

Again I'd quote from my book "Wise Mating"

"Try to respond to your partner instead of reacting." So whenever you have an issue, try your best to understand the situation and respond to it softly, instead of react to it like a wild animal.



Number 4

When things go out of hand, you find yourself extremely angry to make any rational decision, train your mind to refrain from having an angry outburst at your partner. Remember, words do more harm than you think. And when your brain is kicked into fight or flight mode it rarely thinks things rationally. So in such a mental state walk away from the situation for a while and calm your mind. And you'll see that when you are calm, all those negative thoughts that you were having towards your partner would suddenly appear meaningless. So don't talk when you are mad. Tell your partner that you need some time and walk away for while to calm your mind.



Number 5

A relationship is not a competition. You don't always have to win. Sometimes it is healthy to simply lose. And if you ask why? I'd say this. Because studies have shown that those who successfully manage to keep their relationship alive and healthy, have healthier and longer lives.



This is Abhijit Naskar and you were watching Nature, Naskar & Neurons. For more videos like this hit the subscribe button down below. And remember, always respond, not react.





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Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Abhijit Naskar sheds light on the idea of God and elucidates its rise in the human mind as an evolutionary mechanism.

Further Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-God-Biopsy-Cognitive-Reality/dp/152296942X/



Transcript:

Mankind has slaughtered more innocent lives throughout the ages in the name of God than for any other reason. So what is this God thing? Is it a delusion, a parasite, a poison or a placebo. I am Abhijit Naskar, and you are watching Nature, Naskar & Neurons. And in this video I'll tell you 5 things that you need to know about God.



Number 1

There are at least two Gods that you need to be aware of, not one. First and foremost is the God or the pack of Gods that humanity has been worshipping till now - the Abrahamic God, the Gods of the Vedas, and all those mythological divine figures. And the second God is the one that is the actual driving force behind the universe, of which we know nothing - if there is any such force that is.



Number 2

The idea of a supreme divine entity evolved in the human mind to serve the purpose of self-preservation. Which means this notion was born through the process of natural selection as an important evolutionary element of the human mind. This God is the first God that I mentioned earlier.



Number 3

The God or Gods that humans from all over the world have worshipped through ages are all human creations - these gods are all created in the human mind either through imagination or in a transcendental state. In short, the God or Gods mentioned in the scriptures do not exist in reality. Belief keeps those gods alive in the human mind. Once the humans stop believing in them, they would cease to exist.



Number 4

The God of the human society acts basically as an effective placebo for the masses, which in reality does indeed have both physiological and psychological benefits in the individual. And that is the reason that this very notion has survived till now. However, what I must mention here is that belief in a personal God may be okay, but fighting with the fellow humans to prove the exclusive authority of that God over all others, is not only not okay, but basically an act of an animal, not human.



Number 5

Now comes the actual kind of God - the God that we scientists, or basically any rational being could consider to be the actual driving force behind the universe. Despite all our technological achievements, we humans are simply still too dumb a species to fathom such a grand force in action behind the enigma of the universe. Which means the real God, if there is any such thing, would be something beyond our puny human understanding at this point of time. May be in distant future, some day our distant progeny will be mentally capable enough to understand this grand force, but right now we are at infancy as a species.



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In this episode of Nature, Naskar & Neurons, Neuroscientist Abhijit Naskar clears the air around mental illness and gives two simple tricks to keep the mind well.

Further Reading: http://www.amazon.com/What-Mind-Abhijit-Naskar/dp/1535080558



Transcript:

Every day I receive several phone calls and emails requesting advice on various mental issues. And what I see in those requests is a lot of misunderstanding about mental illness. So, in this video I'll mention six things that you need to know about mental illness.



Number 1.

Mental illness is no different from physical issues that you face in your everyday life in terms of significance and impact. They both occur every now and then when your anatomy is not feeling well. But that does not make a person any less competent in his or her actions, unless that person is specifically diagnosed with a severe mental or physiological condition.



Number 2.

Every human being one way or another suffers from some sort of mental issues in daily life, just like people catch a common cold, every time the winter strikes.



Number 3.

Anxiety, depression, Attention deficit - all these issues have been exaggerated by the environment to such an extent that their negative impact on the individual's mind has increased exponentially. They would be much less severe if you could just deal with them without any pre-conceived stereotypical notion about mental illness.



Number 4.

There are various severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, conversion disorder, epilepsy - which do indeed require special attention from medical professionals. But my advice to you is never make any early conclusions on the impact of certain mental issues unless you are told by a doctor otherwise.



Number 5.

Various everyday mental issues such as anxiety, depression etc can be easily healed with one simple trick. If you could make this trick a daily habit of yours, then your mind would be much more healthy, just like daily jogging keeps you physically fit. The trick is that you need to get rid of your emotional junk on a daily basis. You need to take someone, a friend, spouse or anybody who's faithful to you, into confidence and spit out all the things that bother you on daily basis. As I have said in my book Neurosutra - it is better not to hold your feelings inside too much and express them to a dear one freely, than to pay thousands of dollars to a psychiatrist for the same outburst of emotions later. So choose the closest person to you and vent all your issues out to him or her.



Number 6.

Along with venting your issues to a dear one, there is one specific workout that has amazing effects on your mental wellbeing. It is what you simply know as meditation. If you go to a gym, and ask the trainer that you want a specific workout for your belly, he would put you on workout session specifically effective on the belly. Likewise, the best workout for your brain is meditation - not one of the best - the best. In various of our neuroscientific studies meditation has shown to improve mental health to a great extent. Meditation allows you to be emotionally more stable - it improves your memory - your judgement - and basically your entire mental universe gets a renovation with daily practice of meditation.



So the bottom line is - every human being has issues, me, you, everyone - that's what makes us humans - talk about your issues with your loved one and along with it, practice meditation on daily basis - and your mind shall be healthy. And when your mind is healthy - you are healthy - because you are your mind.



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