Just the other day, I was reading an interesting blog Meditation and medication -2 strands of a DNA helix of LIFE– posted by Shri Santhemant. He said, among other things, when the mind is palliated , the body gets its benefit too. Meditation is also the medication of the mind.
I was wondering if the state of meditation could also be interpreted in terms of entropy- one of the favorite subjects of my friend Shri DMR Sekhar.
Entropy in physics is a measure of disorder. I believe we all have mental entropy.
Before we get to meditation, let’s get familiar with entropy.
***
When we boil water, the temperature of its molecules increases. As the water molecules get energized, they tend to be excited ; the system gets more chaotic; and, with that, their disorder too increases.
On the other hand, if the entropy of a system decreases, the system becomes more ordered or structured. For example ; when we cool water to its freezing point, it becomes ice. The normal ice has tetrahedral structure.
Now coming to the human situation, the human brain, it is said, is an overcrowded network of billions of neurons, each of which is perpetually trying to assert its presence, in one manner or other. There is , therefore , a ceaseless chaos running in our waking state , side by side with our structured thinking process [programmed psychological behavior]. The activities of these neurons (thoughts) influence various biological changes through complex mechanisms. The impulses and interactions spread to the human organism through its intricate network of nervous system.
The level of psychological chaos in certain individuals might be higher (that is, higher entropy levels). They are “distracted” easily; are restless ; and, find it hard to concentrate. They , therefore, need to control and reduce the inputs that tend to excite the system. Perhaps, closing the eyes might help them to concentrate better (reduce entropy levels by cutting down inputs). A good-sleep also helps greatly in minimizing excitation impulses. Otherwise, lack of adequate sleep leads to fatigue the nervous system – that is, it exacerbates disorder or pushes up the entropy levels.
Therefore, when you put away or ignore distractions, there is less disorder within. The tendency to waver and scatter also decreases. In other words, in an ordered mind , free from distractions, the entropy level is very low.
In the waking-state, when the entropy of the mind is consciously brought down, there is less disorder; the mind becomes calm and clear.
If you extend the logic further, you might say that when the entropy approaches near-zero level ,the mind tends to be thought-free. A thought- free mind is free from distractions and conflicts; and, a state of calm and quiet envelops you
sreenivasarao's blogs 
soniabellani
September 28, 2012 at 9:50 am
Reblogged this on My Blog.
soniabellani
September 28, 2012 at 11:19 am
Reblogged this on My Blog.
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:03 pm
meditation is a state where rhere are no thoughts..
wehere actions and consciounness
i and the thou merge
where there is only action born out of appropriatness.
this is my defenition of meditation..
a state of pure consciousness and intelligence
DSampath
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:06 pm
Dear Shri Sampath, Thank you for your enlightening comments. I agree with you entirely. I have your comment in the blog. Hope you approve .As I mentioned; you might view the blog as a skewed view of meditation. I had this on my mind for quite some time; but was tepid to express it. Santhemant’s blog provided an opportunity. Regards
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:05 pm
I wont find words to describe the spirit of blog ….. well written……superb…..supported with scietific point of view.
As we do physical exercise in gym to develop our body. Just to develop our spiritual body we have to do meditation.
Meditation works wonder. What ese proof you need than this blogpost itself.
As I think hardly any one will look towards this aspect of life. We bloggers will be intereted in…..
Man Mohan Singh
…..
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:06 pm
Dear Shri Man Mohan Singh, Thank you. .You are too kind and generous. As I mentioned; you might view the blog as a skewed view of meditation. I had this on my mind for quite some time; but was rather reluctant to express it. I was not sure how the unorthodox view would be looked upon. Santhemant’s blog provided an opportunity. Thanks for the encouragement. Shri DMR Sekhar too has approved. I am glad. Regards
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Dear Sreenivasa Rao Sb,
Excellent. My Sulekha dash board did not show this blog. Please see this link where I refined the idea of genpsy. See the foot notes also.
http://knol.google.com/k/dmr-sekhar/genpsy/3ecxygf1lxcn2/1#view
You may find it interesting that an American Chemical Engineer Libb Thims is developing Human Thermodynamics. May see the following link.
http://www.eoht.info/page/HT+pioneers
Your idea that meditation reduces the entropy of mind is acceptable. Please expand the idea.
Thanks.
DMR Sekhar.
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:06 pm
Dear Shri Sekhar, Thank you. I had this on my mind for quite some time; but was rather reluctant to express it. I was not sure how the unorthodox view would be looked upon. Thanks for the encouragement. I am glad you approved., because I had you in my mind when I wrote this.
Thank for the links and the suggestion. I shall try to follow up.
Regards
P: S: Yes, I too have problems with the Dashboard. Comments on my pages and posts by my friends do not show up. I trust Team Sulekha will fix it soon.
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Dear Rao:
Comparison between Entropy and mental state is interesting. There are some similarities but are not the same. What I mean is; it may be hard to say that brain in meditated state has low entropy. If this true, one should bring mind to calmness (low entropy) by cooling himself because entropy and temperatures are inversely related (agitated in summer and calm in winter).
You wrote,
“The instance I just cited also demonstrates that matter and energy can change from one to another.”
I hope you are not meaning that “matter change to energy and vice versa”. When water is boiled there is just a physical change from liquid to gas.
Thanks for this interesting and thought provoking blog.
Kumar
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Dear ArunKumar08, Thank you for reading the blog closely. I was trying to make a general observation that matter and energy are interconvertible. And, matter is present in various energy states that are temperature-dependent.. But, that was not with particular reference to “water-boiling” instance. The blog has since been revised and rendered it shorter. Please take a look.
As regards the other point you made. , we were talking about the entropy of the neurons. and our” thoughts” which are the function of those various neurons. If we regard brain as software,, and if the entropy of that system decreases, the system becomes more ordered or structured. Either wetting the skull or warming it might not be quite relevant here.
Regards
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Shri Rao
Thank you for the article. It concisely states what meditation can do to entrophy levels.
Our ancients knew this , and now as we are bombarded by info-overload, we understand how important the practice is to us.
Regards
Narensomu
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:11 pm
Dear Narensomu, Wow..! I am delighted to see you after a longtime. I trust you are doing well and busy as ever with your work, writing and family. Thank you for the kind words. A few others thought I took a rather skewed view of the hoary subject of meditation. I however do not think so. Just to reaffirm that my explanation is not flippant, I propose to post how the Buddha approached and explained the Mindfulness, the meditation. It is not dissimilar to what I said.
As regards the blog being concise, I have to thank Shri DMR Sekhar, who has written extensively on the Second Law of Thermodynamics, entropy and genopsych. I had earlier started with Einstein and Satyendra Nath Bose; and the Bose–Einstein Condensation. At his advice, I cut down some flap. I trust, it is now readable.
Please keep talking.
Please also read The Rudras Eleven.
Regards
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:11 pm
Dear Shri Sekhar, Thank you.I looked for Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s article on the net – The Hindu of 15 Mar 09; but could not find it.In case you have the link kindly forward it.Btw, could you kindly let me know of Ms. Martha MacCormak’s concept of vasana and in what sense she employs the ter? Thank you Regards.
sreenivasaraos
March 19, 2015 at 3:11 pm
Sreenivasarao Saab,
I requested you to see The Hindu as the approach of Jaggi Vasudev appeared different. He claimed in that interview [in the magazine section] that meditative experience came to him naturally as a revelation that is without being initiated by a guru as I understood. He further claims that meditation is science and has nothing to do with any religion which I think is what Lord Buddha’s approach also is. I have that paper cutting which is more than half a page. If you are interested I will try to send a scanned copy. May kindly see this link to know about his organization.
http://www.ishafoundation.org/
Frankly I am not aware of the work of M/s Martha Mac Cormak’s work. In fact I came to know about the vasana concept only through your blog. In the mean time I will try to locate the work of M/s Martha, MC.
Thanks,
DMR Sekhar.