What is ageing?

How does the sequence of life appear in a person over time?

Is there any external influence that controls our biological clock?

If so, how does our biological clock determine relationship of time in our physical world?

The Sense of time and its relationship to celestial events are well documented in our history. It is a wonder that our ancestors were able to come up with precise calculation of a year, including the leap year, which takes care of timing of revolution of mother Earth around our star, the Sun. The speed of revolution and rotation are constant and would remain so for the next 5 billion years to come, the remaining life span of Sun.

Year after year, the seasons change and we witness the marvel of Nature. The whole life system on earth responds to these changes appropriately. The axial tilt in the Earth’s axis and its revolution around the year are the main reasons for these seasonal changes that we see. In physical form, it is the duration and intensity of Sun light (with its heat energy) that brings about these variations on Earth.

It is not just photosynthesis – a mechanism by which the plant life harnesses the solar energy and convert them into organic energy / fuel. In animal kingdom, the Sun influences the diurnal cycle (day and night variations in body) and the seasonal cycles that directly influences ageing.

We see the world through our eyes. The light is conveyed through our retina (within the eyeball) to the rear end of the brain -the occipital lobes, through the optic nerves (the second cranial nerve). Here, the light and images are captured, are interpreted and associated with meaning. This is the visual pathway. The vision of timing of nature is also conveyed to the brain, through an interesting circuit, the lesser known – supra-optic pathway, which are nerves from the retina reaching the third eye – the Pineal Gland!

The third eye is often associated with religious visions, the ability to observe chakras and auras. In Taoism, Chinese religious sects such as Chan and Zen

in Japanese, “third eye training” involves focusing attention on the point between the eyebrows with the eyes closed. In Hindu mythology, the third eye of Lord Shiva, though is described in forehead(by most) is also described by few to be actually located in the rear of the head, an analogy to pineal gland (Ref: https://blavatskytheosophy.com/the-third-eye-and-the-pineal-gland/).

I am not giving a neurosurgeon’s perspective of the third eye, rather, it’s a proven fact in medical science. The third eye does exist and gives the vision of life for the individual. The pineal gland, located in the third ventricle of the brain (at the rear portion of brain) is the anatomical third eye of the body. The light rays when reach our pineal gland, convey information of the average length of day (exposure to light), which over a period of time is interpreted as seasons. It secretes Melatonin in absence of light. A chemical indication of day night cycle within our body is set here.

The pineal gland in close association with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland sets the circadian rhythm of life.  Which is the daily variations in our body with respect to day / night cycle, our timing of sleep & activity and energy needs. Through the influence on all hormones of the body, they together bring about short and long term changes in the body mechanism ultimately controlling the growth and ageing in a person.

 The past decade of research has converged on an understanding that in many or perhaps even most instances, causality with respect to disease, disorders, and maladaptive development—as well as the preservation of health and maintenance of normative, adaptive development—is best viewed as an interplay between genome-based biology and environmental exposures. This understanding represents a clear departure from the historical views that human morbidities are attributable to either pathogenic environments or faulty genes.

Growth and ageing are natural. There are genetic codes set in a given individual, but are influenced significantly by the environmental factors. Healthy environment is not easy to find, thanks to mindless development that is happening around the world. Our quality of food, air and water are going to only deteriorate with time. Our lifestyle and stress further adds to these worries. Wellness is the concept which all of us should work towards, the best investment that we can do for ourselves.

The third eye is real and its disturbance is now experienced by most of the population as lifestyle disorders. The biological clock has been re-set in all of us, probably due to over exposure to artificial light, more so with the advent of computers and smart phones. Early puberty, obesity, infertility, insomnia (lack of sleep) and early physical changes of ageing are quite common nowadays.

We cannot go back to the dark ages, however, we can make an attempt to follow a routine in life. With balance of work, activity and adequate sleep, we can at-least work towards the remedial measures.

Sleep is the only way to cut off the light exposure to our biological clock, else, we are going to age quicker and quicker.

Adequate physical activity & exercise, avoidance of coffee/tea after 4pm and early dinner can contribute to peaceful sleep. Of course, this is possible only when we can take our minds off our TV and phone! For people working on shifts/ night duty, it is an occupational hazard. They have to find ways not to miss their 6 to 7 hours of sleep.

To age graceful and lead a healthy life, one has to take efforts to combat stress and live a healthy lifestyle. Importance of sleep cannot be over emphasized. Sleep is essential for not only resting the body and mind, but to give the right sense of timing to our biological clock – the third eye.