I invited senior scientists and journalists, and also sent invitations offline, to witness a demonstration on the eve of International Yog Day of a new human capability: surviving without environmental oxygen, which can be developed through the practice of ancient Yog. I got the inspiration to perform this experiment from ancient yogis who practiced Yog in a closed underground pit for many days. The ancient Yog became extinct thousands of years ago. Many have tried to revive this Yog throughout history, but they ended up with Hatha Yog. Today’s popular yoga, a posture-based physical exercise, derives from Hatha Yog. Ancient Yog is a spiritual exercise that develops concentration. A well-defined practice of ancient Yoga (or simply Yog) is described in an ancient text called the Patanjali Yog Sutra (PYS). When Yog is practiced according to the PYS, the thinking process slows and eventually leads to a thoughtless mind with no involuntary thoughts. In this state, a person becomes full of energy all the time, and the personality undergoes a total transformation, which we will describe in the next Blog. Many Yogic texts also discuss these benefits. This transformation happens because involuntary thoughts in our mind engage most of our Vital Energy. (Vital Energy will be described in detail later in this Blog.) When the thought process stops, the engaged Vital Energy becomes free, activating many dormant brain functions and producing all the claimed benefits of Yoga, along with a complete personality transformation. In addition to psychological changes, a major physiological change takes place, transforming health as well. In this physiological change, when the mind becomes thoughtless, the brain generates oxygen, making survival possible without environmental oxygen. An experiment shown in the video demonstrates this.
A sealed chamber has a half-round transparent cover. The entire oxygen in the chamber is flushed out by replacing it with 99.9% pure nitrogen gas. The gas from the nitrogen cylinder is passed through a copper coil dipped in ice-cold water in a blue bucket to lower the chamber temperature in hot summer. A grey-colored, cylindrical-shaped item marked SILENCER suppresses the loud sound produced when gas is discharged from very high pressure to normal pressure. Otherwise, the loud sound would be distracting.
To filter the sound, the gas passes through a silencer containing multiple layers of glass wool sheets that allow free gas flow but attenuate the sound. There are two paths for discharging the nitrogen gas into the chamber. In the first path, a valve discharges the gas at full pressure to flush out the oxygen within a couple of minutes. After that, the valve closes. In the other path, a flow meter similar to those used in hospitals controls the oxygen flow. The chamber maintains a nitrogen flow of about 50 liters/minute throughout the experiment. Slightly higher nitrogen pressure in the chamber prevents environmental oxygen from leaking in.
After ensuring the chamber is oxygen-free, a medical oxygen sensor connected to a digital-display instrument monitors the oxygen level inside the chamber. Initially, it shows about 2.10, meaning the chamber oxygen level is 21% at the beginning. The video shows that when nitrogen gas is discharged into the chamber, the oxygen level quickly falls to zero. Some people may not trust the instrument reading and may suspect manipulation; therefore, we connect a jar to the chamber output and place a burning candle in the jar. The video shows the candle extinguishing, confirming that no oxygen is coming from the chamber. The candle takes some time to extinguish because, when you place it in the jar, some oxygen remains and lets it burn for a while. The absence of oxygen could have also been shown by enclosing a living animal (say a rat) in the chamber as a placebo. The rat would die after a few minutes, but I didn’t implement this for religious reasons.
To show that I am perfectly normal without oxygen in the chamber, I wore a pulse oximeter on my finger, and after spending 30 minutes in an oxygen-free environment, my blood oxygen saturation did not noticeably fall. This suggests I could have continued for an hour or more. The purpose of the experiment was not to set a world record, but to show that Yog generates oxygen in my body and that my blood oxygen saturation does not fall after 30 minutes in an oxygen-free chamber. My pulse rate and oxygen saturation remained within the normal range, and I stayed fully conscious and active. In the video, I am doing light exercise by raising my leg and showing the pulse oximeter to journalists who wanted to confirm that the reading of the pulse oximeter attached to my hand is the same as the reading shown on a mobile phone, which was connected to the pulse oximeter by Bluetooth using the Healthtree App.
Four senior scientists witnessed the experiment. The person marked “Scientist 3” in the video is H.S. Vora, who also helped develop this experiment from the beginning. He injected nitrogen gas into the chamber and maintained the flow. In the video, he explains the experiment to other scientists. These scientists were convinced there was no oxygen in the chamber and that it was perfectly normal inside. I invited a yoga expert, who appears in the video. He is Chandra Shekhar Azad, who used to teach yoga on Doordarshan. He wasn’t convinced I was in Samadhi inside the chamber because I was waving to people, raising my legs, and showing a pulse oximeter to journalists. A yoga expert always thinks in terms of physical postures. It is common to think that Samadhi is a trance state, and that the person in Samadhi lies still, unaware of what is happening around. Yoga literature offers many different interpretations of Samadhi. This ignorance of Samadhi prevails because Yog became extinct thousands of years ago. Yog was taught under a Guru-Disciple tradition, in which the Guru taught Yog to his disciple through close interaction, and this teaching passed from one generation to the next through oral transmission. This tradition became extinct after the foreign invasion of India. What survived was the Patanjali Yog Sutra, an ancient and authentic treatise on Yog. The PYS is poorly organized and presented in a highly abbreviated form. It is written in Sanskrit, where a single word may have many different meanings. One can reach the real meaning only by practicing Yog and gaining experience. Unfortunately, most commentaries on Patanjali Yog Sutra were written by intellectuals who never practiced Yog. Further confusion arises because the authors interpreted the sutras through a religious lens. When I practiced Yog according to PYS, I attained various Samadhis as described in PYS. Only then did I come to understand the meanings the sutras intended to convey. According to PYS, Samadhi is a state of unbroken (continuous) mental focus. The word Samadhi is a compound of ‘sama’ and ‘dhi’. ‘Dhi’ stands for Dhyan, that is, concentration of mind, and ‘sama’ means uniform and continuous, without ups and downs. In Samadhi, a person can do what is needed, but the mind must remain focused on the action, and oxygen continues to be generated. No specific posture is needed to generate oxygen in the body. To illustrate this, I performed various activities in the chamber. This implies that my body generates oxygen during any activity after sufficient and proper practice of Yog, as discussed in detail in my book, “Yog Science, Theory of Mind and Atman.”
On the eve of International Yog Day, I addressed the gathering to briefly explain ancient Yog and how it differs from Yoga, a posture-based physical exercise. Following is the video of this address;
The Text of the Address on the Eve of International Yog Day
Hello, friends, tomorrow is International Yoga Day, and millions of people will practice Yoga asanas and pranayama around the world. Yoga postures and breathing exercises are central to this popular practice. On the eve of International Yoga Day, I will introduce the world to an ancient Yog so powerful that practicing it can develop a new human capability, allowing survival without environmental oxygen. Popular yoga is physical exercise, while ancient Yog is mental exercise and can be considered an advanced meditation technique. Ancient Yog can be written simply as Yog with a capital Y. The practice of Yog develops mental concentration and slowly stops the stream of involuntary thoughts. During the thoughtless state of mind, the brain generates oxygen, and it is possible to survive without environmental oxygen.
The Rishis of ancient India developed Yog, and Rishi Patanjali put it in text form as the Patanjali Yog Sutra (PYS). Swami Vivekananda wrote a book commenting on the PYS. I began the practice of Yog following this book 25 years ago to cure my depression. During my Yog practice, I found that my breathing slowed appreciably, and after 20 years of practice, the inhalation part of breathing disappeared completely, implying that my body’s oxygen consumption reduced to zero. I also studied this phenomenon from a neuroscience perspective, but I couldn’t succeed. Then I began studying Vedanta, an ancient Indian science, and found the clue. The fusion of neuroscience and Vedanta gave rise to a new science I call Yog Science. This new science describes, in the language of physics, a mechanism that generates oxygen in the brain during Yog.
It was a great achievement, but nobody could believe it because normally it is not possible to survive without environmental oxygen for more than a few minutes. To demonstrate this power of Yog, I will perform an experiment in the presence of senior scientists from RRCAT and journalists. I will use a sealed chamber and remove oxygen by filling it with nitrogen gas. Then I will wear a pulse oximeter on my finger and spend 30 minutes doing Yog in an oxygen-free chamber. You will see that oxygen saturation level and pulse rate remain within the normal range without getting external oxygen. The pulse oximeter was connected to the mobile via Bluetooth, and the mobile displayed the oximeter readings. This experiment confirms that oxygen is generated in my body during Yog.
In ancient times, Rishis practiced Yog in an underground, closed pit for many days. This inspired me to perform this experiment. The nitrogen chamber is a scientific version of an underground closed pit. Ancient Yog became extinct thousands of years ago, but I could revive it by studying Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda’s commentary on PYS. Now PYS is not only decoded, but it has been transformed into a science. I have developed sensors and instruments that let us empirically know whether the mind is wandering or focused, and assess progress in the practice by recording data. I have called this new practice Yog Meditation.
There are two major differences between Yog and Yog meditation. In ancient times, people abandoned worldly life and renounced it to practice Yog in the caves and Himalayas. By doing so, they evaded family responsibilities and life’s problems, and minimized the mind’s distractions. This made it easier to concentrate the mind and attain Samadhi. In the modern era, renunciation is not practical. In Yog meditation, you do not need to abandon worldly life, as it redefines non-attachment; thus, you can attain Samadhi while struggling in life, as I have.
In ancient times, the Guru-Shishya (Teacher-disciple) system taught Yog, where the Guru and disciples lived together like a family and could interact one-on-one. In this era, it is not possible to follow such a system. Yog meditation is a science with a theory, and pocket-sized gadgets can record data on the state of mind; therefore, progress in Yog practice can be assessed empirically. This eliminates the need for the Guru-Disciple tradition. The Yog Science can be included in the education system globally like any other science. When Yog meditation is introduced at the primary school level, stress, anxiety, and depression can be eradicated. Control over the mind is developed basically by instilling positive thoughts; thus, good habits can be developed during primary school education and the students will grow into good and responsible citizens.
Text of Q&A Session
Ancient Yog was new to everyone at the International Yog Day event, and scientists and journalists had many questions. Based on the feedback, I recorded the following video to answer these questions.
Q. How were you feeling in the nitrogen chamber without oxygen?
A. I was feeling perfectly normal. You must have seen me waving to people. I was doing light exercise by raising my leg, and I was showing a journalist the pulse oximeter reading. [who wanted to compare the reading on the pulse oximeter with the reading on a mobile phone that was connected to the pulse oximeter by Bluetooth.
Q. Normally it is impossible to survive without oxygen for more than 2-3 minutes; how could you survive for 30 minutes?
A. This became possible because of Yog. When the thought process ceases through the practice of Yog and the mind becomes fully focused, my brain generates oxygen; because of this, I survive without environmental oxygen and do not feel suffocated.
Q. What happens to breathing in this situation?
A. Breathing is a process of inhalation-exhalation-inhalation-exhalation that goes on during normal breathing. When the brain generates oxygen, inhalation is no longer needed, so it stops.
Q. What happens to exhalation then?
A. The oxygen that is generated in the brain circulates throughout the body and is converted into carbon dioxide, which keeps on accumulating in the lungs. When the lungs reach a critical pressure they can no longer support, it is exhaled. Now the breathing process reduces to pause-exhale-pause-exhale. In Yog science, this breathing is called Yogic breathing.
Q. What is this Yog science?
A. Yog is a practice to concentrate the mind, which stops the thought process. Swami Vivekananda has written a book, a commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (PYS). I understood Yog from this book and practiced Yog accordingly. Then I studied Yog from a scientific perspective and transformed Yog (a subjective practice) into a science. I have also written a book on Yog Science with the title ‘Yog Science, Theory of Mind and Atman ‘. I have explained the theory and practice of Yog in the language of Physics. I have also explained the mechanism that generates oxygen in the brain. Yog science is a multidisciplinary subject, encompassing Physics, Electronics, Neuroscience, Neurophilosophy, Physiology, Psychology and spirituality. Since spirituality is a part of Yog science, it can be perceived as a fusion of science and spirituality.
Q. Can oxygen be generated in the brain by the practice of Yoga, that is, by practicing Pranayam and Yogaasans?
A. Not at all. Yoga postures and Pranayam are known as Yoga in English, and they are physical exercises derived from Hatha Yoga. These exercises do not focus the mind enough to generate oxygen.
Q. How can you say this so confidently?
A. I read a lot of literature on Yog. Once, Gautam Buddha, and later Swami Yoganand, tried to suspend breathing by concentrating the mind through Pranayama. But they did not succeed because their minds began to swoon, suggesting their brains were not getting enough oxygen.
Q. What inspired you to perform this experiment?
A. When I began the practice of Yog according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, I found that my breathing was slowing down, indicating that the oxygen consumption of my body was reducing. I began studying neuroscience to understand this phenomenon. After practicing yoga for 20 years, I found that the inhalation part of my breathing disappeared completely, implying that my body’s oxygen consumption became zero. I knew that in ancient times, yogis and Rishis practiced Yog in an underground, closed pit for many days. This inspired me to perform this experiment. This experiment also shows that I do not need environmental oxygen to survive during Samadhi.
Q. Does everyone have to practice Yog for 20 years to attain this state of mind?
A. Not at all; I began practicing Yog in the worst conditions. I was suffering from depression and was taking treatment from a psychiatrist. I did not know the right way to practice Yog. I conducted this research independently, and I needed funds; I set up a fast-food business, so I could not find enough time to practice Yog. I did not have any Guru to guide me, and I spent a lot of time for studying books on various subjects. I wasted a lot of time through a process of trial and error.
Q. There is a word Samadhi in the banner; what does it mean?
A. According to Patanjali Yog Sutra, when the mind begins to concentrate through the practice of Yog, this state of mind is called Samadhi. As concentration increases, the level of Samadhi also increases. [Different names are given to different levels of Samadhi]. When the mind is fully focused, this is called complete Samadhi, known as Nirbeej Asampragyat Samadhi. In this state of mind, the brain generates so much oxygen that I don’t need oxygen from the environment to survive. I have attained a state of mind beyond this Samadhi, in which the mind focuses of its own, without any effort. In this state of mind so much oxygen is generated in the mind that I can do light exercise also. You must have seen that I was raising legs and waving to people around me.
Q. The phenomenon of concentration of mind is merely an experience or a feeling; how can a feeling generate oxygen?
A. I got a clue to this question from the study of Vedanta, which is an ancient science of India. (It provides a theoretical basis for Yog.) According to Vedanta, everything that changes has a cause. This is called the law of Cause and Effect. Our experience also has a cause, and according to Vedanta and other Hindu scriptures, that cause is Atman, the Soul [or the spirit]. Atman is responsible for every activity of mind and body. I applied my knowledge of Physics to Neuroscience and found that when Atman interacts with neurons, it generates oxygen in the blood.
Q. Can modern science explain how oxygen is generated in the brain? [by Yog]
A. No, because Physics is not a complete science yet: it cannot explain many phenomena in nature. It also cannot explain oxygen generation in the brain and human consciousness. I firmly believed that the explanation of all natural phenomena must lie within the realm of Physics. This belief inspired me to discover new laws of Physics that could explain the mechanism of oxygen generation in the brain and also fill the Explanatory Gap in Physics. The new laws of Physics also explain the nature of the substance of Atman, consciousness, qualia, Dark matter, and the evolution of Dark matter during the Big Bang Event.
Q. But there is no place for Atman in science?
A. The scientific discovery of Atman is a great achievement of Yog Science, which proposes a complete theory of Atman; accordingly, sensors and instruments have been developed that record the physiological effects on the body when the mind is focused: the mind is just a manifestation of Atman according to Yog Science. The theory of Mind and Atman is explained in my book on Yog Science. Thus, Yog Science establishes Atman’s existence both theoretically and experimentally. The nitrogen chamber experiment also provides evidence for Atman’s existence. According to Yog Science, Atman is a very subtle substance whose atoms may be a million times lighter than electrons, so no scientific equipment can detect Atman in the near future.
Q. According to Hinduism, Atman and Paramatma (Universal Consciousness) have similar Nature. Does Yog Science also explain God scientifically?
A. Yes, Yog Science explains the fundamental nature of God scientifically. Universal Consciousness, or Paramatma, is another name for Nature God. As Yog Science advances, we will learn more about God’s scientific aspects. In fact, the objective of Yog is to understand God and to become one with Him, as in ancient India. (One definition of Yog is the union of Atman with Paramatma.) As a Scientist, I have employed the practice of Yog to understand God from a scientific perspective. Now the age-old argument over whether God exists will end.
Q. Have you carried out this enormous research alone or is there someone to assist you?
A. I have a friend, Hari Bhai Vora. He also retired from RRCAT. He helps me with technical matters. He developed the software required for the research. He has also contributed to developing the nitrogen chamber experiment.
Q. Tell me about your education.
A. I got my schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Meerut. I earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Physics from the reputed Hindu College, Delhi University. While pursuing an M.Sc. in Particle Physics and Quantum Electrodynamics in the Physics Department at Delhi University, I was appointed at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai.
Q. What means you have got for the research?
A. I have a small Electronics Lab equipped with an oscilloscope and other basic instruments. I have a small library that contains books on Physics, Electronics, Neuroscience, Molecular Cell Biology, and Psychology. I have books on spirituality like the Bhagavad-Gita, books on Yog by Swami Vivekananda, and a book on Vedanta, Brahma Sutra Bhasya by Adi Shankaracharya. I also have a book on various religions and a Sanskrit dictionary.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. It is only the beginning of Yog science, and it has to go a long way like other Sciences. Now I need equipment like PET scans and functional MRI for further research. I need a large electronics lab to further develop equipment and a pocket-sized gadget required for Yog practice. The prototype of these gadgets is ready, but commercialization requires a lot of work. I cannot afford such a large investment, and I need support from a major research organization.
Q. What will be the application of Yog Science?
A. Yog science will connect with every person in the world directly. It will be far ahead of all sciences in improving the quality of life by eradicating stress, anxiety, depression, and all stress-related diseases. The practice of Yog instills positive thoughts by eliminating negative thoughts. Introducing Yog Science in primary education will guide students on the right path in life and help build character. When the mind is fully focused, work gets done with perfection and without mental fatigue because, in this state, the brain continuously generates oxygen. In a nutshell, Yog solves every problem in life. The mind has infinite potential to solve any problem; Yog increases this potential by concentrating it.
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