PRENATAL AND PERINATAL EDUCATION SERIES - ARTICLE 11 IMPLICATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS

PRENATAL AND PERINATAL EDUCATION SERIES - ARTICLE 11

IMPLICATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS

- Shivakumar Belavadi, PPNE, Bangalore, India

TOPIC: WRITE A SHORT ESSAY EXAMINING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS (STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ETC.) THAT AFFECT THE UNBORN CHILD.

INTRODUCTION

An Unborn Child is resident in the womb of the mother. It is physically attached to the mother through the Umbilical cord and the Chorionic Villi forming part of the Placenta. This is well known in Obstetrical sciences. But the effect of the child is not just through the transference of food, nutrients and other enzymes from the mother. There are many other factors – at least of equal, if not higher importance.

This essay will attempt to trace the causes and effects and implications of psychological factors. The first thing to do is to recognize and accord a status to prenatal babies.

Sentient Prenatal Babies

An embryo/ foetus developing in the uterus was considered only as a physical entity and nothing more. Till a few decades ago (and even more recently), it was considered that a child in the womb does not have a fully developed brain, emotions and senses; therefore does not have feelings, sensations and expressions for those. But unborn babies do have all of these. For instance, babies in the womb could react violently during Amniocentesis procedures (needle insertion into the Amniotic Sac for drawing out fluid samples). Babies have withdrawn in fear to the needle, attacked needles and writhed and cried out in pain. There is enough recorded and researched evidence of these.

In other recorded evidence, babies in the womb have their sensory system operating at almost full capacity before birth.  Some clear example of these:

·    Babies react to tastes. Babies swallow more from the womb environment when mothers have consumed sweets like chocolates and less when they have taken pungent foods like garlic.

·      Babies discern sound. When they hear pleasant sound like Brahm’s Lullaby, Mozart, and Vivaldi’s music, the foetal heart rates are slower and babies are relaxed in the womb. On the contrary, they react violently with increased heart rates and by kicking to rock music, other tunes of Brahms and Beethoven.

·    Behavioural Tendencies: William Emerson, quotes Piontelli in her book From “Fetus to Child”, citing cases of prenatal awareness. Piontelli describes a twin pair, at about four months of gestation, who were very conscious of each other, and were also involved in dominance-submission interactions. One of the twins was dominant and aggressive, the other submissive. Whenever the dominant twin was pushing or hitting, the submissive twin withdrew and placed his head on the placenta, appearing to rest there. In life, when these twins were four years of age, they had the same relationship. Whenever there was fighting or tension between the pair, the passive twin would go to his room and put his head on his pillow. He also carried a pillow and used it as his "security blanket," resting on it whenever his twin became aggressive.”

Pain has been compounded after birth in NICU procedures done without anaesthesia. This is in the understanding that just like the unborn, the new born is also not sentient.  David Chamberlain has written that – “Perhaps the greatest routine violence to premature babies has been surgery without anaesthesia. Even the most common heart surgery, patent ductus arteriosus, was typically performed without pain killers (Anand & Aynsley-Green, 1985; Butler, 1989; Harrison, 1987). A similar tragedy with a much longer history is the practice of penile circumcision, a legacy of ancient tribal patriarchy which ironically was copied in the U.S. by obstetricians and paediatricians with profound and painful consequences (O'Mara, 1993; Porter, Miller, & Marshall, 1986; Romberg, 1985).”  

With the above background, we can begin with the clear understanding that Prenates are sentient and capable.

THE GOLDEN PERIOD

The reader may have wondered, why a reference to new-borns has been made above while discussing unborn babies. For a reason. It is now well recognised in prenatal and perinatal sciences that the period of Pregnancy and Infancy (about two years after birth) form a continuum. The babies in the womb and during infancy are specially enabled in the course of their development. They function largely with the subconscious mind’s abilities as opposed to those of the conscious mind.

Dr. Bruce Lipton, an authority on Cellular Biology has discussed this extensively in his book Biology of Belief.  Babies in the womb and during infancy function operate in the bands of Delta and Theta wave frequencies (approximating from 0.5 to 4 Hz). Their capacities at that time are far in excess of what a conscious mind can do. For instance, the conscious mind (with brain, memory, thinking abilities etc.) processes 40 environmental stimuli per second. On the other hand, the subconscious mind processes 20,000,000 stimuli per second! Similarly, the conscious mind cannot view objects behind opaque screens. Subconscious can!  The point being made here is that the babies in such a state are highly empowered to take in signals and form the first impressions of life. These impressions form patterns, get reinforced and may subsequently be expressed in the course of the whole life!

Dr.William Emerson summarises this with a simple example in the following words:

“Theory and research from the last 20 years indicates that prenatal experiences can be remembered, and have lifelong impact………. Prenatal experiences are likely to have lifelong impact when they are followed by reinforcing conditions or interactional trauma. The term interactional trauma means that traumas interact with each other in producing their effects. For example, it is unlikely that being stuck during the birthing process causes claustrophobia during adulthood. However, claustrophobia is more likely if similar, reinforcing traumas occur.”

This period of 9 months of Pregnancy and 2 years of Infancy adds up to about 1000 days. It is a highly potent period when the child forms its patterns for the rest of its life. Information given above, summarises that an unborn baby while in the womb of the mother is:

1. Sentient and Aware

2. Operates with different capabilities, some with much higher potential than adults operating in their conscious minds. The baby truly has “super human potential and abilities”.

3. Takes in impressions in this phase which could impinge on life patterns and impact the subsequent course of life.

Preconception Period

Many of the processes causing and influencing childbirth are operational during the preconception period. For example - A pregnant lady, is born out of an egg/ovum which is generally takes shape and is visible in the 11^th week of pregnancy of her grandmother. Human body takes in dozens of chemicals which remain in a non-metabolized state and may be found in the uterus. The chemicals may influence the embryo which will nest there in the womb. Today scientists and sociologists are both advocating that the process of childbirth begins much before conception. Hence the preparation for having a child should begin right then. In my opinion, given the prevailing lifestyles, a minimum of 3 to 5 months preparation may be needed. They impinge upon the selection of genes, gene expression and genomic imprinting.  

If we reckon the total period – from preconception through infancy, it sums up to more than 1100 days.  That is the Golden Period in the life of an Individual, which has the maximum and profound influence through the course of full life.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS – CAUSES AND INFLUENCES ON THE UNBORN CHILD.

A child in the womb is intimately and totally connected with the mother. What the mother experiences in her body and mind, clearly and directly impacts the child. If the mother has unpleasant or pleasant experiences or perceptions, these transfer to the child seamlessly and automatically. The reactions of the unborn child have been noticed through increased foetal heart rates and levels of stress hormones (catecholamines, cortisol etc.).

Physical Influences

An unborn child being sentient has a perception of what is prevailing within the womb and around her/him. These could be mediated from sensory signals like light, sound, smell and touch. For example, if the mother hears loud noises or undergoes jerks and jolts, the experiences cascade into the child. When mothers have consumed alcohol or tobacco, the babies have clearly demonstrated negative effects including foetal alcoholism and blood nicotine levels. Hence the mother’s physiological responses translate into effects on the child as well. In the same manner, physical abuse and violence felt or perceived by the pregnant mother also impacts on the child. It is well known that Body impacts the Mind and vice versa.

Similarly, experiences of a prenate through food, music, touch and the pains or encounters of the mother during pregnancy or in the child in birth process (which are exacerbated with painful use of instruments) are all matters which, if violent or harmful could cause foetal trauma. A good example to recall, would be the reaction of babies to needles used in the Amniocentesis process or use of forceps during birth. Patterns are formed in the cranium because of physical impact. Some practices like Somatic /Bio-dynamic Cranio Sacral methods, access these physical points in the course of therapy. 

Psychological Influences

If a mother is subjected to mental harassment or abuse (without physical violence), there is a similar cascading effect on the child. Logically it would be more severe if it is accompanied by physical violence. The science and knowledge of how this operates is slowly being discovered today.

These are influences mediated by the Mind. What is the human mind? Eminent psychologist Dan Siegel has described the mind in these words - “The mind, beyond subjective experience and beyond conscious and non-conscious information processing, can be seen as a self-organizing, emergent process of a complex system…….. An important aspect of the mind can be defined as an embodied and relational, emergent self-organizing process that regulates the flow of energy and information both within us and between and among us.”  It will be seen clearly that the mind is not the brain, it is self-organizing, it processes information and energy, is relational and complex. And that system is both within us and between us and others.

Hence all the relationships which connect the mother to the external world – be it the father of the child, the parents of the mother and her(mother’s) relationship with them through her birth and life, her family, workplace and other influences - all impinge on her mind and from there, seamlessly flow into the child in the womb. The mother’s mind could be imagined as a giant TV screen –through which the child is continuously viewing and understanding as the realities of the world outside the womb. Many of the present day manifestations such as fear, anger, depression, anxiety, stress, trauma and shock on the negative platter and of harmony, peace, balance, attachment, love, creativity and the like on the positive side are all assimilated as images, experiences and patterns by the child in the womb and these carry the potential to manifest later on in life.

Epigenetic Influences

The genetic apparatus in the nucleus of a cell includes the Chromosomes, DNA, RNA, Proteins, Amino Acids etc. These were well recognised as those causing physical growth through the course of development as an embryo and foetus.  They in turn, cause the subsequent manifestation in the physical and mental realms of the child and through the course of life. Since the genetic patterns through genomic imprinting were made from conception through pregnancy, it was thought that these genetic patterns and expressions are final and do not change. This was the deterministic view of genetic science, which was in vogue for many decades. However, the new science of Epigenetics has changed the world view on this subject!

While genetic patterns are made and manifest immediately or at different times, the science of Epigentics now clearly states that the genes are continuously subjected to influence from the outside. Moshe Szyf, Molecular Biologist and Geneticist at  McGill University, Michael Meaney, Neurobiologist at Owen Egan/McGill University and Dr.Bruce Lipton, a well-known scientist with a background of Cellular Biology,  authoritatively state that external influences are mediated to the protein and amino acids level by the cell membrane, where an elaborate mechanism of sensing and assimilating through the operation of “switches”. The switches turn on/off the genes. Evidently these are gateways. Signal Transduction is the new science which is studying the signalling mechanism in depth.

The term “Epigenetics” is not limited to the influence of the surrounding cells, blood, tissues and chemicals they carry. Everything in the world of perception and belief, including faith, prior memory, patterns found in ancestors of a child, stored and accessed memories, pollution, sound levels, atmospheric elements including cosmic and universal factors - are all potential epigenetic signals. Every one of these could influence the physical, mental and emotional realms of any individual at any time. The cross connections are immense with everything influencing everything! The epigenetic influences could even be transgenerational.

The cognition and structuring the flow of energies is the future human endeavour. While the benefits of this new understanding will would manifest more and more in the days to come, PPNE practitioners and professionals are using this knowledge effectively to generate positive influences and counter negative influences.

FOETAL PSYCHOLOGY – SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE FROM ANCIENT INDIAN SCRIPTURES

Spiritual Perspective from Ancient Indian Scriptures

(Ref: Garbhopanishad, Lalitha Sahasramana from Brahmannda Purana and Guruda Purana)

This is a perspective from the ancient scriptures of India. I begin with a quote from my Guru (Spiritual Mentor), Guru Maa Skanda Meera:

“Life is a game of ‘Hide and Seek’. We seek our own true Self which we have hidden before we are delivered into this world by our physical mothers. It is not easy to find because we do a good job of hiding it. Once we do find we are delivered out of this world by our Universal Mother. This world is her womb. Here is a little trick – Prenatal Education! This is a method by which we can leave very useful and powerful clues for ourselves before birth because we know there is memory loss going ahead.

Completeness is to thoroughly enjoy this treasure hunt!”

Human Being is a resonating energy being and these energies can be categorised over five layers for learning purposes. It is important to understand that at any instant all the layers are working in complete coordination and harmony. Living a spiritual and conscious life implies inducing symmetrical harmony into these frequencies through learning and evolving. This is the purpose and ultimate achievement in human life.

The essence of the scriptures states that the Self of a human being is Eternal Consciousness. “All Knowledge” gets fractalized and thickened at a particular confluence radius, thus forming the semblance of a membrane or a boundary. This is the transition from the Limitless to the Limited.  The manner in which this individualization occurs is unique for each human being and depends upon internal factors (tendencies carried through the continuum of consciousness / previous lives impressions) and external factors (time, space, gender, family, culture etc. selected by the one being born/ karmic impressions).

The process of birth can be understood holistically when it is understood along with the process of death. The latter being one with no sensorial or intellectual proof, a student has to exercise belief systems to gain the full perspective. Therefore understanding the process of birth in continuation with the process of death, is indeed only a matter of faith and intuition that can be supported or accessorized with scientific research and understanding. In fact, of the five layers of Human Being, it is only one- the physical body, that undergoes what we call as “death”. The rest all the other resonating energies move into a transient phase of accumulation and exhaustion, and retransform to connect with the Human Realm again, thus creating the Process of Birth.

The scriptures then go on to describe in minute details, the formation of elements, qualities of energies, layers of frequencies, their interactions and effects on each other, the resultant faculties of intelligence, behaviour, personality, individuality and even destiny ! The foundational template for each one of these is formed within the sanctum of life – The Mother’s Womb. Therefore what is happening within the womb, is on one hand the creation of a unique powerful Human Being and on the other hand limitation of a Universal Being.

This sets the stage for a psychological state that an adult human may not be able to relate with easily. It is an indescribable state that a conscious human being will only experience in the reverse process of Unification with the Absolute. However, when this indeed happens, it can only be described as a fulfilling depression. This is the state a foetus is in, during its journey through the womb. A spiritually evolving adult is affected by and is free enough to be sensitive to all the factors surrounding him or her, and at the same time remain objective; similar to a foetus. During delivery of the baby, there will be a deliberate infusion of amnesia or loss of memory of this objectivity formed in the Universal Dimension and then the Self-limiting dimension as an “Individual” contained in the body, emotions and mind levels unfold. And then begins life when a human being starts seeking the same state from which life began!

The technique of learning these and manifesting this profound knowledge in every instant of our lives is called Tantra.  For the purpose of this essay I shall illustrate one important part of the spiritual core that directly and clearly explains foetal psychology as we adults can understand. Here is a picture explaining the concept in brief.

Purpose of Life - Learn and Evolve

Creating the “Hide and Seek” Game

The core is the “Heart Centre” of the individual or the Baby in the Womb. This centre is connected to everything within the baby and all external dimensions including the universe. The Heart is the seat of knowledge – in fact ‘All Knowledge’

Layer	Description of Layer	Relevance to Foetal Psychology	Helpful Influences	Harmful Influences
Central Circle	Heart Centre – The seat of Knowledge	This is activated prior to conception	Intending deliberately and extending an Invitation	Treating it as a mere biological event
Six Pointed Star	Six means of Knowledge	Begins at formation of Zygote	Conscious Conception – sanctity in the act of union	Lustful or pleasure seeking union
Six Arc Sectors	Human Desires which create the need for gaining Knowledge	Starts with the attachment of embryo to the wall of Uterus	Prepared Parenting	Casual Parenting
Six Semi-Circles	Sources of Knowledge	These are affirmed by the third month of Pregnancy	Relaxed and soulful pregnancy	Anxiety and Fear
Nine Circles	Intelligences – the absorption of Knowledge	Intelligences – seven of them develop over the first seven months of Gestation thus completing human consciousness. Interpersonal and Intrapersonal develop during perinatal and infancy periods	Taking up Holistic Practices of Prenatal Education - Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensorial, Creative, Spiritual and Devotional	Complete ignorance about the Holistic Prenatal development and lack of conscious activities in pregnancy
Nine Two-way arrows	Connections to and from Memory which is a collective Human Field.	Orchestrates from the eight month of Gestation and reaches its finality in the perinatal / infancy period.	Infant Education, Post-partum behaviour and subconscious learning	Betrayal of Trust.

All the above mentioned “Helpful influences” have been given as Samskaras or holistic developmental milestones at points of time in ancient scriptures. For the common folk who might not take to scriptural learning, these were given as cultural or religious mandates. Unfortunately, the true value is not realised and consequently either not done at all or performed as mere rituals. This knowledge forms the basis of advises and prescriptions of Ayurveda as well.

Role of Prenatal Education

If a child in the womb, is given access to more and more resources, primarily by the parents and society, the child is better equipped and enabled to take up its role in the ‘Universal-Human Hide and Seek’ orchestrations that go on. The more the parents are empowered and take to imparting education holistically in all dimensions, the better is the preparation of the child when it comes out into the world. These are referred to as the Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensorial, Creative, Spiritual and Devotional dimensions.

In the Indian scriptures, the primary role of Prenatal Education is to ‘Educate the Prenatal Child’. They are called “Garbha Samskaras” – meaning educating and empowering the child in the course of the journey of the child from conception to the time of birth in the human world. These are followed by “Shishu Samskaras” – meaning education and empowerment in the journey of Infancy. These are to be completed within about 2 years after birth.

When the Garbha and Shishu Samskaras periods are combined, they completely map with the Golden Period of 1000+ days, referred to by present day Prenatal and Perinatal Psychologists, Workers and Educators.  It is to be noted that it is not as if there is no concern for the pregnant mothers in Indian scriptures, but those are part of another process called Garbhini Paricharya.

At this stage, it may be appropriate recall that the baby in the womb operates through Delta-Theta frequencies ( mentioned earlier) in the subconscious realm. Indeed the baby truly has “super human potential”.  If the child is better educated and endowed with knowledge and abilities through the course of Preconception, Pregnancy and Infancy – the better it will fare in the subsequent phases of life.

CONCLUSION

Psychological factors create abilities or weaken potential in unborn children. They influence the happenings in the course of life as a child and as an adult. The influences could be understood from different perspectives. In the end there is a clear cut aim – To Empower a Child. The more holistically a child is empowered through appropriate inputs, the better will be the output. Mother, Father, Family, Society, Nations and the World as a whole have a stake in this.

Future Citizens…. indeed better Citizens are needed for the world, and that process begins before, during and immediately after the period in the womb. Prenatal and Perinatal Education is the key! 

Know More

PRENATAL AND PERINATAL EDUCATION SERIES - ARTICLE 10 PARENTING STYLES

PRENATAL AND PERINATAL EDUCATION SERIES - ARTICLE 10

PARENTING STYLES

- Shivakumar Belavadi, PPNE, Bangalore, India

TOPIC - Please define "Conscious Conception."

R.D. Laing, a pioneering psychologist had honestly ruminated  "It seems to me credible, at least, that all our experience in our life cycle from cell one is absorbed and stored from the beginning, perhaps especially in the beginning. How that may happen I do not know.    How can one cell generate the billions of cells I now am?                                                                    
We are impossible, but for the fact that we are.”

Definition

Procreation is a fundamental fact and act seen in all of Creation. In nature – it is an occurrence, and has continued to be so over millions of years. Amongst human beings, the present understanding of conception is that it is the event when a man and woman come together at coitus under certain physical conditions. A sperm from the man fuses with the ovum of the woman, leading to the formation of a Zygote. This is the most popular notion of conception. While this may be true at the gross or physical level, there is much more happening – preceding, during and after the physical act.

What are all the factors that contribute and influence in the process of conception? Are there any we know of, but don’t cognize? Are there subtle factors unknown to us? If we include all that (a) we ‘know’, (b) we ‘generally know but do not cognize’, and (c) what we ‘do not know but we need to become aware, understand and appreciate, the Conception Canvas expands to a realm beyond just the ‘known and physical’ and becomes Holistic.

Conception in such a state of Total Awareness is Conscious Conception.

I will now attempt to put this in a perspective.

A. Conception - The Realm of the Known

In nature, it has been observed that the physical act for copulation happens in a particular season and for a particular reason - usually “Continuity of Species”. However, the physical act of copulation between a man and a woman could happen for two purposes viz. (a) Pleasure or (b) Procreation.

The act for pleasure could be random and may happen at any time in adult human beings. While we may attempt to procreate in any season, it can reach fruition only when certain conditions are fulfilled. Some of these would include:

·    A woman needs to be in the “fertile period’ in the course of her monthly menstrual cycle

·   Virility and motility of sperms are essential to go through an arduous process for fusing with the ovum.

·  The quality of the sperm and egg. For instance, weak sperms may not complete the journey to the egg after ejaculation, a hard outer cover of the ovum may make it difficult for a sperm to penetrate into the cell.

·  Synchronization of physical factors playing a role in the process. For instance, the Celia (hair like fibrous structures) need to move in a perfect rhythm to facilitate the movement of egg in/through the Fallopian tube.

Medical fraternity, surely knows all of this. Biology and Obstetrics medical literature has details of what are needed, what needs to be done, how the process works and how it concludes. In short, the facets involved and the process of conception in the physical realm are fairly well known amongst the educated masses and is well recognized within society.

B. Conception – The Realm of “What we Know but do not Cognize”.

Evolution and life have taken many contours over thousands of years.  This has produced many things which we may be aware of at a broad level. Our information bases today are much wider. For example, the effect of air and noise pollution, depletion of Ozone layer in the atmosphere, reducing oxygen content in the air we breathe are well known today because of media blitz, publicity and the repeated broadcasts made. Along with the information needed and justified, many a times,we get only selective or incomplete inputs. This tends to become Media Driven Awareness.

Some of the serious undertones in ‘generally known information’, however, are not known and understood by people. For instance, Dr.Michel Odent gives a clear description of a situation explaining the ‘Age Of Man-Made Fat-Soluble Chemicals’. He states:

“Over the years we all have accumulated hundreds of chemicals in our adipose tissue that would not have been there sixty years ago because such chemicals did not exist at that time. Many of these pollutants have a long half-life and we do not have mechanisms to break them down; therefore they cannot be eliminated by the kidneys. Since the 1990s we have gathered sufficient data to realize that a major threat to the health of future generations is intrauterine pollution by such man-made molecules. It is during this period that molecules used by cells to 'talk' to `each other (e.g. Hormones) can affect the way that genes express themselves. They are biologically active in parts per trillion, thousands of times more diluted than the level at which toxicological testing is usually performed. The majority of the genes in our bodies are only switched on for short windows of development, and then they shut down until the next generation.”

Remediation, as Kate White suggests in an article on ‘Pre and Perinatal Experiences for Health and Healing’,  is in “ Prior to conception, women can cleanse, ridding their organ systems of possible toxins from plastics and other chemicals ingested without their knowledge, hidden in food and air pollution.”

The experts mentioned above illustrate the new knowledge which has come about through research and scientific findings. Today they need to become well known amongst all sections of the society. While generally people may have the knowledge of pollution and contamination, the intricate details of the causes and harmful consequences of those are not widely known. However, with some effort, interested persons could access resources with which they can increase their knowledge and learning. If such topics are included in public health discourses, publicity and notifications, the awareness coming about from that, will help people make better choices in life, especially in the context of conception.

Hence, with some effort, things which are in general awareness could move to becoming specifically and specially cognized in times of need. Thus Healthy Conception and Child Bearing would become more purposeful.

C. Conception – The Realm of “What we need to become Aware of, Understand and truly Appreciate”

Our knowledge and understanding of the last few centuries is now undergoing through an upheaval. A significant body of knowledge is being discovered through new-gen sciences. Many scientists, researchers, anthropologists, biologists and pedagogues are exploring the arena of Quantum Physics, Consciousness, Epigenetics, Signal Transduction and other related spaces. Senior PPNE practitioners and professionals, including William Emerson, Thomas Verny, Wendy McCarty, Ray Castellino, Marcy Axness and Bruce Lipton speak of the role of Consciousness, Epigenetics and the new awareness/sciences in the process of Conception. Many of them echo the knowledge and understanding which is coming about with the changing knowledge paradigm. A few of them are quoted below:

1. Marcy Axness – “Conscious Conception is a Quantum Collaboration. We tap into a powerful dimension of human development when we broaden our perception of what happens in the “simple” process of fertilization of the egg by the sperm. Consider the implications of findings in quantum physics, cell biology, and epigenetics, such as non-local mind matter interactions, and the effects of “directed intention” on microbes, human cells, and biochemical reactions in the body.”

2. Wendy Anne McCarty states that while working “I focus on sensing the greater field, what I have come to call the “therapeutic family holographic field.” The field that contains local, energetic, and non-local information; and that reflects the unconscious, conscious, and superconscious, all the interconnected relationships, and all time periods, ancestral and other life-times, etc. I would tune into the field and focuses would emerge.” 

She also mentions that “PPN findings show us that our spiritual connection, primary knowing, and transcendent Self perspective are there from the beginning of life! We are consciousness coming into human life, and we are innately wired with the capacity of connection with our transcendent Self and Source to be the embodied integrated spiritual human being—the butterfly.”

She goes on to state – “When I speak of supporting babies’ wholeness from the beginning of life, I see this as our primary task in welcoming consciousness—to nurture and protect their primary relationship of Self.”

3. Dan Hurley in an article in Discover Magazine.com states “Grandma’s experiences leave a mark on your genes. Your ancestors' lousy childhoods or excellent adventures might change your personality, bequeathing anxiety or resilience by altering the epigenetic expressions of genes in the brain.”

He refers extensively to the pioneering work of  Moshe Szyf, a molecular biologist and geneticist at McGill University in Montreal and Michael Meaney, a McGill neurobiologist, which gives us new insights of behavioural epigenetics, traumatic experiences in our past, or in our recent ancestors’ past, leave molecular scars adhering to our DNA.

He further quotes the duo saying – “Jews whose great-grandparents were chased from their Russian shtetls; Chinese whose grandparents lived through the ravages of the Cultural Revolution; young immigrants from Africa whose parents survived massacres; adults of every ethnicity who grew up with alcoholic or abusive parents — all carry with them more than just memories.

Like silt deposited on the cogs of a finely tuned machine after the seawater of a tsunami recedes, our experiences, and those of our forebears, are never gone, even if they have been forgotten. They become a part of us, a molecular residue holding fast to our genetic scaffolding. The DNA remains the same, but psychological and behavioural tendencies are inherited. You might have inherited not just your grandmother’s knobby knees, but also her predisposition toward depression caused by the neglect she suffered as a new-born. Or not. If your grandmother was adopted by nurturing parents, you might be enjoying the boost she received thanks to their love and support.”

4. William Emerson comments on Conception and early life that – “ The associated underlying belief systems that hold it in place derive from a number of factors: the shadow aspects of parents; the same unresolved elements in the lives of grandparents (the ovum from which the mother sprang was already formed at eleven weeks gestation in the maternal grandmother); a commensurate and immeasurable twine of psychogenetic ancestral memories; the prenate’s own “baggage” from pre-conception; the experience of the conception itself; the phenomenology of implantation; and the whole duration of the gestation period; all together form layers of affect in this self-forging process.”

5. Bruce Lipton – “As has recently been established environmentally-directed maternal influences may impact more than just the subsequent generation. An observation referred to as the "grandmother effect" reveals Dutch women who were on starvation diets during the famine of World War II, produced smaller than normal babies. Interestingly, this pattern of stunted growth continued into the next generation (Vines, 1997). There are now many examples of how maternal observations of environmental exigencies profoundly alter the growth, phenotype (physiological expression), sex ratios and even the sexual maturation period of their offspring, all in an effort to ensure the survival of their species.”

The references above evidently speak of the newness of this knowledge. They also speak eloquently of the integrating and combining effects of seemingly different disciplines, through the process of conception. This body of knowledge conspicuously seems missing in the information which is available and accessible to the masses. It is not easily found or discussed in the public domain.

A question arises at this stage - Do I need to know everything about everything before proceeding for conception? Is it possible at all for a human being? The understanding one can gain from the working of the Quantum Field is revealing. If we just become aware of ‘what I know’ and accept ‘I do not know many things but I can get to know anything’ and set a clear intention behind my subsequent efforts, the Field manifests according to My Intentions. A human being is a truly powerful entity !

Many cultures had wisdom which is Holistic, often preceding the vintage of modern sciences. Buddhist, Shamanic, Greek and contemporary tribal cultures show a prescient awareness on conception. Many of them include sanctity, devotion and divinity to complete the Holistic elements. As an example, I am giving below a diagram which gives an indication of the rich essence of Indian/Hindu scriptures. This is developed by the Shivanetra spiritual lineage in India, capturing all the causative and collaborative conception factors including those known in science today.  

DIVINITY OF PROCREATION

Synthesis

Integrating knowledge from Modern Sciences and the Ancient Indian Wisdom would lead to Conscious Holistic Conception in my opinion. There is a dire need to recognise and act on the following:  

1. There is a common goal of mankind as a whole – Peace and Progress! There is a chain in the way the order of universe operates.  BodyçèEmotionsçèMind/IntellectçèSubconsciousçèSocietyçèWorld

çèUniverse, is a chain which is continuous and interactive in both directions.

2. Who or what is being created during conception? It is now apparent to serious PPN practitioners (and to many others!) that there is a huge nexus between the Universe and the new life or entity being created. The possibility of bringing to life a human being, does not lie in the consequence of a physical act nor in a bio-chemical fusion of germ cells. It is a possibility that is divined out from the Field (Divine Matrix as Gregg Braden expounds or the Sacred science of Kshetra as revealed through the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of ancient India).

3. It should be easy to visualise that the new life is a complex of Body, Mind, and Emotions, like all of us know. However, that is just in the visual spectrum. There are deeper layers of life – which include the subconscious mind! For instance, today we now know that memory is associated with not just the brain, but the whole body. It extends within the body and outside!  Ancient scriptures of India explain how impressions from seven generations can be embedded within the subconscious!

4. The Universe/Supreme Energies and Intelligence do not function in a random manner. There is a deliberate design and purpose in all action. What appears as chaos in one plane, is coordinated symphony at another level! Indeed, the pulse that becomes the heart, throbs for eternity! The new conception happens with a purpose and all the stakeholders associated with it must collaborate to help the new life move towards achieving its purpose.

5. In a popular video on You Tube [https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v = kJBO0C1iYp8 ], Dr Thomas Verny begins by stating that Procreation can never be understood without the basic knowledge of two important guiding factors. The first is the ‘Life is a Continuum’ and the second is the ‘Mind- Body Connection.’ These two are considered primary essentials of Indian spiritual learning as well! ( Punarjanma – Rebirth and Karma – Cause and Effect chain). The process of procreation really is Re-Creation and it would be sad to limit it to banal recreation !

Following from the above, we need to recognise that for practising conception consciously, we need to be aware of the role of stakeholders at each stage.

A. Parents – They have the most immediate interest. They need to prepare for conception by becoming aware of themselves, their baby-to-come and the other influencing factors. The influence of parents becomes palpable and has a tremendous impact on the baby coming into this world. Kate White summarises this in an article on Conscious Conception stating:

“The mother is the first home for humans. Once a woman or a couple decides on pregnancy, this early in utero environment can be nurtured with nutritional changes and awareness. The best thing that parents can do prenatally is resolve their own early history. An adult’s unconscious pre and perinatal pattern can influence how a baby is conceived, nurtured, born and raised. Couples can seek out counselling to decide on how they want to parent and what their family values will be. Prior to conception, women can cleanse, ridding their organ systems of possible toxins from plastics and other chemicals ingested without their knowledge, hidden in foods and air pollution. Whatever is going on around a mom three months before conception will influence the DNA selection for a baby. The father’s experiences, environment and stress levels also influence the DNA in the sperm. As parents move toward conception, their state of mind can influence DNA selection. It is also important for moms to take prenatal vitamins, especially folic acid and fish oils (omegas 3, 6 and 9). Moms and dads can cultivate a sense of safety and protection in their bodies, in their relationship and in their environment to help prepare for the pregnancy.”

     B. Society – There is an effect of the local environment comprising of other human beings, cultural influences, medical practices (during pre-conception- Obstetrical, Psychological, Climate, quality of air/water/food and attitudes) and many other influencing factors. If all of them are coordinated and made collaborative, the conception process is positively influenced. Negative consequences follow if the practices are opposite.

    C. Universal – We all need to be aware and accept of the Grand Purpose and Design in everything in the Universe. If we ignore this, then actions could become discordant. As a species, we will fail to achieve the larger purpose of Peace and Progress and hence not grow and evolve in a harmonious manner. “I-Me-Myself” is a very limited view of myself and I/we have to include everything else in and around me/ourselves.

If the order above is within our awareness and acted upon, we will move towards begetting exceptional and empowered individuals into our midst. All stakeholders have to collaborate. Many PPN experts have opined that if Conception is practised “Consciously”, within two to three generations, planet Earth will become a wonderful place.

We often hear “Think of what kind of Planet we will leave behind for our Children”. In my opinion, it is equally important of “What kind of Children we will leave behind for the Planet”.  Conscious Holistic Conception is the need of our times !

Conclusion

What modern pre and perinatal sciences are revealing and promoting is truly meaningful for mankind. Ancient cultures practiced profound wisdom as well. There is a loaded message from an ancient Indian scripture (called Viveka Chudamani)

“Jantunam Narajanma Durlabham”

Meaning - Of all species, begetting conception/birth as a Human Being is the most precious and valuable.

Another relevant verse from Indian scriptures is: 

Ahara Nidra Bhaya Maithunam Cha Samanam Etat Pashubhir Naranam l

Jnaane Hi Tesham Adhiko Visheshaha Jnaane Vihinaha Pashubhirsamanaha ll

It means that all species exhibit basic instincts – hunger, sleep, fear and mating;  what sets human beings apart is awareness or knowledge; Hence in the absence of awareness and knowledge, man is just an animal.

It is hence clear that for mankind to survive and evolve, Conscious Holistic Conception is essential. This message needs to spread far and wide, and into every Home and Heart !

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