Feeling Lucky !!

This goes out to all the great Lucky Ali fans like me. He is back and this time as mellifluous as he was in “Sifar” or “Aks”. The latest milestone crossed in his mystifying journey is “Xsuie” which means moving ahead in one direction. No doubt this great singer sure knows just to move ahead and keep entertaining his fans more than ever before. Starting his musical expedition at 36, very few people do actually realize that he will turn 52 on September 19th. But his voice is as sweet as it was when he first stole away our hearts by singing “O sanam” which stayed on the MTV Asia charts for 60 weeks!


Those who really love his music will agree with me if I say that he takes us to a different world altogether. In simple words, it’s like taking a break in your hectic life and trying to observe all the good things around you. Listen to “Milegi milegi manzil” or “Nahi rakhta dil mein kuchh” on one such day when you are stressed out and you would understand what I mean. It’s like sitting beside a brook and observing the beauty of a flowing stream. Listen to “Behti nadi” and you will be on my side. Listen to “Kya mausam hai” or “Mausam bhi yaar hai” while driving your car along a lush green countryside on a rainy day with cool breeze across your face and you will agree with me surely. For an ardent like myself I believe his songs are very down to earth just like Lucky Sir himself. Simple lyrics combined with enchanting music and an everlasting thirst to create a melody he believes he can implant in the minds of people; that’s that works for this simpleton.

I am sure all his fans would have definitely heard the latest tunes from “Xsuie”. For all those who haven’t I urge you to do so. And last but not the least, for all those who haven’t yet caught up with his songs after listening to “O sanam” or probably “Kyun chalti hai pawan”, I wish you could have. His songs make the world more meaningful and inspire you in every walk of your life. I, for one do believe so.

Follow this link to catch latest visual of his song “Dil Gaye Jaa” from “Xsuie” on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXixxBh0H3Q

Catch all his latest buzz at :
https://twitter.com/lucky_ali

Time Travel : A Leap of Faith

The earliest account of time travel according to Hindu mythology can be linked to a king named Raivata also known as Kakudmin who went to the Brahmaloka to seek a suitable match for his daughter, Revati. Blessed with supernatural powers he was able to take his daughter along and travel up to the very plane of existence where Brahma the creator resides. However, this to and fro journey to the Brahmaloka lasted for 108 yugas and apparently thousands of years had passed by the time he returned back to earth. Despite the fact that there is no mention of fancy spacecrafts or the journey itself, it is however interesting to note how well the concept of “Time Dilation” has been described in the whole event.


Around a hundred years ago this event would have been considered by many scientists as a “Leap of Faith”, something intangible or improvable. But one fine day Albert Einstein with his “Special Theory of Relativity” on the structure of space-time decided to change a few perceptions. Time Dilation was one was the direct consequences of this theory. It can be illustrated by supposing that if two observers are in motion relative to each other and each carry a clock of identical construction and function then, the point of view of each observer will generally be that the other observer's clock is in error (has changed its rate). In simple words, it implies that a moving clock is measured to tick more slowly than an observer's "stationary" clock. Hence it is not impossible to rule out that if a person travelling at unimaginably high velocity away from earth decides to continue one way for two years before returning back, then during his entire journey of four years, a total of four thousand years would have actually passed on earth. Does this mean that king Raivata’s account could actually have been true after all?

Taking a look at the physical aspects of this journey throws a number of unanswered questions at us which are impossible to deal with. First of all, according to the formula for determining time dilation due to relative velocity, only if an object approaches 30,000 km/s i.e. 1/10th the speed of light does time dilation become noticeable. The effects due to relative velocity any lesser can safely be ignored. The closest we have come to this is about 1/4470th the speed of light when Helios-2 set the record for the fastest man-made object in 1976. Secondly, the amount of thrust required to achieve this velocity must be at least 750,000 times more than the thrust needed to propel an average space-shuttle. Thirdly even if achieve the above, under the special theory of relativity, a slower-than-light particle with nonzero rest mass needs infinite energy to accelerate to the speed of light. And achieving an infinite amount of energy is certainly not a sensible notion. Hence, considering the mathematical aspects of such a journey the possibility sounds almost unfeasible.

While physicists have produced some great ideas for time machines over the years, most theories of time travel don't rely on machines at all. Instead, time travel will likely be done by way of natural phenomena that will transport us instantly from one point in time to another. These space phenomena, which we are not even sure exist, include:

• Rotating black holes
• Wormholes
• Cosmic strings

Black holes have gravitational fields so strong that even light cannot escape. Kerr holes are considered to be a type of rotating black holes that could be used as portals for time travel or travel to parallel universes. In 1963, New Zealand mathematician Roy Kerr proposed the first realistic theory in which dying stars would collapse into a rotating ring of neutrons that would produce sufficient centrifugal force to prevent the formation of a singularity. Without singularity, Kerr believed it would be safe to enter the black hole without being crushed by the infinite gravitational force at its center. If Kerr holes do exist, it might be possible to pass through them and exit out of a "white" hole. A white hole would have the reverse action of a black hole. So, instead of pulling everything into its gravitational force, it would use some sort of exotic matter with negative energy to push everything out and away from it. These white holes would be our way to enter other times or other worlds.

Opposing the idea of rotating black holes, physicist Kip Thorne believes that there could be another type of tunnel-like structure existing in the universe that could be used for a time travel portal. “Wormholes”, also called Einstein-Rosen Bridges, could allow us to travel many light-years from Earth in only a fraction of the amount of time that it would take us with conventional space travel methods. A Wormhole is a hypothetical warped space-time which is also permitted by the Einstein field equations of general relativity, which states that any gravitational mass curves space-time. Thus it’s possible that masses that place pressure on different parts of the universe could eventually come together to form a tunnel. We could then travel from Earth to another galaxy and back relatively quic-kly (within a lifetime).

Yet another theory uses the idea of “Cosmic Strings”, proposed by Princeton physicist J. Richard Gott in 1991. These string-like objects that some scientists believe were formed in the early universe. These strings may line the entire length of the universe and are under immense pressure -- millions upon millions of tons. These cosmic strings, which are thinner than an atom, would generate an enormous amount of gravitational pull on any objects that pass near them. Objects attached to a cosmic string could travel at incredible speeds, and because their gravitational force distorts space-time, they could be used for time travel. By pulling two cosmic strings close together, or one string close to a black hole, it might be possible to warp space-time enough to create closed time-like curves and travel through time.

All these time travel theories suggest one thing for sure which is, that if King Raivata did actually travel to Brahmaloka and back then he must have passed through one such space-time tunnels. However, since he never returned back to his own period, the return journey must have been through a different tunnel which led to the creation of a parallel universe and he reached back ages after he actually intended to. But did he really know the art of exploiting space-time warps to reach the very center of the universe? Physically it has not been possible with our present scientific knowledge and most probably will never be for a long time to come but what seems possible is a virtual travel. Could it have been possible that Raivata’s journey to Brahmaloka was a spiritual one while he himself was physically present on earth? Also, could the time dilation have been his account of a peep into the future. Let’s understand the concept of meditation and try framing this again.

Meditation is a spiritual journey which allows one to reach the astral plane and still remain connected with the physical self sitting at ease on earth. In my earlier article on “Sound of the universe” I have tried to outline how ancient sages had the ability to harness their entire energy to sync up with the cosmic divine presence all around them. They had the ability to decode these cosmic radiations and subsequently decipher audio and visual information from it. Coming back to space-time tunnels, if scientists cannot yet figure out a safe passage through them to reach out to other galaxies, is it possible that light from these sources itself reaches out to us through these defined passages. According to the theory of relativity, light bends around gravitational masses in the space-time mesh. So the path of selection appears to be quite natural instead of a guided one. One doesn’t need to choose the path towards destination; rather it’s kind of going with the flow. Such continuous bends and tunnels may eventually lead the way to a receptor of choice as in our case King Raivata. So could he really demodulate the information riding on cosmic carriers from the center of the universe? Also I wonder the coincidence of passing of 108 yugas and chanting of the Om mantra 108 times as prescribed by our ancient texts. We might never be able to establish the true nature of space-time continuum or unleash the secrets of the universe but we can definitely experience the ecstasy of being closer to it by meditation.

The sound of the universe

It is perhaps the single most spoken mantra in a common Hindu household and can be seen virtually everywhere, an emblem for Hinduism, its philosophy and theology. The syllable pronounced as Aum is a sacred symbol in Hinduism representing Brāhman, the Absolute — the source of all manifest existence. Brāhman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so this symbol helps us realize the omnipresent. The Mandukya Upanishad which contains the pinnacle of the wisdom and practices of our ancient sages outlines the philosophy and practices of the aum mantra. The Sanskrit name for aum is pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath. In fact, aum is considered as the ‘pranava mantra,’ i.e. the source of all mantras. It is believed that aum represents the sound of the universe and the three deities in the Hindu trinity, the trimurti (”three images”), of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The vibration of the three aspects of A-U-M represents the fullness of creation.


It is interesting to note that there are several other interpretations of this syllable too. One translation suggests that the letter A symbolizes the conscious or waking state (jagratha-avastha ), the letter U the dream state ( svapna-avstha ) and the letter M the dreamless sleep state ( susupta-avastha ) of the mind and spirit. The entire symbol, together with the crescent and the dot, stands for the fourth state (turiya-avastha ), which combines all these states and transcends them. This is the state of samadhi . Another thought suggests that the letters A, U and M symbolize respectively speech ( vak ), the mind ( manas ) and the breath of life ( prana ), while the entire symbol stands for the living spirit, which is but a portion of the divine spirit. It has also been interpreted that the letters correspond to the three tenses - past, present and future - while the entire symbol stands for the Creator, who transcends the limitations of time. Although there are many other such translations which shed light on the various aspects of this sacred symbol, ironically there is no meaning of aum. It is actually not a word, but rather an intonation. It is the sound of the supreme consciousness. It is said to be the original primordial creative sound from which the entire universe has manifested. It is also known as the 'Anahat Nada', the "Unstruck Sound" which means the sound that is not made by two things striking together. It rather emanates on its own. It is believed that the whole universe, in its fundamental form, is made up of vibrating, pulsating energy and Aum is considered as the humming sound of this cosmic energy.

However, going by the philosophical explanation does not help in realizing the importance of aum in our lives. The effect of the chant must be felt deep inside by proper meditation .If repeated with the correct intonation; it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul. For proper intonation, one must start with the "A" in the back of the throat. If done properly, it can be observed that the vibration is strongest in the solar plexus, representing the strength of the physical body and stimulating the third chakra and stomach, liver and spleen. The "U" is made in the front of the throat. It can be noticed that the vibration of this sound is strongest in the chest or heart region, representing love, passion and energetic aliveness and stimulating the fourth chakra and heart, lungs. With a long, slow, exhaling breath, one must bring the two vowel sounds together and end with the hum of the "M". Slowly and steadily energy starts shifting to the forehead or third eye region. This represents presence, mind, essence or soul and stimulates the sixth chakra and pineal gland. Chanting over a period of time makes one attain a state which is associated with trance-like mental, visual or imaginative state and possibly little or no sense of the physical body. A person may experience his body as an energy field or as body parts floating but not connected.

This whole practice helps us in slowing down the brain functions below the normal waking state but not to where we drift to sleep. In scientific terms this corresponds to decreasing the brain state from BETA i.e. 12 Hz or higher to THETA which falls between 4Hz to 7Hz. This magical chant works similar to brainwave entrainment causing brainwave frequencies to fall in step with a periodic harmonious stimulus which evidently qualifies as the sound of the universe as per our sacred texts. However, we are talking about very low frequency waves which would require an astronomically long antenna for reception. If chanting aum aligns our brain in resonance with cosmic vibrations then we ought to have such receptors virtually implanted in us from birth which is quite unimaginable. And even more unimaginable is the thought of such sound waves being present all around us and yet being received by a blessed few.

Interestingly, in September 2003, astronomers at NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory found what can be described as sound waves emanating from a super massive black hole. The black hole can be seen in the Perseus cluster of galaxies located 250 million light years from Earth. The frequency of these sound waves was measured as B flat. But this was not a B flat somebody could hear. It was 57 octaves below middle C. A piano, by comparison, contains only seven octaves. Hence if a black hole hums, it hums at a frequency a million billion times lower than you can hear. On a bigger scale this can be compared to the hum associated with the energy flowing across the entire universe after the Big-Bang. If it is argued that our brainwaves are capable of falling into some specific harmonics of this universal hum then a possibility of resonance cannot be ruled out. But to achieve this, the receptors we talked about earlier now probably need to extend across our whole solar system in order for our ancient teachings to be authentic. Our genetic blueprint gives us an indication that this might be possible too. The genome which is our total gene complement is contained inside the nucleus of each cell. The length of one complete genome is about six feet. Considering we have some thirty trillion cells in our body and we stretch out our entire DNA into one single line, it would circle the earth about 5 million times. Now that's a long antenna capable of receiving very low frequencies!

Is it possible that our ancient sages had the wisdom and capability to harness their entire energy to align themselves with this cosmic energy all around us? We may never be able to verify the veracity of the same using classical communication fundamentals or mathematics. But every human being who does believe in the power of this magical chant and meditation does realize how it helps us to heal our illusions, learn our true sense of being, express our soul and manifest the divine blueprint present in each one of us.