Thus, mind is more a transmitter of thoughts and desires (the lady) generated from man. Mind (the secretary) is not the one that decides. Man is also not the one that decides. It is mostly the lady, the settled pattern of thoughts and desires, that decides. Thoughts occur but people think that they think. It is not true. Thoughts occur even if people don’t want to think. In fact, what man does not want to think, he thinks more! It is through mind that thoughts flow and it is not from the mind. The transmission needs to be of even flow. Then the mind remains healthy. If healthy thoughts flow, mind becomes healthier; it passes health to senses and body. If thoughts are not healthy, it passes unhealthy energy to the senses and the body. “Energy follows thought.” Right thoughts bring in right energy; other thoughts bring in other energies.

Besides, rhythmic flow of thoughts brings in greater life force because life moves in rhythm. If there is rush of flow at one time and meek flow at another time, mind and its organization get affected. If there is frequent disturbance of voltage, the electrical equipment gets damaged; likewise, the body gets damaged. Rhythm is important for life force. Heartbeat, blood circulation, breathing, and respiration are all rhythmic, if we observe. This rhythm is disturbed by the uneven flow of thoughts. It is also disturbed by thoughts of hate, of malice, of jealousy, of anger and of any strong emotion.

This importance of rhythmic and healthy flow of thoughts is little realized by the modern people who are in excessive activity with no rhythm vis-à-vis sleep, work, food and rest. Modern life is so stressful that rhythm is frequently disturbed. Frequent disturbance to rhythm would result in much ill health, including mental ill health.

Man’s quest for material amassment is leading him to overlook all important life rhythms. The result is gradual imbalance in the rhythmic flow of energy through mind. The Law of Rhythm is a mental law. There is widespread infringement of this law today. The scriptures compare the flow of thoughts to the flow of waves to the shore. There is a rhythm in their flow; there is a song in their movement. When the song of waves is disturbed, it is like a tsunami. Today there is a lot of mental tsunami which we need to cognize and rectify. We are worried about the physical tsunami. Mental tsunami is subtle, unnoticeable and more dangerous than oceanic tsunami.

Mental sickness is thus due to excessive arrhythmic flow of thoughts through mind. It can also be due to lack of flow of thoughts, which is the twin brother of the excessive flow. The overflow and the lack of flow are the obverse and reverse of the coin.

The medical profession needs to assert for social laws to restore equanimity between work, social activity, and sleep. This basic triangle cannot be disturbed through mania for more work, more money, and more power. This is the need of the hour. “Prevention is better than cure”, says the noble profession of medicine.

Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar