How silence can unlock the power of spiritual gene

Science has taken such significant strides in the last two centuries that now it has very few things to discover in the physical world. Science is trying to solve questions that have puzzled man for millennia. So the question is, what is leadership and what does spiritual gene has to do with one’s success? What’s the connection? How are some people able to unlock a part of the brain that helps them answer questions about existence and purpose? How are leaders different from the rest of the crowd? What makes them so different?

Modern scientists are intrigued by the connection between leadership and spirituality and they are resorting to facts found only in the ancient texts of India. India was/is rooted in science, with ancient rishis-munis/sufis/acharyas as scholars and scientists. Do not forget that Bhaskara was an Indian mathematician who gave Zero to the world. If you read more such ancient texts and scriptures, you will realise Shiva was the chief scientist and doesn’t belong to any one religion or practice. He is an eternal being, an embodiment of knowledge and devotion. He is not a religion, he is a philosophy of how to live a responsible life. In the modern age, we call it leadership, ethical leadership or responsible leadership and the like. Religion is a part of humanity’s culture, a link to the traditions and morals that have defined people for years. Science is separate from culture. It is supposed to exist outside the biases, assumptions, and mythologies we have always relied on and challenge us to see the universe through fresh eyes.

Now scientists say they have found the spiritual or God Gene. American geneticist Dean Hamer discovered the God Gene or VMAT2.

Hammer, in his book, The God Gene, says “Faith is hardwired into our genes,” meaning we are born with an innate capacity for transcendence. Transcendence means “going beyond”. It isn’t restricted to beyond the physical world that is commonly understood, but also going beyond your current capacity, your next level of leadership and progress as a human being.

This spiritual gene has been further explored by the University of Columbia’s Lisa Miller, in her book The Spiritual Child. Miller, who is the director of the varsity’s Clinical Psychology Programme, says, “Science now tells us that this spiritual faculty is inborn, fundamental to the human constitution, central in our physiology and psychology. Spirituality links brain, mind, and body. The pineal gland is also said to be the spiritual gland. It is located at the centre of every person’s brain. This gland secretes a hormone called DMT or Dimethyltryptamine which is said to help people achieve a state of spiritual upliftment. DMT is also called the Spirit Molecule.

Now the question is how does one unlock this power of DMT molecule and VMART2 Gene? The answer is silence, shutting down your five senses for 20 minutes a day. Beginning with 5 minutes, take it up to 10 and then gradually unlocking the power to transcend, to Go Beyond.

You do not have to recall God necessarily. The choice is yours as it is usually rejected by the younger generation because they think it’s some kind of a religious practice. Nowadays there are so many podcasts and online meditation music available, insert your headphones and just go into isolation for some time.

While finding a connection between leadership and mindfulness, my message to people is that the spiritual gene can be decoded and you can connect with your higher self. This simply means that the spiritual practice of silence which was further adopted by all religions is a way to develop the grey matter in our brain, create new neuron connections. When that happens your left and right brain connects more, works in harmony and you gain control over that part of the brain which is dedicated to impulse control and emotional reaction.

It is not surprising how the West has adopted this science. They have research papers and MRI scans exhibiting the changes your brain undergoes post consistently practicing 20 minutes of silence over three months. All this happens because the Gene, which I also name as the God/Peace Gene is now fully thriving and waiting for its true expression.

Unlocking the power of the spiritual gene helps us speed up our memory and learning abilities; enhance our intuition, wisdom, and creativity which triggers leadership capacity. The spiritual gene which is imperative in self-actualisation thus develops a human being’s full potential. People with higher spiritual gene connection are more creative, innovative, problem solvers and leaders.

Author is a Harvard alumnus, author, speaker and philanthropist