Research Proposal for the Doctoral Program in Maharishi Vedic ...

21The waves in the cochlear fluid stimulate hair cells which synapse with bipolar neurons.The hair cells are said to "fire" and release neurotransmitters across the gap to the bipolarneurons. Here we find first Agni Prakriti, the fire element, and then Vayu Prakriti, the airelement, corresponding to the gap.The auditory signal, now in the form of an electrochemical impulse in the auditory nerve,travels next to the cochlear nucleus in the medulla. Here, signals from both ears arecompared, and the sound is located in space. Hence the correspondence to Akash Prakriti,the space element. The auditory stimulus then is relayed to the inferior colliculus in themidbrain. This corresponds to Manas Prakriti, the mind element.The next relay for the auditory stimulus is the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus.The thalamus is the major relay center for all perceptions entering the cortex. It screensand analyzes inputs, distinguishing important stimuli which demand attention frombackground noise. Thus, the thalamic nucleus corresponds to Buddhi Prakriti, theintellect. Finally the auditory stimulus is relayed to the cerebral cortex, the highest levelin the brain. This step corresponds to Ahamkar Prakriti, the ego, the most refined level ofindividuality.Nader, combining deep knowledge of Maharishi Vedic Science with the technologicalprecision of modern neurophysiology, identified the eight stages of input of a perception,the Rishi value. He then went on to identify the eight stages of processing of a perception,from the sensory cortex to the sensory association cortex, to Wernicke’s area which