When the sun rises,
the moon is not visible.
Wherever spiritual wisdom appears,
ignorance is dispelled.
—Siri Guru Granth - Ang 791
“It’s a secret the higher-ups trying to keep us docile don’t want you to know,” said the guy telling me I should stare directly at the sun. There may have been a caveat about doing it at sunrise when the sun is weak, but the point is this suppressed information was something I could capitalize on if I wanted to cleanse my pineal gland. “Like this,” he added, clenching his fists while dropping into an athletic stance, sharing a squinty demonstration with the kind of tinfoil hat determination you’d expect from someone trying to go blind.
Apparently, the ancients used this gazing technique to “purify the mind” and “deepen psychic ability.” The novice, though, “should practice in front of a candle first, then gradually build up to the sun.”
When you say ‘gradually build up,’ I thought, what does that mean exactly?
A candle is the type of flame blown out with a single puff on your birthday. When a sun blows out, it has the potential to rip a hole in the universe. I couldn’t help but wonder what the next stage of linear progression might look like.
A flame thrower?
A house fire?
A nuclear explosion?
I skipped every phase of progression for logistical reasons and went straight to the beach the next morning. Turns out I didn’t dare stare directly into the rising orb for reasons of skeptical hesitation and/or government-inspired docility.
I rationalized my avoidance with the belief this practice had more to do with focusing on something to aid in meditation, exposure to Vitamin D-boosting rays, and being present with a scene that can inspire dopamine release.
Call me docile, but in the end, I chose to keep my pineal gland uncleansed at the risk of keeping my retinas intact. Something in me couldn’t get over the notion that a modern game of telephone had convoluted the true purpose of this ancient practice, and it seems plausible that the ancients were unconcerned with combating the docility imposed by The Man.
That said, let the record show that I by no means wish to dissuade you from making pineal-cleansing choices. I believe in the freedom to walk the tightrope between anti-docility and blindness if you so choose.