PINEAL GLAND

Matthew 6:22 “The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light (ASV)

PART 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR THIRD EYE?

The pineal gland acts as the third eye in the human brain.

It is connected to the eyes via the hypothalamus to detect light
It contains visual cells similar to those in the eye
Evolutionarily, it was a third physical eye in ancient creatures
It releases melatonin in response to darkness

For a long time, the function of the pineal gland was a mystery. Today it is established as the master conductor of the neural and endocrine system. Its main function is to manage circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles and is now known to have a cross function with neural and hormone balance. Pineal gland calcification is linked to many sleep, hormone, and chronic diseases. With cross-function of melatonin, sleep, and endocrine hormone release there are few processes in the body the pineal gland does not influence. Science and history, new research also reveal that the link between mindful meditation, circadian cycles, change in lifestyle, and supplementation may help to heal damage and calcification to the third eye.

Why is the pineal gland called the third eye?

The evolution of the pineal gland describes its links to the mammalian third eye where the gland directly detects light.
It contains rod-like cells that are very similar to those in the eye.
It is connected to the eyes in a pathway to detect light and release melatonin.

PART 2: PINEAL GLAND CALCIFICATION

How does the pineal gland get calcified?

A calcified pineal gland not only impairs your sleep but also reduces cognitive abilities, reaction time, judgement, perception and all areas of physical performance.

Today CBCT scans reveal the pineal gland can become calcified. Pineal gland cysts or calcifications may be found in up to 60% of people. (1)

It was long thought pineal gland calcification was unrelated to other conditions. Today it’s known endocrine disorders and low melatonin may be linked to pineal gland calcification and cysts.

Low melatonin release and symptoms of pineal gland calcification:

Aging (2)
Headaches and migraine (3)
Stroke (4)
Fluoride exposure (5)
Alzheimer’s disease (6)
Schizophrenia (7)
Breast cancer (8)
Prostate cancer (9)
Insulin resistance (10)

Water, sodas, juices, tea made from the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis), toothpaste, dental products, some vaccines and pharmaceuticals, chemtrails, processed food and fluorinated water are all suspected as contributors to the calcification of the pineal gland, making it as hard as a tooth.

The pineal gland’s tissue is identical to the regular eye’s retinas and has rods and cones just like the regular eyes that, like the regular eyes, are attached by nerves directly to the visual cortex. Additionally, it also sees the imagination’s images inside our mind. These are the two reasons why it is referred to as the third eye. However, layers of calcification (see picture below) blind the pineal interfering with the pineal gland’s health and suppressing its function and purpose as well as its ability to see sunlight and set the diurnal cycle for the body.

Ninety-eight per cent of cities in Canada and The United States add fluoride to municipal drinking water. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a court case that involved the death of a rancher’s horses has even caused that city to stop the fluoridation. In this case, the rancher proved that several of the horses being raised die due to fluoridation of the city’s water supply.

The tissue of this gland is identical to those in the eye retina which sees the imagination’s images inside our mind; that is why it was referred to as the third eye. Additionally, the pineal has rods and cones just like the regular eyes and these are also attached by nerves directly to the visual cortex. Can you imagine if one of your eyes became calcified? You would not be able to see with it. This layer of calcification interferes with the pineal gland’s health and suppresses its function and purpose as well as its ability to see sunlight and set the diurnal cycle for the body.

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The biggest culprit is Fluoride

The way to decalcify the pineal is to first stop adding to calcification to it. This done by eliminating all fluoride sources coming into the body. Unfortunately this means no tea made from the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis); white tea, yellow tea, green tea, black tea are all just different aging times of the tea leaf; so none of that. This is because the tea plant is the most absorbent plant of fluorides from the soil. You can still drink herbal teas like Matte, Chamomile, reships ,nettle (the best thing a woman can drink for her harmonic balance and kills parasites), etc.

Calcification is the biggest concern for the pineal gland. Fluoride accumulates in the pineal gland more than any other organ and leads to the formation of phosphate crystals. As your pineal gland hardens due to the crystal production, less melatonin is produced and regulation of your wake sleep cycle gets disturbed. Research also reports fluoride hardening accelerates sexual development in children, particularly in girls. And this is a serious concern as a study from 30 years ago reported; 40% of American children under 17 were found to have pineal calcification in process. Since then, we’ve see children, especially girls, experience the early onset of puberty in an increasingly greater number as time goes on. In addition to fluoride, halides like chlorine and bromine also accumulate and damage the pineal gland. Calcium supplements can also cause concerns. Inadequate vitamin D, which is something that affects many people, can affect calcium bioavailability in such a way that tissue, including the pineal gland, may calcify. It is also pivotal for the use of a vitamin D supplement to be used that one gets into the Sun for at least 15 minutes in a day. Eliminating fluoride may be the best first step for reducing health concerns. Use fluoride free toothpaste, avoid tap water, and drink distilled water and if not available drink filtered water. For the best filtered water, use a reverse osmosis water filter.

How does fluoride affect the body?

Tea leaves accumulate more fluoride (from pollution of soil and air) than any other edible plant. Coincidently, fluoride content in tea has risen concurrently and dramatically with global tea consumption over the last 20 years. Drinking high levels of fluoride can cause bone-forming cells to lay down extra skeletal tissue,
which increases bone density. At the same time, it also increases bone brittleness that can result in a disease known as skeletal fluorosis. So while bones are more-dense, they are also more brittle. Skeletal fluorosis can produce:

Bone, muscle and joint pain
Calcification of ligaments
Bone spurs
Fused vertebrae
Difficulty moving joint

Says Dr. Whyte, “When fluoride gets into your bones, it stays there for years, and there is no established treatment for skeletal fluorosis. No one knows if you can fully recover from it.” In other words, fluoride accumulates in your body.

Consider not allowing your dentist to use a fluoride to clean your teeth, it can be done the old-fashioned way with pumice. Change to a natural tooth paste that does not have aluminum or fluorides like Dr. Bonner’s. Tom’s is not good a choice as it is not truly healthy. Then you will need to drink your body weight in ounces of distilled water. This means, for example, if you weigh 120 pounds you will drink 120 ounces of distilled water every day. Note
that 128 ounces is 1 gallon. At first this may be difficult as the cause of much disease as well as parasitical infection base build is due to severe dehydration which they do not want stopped. This means the parasites will make you feel nauseous when you drink a lot. You will just have to work through that. It can help by
adding a bit of fresh lemon juice from a lemon which helps the body to absorb the water and kill the parasites.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set standards for the amount of fluoride that can be present in drinking water because it is known to cause harm at high doses. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) was set at 4 parts per million (ppm). At that level, a person would consume 4 mg per liter of water each day (this assumes they consume only four cups of water each day, which is far below what is needed for good health). Studies show that people are actually consuming nearly 8 mg per day, which is twice the MCL set by the USEPA. Read carefully: this amount is higher than the amount provided when fluoride is used to treat hyperthyroidism (i.e., an over-functioning thyroid). Therefore, consuming fluoridated water at this level depresses thyroid function, which can create many issues, including memory problems, weight gain, depression, apathy, fatigue, constipation, skin problems, sexual dysfunction, loss of ability to concentrate, and more.

Here are some additional results of studies regarding fluoride’s health effects:

fluoride accumulates in the bones, leading to brittleness, and studies show higher incidence of
hip fractures in areas with fluoridated water;
fluoride likely contributes to cancer – males living in fluoridated areas have a 6.9-fold increase
in bone cancer rates;
fluoride contributes to learning disabilities and leads to lower IQ scores in children exposed to
fluoride;
fluoride positively affects the rate at which aluminum (another neurotoxin) is absorbed by the
body, meaning that the central nervous system effects are actually greater than the measured effects
of fluoride alone.

Fluoride is a cumulative neurotoxin that should not be added to our water supply or dental products and since it is, we ALL need to avoid it with great attention to ALL products we use.

Tea plants are known to accumulate both fluoride and aluminum in their leaves more so than ANY OTHER PLANT KNOWN ON EARTH!!! It has recently been learned that the amounts of these minerals are much higher than previously thought because they combine to create aluminum fluoride, a compound that was not detected by former test methods. In one study, seven brands of tea were tested using new methodology, and all brands contained significant amounts of fluoride and aluminum (1.4 – 3.3 times more than formerly reported). Decaffeinated tea IS even worse because fluoridated water is used in the process of removing the alkaloid caffeine. If you are wondering about differences between conventionally grown and organically grown tea – there are absolutely no differences. The tea plant is a natural bio accumulator of fluoride, so that while organically grown plants have less fluoride, they still contain elevated levels in their leaves that are still extremely detrimental and in the long term, lethal (conventionally grown plants obtain additional fluoride in the fertilizer that is used). Therefore, turn to the local landscape to provide with healthful tea plant replacements for tea making such as; rosehips, nettles, chamomile, etc.

Check out THE FLUORIDE POISONING CONSPIRACY for more information.

Here are four favourite species to collect and some of their known benefits:

Stinging Nettle

(Uritca dioica)

This is because of its strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties in the body. Gather this in quantity so it can be enjoyed throughout the year. Stinging nettle is a tall, unbranched or sparingly branched perennial herb that is often found associated with open areas near moderate-sized to large rivers. It also sometimes occurs as a weed in areas of cultivation. It has stinging hairs that create a painful, itchy sensation when the plant is contacted by bare skin. Therefore when gathering use protective gloves and clothing. Once gathered rub of the stinging spines as best as possible and dry in the sun on a dry cloth. Despite this difficulty, it is well worth gathering and becomes completely innocuous once dried (i.e., the stinging hairs are no longer potent). Stinging nettle is a nutrient-dense plant and tea made from the dried leaves provides several benefits, including lowering elevated blood pressure, reducing the severity of allergic symptoms (i.e., it is antiallergenic), reducing pain associated with arthritis, promoting healthy skin, and serving as a general tonic for good health. This plant also has a role in cleansing due to its mild diuretic effect and the fact that it help prevent and remove kidney stones. The flavor of stinging nettle tea is mild and it has a wonderful dark green color. This species is treated in detail in the first volume of the book, Ancestral Plants. Additonally, Nettle tea can be purchased at a local health food store or online.

Narrow-leaved Fireweed

(Chamaenerion angustifolium)

Narrow-leaved fireweed is a species of open areas, often found in fields, along roadsides, and on recently cleared lands. Its magenta flowers make it conspicuous and easy to find when in bloom. This plant has had a number of taxonomic changes, so you may find it in your references under the scientific name Epilobium angustifolium and Chamerion angustifolium. Narrow-leaved fireweed has been used as an adulterant in black tea. It has many documented health benefits,
including a broad-spectrum antimicrobial (with action against viruses), an anti-inflammatory, and an astringent (the latter two actions helping to reduce swelling and assist with many ailments, including arthritis). It is generally gather best to this species when in flower and use both the leaves and flowers for making infusions. This species is also treated in detail in the first volume of Ancestral Plants.

Selfheal

(Prunella vulgaris)

This common member of the mint family is regularly found on lawns, in fields, along roadsides, and in many types of open areas. It flowers much of early and middle summer, forming relatively dense arrays of blue flowers. Selfheal has long been considered a general tonic for good health. Selfheal is documented to promote oral health through several pathways, including preventing bacterial plaque formation. It is also beneficial for the lymphatic system and has been shown to be anti-allergenic. Again, make the tea from this species using the dried leaves and flowers.

American Linden

(Tilia americana)

This tree is a species of deciduous forests, most common along moderate-sized to major rivers and rich, rocky slopes. It is easily recognized by its large, somewhat heart-shaped leaves that are asymmetrical. It flowers in the early summer and the entire array of flowers, along with the narrow bract that subtends the flower array, are gathered for tea. American linden is rich in mucilage, so the mild-flavored tea has a particular texture that is different from other teas. The flowers contain a sweet of polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cleansing, and able to lower elevated blood pressure. In addition, the mild sedative quality (i.e., relaxing) makes this plant a valuable protector of the heart, especially for people living with stress, and helps promote restful sleep. Further, emerging research suggests this plant is hepatoprotective, meaning it protects the liver from damage from medical drugs, toxins, and diseases.

Preparation (in brief):

Collecting your own plants for tea is relatively easy. For some, the most difficult step will be learning where to find the plants in a clean area that occur in numbers sufficient to support collection. Best to gather them in the summer, when the plants have accumulated their full component of medicine but not so late as to become damaged, blighted, and otherwise ratty from herbivores, fungal pathogens, etc. The process is: gather, dry, reduce, store. Tall plants are cut or
carefully broken, bundled together, and hung to dry. Shorter plants and flowers place on an elevated screen to dry. Best to dry them outside, bringing them in at night so that the dew doesn’t re-wet them. If you dry the plant material inside, find a warm, low-humidity spot. When the leaves/flowers are dry and brittle, the plants are ready for the next step (this usually takes only a few days in good weather). The very dry leaves insure that the material won’t mold and facilitates reducing it in size so you can maximize surface area for extraction. Wait for a dry, sunny day so you can strip leaves and flowers from the harder stems and then crumble the leaves/flowers up with your hands (if it is very humid or has been raining, the leaves/flowers will be flexible and won’t crumble well). Take all of the reduced (i.e., chopped or crumbled) material and place it in an airtight container out of the light. Now you have tea whenever you need it that brings with it many health benefits. Further, on those cold winter nights, you can reminisce about the summer days when you collected these plants. Of course, each plant has its own intricacies regarding collection and preparation. But the overall process is relatively simple and adds to your family’s self-reliance.

30 ways to open the third eye and decalcify the pineal gland

Take ratfish-liver oil: Naturally sourced cod-liver oil is a great source of the active form of vitamin A (retinol). Vitamin A is linked to melatonin via the detection of light in the eyes.
Spend time in the sunlight every day: Morning light starts the circadian rhythm which regulates melatonin release in the pineal gland.
Use a therapy light if sunlight is unavailable or inconsistent: therapy lights can have dramatic effects on circadian rhythm and is a good artificial substitute for real sunlight.
Sun gazing: Advanced technique for activating the chakras
Sleep in complete darkness: In the evening, darkness begins the four-hour melatonin release cycle. Artificial light can interfere with melatonin release, unsettling serotonin to melatonin production in the pineal gland.
Reduce blue-light exposure: TV, mobile, and lighting with blue light can interfere with the normal release of melatonin from the pineal gland. Try wearing blue light blocking glasses (orange lens) in the evening.
Perform daily mindful meditation: research shows meditation can enhance brain processes to heal the pineal gland. Meditation helps produce deep brain waves and stimulate the relaxing parasympathetic nervous system. Closing the eyes helps stimulate darkness, an essential process for the pineal gland.
Perform Yoga: Yogic practices have long thought to decalcify the pineal gland and open the third eye. Inversion postures that turn upside down (head or handstands) may be helpful as they increase blood flow to the pineal gland.
Practice deep diaphragmatic breathing: Deep nasal breathing, with longer exhalation, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Try a 3-second inhalation and 5-second exhalation for 5-10 minutes.
Stimulate the roof of the mouth: Use your tongue to place pressure on the top of the palate. The roof of the mouth has many relaxing, parasympathetic nerve endings. Try these postures when you are breathing or meditating. You can also use fingers to stimulate the gum behind the upper front teeth.
Exercise daily: Performing daily exercise releases hormones that help circadian rhythm and release of melatonin at night.
Practice gazing meditation: Trataka meditation is a practice to open the third eye. You can practice by candle gazing, or gazing at the flame of a candle without blinking for 1-3 minutes. After, close your eyes and focus on the afterimage for several minutes until it disappears. Repeat several times.
Color visualization: Third eye chakra theory and yoga philosophy says the third eye relates to the color indigo. It is a deep blue-purple color. Try picturing a deep-blue purple color at the space between your brows. Focus on the image for 5 minutes.
Sensory Deprivation: the pineal gland is sensitive to light. Immerse yourself in total darkness. Sensory deprivation tanks or ‘float tanks’ allow full immersion in the dark. Here you are immersed floating in water, entirely removed from all of your senses.
Eat raw cacao: Chocolate in its pure form is a great source of magnesium. If you can’t get raw cacao, take 600-800mg of magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate.
Take a vitamin D3 supplement: Vitamin D3 helps regulate circadian rhythm. Take a dose of 5000-10000 IU of vitamin D3 daily depending on the season. Always take with vitamin K2.
Take a vitamin K2 supplement: Vitamin K2 (MK-4 & MK-7) helps to carry calcium out of soft tissues and may decalcify the pineal gland. It works alongside vitamin D3 and vitamin A (retinol). Take 600mcg per day.
Take a vitamin B-12 supplement – B-12 helps the conversion of melatonin in the pineal gland. A sublingual vitamin B-12 supplement is best absorbed.
Take neem extract: an ancient Indian practice, neem is antibacterial and supports a healthy immune response.
Reduce stress: If your job or home life is stressful, it can cause chronic stress hormone release. These can interrupt your pineal gland, and long-term may lead to pineal gland calcification.
Reduce refined sugar, flour, and vegetable oils: Packaged and processed foods usually contain these three ingredients. They disrupt the gut microbiome and cause inflammation.
Heal leaky gut: Intestinal permeability increases inflammation in the body including the gut-brain axis. Undergoing a leaky gut or intestinal healing protocol will assist in decalcifying the pineal gland and opening the third eye.
Ayahuasca, psilocybin, and psychedelics
Remove fluoride from your diet
Drink only distilled water
Eat “live” organic foods and reduce amount of meat in diet
Reduce consumption of household chemicals
Avoid vaccines and pharmaceuticals (where possible and under medical supervision)
Sound frequency healing
Quantum energy healing

Opening the third eye in ancient medicine

Opening the third eye was an established practice in Ayurvedic medicine. Today we understand these practices were most likely aimed at healing the pineal gland calcification.

Shirodhara was therapy for illnesses related to the head, neck, nervous system, vision, and hearing.

Healers would open the third eye by a thin stream of warm remedial essential oil to the forehead. It would run along the vertex, down to the shoulders. The mind would enter ease, and complete relaxation would follow.

After 20 minutes a third-eye head massage would be performed.

What are the signs of third eye opening?

Pineal gland and third eye opening may be different in all people.

Some signs of third eye opening include:

A feeling of pressure between the eyebrows
Increased foresight
Increased light sensitivity
Increased smell, taste and hearing
The sense of gradual and continual change
Seeing colors of blue or purple (indigo)
A feeling of vibration and rhythm from your surroundings

Are there dangers of third eye opening?

As with any new experience, pineal gland decalcification may take a period of adjustment.

Symptoms or dangers of third eye opening include:

Increased headaches delayed or ongoing
White spots in the vision
The feeling of panic or anxiety

It’s important to remember everyone experiences the third eye opening differently. If you are planning to decalcify the pineal gland, find a time where you are relaxed, feel centered, safe, and not affected by stress.

PART 3: A BRIEF HISTORY & SYMBOLISM

How did the pineal gland get its name?

Pinea is a Latin word for pine cone. The pineal gland is shaped like a very tiny pine cone. Throughout the span of recorded human history, Pinecones have served as a symbolic representation of Human Enlightenment, the Third Eye and the Pineal Gland.

The Greek philosopher and doctor Galen was the first to describe it as glandula pinealis. He would identify its anatomy as sitting in the ventricles of the brain. Later Greek philosophers proposed the pineal gland allowed thoughts to resonate through the ventricles of the brain.

In 300 BCE, the Greek physician Herophilos nominated it as the brain’s only unpaired organ.

Later, René Descartes described the pineal gland as a unique meeting point between body and soul. He also described it where all ‘thoughts are formed’.

Conifer Pine Trees are one of the most ancient plant genera on the planet, having existed nearly three times longer than all flowering plant species. The Pinecone is the evolutionary precursor to the flower, and its spines spiral in a perfect Fibonacci sequence in either direction, much like the Sacred Geometry of a rose or a sunflower.

Our “Pine”al Gland, shaped like (and named after) the Pinecone, is at the geometric center of our brain and is intimately linked to our body’s perception of light. The Pineal modulates our wake-sleep patterns and circadian rhythms, remains uniquely isolated from the blood-brain barrier system, and receives a higher percentage of blood flow than any other area of the body save the kidneys.

It is considered by many to be our biological Third Eye, the “Seat of the Soul,” the “Epicenter of Enlightenment” — and its sacred symbol throughout history, in cultures around the world, has been the Pinecone.

PART 4: THE PINEAL GLAND FUNCTION IN THE BODY

The pineal gland is the master endocrine gland of the body. Its main function is to manage circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles. However, it’s now known to have a cross function with neural and hormone balance. With science and history, we’ll explore how to heal pineal gland calcification and open the third eye.

The pineal gland, also called the third eye, was one of the last parts of the human brain to be fully understood.

Researchers have only recently begun to reveal the function of the pineal gland. Neuroscience for a long time focused on isolating the separate roles of the different brain parts. However, the brain was found to have functional areas that work in groups rather than one part doing one separate job. The pineal gland is one of those multi-faceted areas. It was well established that the pineal gland releases melatonin to direct circadian rhythms and sleep cycles. However, it’s now known to have a far broader purpose. As a conductor of the endocrine system, the pineal gland controls hormone signals to all organs. It plays a dual neural-endocrine role with functions spanning into all bodily systems. Today, evidence suggests the pineal gland is the master conductor of the physiology of the brain and body.

The pineal gland, located at the center of the two brain hemispheres, just above the third ventricle. It is also called the pineal body, or third-eye, and is a pine cone shaped gland. It is pea-sized (1/3^rd of an inch) lying deep at the center of the brain in the epithalamus.

With a reddish-gray color, it is primarily made up of pineal cells and neural support cells. Sitting on the roof third ventricle of the brain, it lies directly behind the root of the nose. Here it floats in a small lake of cerebrospinal fluid.

Recently, scientists have pieced together the role of the pineal gland as the master regulator of the body. A close partner of the hypothalamus, it behaves as a bridge between the nervous and endocrine (hormone) system. It also works with the limbic system to balance emotions and other rhythms throughout the body.

The pineal gland is critical for day/night sleep cycles, hormone balance, and the immune system.

What is the main function of the pineal gland?

The best-known function of the pineal gland is to regulate sleep and day-night cycles. It allows the brain to detect whether there is light in the environment.

It’s these properties that make the gland cross between neural and endocrine systems. The detection of light stimulates the natural melatonin cycle.

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep, amongst many other roles in the body. It is released by the detection of light from the outside world.

The pineal gland acts as a ‘biological clock’ in humans, and as we will discover, much more.

The pineal gland at a glance

Located behind the third cerebral ventricle in the brain midline (between the two hemispheres).
In adult humans, it is about 0.8 cm (0.3 inches) long and weighs approximately 0.1 gram (0.004 ounces).
Rich supply of adrenergic nerves(neurons sensitive to the adrenal hormone epinephrine)
In utero, it develops from the roof of the diencephalon, a section of the brain.

10 Functions and roles of the pineal gland

Sleep and the circadian wake-sleep cycle
Reproductive function and sex hormones
Growth & development
Body temperature
Blood pressure
Immune system
Fertility
Motor activity
Cancer and tumor suppression
Longevity and anti-aging

What is the pineal gland responsible for?

The pineal gland is responsible for hormone release from the two lobes of the pituitary gland. As the master conductor of the body, the pineal gland is responsible for hormone release from the pituitary gland. The pituitary in turns signals the rest of the endocrine system. These organs then release hormones based on the signal from the pituitary. If the pineal gland is removed via pinealectomy, the anterior pituitary gland swells or becomes larger.

Endocrine glands signaled by the pituitary:

Thyroid gland (thyroid hormone for cell turnover)
Adrenal gland (cortisol or stress hormone)
Thymus (thymosin for immune cells)
Pancreas (insulin for blood sugar balance)
Ovaries and testicles (sex hormones)
Some non-endocrine organs inthe bodY

The pineal gland signals the hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and all other glands in the body.

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The pineal gland as the master hormone regulator in the body

Previously, researchers thought the hypothalamus was the master conductor of the endocrine system. There are many reasons for the confusion regarding the function of the pineal gland.

The main reason was that the pineal and pituitary gland relationship was poorly known. Pituitary function was understood by diseases. If a disease caused reduced levels of hormone release from the gland, the endocrine pathway was established.

However, because pineal cysts or disorders don’t produce hormone deficiency, it was assumed it didn’t affect the endocrine system.

Today we now know the pineal gland sits above the hypothalamus to control endocrine hormones.

The pineal gland is the master gland of the endocrine system. Source

Pineal -> Hypothalamus -> Pituitary -> Endocrine glands

What hormones are secreted by the pineal gland?

While most known for melatonin, the pineal gland manages and secretes many hormones. It contains many hormones called biogenic amines. These include:

Catecholamines

Noradrenaline

Indoleamines

Serotonin
Melatonin

During the daytime, it produces serotonin, which we know keeps us happy and buoyant. At night the serotonin is converted into melatonin.

Along with their enzymes, these hormones control sleep alongside light cycles.

Both are made from the amino acid tryptophan. Enzymes in the pineal gland help the hormone pathway.

Tryptophan -> Serotonin -> Melatonin

9 hormone roles of the pineal gland in the body

As the master endocrine gland, the pineal gland oversees nearly every bodily process.

1. Growth and development

Growth is known to happen during sleep. Melatonin released by the pineal gland regulates growth hormone release. The pineal gland influences the hypothalamus that signals growth hormone from the pituitary. Oral melatonin can increase growth hormone levels. (1)

2. Body temperature

As part of the circadian rhythm, body temperatures drop exactly when melatonin levels peak. The pineal gland directs the pattern of body temperature associated with daytime height in body temperature. When melatonin is high, body temperature is at its lowest for sleep. (2)

3. Blood pressure

Sleep cycles associate with blood pressure. Circadian rhythm works with the heart rate and the cardiovascular system. Melatonin helps the body to regulate blood pressure levels. Studies have shown that high pressure or hypertension can be reduced with daily oral melatonin. (3)

4. Water balance

Water balance is regulated by antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or vasopressin. It is released from the pituitary gland.

ADH regulates osmotic pressure of body fluids by causing the kidneys to increase water reabsorption. It’s released from the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary gland. When secreted into the body it signals the kidneys to store water via concentration of salts in urine.

In rat studies, pinealectomy shows the levels of ADH or vasopressin were elevated (4). Melatonin decrease these levels, showing the pineal effect on water balance in the body.

5. Metabolism and weight gain

Melatonin binds to receptors in the pancreas to suppress insulin secretion. It’s thought the main reason is to keep blood glucose levels steady during an overnight fast (sleep).

Insulin plays a role in carbohydrate metabolism, weight gain, and insulin resistance is the mechanism in type-II diabetes. (5). Diabetes insipidus has been noted to occur with pineal tumors. Melatonin is also known to reduce levels of leptin, the hormone that shifts the body to store fat.

People who eat diet’s high in simple sugars and carbohydrates may affect their melatonin levels. Insulin allows clearance of all amino acids except one, tryptophan.

6. Fertility and reproduction

The pineal gland affects the release of the sex hormones. It’s well known that in animal systems that melatonin plays a role in reproduction. The anterior pituitary gland releases two hormones.

Luteinizing hormone (LH)
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

In males, these stimulate the testes to release testosterone. In females the ovaries to release estrogen.
Studies have shown that in blind women, menstrual cycles begin earlier. In men, melatonin can influence testosterone release.

Lack of light can create fertility problems in both men and women. (6)

7. The immune system and tumors suppression

The pineal gland regulates the immune response. As the head of the neuroendocrine system, it oversees two-way crosstalk with the immune system.

As the immune system detects foreign threats in the body, it relays it to the pineal gland. The pineal gland then directs a response to the environmental toxin. It’s a language that works via melatonin as well as a host of neurotransmitters and hormones. These can produce antibodies, natural killer cells, and mitogens with the ability to kill pathogens.

In cancer and tumors, the pineal gland receives the message of its presence. Melatonin activates the immune defense process for tumor-inhibitory activity. (7)

8. Anti-aging and anti-oxidant activity

Oxidative stress is one of the main mechanisms of aging. Melatonin is also a powerful anti-oxidant. Its strength against oxidation is noted against better-known anti-oxidants.

Melatonin has been found to possess 200% more antioxidant power than vitamin E. Melatonin has also been found to be superior to glutathione as well as vitamins C and E in reducing oxidative damage. (8)

9. Depression, anxiety, and mental health

Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety may have common cause in melatonin receptor dysfunction. The balance of neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine is known to have a role in mental health. The pineal gland mediates these hormones and their effect on mood in the brain.

Serotonin is converted to melatonin in the pineal gland depending on the light-dark cycle. Disruption in the circadian rhythm is associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. Dopamine levels are thought to be related to melatonin. (9)

PART 5: THE PINEAL GLAND, SLEEP & MELATONIN RELEASE

Structure of the pineal gland

The pineal gland has a very unique cellular structure. Only recently has the chemical make-up and nature of pineal cells as an endocrine in function been isolated.

Its main cell type are pinealocytes which are unique cells to the pineal gland. While derived from the same embryonic origin as other brain parts, they are not classical nerve cells. They are classed as endocrine cells that secrete hormones in response to neural stimulation.

The cross-system function makes the pineal gland wholly unique. Pinealocytes are the way your body detects light from the world. It helps the brain create a ‘biological clock’ to manage sleep and wake cycles.

They detect a neural message of light from the eye then convert it to a chemical and hormonal response. Pinealocytes produce melatonin and other hormones in response to light. They have extensions that mingle with adjacent neural cells to project their messages.

Four types of cells conduct the cross of neural and endocrine functions of pinealocytes.

Light pinealocytes – These are the most numerous pinealocytes. They contain the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is converted to melatonin.
Dark pinealocytes – The cells that contain melatonin and are thought to have similar characteristics as endocrine and neural cells.
Synaptic ribbons – Small organelles found in pinealocytes. They likely help with light detection and secretion of hormones.
Astrocytes – Pinealocytes are connected to the brain via neural support cells. These are slightly different to astrocytes present across the brain. In the pineal gland, these cells also interact with surrounding blood vessels to make a special barrier. It’s known as the blood-pial barrier.

Here the pineal gland releases melatonin into the bloodstream.

The third-eye, light-dark sleep function of the pineal gland

The proposed neural pathway of light detection and circadian rhythm management of the pineal gland. Source

The pineal gland acts like a third-eye by detecting light and releasing a hormonal response. It allows the body to respond to light-dark cycles of day and night on earth.

Light begins a sympathetic nerve pathway in the pineal gland in four steps:

Light is detected in the receptors of the retina of the eye.
A neural signal projects to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus.
Neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus release norepinephrine to configure the internal circadian rhythm.
The pathway decreases the release of melatonin from the pineal gland.

Natural melatonin release from the pineal gland

During darkness, the pineal gland releases melatonin. If you think about the brain and organs in the body, they see melatonin as a signal from the world. Melatonin means darkness.

When the eye detects light, it sends a neural signal back to the hypothalamus-pineal pathway.

Pinealocytes store the neurotransmitter glutamate in special packages known as vesicles. When they receive stimulation from light, they release glutamate.

Glutamate decreases the release of melatonin from the pineal gland.

Light signals decrease melatonin release to indicate that it’s daytime.

Natural melatonin release in response to the absence of light. Light signals from the eye cause the release of glutamate in the pineal gland that decreases melatonin release. Source

How does serotonin affect sleep?

Serotonin levels in the pineal gland decrease as the body prepares for sleep. The pineal gland creates the balance between melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin is made from serotonin.

When melatonin levels rise, serotonin in the pineal gland decreases. However, it doesn’t happen immediately. Serotonin begins to decline four hours before melatonin release increases.

The pineal gland begins to convert serotonin in response to darkness. When the eye is exposed to light, it triggers the release of vitamin D which helps convert tryptophan to serotonin.

Serotonin is converted to tryptamine and then to melatonin once it is dark. It is a cascade that takes time once darkness begins in the early evening. The rise of melatonin happens 4 hours after the decrease of serotonin.

Tryptophan is made into serotonin that converts to melatonin to control the sleep cycle. Source

How does melatonin work?

Melatonin is the main hormone released from the pineal gland. It acts as the master clock of the body. While regulating the circadian rhythm, it also directs growth, slows aging, and promotes mental stability.

As light stimulates the pineal gland, blood levels of melatonin fall, making the body feel awake. When darkness arises in the evening melatonin release increases. Blood levels of melatonin rise and the body prepares for sleep.

Melatonin affects sleep through levels in the blood that impact body temperature, blood pressure, and hormonal levels.

Melatonin guides the bodies diurnal rhythm by two factors.

The circadian clock: drives the rhythm of sleep – melatonin entrains the circadian clock to know when it is light and when it is dark.
The sleep process: where the body falls asleep – melatonin assists the process of falling asleep by calming, cooling, and relaxing the body.

Melatonin rises and falls alongside the rising and setting of the sun.

The pineal gland detects light through the eyes and hypothalamus. As you are exposed to more sun throughout the day, melatonin decreases.

In the evening, when it gets darker the secretion of melatonin increases again. Melatonin affects blood pressure, body temperature and hormone levels. By cooling, calming and regulating the body, it helps to begin the process of sleep. It also decreases excitatory neurotransmitters in the eyes and brain.

Outside processes can change the circadian rhythm. The sleep-wake cycle follows the 24-hour solar day. Taking oral melatonin can for example change circadian rhythm cycles.

Light medication can also change the release and melatonin levels. Taking melatonin for sleep in the evening the onset of drowsiness. However, it may reduce the release of melatonin in the long term.

PART 6: THE PINEAL GLAND AND DMT

Despite the progress of the last 20 years in understanding the function of the pineal gland, there are still big unknowns.

One remaining mysterious element is the role of DMT. Researchers are only beginning to understand the role of the neurotransmitter and its effect on the brain and body.

DMT (N, N-dimethyltryptamine) has a known psychedelic effect on people who take it. There is also increasing evidence that DMT is produced in the pineal gland.

Much research is required, however, the role of the pineal gland as the third eye seems to be linked to DMT in the brain.

What is DMT?

The chemical structure of DMT (N, N- dimethyltryptamine) and it’s known psychological effects on taking oral doses. Source

DMT was first isolated as a chemical about 100 years ago. It is found in many plants. Later, it was discovered to be naturally occurring in the human body.

It’s a tiny molecule with a weight of 188 ‘molecular units,’. The simplest sugar in our body, glucose is (180 units). DMT is barely larger.

In the brain, DMT has similar chemical properties to serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has many roles in the body. It controls mood such as anxiety and happiness, but also the digestive system including bowel movements.

Structure of DMT and serotonin

The chemical structure of DMT is similar to serotonin, a neurotransmitter found in the pineal gland.

There is a critical difference between serotonin and DMT. Serotonin is not transported across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). There are very few substances that contain this ability. It’s the most tightly regulated barrier in the human body.

However, in the 1970s, Japanese scientists discovered that DMT travels across the blood-brain barrier into the brain.

The transport doesn’t happen passively. It’s now known DMT is actively transported across the blood-brain barrier. That means there are transporter cells designed specially to let DMT into the brain.

Where is DMT found in the body?

DMT is found in large quantities in cerebral spinal fluid. It’s understood to be produced in the lungs and the eyes. It’s also known to be produced in various amounts throughout the body.

Does the pineal gland produce DMT?

While yet to be confirmed, there is evidence to suggest the pineal gland produces DMT.

In animal studies, DMT has been found to be released in the pineal gland of live, freely moving rodents.

Like other molecules produced in the pineal gland, there is a pathway of production.

Tryptophan -> Tryptomine (TA) -> Methyltrytamine (NMT) -> DMT

The last step requires a substance called indole-N-methyltransferase. (INMT)

Studies have revealed that INMT is present in high concentrations in the pineal gland. There is also a response to INMT application to the brain.

The direct evidence of DMT production in the pineal gland is yet to be confirmed. However, scientists are close to understanding its role and source in the brain.

One problem suggested, however, is whether the human pineal gland can produce enough DMT to create an effect. For example, a psychedelic experience would require 25mg of DMT. A big task for the tiny pea-sized pineal gland.

It’s unknown whether DMT experiences are the primary purpose of DMT in the body.

What does DMT do to your brain?

In the 1950s through to the ’90s, DMT in the body was thought to cause mental health disorders like Schizophrenia. Studies, however, showed little variation between DMT in normal and psychotic illnesses.

Later it was found to be far more fundamental to the brain. In animals, studies suggest DMT may even be crucial to the development of the brain.

Researcher Rick Strassman began research into the effect of DMT on the brain. His clinical trials recorded patients describing similar out of body experiences on dosages of DMT.

The exact mechanisms of these effects are unknown. As are the roles for a number of related receptors in the brain. These include the 5HT2A receptor, which DMT and related hallucinogens may influence.

There are a set of receptors called Sigma-1 that control channels in the brain. Studies show that substances that activate sigma receptors influence animal behavior. DMT has also been found to affect immune responses through Sig-1R under various conditions.

Other research suggests the role of DMT in different states of consciousness. As the pineal gland controls melatonin and sleep cycles, DMT could be related to states of consciousness during sleep and dreaming.

DMT has been tested in clinical trials as well as the psychedelic plant medicine, Ayahuasca. The Peruvian ceremonial tea delivers a digestive form of DMT. In both situations, people report a wide variety of difficult to describe experiences.

The neurobiology of psychedelic states and night dreams have overlapping features. Studies have looked at global gamma waves in the brain during peak DMT trials.

Research has also looked at the role of global gamma coherence during peak DMT experiences. A link between theta brain waves, the perception of happiness, and lucid dreaming may also reveal interesting connections.

What does DMT do to your body?

DMT is produced throughout the body, all the time. The digestive system, however, has enzymes designed to deactivate DMT.

In the human gut, DMT is broken down rapidly by metabolism by monoamine oxidase (MAO).

Ayahuasca is a combination of B. caapi and the alkaloids harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine. They all belong to the same chemical family, which implies they are MAO-inhibitors.

A variant on DMT 5-MeO-DMT is a molecule of the tryptamine class. It’s known to be isolated from at least one toad species, the Sonora Desert toad.

DMT treatment has been studied for conditions such as:

Depression
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Psychological impact of terminal illness
Drug addiction
Alcohol addiction
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)