PROCEEDINGS OF 17th SIR CONFERENCE<br/>15th Sept. <br/><br/>The Reception & Inaugural session kick-started with a self-talk and dance by Kum Jaya and Palak.<br/><br/>Rajyogini Saroj Zonal Coordinator of SpARC wing heartily & spiritually welcomed the esteemed delegates, on the stage and off the stage. She laid emphasis on the fact that knowing the self helps in understanding others.<br/><br/>The event provided me with an opportunity to brief the learned delegates about the SpARC wing’s research activities, its progress and collaboration with other research institutes globally like DRDO, DIPR, NIMHANS, ISIC, INMAS, Zurich, etc.<br/><br/>Being the Chairperson of SpARC Wing, Rajyogini Ambika stated via the aim and objective of the conference, clarified that science has reached its peak to contain the world into a global village. However due to exploitation, ego issues the synergy is not being established. Spirituality is the solution to put an end to all problems to re-establish harmony in the society.<br/><br/>A clip conveying blessings by the Chief of BKs, Rajyogini Dadi Ratan Mohini. She also showered her sweet, spiritual and kind blessings for the success of the conference and also to all the participants.<br/><br/>Rajyogini Dr Nirmala who is Jt. Chief of the BKs, with her lucid talk, inspired the august gathering and requested the delegates to establish a connection with spirituality so as to enhance quality of their life.<br/><br/>Good wishes was delivered by Rajyogi Mruthyunjaya who happens to be the Executive Secy of BKs, and through his lively note, filled the audience with zeal & enthusiasm, where he subtly touched to have true earning through right purpose of living.<br/><br/>In the Inaugural Address Dr Ramchandra Purve Hon’ble MLC, Bihar expressed his delight to be associated with different Wings of BKs like Education, Political, SpARC and present BKs simple knowledge and benefits derived out of meditation at its different forums and levels.<br/><br/>Special Guest Padma Vibushan Awardee Dr Raghunath R Mashelkar, former DG/CSIR, President GRA and Chairman INIF, Pune said integration, inclusion and innovation is important for Bharat. He said other than Mashelkar he is also called as ‘Patentkar’ for his contributions and initiatives. He emphasized the need to explore the inner space while performing endeavours in pursuit of external comforts.<br/><br/>Prof Avinash Chandra Pandey, Director IUAC & IUC-YS, Delhi via his greetings asked the audience to consider the human-body as a laboratory to perform experiment, experience the truth, the life energy and blissful state.<br/><br/>Vote of thanks was proposed by Prof Dr Kantilal Nagre, Core Group Member of SpARC, Maharashtra.<br/>--------------------------------------------------------------- <br/><br/>16th Sept - PS-1 – Spiritual Reality – Missing Dimension in Res & Dev<br/><br/>Chief Guest, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath A Mashelkar, Former DG, CSIR, President GRA and Chairman INIF, said that being at this spiritually enlightened place would add years to life. Through his personal experiences he beautifully opined that with power of concentration anything can be achieved. He coined the term convex lens leadership to integrate different laboratories working in silos. The healing property of turmeric, tradition of Bharat inspired him to stand against USA who were trying to keep the authority of its patent. He was privileged to put his signature in the same book as Newton which indeed was a spiritual experience. <br/>Guest of Honour, Dr. Avinash Chandra Pandey, Director, IUAC and IUC-YS, New Delhi, stated that Bharat is the foundation of yog, meditation and spirituality. Mentioning about the impact of experiments at the 3 layers of mind – gross, thought level (subtle), feelings and emotions, and 4th is the life operating system – the very core of the body. <br/>Mr. Parthosarothy K Mukherji, Chief Technology Officer, Sidel Systems India & USA, said that by going within, we get answers to everything. He said, Ramanujam, one of the greatest mathematicians used to get the insights from his family deity. The greatest scientist, Einstein too always did thoughtful experiments and never the practical experiments.<br/>Keynote speaker, Dr. Ramajayam G, Sc ‘C’, Center for consciousness studies, Dept. of Neurophysiology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, establishing a beautiful link between science & spirituality. Newton was not only scientific but also equally spiritual. Spiritual reality is a missing dimension in Res & Dev. To incorporate it into R&D, firstly the change in perspective is required. Secondly practice, as non-physical things can only be experienced through practice. <br/>PS - 2 - Spiritual & Emotional Well-being for Excellence<br/><br/>Chief Guest, Dr Ashok Mehta, Chairperson of BKs Medical Wing, stated, that bio-medical equipment can access & observe any part of the human body. He gave insight on the effect of Stress called Fight & Flight Response/Syndrome. He stated that when in Fight & Flight response the bodily changes like BP, Pulse rate goes up and when a person meditates the effect is completely reverse – the BP and Pulse Rate comes down, which is called The Relaxation Response.<br/>Keynote Speaker and Guest of Honour, Rajyogi Surya, Sr. Rajyoga Teacher BK Surya posed a rhetorical question as to why humans have become emotional & sensitive? He revealed insights and importance of the Power of Subconscious Mind which has immense power, which need to be channelised. He explained the direct correlation of an emotional person and anger, which in turn weakens the inner power. He shared a doctor’s information that when one is happy, the brain neurons start dancing. Similarly, when energy is passed to the brain of a dead one the dull neurons get activated.<br/><br/>Guest of Honour Dr Bhawna Sharma of AIIMS, works for New Drug Development and stated that it takes at least after a decade of res and tests, is a drug released in to the market. She mentioned how spirituality & science can converge and work on the perception of patients enroute treatment. She mentioned about Adjustment Therapy which integrates spirituality in the regular treatment process so as to achieve desired results. Lastly, she mentioned, how mind plays an important role in the efficacy of the medications.<br/> <br/>Panel Discussion 1 – Nature – Is it Ferocious or Futuristic ?<br/><br/>The panel constituted of four expert panelists viz., Dr Ravi K Dhar, Dr. Sunita Choudhary, Rajyogini Saroj and Dr. V.N.N Satya Suresh.<br/><br/>Dr. Ravi K. Dhar, Prof & Dir, Jagannath International Management School, stated that we have created the binary between nature and man. Man’s exploitative acts are a trigger for nature to seek vengeance via ferociousness which is not part of nature. The paradox is despite this, man expects nature to be docile and cooperative. <br/><br/>Rajyogini BK Saroj Didi, Zonal Coordinator, SpARC, Delhi & Delhi NCR, in her simple way explained that human nature is what we desire - love, happiness, bliss etc. , which is original nature of soul. Sadly, we try to achieve it from outside via gadgets, etc. The solution is to discard body consciousness by lesser dependence on gadgets and practice soul consciousness.<br/>Dr. V.N.N Satya Suresh, Prof, Mech Engg & Dir, Career Development Cell, MGITM, Hyderabad, stated that no purpose is served by blaming nature, as it is moving from a state of orderliness to disorderliness, which is in tune with law of thermodynamics. It is for us to realise that in orderliness lies unordered situations. It is for us to identify the good which is hidden even in adverse situations. <br/><br/>Dr. Sunita Choudhary, Scientist –Crop Physiology Laboratory, SACSA, RP-ISD, stated that couple of reasons for nature being ferocious is population explosion, indiscreet human intervention, etc., which results in uneven, unseasonal and heavy rainfall, calamities like floods, earthquakes, etc. She also shared the fact that plants respond to our vibrations which underlies the need to spend time to understand them. She concluded by stating that Bharat has the potential resources to carry out an integrated approach based research where spirituality, agriculture, nature, science etc can be integrated to get the best results to help the mankind.<br/><br/>Technical Session – Paper Presentation<br/><br/>Dr. Kanishka Sharma, Asst. Prof. and Founding Faculty, Human Augmentation Lab, Rishihood University, Sonepat - " High theta-low alpha modulation of brain-electric activity during eyes-open Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga meditation".<br/><br/>BK Ekta, Core Group Member, SpARC, Delhi - “Rajyoga Spiritual Healing Practice - Impact of Circadian Rhythms on Rajyoga Meditators”.<br/><br/>Dr. M. G. Ramesh Babu, PhD, Asst Prof, Dept of Physiology, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal - “Rajyoga Meditation Practice Enhances Positive Thoughts, Happiness, and Alters Gray Matter Volume of Brain Regions”.<br/><br/>Prof. (Dr) Brijesh Chandra, Former Director, Institute of Social Sciences, Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra - “Science & Spirituality in a new Hybrid Social Order”. <br/><br/>Dr. Dipti Joshi, Founder President - Institute of Educational Leadership - “Education and Social Justice: Possibilities within education policies in context of contemporary India Through Case Studies”.<br/><br/>Dr. Shikha Vishwakarma, Computer Scientist, Dir, Principal, Prof - “Exploring the spiritual evolution of computer science learning and resolutions”.<br/><br/>Manisha Badetia, Res Scholar, Hyderabad - “Impact of Successful Collective Sense-making Through Subtle, Capabilities (Spiritual) and Organization Behavior (Physical) Integration”.<br/><br/>Mrs. Renuka Jhakar, Research Scholar, Gurugram “Impact of exercises, diet counselling and Rajyoga meditation in management of binge eating disorder coexisting with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A randomized controlled trial”.<br/><br/>Dr. Kavita Sharma, Professor of Chemistry Head, Centre for Women’s Studies Svvv, Indore <br/>“A brief review on the importance of breathing techniques with a focus on joyful living”.<br/><br/>Dr. Rinkesh Vishnu Kurkure, CTO and Co-founder, Astroborne Aerospace, Psaximo Aerospace Pvt Ltd. “Study effect of Sakash Meditation on Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae”.<br/>Dr. Sarvesh Kumar, Scientist, Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi “Universal form of spirituality in India”.<br/><br/>Dr Peeyush Ranjan (Physiologist), MGM Medical College & Hospital, Jamshedpur,<br/>“Effect of Rajyoga on Thyroid Function”.<br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>17th Sept PS - 3 - Exploring the Unexplored Dimensions of Life<br/><br/>Keynote speaker Rajyogini BK Ambika Didi, Chairperson, SpARC, Bengaluru, eloquently spoke about experiencing eternal truth through introspection and diving within. Spirituality means to be master of the self – Mind, intellect and Sanskaar. It is disciplining of one’s life, operating with the consciousness of being a power. Meditation is a time-tested method to stay connected to the self and to operate from the core. Thoughts work at 3 levels – Conscious, Sub-conscious and unconscious. The deepest level is the unconscious level. Another dimension is to connect with the supreme and then perform the respective role on this world stage. When there is alignment of the three, synergy prevails.<br/><br/>Chairperson, Dr. Amod Sachan, Life coach at Amod Foundation, Lucknow with his diversified portfolio and wide experience in medical field and spirituality beautifully explained the Soul curry where he brought forth the concept of the true identity of the soul being an energy of 7 virtues and 8 powers. While soul is the best software, sadly, it’s the least understood one. Body is the effect of the energy that gets exhibited through hormones and nerves. <br/><br/>Guest of Honour, Dr. Mahendra Pratap Singh, Ex-CEO/Member Secretary, Indian Council of Philosophical Research MHRD, Delhi, introduced himself as a lifelong humble student of Philosophy. Re-search is to search multiple times. He stressed the fact that spirituality is the greatest source of strength. <br/><br/>PS – 4 – Developing Resilience to Face Challenges<br/><br/>Keynote Speaker, BK Suraj bhai explained the effect of power of thoughts. If thoughts are powerful & positive, challenges will soon either disappear or end up teaching us something new & making us stronger. Since challenges are bound to increase, one has to make one’s nature easy-going. Problems are also due to previous birth karmic accounts. <br/><br/>Chairperson, Dr. Rajarao Pagidipalli, Chairman, Vishwa Humanity, United International Royal Council In 2016-17 they launched their World Peace Campaign which received recognition from the then President Shri Ram Nath Kovind in 2019. Their campaign won accolades from 15 countries during the Pandemic. He then spoke of the unique inner qualities that each one of us is blessed with by GOD, which must be recognized and nurtured.<br/><br/>PS – 5 – Applied Spirituality – Shift from Fixed Mindset to Growth Mindset<br/><br/>Keynote Speaker, Balakishore, Core Group Member, SpARC, Hyderabad, mentioned that in fixed mindset the belief is failure, reflects a lack of intelligence; whereas in growth mindset the belief is failure is not the end of the world. He explained through an Ice Berg model that results come from behaviour which comes from the underlying belief of Who I think I Am (awareness/smriti) which in turn determines How I look at the world( vritti/attitude) which again in turn determines what I find (drishti). The unique thing about fixed mindset is that it stems from Body Consciousness while Growth Mindset comes from Being Soul Conscious.<br/><br/>Chairperson Prof. Dr Alok Misra, President/V C, Mewar Univ, Gangrar, Chittorgarh, Rajsthan cited through examples of Mohenjadaro and Harappa Civilization that the theory States, its decline was because of their poor mindset which was fixed.<br/>Guest of Honour, Shri S B Taneja, Director, ISSA, Ministry of Defence, DRDO, Delhi shared findings of a survey done regarding fixed mindset and growth mindset, wherein, in fixed mindset the belief is intelligence is what is important and in growth mindset learning is important. He further shared how the values of the soul gets manifested via the BKs teachings and meditation techniques.<br/>Panel Discussion – 2 – Impact of Rajyoga on Mood swings and mental Health of Youth<br/><br/>Expert Panelist, Rajyogi BK Dr. Pratap Midha, Dir Global hospital and Res center, Mt Abu & Vice Chairperson, Medical Wing, attributed the cause of today’s atrocity, negativity to instability of mind. He mentioned that health in hindi is swastha - meaning self-connection. Today’s competitive lifestyle is the root cause of all problems and diseases, which start with thought. Presently, we have lost the importance of values like patience, tolerance, compassion and cooperation etc., due to which things are going haywire. Lack of nurturing and nourishment leads to unhealthiness.<br/>To a question whether lifestyle can be changed to have positive impact on youth, he said “lifestyle has changed due to the way youth is brought-up and nurtured”. The need is to strengthen the internal powers. Better awareness is important to have self-mastery. <br/>Expert Panelist Prof. Dr. Brijesh Chandra, Former Dir, Insti of social sciences, Dr. BR Ambedkar Univ Agra, mentioned that the real education is how to respond. Formal education has no correlation with the true knowledge. Knowledge means to know the right way to respond through right-thinking process and seeing the situations. <br/><br/>To a question about what efforts are being taken for the well-being of social set-up, he shared his experience with BKs who taught him the basics of maintaining the relationship through psychology.<br/><br/>Expert Panelist, Pradeep Malhotra, Core group member, SpARC, Delhi, a life-skill trainer, used science of ontology to depict the transformation from unstable to stable. He said today 40 % of 65 % of the youth in the world is suffering from mental imbalance.<br/><br/>To a question on the “over usage of modern technology and exposure to electronic gadgets with the youth”, he said, today parents are trying to fulfill their unfulfilled desires through their children. Which is putting pressure on them at the way the children are brought-up is causing and impacting the wellness of the youth in a big way. Today, with AI, Artificial Intelligence the youth has got disconnected to their authentic/original self. So, the need is to re-establish the connection with the self, with the Supreme so as to strike a perfect balance in the society.<br/><br/>While I thank the August delegates for the patient hearing, I conclude with fervent hopes that all of you, who have taken precious time to be here, would spare no efforts in taking forward the spiritual aspects that you have been exposed to. Thanks a lot once again…<br/><br/>