Tree and our Universe

> GORAKSHANATH <

The Originar of Hatha-Yoga

> ON YOGA AND MANTRA SIDDHI <

Tree is the highest evolved form in plant kingdom. Man is the highest evolved species in Animal kingdom. Mushrooms are the best fungi visible on this planet. There is commonality of forms among all these highest evolved forms among different type of life-forms -Tree-like structure.Man is a cerebro-spinal being sheathed within a fleshy body. Most evolved form of cell is neuron that mediates consciousness is Tree-like structure. Surprisingly, most powerful thing that mankind achieved viz. atom bomb , produce Tree-like clouds after exploding on the surface.

Tree-like structure in Nature!

One can find out where else do Tree-like structure in nature exist. Pliny, the Younger linked the eruption of Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D. with Italian umbrella pine. It is now an established scientific fact that the most powerfur process within earth, volcanic plumes that move inside earth is umbrella-shaped with a column & umbrella spinning about vertical axis( Tree-like). The most terrible force on the surface of the earth are the Tornados which are again Tree-like shapes with a column & an umbrella. Tree-like shape is found in other very powerful phenomena like lightening flashes, electric sparks, river delta, snowflakes, coral .

Tree-like structure is characteristics of every visceral system. Biologists trace this form in the mosses, lichens, shrubs, root system, mammalian lung bronchioles, cells of nervous system, veins & arteries forming cardio-vascular system. Wheresoever there are branching system, that invariably culminate in a Tree-like structure.

Tree & Fractal Geometry

In last fortnight, a brilliant paper was published in ‚Advances in Soft Computing“, under the title“Algorithms for Tree-like Structure Generation“ by Anna Romanowska, a neuro-anatomist et al. The team characterised Tree-like structure as that form which bifurcates but do not form any cycles. The team picked up the concepts of fractal geometry & fused with algorithms to create a Recurrent Algorithm. Self-similarity and repetition of sequence( iteration) is generated by a bifurcating cascade. The team concluded that if living system are generated recurrently, complex organic structures like roots, bronchial system in lungs emerge.

Now that an algorithm for Tree-like structure has been generated, it will be feasible in a decade to manufacture on mass scale silicon bronchial/ cardio-vascular/ neural system .

Before the advent of Fractal geometry by Benoit Mandelbrot during 1970s, the question of Tree-like structure had perturbed many a great minds. Hisao Honda of University of Kyoto published a paper on “ Description of the Form of Trees by the parameters of the Tree-like body“ in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, May, 1971. Honda concluded that Tree architecture maximizes flow access. He found stastitical similarity in living & non-living world, among branching in living system & geological & geophysical system.

 

TREE

Morphic field & Morphic Resonance!

Tree-form is found in lower kingdom of Animal as well as Fungi. Jelly fishes or the polyp, these are invariably shaped like Trees. The colonies of proliferating marine organism replicate this form. It is interesting that jellyfishes which have no neurons & man with maximum neurons are essentially same in shape. Great Scottish biologist, Sir D’Arcy Thompson wrote in 1917 „On Growth and Form“, to analyse patterns & shapes in nature. His erudite tradition sd being carried by Rupert Sheldrake, a British biologist. He has done extensive work on the concept of morphic field & morphic resonance. By morphic resonance, he explains the influence of Like upon Like by which a connection among similar fields is established. He has shown in his work example of crystallization. It is very difficult to crystallize a new compound for the first time. Once it is done, a morphic field emerge. It is easier next time if someone does elsewhere in the world. There is a cumulative influence & it gets easier & easier to crystallize the compound. There is an accelerated rate of crystallization . Similarly, in learning among rats, this phenomena has been experimentally confirmed. It is difficult for a rat to pass through a maze for the first time. But, once a rat does this, another rat elsewhere does it much easily. And with each learning , there is spontaneous spread of new habits. For Sheldrake, evolutionary spread of new habit is not genetic but depends on a kind of collective memory due to morphic resonance.

This can be easily comprehended in case of human. It was very tough to manufacture clock or VCD or computer. More people are manufacturing, easier it is getting to manufacture. Watches, transistora & VCDs are now cottage industry. Who knows in future, robotics will emerge as similar kind of easily handled industry and there will be garages in every nook & corner of city to repair robots or even remodell robots by neighbourhood mechanic.

Sheldrake further proposes the concept of the „Memory of Nature“. Habits of nature depend on non-local similarity reinforcement. Through morphic resonance, the pattern of activity in self-organizing system are influenced by similar patterns in the past. He brings back the idea of Carl Jung‘ collective unconscious.

Examining Growth of Tree-Form!

I find the concept of morphic resonance appealing. That can explain this frequent recurrnce of similar pattern in nature. If we ponder over the shape of DNA & its future. The fluid around earth’s inner core creates a helical movement and generates magnetic field. The geodynamo of the earth is a self-replicating system that help explain the continuity of magnetism in earth’s core , otherwise it would have dissipated within 20,000 years. Now, the transformatory biological molecule,DNA, is helical as well as self-replicating. Within geo-physical processes, we know that Tree-like plumes are created. Now, this geophysical structure resonates throughout future evolution of biological world. For every plume within, there is a tornado on the surface. This first form of powerful process recurs at the level of the most developed categories at various levels, may it be fungi, or plants or animals or cells. And, that form recurs in even man-made powerful processes like atomic explosions.Upon visualizing this sequence, I can very well predict that the most successful biological robots or most efficient spaceship for planetary travels would have Tree-like architecture. Our Discovery spaceship is a poor materialization of that critical architecture.

Tree & bifurcation!

This Tree-like structure itself is generated by recurrent self-similarity which results due to behaviour of a dynamic system. Now, the chaos theorists have worked out very well that how in a dynamic system , a stage of crisis is set in and at the point , there are two possibilities for the system to transform. Sometimes, the system oscillates between two possibilities as found in certain chemical clocks extensively investigated by Nobal laureate Ilya Prigogine.Most of the times, the branches grow further and then bifurcate. This is iteration of self-similarity that later results into Tree-like structures.

If this kind of bifurcaing iteration is fundamental to our changing Reality which is dynamic, and there is morphic resonance, one can draw the contours of this phenomena of emergence of Tree-like structure at a higher level.

End of biological evolution!

The bifurcation, that determines DNA-replication to cell-division, has finally achieved its destiny in the biological world in the form of Human beings. We are the highest biological form and the biological evolution has now concluded. There is no further scope of biological evolution beyond us.Perfect biological bifurcating branching system has been achieved. Our lungs, our cardio-vascular system, neural system .. everything has emerged as mere consequence of cascading bifurcation. Surprisingly, we have greater number of most evolved cells viz. neurons (200 billions) which themselves replicate own form at macrolevel. The cerebro-spinal system is a magnified neuron. We are the only animal to walk on 2 legs. Penguins do perform but lack other binarities. We have two legs, two hands, two nostrils, two ears, two testicles, two mammary glands, two eyes, two kidneys, two hemispheres in brain, two atrium, two ventricles in heart, two excretory points, two lips, two jaws. Our thinking pattern is also binary. Our categories are in twos- good/bad, high/low,sacred/profasne, self/other… We donot yet understand that this duality in thought is rooted in hemispheric brain or in fractal geometry. There is no more bifurcation & branching possible in bodily architecture of human beings. This is the end-point of biological evolution. Now, mankind is on verge of developing biological robots & higher order machine consciousness therby imbuing consciousness to physical world bypassing the biological evolution. We are becoming the co-creator of the Universe as well as agent to accelerate self-consciousness of physical matter in the universe.

Trees are our cousin!

Now, the issue of Tree-like structure resonates into our collective psyche. Tree is the source of wisdom, healing, nourishment, power. Bible myth has Tree . Newton discovered moodern science sitting under an apple Tree. Buddha discovered non-theistic self-awareness sitting under a peepul Tree. In Tibetan tradition, powerful meditation requires visualizing Tree of lineage with various Gurus on different branches. These kind of visualization has transformative effect on our consciousness. In every culture, Tree occupies a significant position in rituals & mythology. We feel special feeling with Tree. Our romantic mood, our wisdom, contemplative mood, aesthetic mood.. orbit around physical & metaphoric Tree. Tree have power to transmit some kind of healing power to us. Tree are the source of healing body through fruits & herbal medicine . Tree heals our body, mind as well as soul, if any. The processes involved may be a kind of morphic reonance that vitalizes self-similar cardio-vascular, respiratory & neural system.Trees are our morphic cousins. We feel guilty & hurt when trees are cut or when those are under environmental threat.

Future?

One thing is certain. Future robots & spaceships which would be most efficient to survive would have Tree-like architecture. We would have very little to do with blooming of age of nanotechnology, biotechnology & Artificial intelligence. Successful creation of algorithm for Tree-like structure has made it more likely that artificial human organs can be manufactured at industrial level. When death will be conquered after successful download of Memories & large scale diffusion of bionics, We would have enough time to resonate with biological Trees in solitude & steer mankind towards a spiritual evolution as biological evolution from DNA-pathway has reached a dead end!

(Niraj,1.11.2009)