If you wonder how the pineal gland is related to the third eye, so was I! Because I was curious about what is known about this topic, I did some research and here is what I found 👇🙂

To our modern day believes which, in the West, are mostly shaped around the findings in modern science, to this day, the pineal gland remains to have a certain degree of mystery around it.

There are many people who claim that the pineal gland is connected to the third eye, and is therefore our gateway to the spiritual realm. However, to this day, modern science has not reached a consensus on this (yet).

That means, for now, let’s have a look at:

• the (limited) scientific knowledge that is available about the pineal gland related to psychoactive effects and the third eye
• the believes from ancient civilizations and religions
• people’s experiences

So let’s see where this takes us.. 🤓

What Is The Pineal Gland?

The pineal gland is a tiny gland in the middle of our brain that is responsible for our body’s melatonin production. Our body produces melatonin when it gets dark in order for the body to go into rest mode.

This means that the pineal gland regulates the melatonin levels that are responsible for our sleeping patterns, and keep us in check with our circadian rhythm, which is our sleep-wake cycle that we repeat every day.

Because the regulation of our sleep cycles determines in large part how we feel, and how healthy we are, the pineal gland is a very (tiny but) important part of our body.

Our sleep cycles and circadian rhythms are driven by light, so for the pineal gland to know when to produce melatonin, it needs to be connected to the eyes and the thalamus (the hub that controls our senses).

Because of this receptivity to light, it does not seem far-fetched to assume that the working of the third eye and the (colored) lights that people can see during meditation, are somehow facilitated by the pineal gland.

The exact working of the pineal gland, in relation to the third eye, psychism and out of body experiences, is to this day, not fully being understood by mainstream science. Therefore, there is still an air of mystery around it, as the pineal gland is believed by many to be the gateway of our connection with the spiritual world.

(If you are not familiar with the third eye, you can check out this post)

Interesting fact: the pineal gland is the only part of the brain that has no duplicate (source: video). The two halves of the brain are symmetrical to one another, but ONLY the pineal gland stands alone.

How Is The Pineal Gland Related To The Third Eye?

The Pineal Gland Throughout History

Today, if you would ask people if they have heard of the pineal gland, in large parts of the world, many are probably not too familiar with it. But that was different in the past..

All throughout history, the pineal gland has been depicted and honored in many works of art. You can find some examples of the pine cone symbol, the pineal gland, in ancient artworks here. Also, places such as the Vatican are full of art and ornaments depicting a little pine cone..

–> What was so enigmatic about the pineal gland, and why have many of us not heard about this? 🤔

The Pineal Gland: The Center Of Human Consciousness?

Traditionally, the pineal gland has been regarded as the human center of consciousness in the body. This seems to have been quite a mainstream perspective in many cultures, and goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt (as far as we can tell at this point in time).

The question is, how would people back than know to link the pineal gland to this function, without the access to modern day technology?

Of course, they could find the pineal gland during an autopsy, but that would not say much about its relation to psychoactive experiences.

The Pineal Gland In Ancient Civilizations, Recent History And Religions

All the while, throughout history there seems to consistently have been an assumption that the pineal gland had a relation to the allseeing eye (or eye of the body) and the connection to spiritual realm:

Ancient Egypt – In ancient Egypt the pineal gland was widely believed to be connected to the third eye and higher realms. It is depicted in many ancient art works: many figures are holding a small pine cone looking item in their hand. Also, the ancient Egyptian symbol for good luck; the eye of Horus, is a depiction of the third eye (the pupil), and is shaped like the human brain (see a comparison image here).

Ancient Greece – Also in Ancient Greece, the pineal gland has been a topic of discussion, and it has been linked to the connection to realms of thought and the soul (source). They even came up with the name (source).

Buddhism – In Buddhism the pineal gland is seen as a symbol of spiritual awakening. More recently, there has also been scientific research done that measured the link between meditation and pineal gland activation (source).

Hinduism – Also in Hinduism the pineal gland has been seen in relation to the third eye. In recent times, scientists have discovered a substance coming from the pineal gland that has induced parapsychological activities (source).

Christianism – Also in the Christian faith, there have been references that could be interpreted as a reference to the third eye, or eye of the body (of course, interpretations are debatable): “The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” Matthew 6:22″ (source)

Rennaissance – In the 17th century, also known as the Rennaissance, there was a revival in interest in ancient Greek culture. René Descartes (“I think therefore I am”), a famous philosopher from the 17th century, believed the pineal gland to be the gateway to the soul (source). Many philosophers followed this belief, but did not have any hard evidence to proof it.

Modern times – As mentioned earlier, there has been some modern scientific research done that indicates a link between parapsychological activities and the pineal gland. It is interesting to see how this will develop in the coming decades..!

The Pineal Gland And The Production Of DMT

DMT is a hallucinogenic substance, containing tryptamine, which causes psychoactive effects in the brain.

In 2001, clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Rick Strassman released the book DMT: The Spirit Molecul. In his book, he explained how the human brain creates high amounts of DMT mainly around birth and death, that make it possible for people to have near-death out of body experiences.

In other scientific studies, DMT has been found in high amounts in the pineal glands of rats, but not in the pineal glands of humans. A lot is still unknown around this topic, and yet to be researched.

Watch an interview with Dr. Rick Strassman in this video. Also interesting to look for, is his conversation with Joe Rogan.

Pineal Gland Calcification

The pineal gland, because of its position in the body, can relatively easily develop small calcium spots on it, which is called calcification.

This calcification is a problem as it stops or diminishes the gland’s ability to produce melatonin, which by itself can have all kinds of serious health benefits (source).

A calcified pineal gland can lead to sleeping problems, headaches, limited eye sight, vertigo, depression, anxiety and other kinds of neurological disorders.

Like with all chakras and parts of our body, it is important that we do regular maintenance of our system to clean up blockages and stay healthy. Read my article Chakras Explained to know exactly how you can do this.

In this article, you can find 10 signs that indicate if your pineal gland is calcified.

Fortunately, there are plenty of things we can do to prevent pineal gland calcification.. 👇

11 Ways To Improve Your Pineal Gland Function

Keeping your pineal gland in good shape is vital if you want to take care of your health, and if you want to develop yourself spiritually. These are 11 things you can do:

1. Have a healthy lifestyle and a healthy food intake
2. Meditate and focus on third eye – try one of these meditations
3. Live with your natural circadian rhythm – use less artificial light
4. Spend time in nature
5. Give your eyes enough rest (sit with palms over your eyes for several minutes, then hold in the sun, alternate this)
6. Eye exercises (alternate looking close vs far, roll your eyes in every direction, follow movements while holding your head still)
7. Get enough sunlight
8. Drink non-fluorated water (source)
9. Do yoga
10. Work with crystals
11. Practice balancing your third eye – Read more here

This post was all about how the pineal gland is related to the third eye and what you can do to improve its function.