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The Three Brains

Introduction

The topic of the three brains is one, that often due to a lack of information, leaves us with mixed feelings. On the one hand the topic is clear to us because we can directly observe the functioning of our three brains in ourselves and in others, yet on the other hand an air of ambiguity hangs over the subject especially when we ask ourselves the questions: “why do we have three brains and not four, five, six or even seven?”, “where do they come from, what is their origin?” and “what really is a brain?”.

It seems the most common question asked in relation to this topic is: “I thought I have only one brain, but you’re telling me I have three, so then what really do you mean by a brain and why do I have three?”.

This article aims at providing an answer to these questions, that is to explain: what a brain is, why there are three and where do they come from.

What is Commonly Thought

Upon receiving a lecture about the three brains we usually come to understand that the three brains are the following organization of the centres of the human machine.

1st brain: intellectual centre
2nd brain: emotional centre
3rd brain: instinctive, motor and sexual centres.

As it is easy to verify that we have the five centres we tend to think that a brain is just another word that refers to a centre or a group of centres in the human machine. We may accept this and leave the topic there or the thought “there has to be more to it than that“ may arise and propel us to investigate the topic further.

Only Human Beings have Three Brains

Upon reading more into the topic of the three brains we learn that the human being is the only one that has three brains and the other creatures of nature either have two brains or one. For example a lion, a tiger, a horse, even our pet cat or dog have only two brains (bi-brained). In order to understand this we think that the reason why our dog has two brains and we have three, is because we have an intellectual centre and they don’t. Following this line of thought we naturally say to ourselves that if my dog only has two brains, it must have a motor, instinctive and sexual centre (3rd brain) and an emotional centre (2nd brain). Of course, we know that our dog has a motor, instinctive and sexual centre because it runs, jumps, eats, sleeps, breathes and functions sexually. We also strongly suspect that our dog has an emotional centre because we see it frequently expressing what we would in human terms call emotions of excitement, irritation, fear, shame, jealousy, sadness etc. It is though a little difficult to be really 100% sure that our dog has an emotional centre because we can’t go inside the dog and know directly what the dog is feeling. Confirmation of this suspicion would make the topic clearer.

Searching some more we find a very clear lecture by Master Samael on the three brains, which confirms what we were thinking in the previous paragraph, and introduces us to the idea that a brain is something more profound than just a centre or group of centres in the human machine.

The Three Brains as Receivers of Cosmic Forces – V.M Samael

Here is an excerpt from a lecture Master Samael gave related to the balancing of the three brains. It has been translated from the Spanish publication “El Qunito Evangelio”, and can be found on pages 81 and 82 in the chapter titled “El Equilibrio De Los Centros Energeticos”.

“But there are various classes of creatures in the Universe. There exists uni-dimensional creatures of only one dimension. For example, an insect that only lives a few hours in summer, and has one brain the instinct. There exist bi-dimensional creatures, that is to say those that possess two brains: instinct and emotion. These creatures are the superior animals: horses, elephants, dogs, cats etc. And there also exist creatures that have three brains: instinct, emotion and intellect. Obviously, these species acquire superior formations. Unquestionably, I’m referring to the intellectual animal wrongly called ‘man’.
There is a difference or a very big space between the “intellectual animal” (that can correct its sensations and perceptions) and the bi-dimensional creature. A horse, for example, or a donkey or a lion, can not correct their sensations and perceptions; that is obvious.
Now well, each creature that exists in this delicate film of organic life, plays a great role in the economy of the Universe. Unquestionably, each creature captures determinate types of universal energy. For example, the creatures of only one dimension, the uni-dimensional ones can perfectly capture determinate types of energy from the planet Earth, and they can transform them and retransmit them anew to the interior of the Earth for its economy.
The bi-dimensional creatures capture other types of energy and can perfectly transform it and later retransmit it to the outer layers of the planetary organism. The tri-dimensional creatures capture another type of energy that comes from the cosmos, and they can later transform and retransmit it to the outer layers of the planetary organism.
Obviously, the Earth lives off all these types and sub-types of energy that the distinct animal organisms transform. Also it is very certain that the plants fulfil a great function, even when some of them only transform the energy from the Earth, to later retransmit it to the interior of the planetary organism. There are plants that capture energies of nature and the cosmos and retransmit them to the interior of the world; and at last there are plants that capture energies of the infinite, coming from the Megalocosmos, and later transform and retransmit them to the interior of the world. With all these types and subtypes of energy, I repeat, the vital energies of the Earth are sustained.
Of all the animals (uni-dimensional, bi-dimensional, tri-dimensional), the “intellectual animal” is the most important. The uni-dimensional animals, for example could never transform the energies coming from the cosmos. Don’t forget that the three primary forces of nature and the cosmos are fundamental for the distinct maintenance of life. These three forces are the positive, the negative and the neutral. A uni-dimensional animal only captures one type of force, no more. A bi-dimensional creature captures two types of forces, but the three types of forces can only be captured by the “intellectual animals”, for which reason they are the superior animal of nature.”

Definition of a Brain – G.I Gurdjief

After reading the lecture from Master Samael, it turns out that the above way of thinking, that is, thinking that a brain is a centre or a grouping of centres, is completely off track and a brain is something else altogether. Here is a quote from “Beelzebub’s Tales to his Grandson” by G.I.Gurdjieff explaining quite clearly what a brain is.

“Three-brained beings have the possibility of personal self-perfecting because of the localization in their common presence of three centers, or three brains, upon which, when the Omnipresent Okidanokh undergoes the process of 'djartklom,' the three holy forces of the sacred Triamazikamno are deposited and acquire the possibility of further, this time independent, actualizations.
The point is that beings having this three-brained system can, by the conscious and intentional fulfilling of being-partkdolg duty, utilize for their own presence the three holy forces liberated from the Omnipresent Okidanokh by the process of 'djartklom,' and so bring their presence to what is called the 'sakronoolantsaknian' state, that is to say, they can become Individuals who have their own sacred law of Triamazikamno, and thereby the possibility of consciously taking in and coating in their common presence that 'All-Holy' which, among other things, helps to actualize the functioning in cosmic units of objective or divine Reason.
Nevertheless, my boy, Just here lies the great terror The three-brained beings of the planet Earth also have, up to the time of their complete destruction, these three independent localizations, or being-brains, through which the three holy forces of the sacred Triamazikamno, which they might use for their own self-perfecting, are transformed for further actualizations, yet, because of the abnormal conditions of ordinary being-existence established by them themselves, these possibilities beat their wings in vain.
It is interesting to note that in the three-brained beings of the planet Earth these being-brains are found in the same parts of the planetary body as in us. That is: "The brain predetermined by Great Nature for the concentration and further actualizing of the first holy force of the sacred Triamazikamno, called the 'Holy Affirming,' is localized in the head.
The second brain, which transforms and crystallizes the second holy force of the sacred Triamazikamno, the 'Holy Denying,' is placed in them, as in us, along the whole length of the back, in what is called the 'spinal column.'
But as for the place of concentration and source for further manifestation of the third holy force of the sacred Triamazikamno, namely, the 'Holy Reconciling,' the exterior form of this being-brain in them bears no resemblance whatever to ours.
You must know that in the earliest three-brained beings there, this being-brain was localized in the same part of the planetary body as in us, and had exactly the same exterior form, but for many reasons you yourself will come to understand in the course of my talks, Great Nature was constrained to alter this brain little by little and to give it the form it has in contemporary beings.
In your favourites of the present day this being-brain is not localized in one whole mass, as is proper to the presence of all other three-brained beings of our Great Universe, but is split up into parts and each of these parts, according to its 'specific functioning,' is localized in a different place in their planetary body.
Although, in its exterior form, this being-centre of theirs now has different places of concentration, nevertheless all its separate functionings have corresponding connections with one another, so that the sum total of these scattered parts can function exactly as is proper for it to function.
They call these separate localizations in their common presence 'nerve nodes'.
It is interesting to note that most of these places of concentration are located in the very region of the planetary body where this being-brain would normally be, that is, in the region of the chest, and the totality of these nerve nodes they call the 'solar plexus.'
And so, my boy, in the presence of each one of your favourites, the Omnipresent Okidanokh undergoes the process of 'djartklom,' and in them also, each of its three holy forces blends independently with other cosmic crystallizations for a corresponding actualization. But since they have entirely ceased to fulfil being-partkdolg duty, chiefly because of the abnormal conditions of being-existence gradually established by them themselves, none of these holy sources of everything existing is transubstantiated for their own presences, except the denying source alone.
The crystallizations that arise in their presence from the first and third holy forces are utilized almost entirely by the common-cosmic trogoautoegocratic process, and only the crystallizations of the second part of the Omnipresent Okidanokh, the Holy Denying, serve for the coating of their own presence. Hence most of them remain with a presence consisting of the planetary body alone, and are thus, for themselves, destroyed forever.
As regards the particularities proper only to the omnipresent, everywhere penetrating, active element Okidanokh, and the further results produced by them, you will have a clear picture of all this when I have explained to you in more or less detail, as I have already promised, the fundamental laws of world-creation and world-maintenance.”

A Brain Redefined

After reading the quote from “Beelzebub’s Tales to his Grandson” we understand that a brain is not the convoluted grey mass resting inside our head or a centre of the human machine, or a group of centres of the human machine but rather a receptacle for a specific cosmic force.

In summary we have the following table:

Brain	Location	Cosmic Force
First	Head	Receives the Holy Affirming force
Second	Solar Plexus	Receives the Holy Negating force
Third	Spinal Column	Receives the Holy Concilliating force

The Three Brains and the Law of Three

The reason why the self-realisation or the realisation of the Being inside of us is possible, is because we have three brains and these three brains can combine together by the law of three to create within us, therefore allowing us, to give rise to our own particular inner creation. In short having three brains allows us to establish within ourselves our own law of three or triamazikamno which we can use to create and without the ability to create the self-realisation would not be possible.

We know in Gnosis that a major part of the self-realisation of the Being is the completion of one’s own Genesis or universe, which is to really to do on a miniature individual scale, what the absolute or the creator has done on a grand scale, that is by having created the universe with its seven cosmoses or systems of worlds.

The core part of our inner Genesis is the creation of the superior existential bodies of the Being, which being specific, are the astral, mental, causal, Buddhic and Atmic bodies. The creation of each body corresponds to a day in our Genesis. We know that the Genesis as mentioned in the bible took seven days to complete and these seven days or stages represent the 7 bodies (physical, vital, astral, mental, causal, Buddhic and Atmic) in a fully developed human being and the seven cosmoses or order of worlds.

Note, for more information about the Law of Seven, the seven cosmoses please refer to a lecture by Master Samael titled the “Seven Types of Man” and the “The Seven Cosmoses”.

So it seems then, that the other creatures of nature because they do not have three brains can not establish within them the law of three and so they carry out an inner creation, that is their own particular Genesis. However, we also understand that having the three brains does not make the inner Genesis to happen, we have to consciously work at it. This is where as Gurdjieff put it, the fulfilment of the partkdolg or parlok duty of the Being is needed.

The partkdolg or parlok duty of the Being Master Samael explains is the carrying out of the three factors for the revolution of consciousness, which is death (mystical), birth (spiritual) and sacrifice for humanity. The birth factor is essentially the work of the inner Genesis, it is the work of creating the superior existential bodies of the Being.

Just before finishing we have included for more clarification an excerpt from the same lecture by V.M Samael Aun Weor previously quoted in this article. However, this time the excerpt comes from pages 82 and 83.

Three Brains and Self-Realisation

“Unquestionably, the great breath, that is to say, the active Okidanock (omnipresent, omni-penetrating, omniscience) emanated (in the dawn of this creation) from the Sacred Absolute Sun and had to unfold itself into three fundamental ingredients to be able to create: the first, the positive force, the second, the negative force and the third the neutral force. If these three cosmic forces (positive, negative and neutral) do not intersect in a given point in the Universe, any type of creation is impossible. It is because these three forces (positive, negative and neutral) coincide in a given point and there where they meet surges creation.
If we take for example a man, this man alone, can not create a child and a woman alone also can’t conceive. It is necessary for this man to unite sexually with his wife to be able to create. The positive pole (man) unites with the negative pole (woman) and the neutral force conciliates both, then the creation of a child is realised.
As it happens here below it happens in the infinite cosmos: the positive force unites with the negative fore and the neutral force conciliates the two opposite forces to realise a creation.
This is how, beloved friends, thanks to the positive, negative and neutral forces, we all exist in this world. It would be interesting to be able to crystallise within ourselves the three superior forces of nature and the cosmos.
In very ancient psychology, the first force was denominated “Holy Affirming”, the negative force was qualified as “Holy Negating” and the neutral force as “Holy Conciliating”. These three forces are the causa-causorum of all creation.
We have to learn to manage these three forces, for them to be crystallised in our organism; we need to know how they process themselves in a determinate instant (the three primary forces) in the three brains: intellect, emotion and motor-instinct-sex.
If we for example, learn how to manage the third force, unquestionably we would achieve the crystallisation of it in ourselves, but we have to study the doctrine of: Quetzalcoatl, Hermes, Jesus or some other gnostic type of teaching. Also we have to study Dr. Krumm Heller, the Colonel Medic of the Mexican army and professor of the University of Berlin, who wrote very interesting facts about the transmutation and sublimation of the creative energy.
If we have enough will to be able to transmute the sexual libido, unquestionably we would incarnate in ourselves the third force and obtain extra-ordinary faculties that would manifest in our human organism. These sublimated forces, this transmuted creative energy, already implies the management of the three forces, but in any case, the sublimation of the libido develops in ourselves extraordinary faculties and takes us to the crystallization of the third force within us.
It is necessary also to create within us the second force, that is to say, the “Holy Negating”. This is possible if we learn to receive with joy the disagreeable manifestations of our fellow man; this is obvious. A short time ago in another lecture, we spoke about the “Principal Psychological Profile” that each one of us has. There is no doubt that if we work on this “Principal Psychological Profile”, on this basic or fundamental element that characterises us, we would achieve the elimination of the ‘I’ of experimental psychology. Then it would be easier to annihilate the other psychological defects. So, he/she who is interested in annihilating their psychological defects, will eliminate them, having to have learnt to receive with joy the disagreeable manifestations of their fellow man. We can not crystallise the second force, that is the “Holy Negating” taking a different path.
And at last, who wants to crystallise the first force, that is the “Holy Affirming”, will have to learn to tell the truth, and learn to obey the most elevated parts of their own Being. It is not enough to make clear to you that in the profound depths of ourselves live the most elevated parts of the Being, that are completely divine. Who learns to obey the most elevated parts of the Being, undoubtedly achieves, sooner or later, the crystallisation of, in oneself the first force: the “Holy Affirming”. If someone does crystallise in oneself (thanks to the three brains) the three principal forces of nature and the cosmos, unquestionably they will be converted (in truth) into a superman, in the most complete sense of the word.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, the three brains have a very profound and esoteric origin, in which this article is an attempt to bring to light. The presence of the three brains combined with the voluntary work in the three factors affords us the opportunity for the self-realisation of the Being and the crystallisation of the three forces within us.

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