diff --git a/content/posts/karma-of-cells.md b/content/posts/karma-of-cells.md index a64c654..631b549 100644 --- a/content/posts/karma-of-cells.md +++ b/content/posts/karma-of-cells.md @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ draft: false date: 2024-03-07 --- -## Inheritance at the macro- and microcosm +### Inheritance at the macro- and microcosm Many non-European philosophies around the world emphasize the concept of _transgenerational interconnectedness_; the actions of one generation influence the next through the web of cause and effect. Indeed, we are born in a world shaped by our ancestors, their virtues, and their shortcomings. In turn, we hope to beget children who inherit our strengths and hopefully improve upon our failings, thus ensuring the continued progress of our species. {{< figure src="../../images/inheritance.jpeg" align="center">}} @@ -15,26 +15,26 @@ The human body itself witnesses many generations of cellular civilizations. Every single day, it replaces 330 billion cells or 1% of the entire body [_[Our Bodies Replace Billions of Cells Every Day](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/our-bodies-replace-billions-of-cells-every-day/)_]. Cells reproduce by splitting their DNA into new daughter-cells, and then die off once they reach their maximum age. -## Cells learn from their experiences +### Cells learn from their experiences Think of a cell's DNA as a vast cookbook, with each gene being a recipe for a specific protein. As the cell goes through life, it faces different situations and has to react to them. So, it figures out which genes (or recipes) to use to make the right proteins for each situation. This knowledge is stored in the cell's _epigenome_, a kind of cellular diary that remembers which recipes worked best [_[The Epigenome Learns From Its Experiences](https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/memory)_]. Unlike DNA, which changes slowly and randomly over many generations, the epigenome can change a lot in just one lifetime. {{< figure src="../../images/cell-epigenome-diary.jpeg" align="center">}} -## Cells inherit their parents' experiences +### Cells inherit their parents' experiences The cellular diary, the epigenome, is shaped by how the cell senses things, how it reacts to those things, and what it thinks will happen next. We used to think that parent cells only passed on their DNA to their offspring, leaving them to start their own diaries. But now we know that the parent's epigenome - the story of their experience - is also passed down. For example, research has shown that children of Holocaust survivors have identical markers in their epigenome as their parents, even though they didn't go through the same traumatic experience [_[Study of Holocaust survivors finds trauma passed on to children's genes](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/21/study-of-holocaust-survivors-finds-trauma-passed-on-to-childrens-genes)_]. Our cells can carry the echoes of experiences we've never personally lived. -## Our experiences shape our personalities +### Our experiences shape our personalities These echoes can be foundational to what we perceive and how we act. Consider something as simple as eating ice cream. The experience of choosing the flavour, savoring the ice cream, the subsequent delights in the tongue and the brain... all of it is saved in the epigenome. Long after the ice cream is gone, your cells remember the pleasure it brought you. And your cells will ensure this learned experience is not forgotten by passing it to its offspring, embedding your perceptions and actions in the very fabric of your being. {{< figure src="../../images/karma_nola.gif" caption="\"Karma\" (Do-Ho Suh, 2011)" align="center">}} -## The cycle of Karma +### The cycle of Karma All action originates from desire. Craving a gelato makes you want to eat some, and the ensuing dopamine rush makes you keep coming back for more. This is like a loop that keeps getting stronger, a self-perpetuating cycle. It starts with you wanting something. That want pushes you to do something about it. You act, and see what happens because of your actions. If the result makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, you'll probably end up doing it again. This cycle is a lot like the Hindu doctrine of Karma; what we want, what we do, and the results of what we end up doing are all interconnected. > Desire --> Will --> Action --> Result --> Desire ... Karma is often spoken about in terms of being rewarded or punished in the future for our current deeds. However, the true reward or punishment lies in the very act itself, not just its eventual consequences. Whatever we experience, think, and do alters us at the deepest level of our DNA. While these changes may seem small, they occur instantly and can have lasting effects, shaping our destiny [_see [samskara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samskara_(Indian_philosophy))_]. From this perspective, our actions tangibly shape not only our future but also our present reality. The fruits of our deeds may take time to manifest outwardly, but the seeds are planted within us in the moment we act. -## Science and spirtuality - two sides of the same coin +### Science and spirtuality - two sides of the same coin What the scientist cannot explain objectively, the philosopher will employ logic to debate and the theologian will interpret with myths. The 8th century theologist, philosopher and Vedic scholar Shankara emphatically declared that our future is determined solely by our actions, rejecting the notion of a divine "karma police" keeping score of our deeds. As scientific understanding is catching up, we are starting to see karma not simply as a moral or philosophical idea but a biological reality validated by empirical evidence. \ No newline at end of file