Spiritual Portal

Been drinking more of these lately to substitute my caffeine cravings; yogi teas. See ⬇️

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Persons interested in developing their memory, should avoid the regular use of mild stimulants, such as coffee, tea and tobacco, which contain caffeine, the theine, and nicotine, respectively. Strictly avoid using strong stimulants, such as liquor and drugs. All strong stimulants intoxicate, drug, and deteriorate, intelligence, and memory cells of the brain, preventing them from recording, noble ideas, and sense impressions in general. Memory cells that are constantly, and anesthetized by stimulants lose their retentive power and become lazy and inert. Intoxication obliterate the functions of the conscious mind by harmful chemicals, hence injures the cerebral memory-organ. When the brain is affected the memory is impaired.

Paramahansa Yogananda (SRF lesson 49)


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Steve, thanks for the citation, I'm going to elaborate this sphere of thoughts, I think I may have understood the conceptual framework of Yogananda's words, which is dopamine (and other neurotransmitters) overstimulation and exhaustion, a concept underlined in a podcast by the neurologist Andrew Hubermann.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw97uvIge7c

Professor Hubermann is also a strong opponent of alcohol, explaining his reasons in another video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS1pkKpILY

Hiya Steve and mccoy,

I like this thread thanks guys. Let's talk about what practices you do to increase your concentration and memory recall?

And Steve, I should caution you- yogi is good tea but be weary of tea bags which are full of microplastics and other harmful contaminants. For optimal results buy loose leaf tea.

Cheers ~

Eric, Hong-Sau is a good concentration technique. Memory, exercising it is a good method, such as memorizing poems, songs, whatever.

Caffeine: my first elaboration of Yogananda's words is that chronic and excessive use of this substance which competes with adenosine and works as a mild agonist of dopamine is deleterious to the balance of some neural circuits, especially so those expressing memory.

What is chronic use though? It changes from individual, on average the caffeine-safe threshold is 300 mg per day according to health agencies. A couple of cups of coffee per day or the use of energy drinks such as Red Bull may easily take you above that threshold.

My strategy is to drink only mountain specialty coffees which are low in caffeine and, beyond that, to drink decaf; it is not easy to find a good decaf, I'm in the process of searching and only found a single variety that satisfies my taste.

By the way, I've not been drinking coffee for the first 40 years of my life, then I started to take advantage of its stimulant power to study and drive and keep awake, at the expense of sleep quality. Now, I'm being very careful not to drink it after 2 PM and not to exceed with caffeine. It takes admittedly some nerdy mentality but it can be done.

Thanks guys.
Currently I do, on average, 8 ounces of cold brew coffee every morning. I make it myself, bottle it, and give some away to friends and neighbors. People love it. I use organic beans and mountain valley spring water. I brew for up to 38 hours.
Eventually I will temper my addiction,  for now I've made some* peace with where I'm at. Life's a journey.

I read this scientific study yesterday after noticing this thread:
https://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1235&context=theses

That was interesting Eric. What it showed to me may be quite different than you might think. I was reading through the study and observing my thoughts simultaneously. It occurred to me I had a preconceived idea of what I thought were going to be the results of the study because of you finding it, which was untrue.

I will say this; although I have curbed caffeine consumption a lot in my diet, I still enjoy that momentary lift that sometimes can give me the exhilaration to get up and go jogging for an hour. And, the added enthusiasm I feel at times with little sleep. The spirt being willing but the body saying ‘no’. The caffeine can give my body a jump start, that finishes projects until I feel that energy flop that caffeine can also give like sugar does.

Also read your info about bagged tea. Problem is that I don’t find it with the unusual ingredients Yogi Tea has in it.

It's good you can pause and catch your self. I just wrote about this in a separate topic.

Concerning tea bags- not all tea bags are dangerous. But a lot sell their tea bags with a plastic glue to keep things sealed which at high temperatures it seeps out into the water as microplastics. One study showed 11.6 billion microplastic particles per cup- and excessive microplastics interferes with your hormones.

They say it's basically like boiling a plastic bottle in hot water and then drinking the water. Teas imported from China and India with less regulations also have tons of pesticides. One study showed a tea from Ethiopia to have DDT, a pesticide that is banned in the states.

The big offenders are considered:
Tetley
Celestial Seasonings
Twinnings
Uncle Lee's
Lipton
Signal
King Cole 


I would share the information with you but I can't copy and paste it over so this is me transcribing it for you. I get my information from the evil food supply channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@EvilFoodSupply

And, if you want to support a local Houston tea shop you can buy amazing high quality loose leaf tea here:
https://thepathoftea.com/

Thanks  :)

Eric, what's your recipe for cold brew? If the conversion is right, 8 American fluid ounces should be about a cup of fluid (about 2.4 deciliters), you really brew a cup at a time?

Hi Mccoy, I use a rotational blend of beans that I experiment with. My ratio is 1 cup coffee to two cups water. My current set up is 2 Mason jars, 1 Mason jar holds 2 cups coffee and 4 cups water and yields about  seven 8oz bottles. I buy the beans, the bottles and the spring water. I tried attaching a picture and will take one of the mason jars later.

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Another photo

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It doesn't allow me to attach multiple
Here's a nice photo showcasing an example

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Thanks Eric, do you have any idea about the weight ratio of coffee to water? For example, 125 grams coffee, 250 grams of water, which would be a 1/2 ratio, this is the usual convention used by coffee geeks, which makes it easy to replicate the recipe.

Hi mccoy,

I'm not sure how much 1 cup of coffee beans weighs or 1 cup of water weighs. But I use 2 cups of coffee beans to 4 cups of water. I grind the beans my self.

As far as the measurement of the beans I blend, well that's what makes my "rotation" unique. I experiment and only replicate the recipes if I feel "WOW this is a keeper"

but in truth, they're all delicious- and people enjoy when I give them a brief summation of whatever I've picked out. They enjoy trying different beans and trust my process. I am grateful, because it allows me to keep producing and sharing and trying new things... I enjoy it as well~ a small labor of love.

In the meantime I’m still attempting to transform my habits. But I do not think by any means all coffee’s are equal …. They are adding a lot of roots and goodies in some of them. But I’ve tried this tea lately. It is also loaded with herbs and roots…..I noticed Eric didn’t mention plastics being in yogi tea. This is Honey Chai Tumeric.

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Tea and coffee in moderation are both good.

Tea is replete with EGCG (epigallo-catechin gallate) and Coffee has chlorogenic acid galore, diterpenes, plus caffeine a beneficial nootropic if taken in moderation (tea has caffeine as well, in lesser amounts).

Green tea is probably best, whereas Arabica coffee is indisputably better for health, less caffeine, less aggressive compounds.

Tea, if taken in ample amounts, may provide more caffeine than coffee taken in moderate amounts.

I hope you are right mccoy. All I have to add at this time is that everyone - including me - have a remarkable ability to rationalize when we would like to continue a habit.

Steve, I have not been drinking any of those beverages for decades. Then I started drinking them but I feel that the attachment is more about their taste than about physical or mental dependence. If I feel like having a coffee, a good decaf to me is like a good caffeinated cup.

To be scientifically objective, what I find much more powerful than caffeine for mental alertness and efficiency, is sleep. The regenerative power of sleep is unsurpassable.

Yes I have a ‘Taste for them’ also I just think it is interesting to note that I have a ‘taste for them’ every day. And especially something more caffeinated.


Astrophel and Stella: Sonnet XXXIX (Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace,) Lyrics
Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace,
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th' indifferent judge between the high and low.
With shield of proof shield me from out the prease
Of those fierce darts despair at me doth throw:
O make in me those civil wars to cease;
I will good tribute pay, if thou do so.
Take thou of me smooth pillows, sweetest bed,
A chamber deaf to noise and blind to light,
A rosy garland and a weary head:

Nice, and truthful poem, although, to tell the truth, at night during awakenings you can experience states of mild anxiousness, things you dream, or problems of life that are magnified. People who can sleep deeply without awakenings may avoid that, but I believe they are few.

Thanks for the astute and informative thoughts you’ve provided…. This is what I usually use to get my energy going to jog about an hour….so i would agree with you about the energy provided by sleep and a drink like this for a long jogging session.

135 milligrams
A 15-ounce can of Starbucks Doubleshot energy has 135 milligrams of caffeine, while a 6.5-ounce can of Doubleshot espresso has 120 milligrams of caffeine1. The caffeine content in Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee is 145.00 mg per 15.00 fl. oz can2. This means the caffeine levels of Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee are HIGH2.


https://www.bing.com/search?q=starbucks+double+shot+caffeine+amount&qs=MT&pq=starbucks+double+shot+&sk=MT1OS1&sc=10-22&cvid=F06606B6F09349C4858AA4643F225DC3&FORM=QBLH&sp=3&ghc=1&lq=0

Yes, doubleshot espresso tends to be very high in caffeine. Two doubleshots and you are almost at the safe daily threshold.

Caffeine is also known to reduce the amount of deep sleep you get; which is helpful for longevity, helping you live longer and improves health. These are some of the latest claims I’ve heard.

I’m not here to change others but myself, and that’s why I posted this. Quite frankly I love caffeine but it doesn’t love me back. I’ve just been going thru some changes in attitudes and consciousness; that include the elimination of caffeine from my diet.

People who have been abusing caffeine often notice the neurological suggestions that they should quit it. The system knows when the concentration is too much and when it is advisable to eliminate from the diet a specific molecule which has become an irritant.

Mccoy I really wish that was true. And no doubt it is for many people. However,  I have noticed no irritation from caffeine. In fact it makes me feel a type of exhilaration. At least in some energy drinks, which have other ingredients than just coffee/caffeine. Do you think Paramahansa Yogananda was right when he suggested to stop the use of caffeine to be able to increase memory? No doubt there is also a reason that monks and nuns take a vow of celibacy also. Perhaps there are higher forms of pleasure. Or we can experience bliss from meditation in the relinquishment of various sense fulfillments. I’m not an expert on these matters and my body does not want me to be. Although my inner awakenings in life tell me something different. There is a balance in everything. But how do we know just how much we should balance out our desires with a spiritual life? I do not practice complete abstaining from all sensual pleasures. As Sri Yukteswar said, give the dog a bone. But I doubt he meant feed the dog steak daily as well. What is your take on this ‘sphere of thought’?’

Notice in the photo below, my favorite drink has 8 vitamins, Ginseng and Guarana. Although I know, most if not all, sensory pleasures that are packaged beautifully, are not all safe. You can’t tell a person or thing by what it’s wrapped in. It takes time and patience for most things on this material planet. Mccoy you and I have both seen that to be true, quite a few times since we met.

We’ve all heard the saying; “You can’t judge a book by its cover” but Paramahansa Yogananda was said to be able to put his hand on the cover of a book and then knew it’s contents.

Jitendra

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Steve, what's the reported caffeine content in the can you showed?

My take, in reference to caffeine, is that you can track the caffeine content of what you drink (an estimate in coffee, a more reliable quantity in energy drinks) and stop at 300 mg/day. Than, you can decrease gradually, until you reach half of it, about 150 mg/day. This may be taken as Sri Yukteswar's bone in your case.
Half the maximum suggested dosage is definitely a bone, not a steak. You may go to 100 mg/day, one third the max amount, a smaller bone.
Eventually, you can wean yourself out completely if you wish, but trying cold turkey is not the easiest, or more efficient choice.

Thanks ☺️ mccoy in case anyone here wants to wean themselves of caffeine. I’m done with it. Once I decide something like that it is difficult to have me go back. If I ever change my mind I will let you know. It is somewhat like an experiment. I want to see if the lack of caffeine in my diet enhances memory. When I quit meat and fish all together I found my spiritual attitudes had changed quite dramatically and spiritual experiences took place much more often. I drink herbal tea more frequently now.

Congratulations for the act of will power!

I have quite a lot of faith in the energization exercises, especially as gravity takes its toll on our bodies as they age. But feel that Will strengthened by the practice of those exercises has much to do with a habit that persisted all through my intense work life. If we are retired or semi retired it is easier to work on such persistent grooves of habit dug in our brains. But that is not the only one that provides challenges. And your compliment only reminded me, I still have many others challenging 😥 persistent thoughts and therefore actions that have led to habits.

One step at a time!

Mccoy,

I see it this way. We have a lot of habits and addictions that mask the awareness of our true nature. I’m just attempting to divest myself of as many as I can, while still I have this mortal consciousness. In hopes not to carry them as part of my identity, to come back to this place to fulfill.

Every once in a while I still feel that desire to get a little kick or energy shot from caffeine. But I’ve noticed over the years from practicing meditation, that I’m eating less addictive and ‘heavy’ foods and drinking stimulants. I stick with a lot of fresh foods now and find a lighter diet suits me better. Free from a heavy dependence on starch and bread as well. Old habits die hard but it is possible to give them up especially if you feel the lightness of spirit attempting to break its way into your life.

Once in awhile I’ll have a soda drink which has some caffeine in it, but usually I’ll go for some chocolate of some sort or an herbal tea.

What Is Cocoa Powder?

Cocoa powder is a food product that adds a deep chocolate flavor to desserts and beverages. It is the fruit of a tropical tree and can be Dutch-processed or natural. Your caffeine intake will naturally vary according to how much cocoa powder you use, but there are roughly 10 milligrams of caffeine per teaspoon, 5­–10 times less than coffee.

Also found out this;

How much caffeine is in a 12 oz can of Pepsi?
In the United States, a 12 oz can of Pepsi contains 38 milligrams of caffeine. This is slightly less than the amount of caffeine found in a similar serving of Coca-Cola,

Root Beer has no caffeine. So I’ll usually go for it. I used to love drinking these drinks….Starbucks
Double shot energy drinks which have 135 milligrams of caffeine in 15 oz. And coffee has about 95 milligrams in a cup. I’ve stopped it completely. Once in a great while I’ll drink a Pepsi but for all practical purposes I’m done with caffeine.

The desire for a clear, focused mind and retention level has become quite a goal of mine at this time of my life. And after reading what Paramahansa Yogananda had to say about caffeine and science is beginning to affirm I’d be better off not indulging.

Caffeine increases cortisol levels.

What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is your body’s primary stress hormone. It is produced by the adrenal glands, which are located on top of your kidneys. This hormone plays a crucial role in helping you respond to stress.

https://www.soberish.co/cortisol-and-coffee/

The scientific way to tackle caffeine would be to understand when the benefits are replaced by the deleterious effects. So many plant derived compounds exhibit such so called hormetic effects, by which very small amounts are beneficial, higher amounts are deleterious or even toxic.

What are the concentrations above which rajas, or even some sattva, turns into tamas? It is told 300 mg per day, even though it may change substantially depending on individual metabolism.

You may also question to what extent any plant is deleterious when taken in small amounts. Since people like John Sinclair were thrown into prison 20 years for having two joints (marijuana) at one time here in the states.

Steve, I do not know the story of John Sinclair, sure 20 years for possessing 2 joints, although illegal, would sound extreme.  Unless the case was perhaps judged as drug pushing.

Here we enter the realm of toxicology. You know well that one variety of mushroom, Amanita Phalloides, is lethal even if ingested in small amounts.

Some mushrooms like psylocibine exhibit hallucinogenic effects and in very small doses may be beneficial to the brain, probably doses which do not trigger hallucinations.

Ayauasca and the like. Do we need the hallucinations? Some people appear to benefit from them, especially those who never explored the metaphysical realm.

To come back to the topic, in your case, I understand that caffeine in the past has been like an addiction, so you perhaps should totally avoid it now, lest you fall back into the same addiction.

Well I occasionally get a pop that has caffeine in it mccoy. I seem to be able to avoid coffee presently. I feel that I am getting more in tune with the spiritual vibration of food and require a higher frequency to what sustains me. It is more obvious to me that consciousness is elevated in people who eat healthy and those that engage in eating lower forms of life and heavier foods it also contributes their behavior, in a detrimental way. I know there are no hard and fast rules here since there will always be someone or something to prove me wrong. I do not believe God created this earth in such a way that we can see things black and white.

I am also recognizing the seesaw effects of certain behaviors. They take you up and then drop you down. I can wake up in the middle of the night - when the world is asleep and spirit is stirring - meditate and drink for instance herbal tea and practice the energization exercises. I remember that some disciples said they would see Paramahansa Yogananda go out on the porch and energize and later return to energize again after a busy day. I see myself doing that now at night, quite often, after sleeping a few hours. But I should be honest and tell you I also take some cat naps during the day. Some what like siesta time in south of the border countries.

Somehow i see you as someone that has a balanced approach to things. Yea it is true that in the past it seems some addictions overwhelmed me. At times I would go totally the opposite way and practice militant discipline . But in my older age i appear to have somewhat of a more balanced attitude. I think in some ways we reflect one another like a mirror; you also having that disciplinary state of mind. It seems to be a good quality. Although like all good qualities there  is occasionally that flip side that plays out in duality, almost like a compensatory act.

Thanks for the compliment mccoy but I believe I should be honest with you without any seeming regret. I have gone back to drinking occasionally decaf coffee and for instance Starbucks energy drinks which have among other seemingly good ingredients-ginseng root extract, guarana, riboflavin, vitamin B6, D3, vitamin A and Panax.

Panax ginseng is used primarily to improve psychologic function, exercise performance, immune function.

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2003/1015/p1539.html

I have personally noted that Panax helps in performing energization exercises daily. And do not deny that the caffeine associated with energy drinks is also a factor.

Steve, decaf coffee has such a low concentration of caffeine to be negligible, unless you during two pints of it.

Guarana contains caffeine, but the exact amount in that specific drink must be ascertained. The usual upper dosage advised is 300 mg/day.

Thanks for your interest and feedback. I find that on most such products there is a limited amount of information and it usually favors nutrition favorable to the businesses sales. It is more than common that the public has to rely on their own intelligence to ascertain what our the disadvantages of the products being sold. Which are sometimes offset by the governments warnings as in for instance tobacco and alcohol products.

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