Modern science is little by little providing solid evidence that the ancient concept of an inner controlling Soul is quite supportable with recent discoveries in endocrinology.  The ancient nearly universally view was that each individual had an inner Soul who used an inner flowing fluid to bring forth special higher powers. For the last several millennia this concept has been ridiculed and suppressed. However, the ancient transformational inner fluid can now be explained as being a hormonal fluid with recent discoveries in endocrinology. Further, the study of hormones and the autonomic control system of the body also point to a controlling source within the individual which is not the brain but can be described as the subconscious, the inner self, or the Soul located deep in the guts.

The ancient methods for attaining special powers can be understood by starting from the recent discoveries in endocrinology. These discoveries not only assist in defining what the special powers are but also assist in defining the nature and power of the Soul. 

Serotonin has been known for about half a century and was originally thought to only control blood pressure. It is primarily produced in the guts which have historically been accepted as a center for stimulation and power for the body. Probably because of the loss of the ancient methods of controlling the churning of the guts, serotonin gradually became accepted as the cause of mental and bodily stress and tensions. Recent research has, however, uncovered a wide range of body and mind reactions which are also stimulated by serotonin, many of which are more metaphysical than physical. Serotonin is now associated with the initiation or control of such traits as: anger, temperament, aggression, sleep patterns, and sexual and sensory response. Changes in the amount of serotonin can result in a variety of actions including swinging between creativity and depression, experiencing visions or religious insights, experiencing tinnitus or ringing sounds in the head, and doing instinctive or compulsive acts.  

The recently discovered metaphysical effects of other hormones can be added to those of serotonin, such as the vitalizing sharp increase in awareness and memory associated with the rise of the hormone cortisol. The hormone oxytocin increases the desire to touch and to be close to others. Melatonin gives rise to vivid dreaming. Thyroxin, long associated with the control of basic metabolism, may offer other unexpected possibilities since it is known to stimulate metamorphism or physical body changes in some forms of life.  Everyone is, of course, well aware of the rise of adrenaline or epinephrine in the face of some threat or challenge. Dopamine is credited with lessening inhibitions as well as increasing the envisioning of goals. (The basic physical and animalistic functions of hormones to control the digesting of food, energizing the body, controlling growth and health, adapting for survival, coordinating the muscles of the body, etc. must of course be recognized but are not of primary concern herein.)   

Modern medicine has gained an external control over the physical body with the administration of drugs which duplicate the inner action of hormones and hence is able in theory to correct most deficiencies of the body’s hormone generation. This ability of science to externally control the body has led many to assume that a human is purely a biological/chemical form of a computer-controlled robot without any inner self-generated controls or a Soul. Modern medicine certainly thrives on this model and implies (without data) that medicine has increased the basic life span of all people through drugs (despite two-millennia-old statements[1] of human life spans being three to fourscore years similar to today).  Religion has also continued to enforce the view of an individual being like a robot fully subject to enlightened Royalty, Clergy and Heaven.   

There is a tendency today to view hormones as being the source of powers rather than merely the switch to turn powers on. Hormones are described in technical writings as being keys which fit locks which then activate specific functions or powers within the body. Oxytocin, for example, is neither love nor attachment and melatonin is not a dream; they stimulate or unlock something within the individual that then manifests love and dreams. No one knows what the source of these inner powers is, including heroes who experience the powers during their feats. Heroes typically state that they cannot explain how they knew what had to be done nor the source of the power and responses that came forth to accomplish their deeds.   

Science is unable to explain the hidden metaphysical sources or the unseen causes of physically manifested phenomena. This failure is hidden by placing a name on the phenomenon and then a metonymy to describe the phenomenon. The metonymy is, however, only another name for the same effect. The unknown cause is then further obscured by stating that it is a property, proclivity or propensity of the object manifesting that effect. As an example for both of the above methods, consider the explanation for the weight of a rock being due to its basic nature or proclivity to respond to gravity.  Then gravity is defined as that which makes rocks heavy.[2] Science can also attempt to explain a metaphysical power without even giving it a name, such as stating that the ability of an individual to dream is because of an idiosyncrasy the individual has to dream. The pharmaceutical industry survives on the idiosyncrasies of individuals responding to their drugs. Everyone knows of the side effects of drugs, but the most dangerous side effect to the industry is the powerful idiosyncrasy which causes an individual not to need their drug at all. This idiosyncrasy uses the inner powers of an individual to produce the same results of the drug with the taking of a simple sugar pill or placebo. 

The ancient philosophy did not need to differentiate religion from science and could openly admit the existence of mysterious nonphysical forces which cause physical effects.  Perhaps the easiest method of understanding the early philosophical concept of cause and effect is to consider how the commonly accepted Big Bang theory of modern science would have been expressed by the early philosophers: “In the beginning primal Energy was forced to yield up its hidden forms of electricity, light, motion, sound, heat and matter by the control of the Laws given by the Supreme Intelligence.”[3] A good example of this original creation theory is when coal yields up its unseen energy to do a myriad of different things such as lighting and heating a city or powering a computer. 

This early science/philosophy/religion viewed each individual as possessing the same type of energy and control that initially formed the world. An individual was, however, constructed of already assembled or manifested separate pieces such as brain, heart, feet etc. as well as containing previously developed powers such as strength, intelligence, courage, love etc. which were stored somehow in various organs of the body.  

The creative controller or Soul within an individual was similar to the original Supreme Intelligence without physical form and physical power and could only direct and release various forms and amounts of energy which could then perform the physical creations or changes. The ancient Greeks had a special description of the Soul who was considered to have contact with Divine knowledge and to be able to integrate all of the inner powers within the body. Since the Soul had to manage a number of different inner potential forces as in a private house, the Soul was considered to be female. The Soul occupied the position as an intermediary between the heavenly power of the creator God or Zeus and the needs of the body. The Greeks labeled the Soul with a name which meant “born of the foam” at the interface of worlds, or Aphrodite. Because of the beautiful and wonderful deeds that could come forth from individuals, the controlling Aphrodite had to be considered as a beautiful, envisioning and loving Goddess.  

The special powers within an individual were likewise depicted as gods and goddesses. Each one contained all of the characteristics associated with that power, even though Aphrodite might call forth or release only a few of the total powers at any one time.   

The ancient description of how Aphrodite was given power over the conscious self or brain is best understood by applying modern knowledge of hormones. As is commonly experienced, the inner powers are generally only released when the individual faces a threat or demand. At that time, the guts churn releasing serotonin which can then be felt as a rising drug-type rush up from the lower gut. This rising serotonin was well described by the ancients as a drink for the gods and called a vitalizing (ambrosia in Greek, amrita in Sanskrit) elixir which provided an energizing food for the inner autonomic control system or the Soul. The Soul could then use her connections to the Divine to fully comprehend the needs of the individual and then stimulate the response of the total body.  

According to the Greeks, the initial flow of hormones was believed to also awaken a god called Eros who was then the interface between the metaphysical Soul, the metaphysical special gods and goddesses, and the physical brain and body. The word Eros, according to Plato[4], was derived from the root for hero. Eros had the physical control of thoughts as well as the actions of the other gods and goddesses. This integrated state of Eros is often experienced, of course, during emergencies or committed demands on the individual. 

Unfortunately, all references to how ambrosia is to be found or how the Soul is to be directed have been lost during the book burning in the West. However, the story can be picked up in original Sanskrit writings (not translations by Western academicians) which also described the inner fluid and its generation. Although this is not the place for further explanations, it might raise the curiosity of the reader to know that finding tinnitus[5] or the ringing in the ears attributed to serotonin is considered to be a major goal of meditation described in the last chapter of the basic textbook of yoga called the Hathayogapradipika. In addition, many past great thinkers often referred to tinnitus as an opening to the music and power of the cosmic spheres.  

The present world has forced itself into a very precarious position. Modern organizations and institutions have discovered that they need to control their members by conditioning them to constantly judge themselves as well as others. This continual judgment keeps serotonin at a constant level, causing the affliction called the stress and strain of modern life. Since individuals do not know how to control their own serotonin and other hormones, people are unable to direct their own lives and they become more and more dependent upon external controls such as drugs, entertainment and governmental agencies.