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higher levels of prana. When the sexual energy is sublimated or transformed, substantial prana is conserved within the system and converted into ojas, a subtler form of energy. This energy accumulates in the brain and is utilized for creative and spiritual development. A yogi stores an abundance of prana within him, just as batteries store electricity. The megawatts of his prana radiate strength, health and vitality to all around him. He is a powerhouse of energy, providing prana to everyone who comes in contact with him. Swami Sivananda says, "Just as water flows from one vessel to another, prana flows like a steady current from a developed yogi towards weak persons."
At the material level one also receives prana from the environment, food, water, sun and air. All the elements are comprised of prana. So, the quantum of prana within each individual is influenced by the quality of the elements to which one is exposed and which one ingests in the course of everyday life.
Pranic value of food: The Bhagavad Gita refers to the quality of prana in different foods by categorizing them as sattwic, rajasic and tamasic (17:8-10). In recent times, a method was developed by André Simonéton in France for establishing the pranic value of food. He used a simple pendulum on a piece of string, similar to that used by water diviners for dowsing, for this purpose. The subtle radiations emitted by organic matter affect the motion of a pendulum, causing it to swing and spin. By measuring the distance of a pendulum's arc, and the speed of its spin, Simoneton was able to measure specific wavelengths, which indicate the intrinsic vitality and relative freshness of different foods. He published his research in Radiation des Ailments, Ondes Humaines, et Santé.
On the basis of his findings, Simonéton divided food into four general classes. On a scale of zero to 10,000 angstroms, he found the basic human wavelength to be about 6.5 thousand. Foods that have wavelengths between this and 10,000 angstroms, he regarded as those of the highest quality.
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