How can we practically apply the findings of Tony Wright’s research into the nature of the human brain and consciousness to improve our lives?  Here are some  guidelines taken from conversations and a recent interview with him. 
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When I first came across the work of consciousness researcher Tony Wright it resonated immediately because it confirmed my own experiences since I had been raw.  Like many other raw fooders, I had noticed that my requirements for sleep had substantially reduced.  Also, I had noticed that when I stayed up late, on my new found energy, I would start to shift into delightful states of inspiration and creative activity.  Since then I have had many chances to talk in depth with Tony about his work and have adopted many of the diet recommendations and approaches he thinks may help restore optimal brain functioning. 

Tony’s explanation is that the right brain, when fed the nutrients it needs such as undamaged amino acids, fatty acids and fruit compounds, starts to come much more to life.  The right hemisphere of the brain is the side responsible for creative and artistic abilities, also intuition and spiritual experiences.  There is also a lot of evidence that it is potentially more functional, in general, than the left.  Tony is suggesting that the right brain needs less sleep than the left brain so the more energised the right hemisphere is, the less sleep we need and also, the more functional, intuitive and creative we can become.  With less sleep, left brain dominance lessens, freeing up even greater potential.

Tony’s dietary recommendations are wide varieties of fruit (including tropical fruit such as figs), nuts, seeds and greens plus small quantities of raw goat’s milk products; and flax oil to balance omega 3. Superfoods and supplements are also of benefit.

Having dared to do something different like eat our food raw, we might wonder what else we might do that would bring further benefits. An important step would be to start to reactivate our pineal glands.  The pineal gland is known as the ‘gateway to the soul’ and the third eye. Opening up the pineal gland means basically to open up our consciousness.  Because it has shrunk in humans it is under producing some important biochemicals such as melatonin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and pinoline.  Pinoline is a MAOI or mono-amine oxidase inhibitor.  Monoamine oxidase is an enzyme which breaks down certain neurotransmitters.  When MAOI’s are introduced the neurotransmitter levels go up.

There is a desire amongst many of us to act in harmony with nature.  It may seem odd at first but boosting the levels of these substances may be restoring something closer to what is really our natural brain biochemistry.

One way to start is with ‘Happy Tea’ - passion flower, (which contains analogues of pinoline) mixed with St John’s Wort. Don’t drink more than three or four mugs a day of this tea – as with most herbs moderation is a good idea.  MAOI’s also occur in raw cacao - one reason raw chocolate makes people feel good.  DMT is created in small amounts by the human body during normal metabolism but is broken down by monoamine oxidase. DMT is still produced in larger quantities by the pineal gland during peak experiences and may be necessary for optimal brain function.  If MAOI’s are being taken in the DMT has more chance of staying in circulation and reaching the brain.  MAOI’s should be consumed separately from animal products including dairy, fermented products, and soy products.

To increase the effect you can move on to supplementing with small daily doses of ayahuasca brew.  This can be made up by boiling up two herbs - banisteriopsis caapi and psychotria viridis - together with an acid fruit like oranges for several hours.  The banisteriopsis contains the MAOI’s, the psychotria the DMT. One tablespoonful first thing in the morning is a good starting point.  It is important not to consume animal, dairy, soy or fermented products at the same time.  In large doses ayahuasca can produce very dramatic effects including visions and a substantially altered sense of perception but in these small doses it just wakens the brain up a little, enhancing mood, creativity, inspiration, visual perception, and practical effectiveness.

Another supplement to experiment with is melatonin.  Melatonin in small doses can cause doziness but in doses of around 20mg, it can have a beneficial effect.  You can build up to 20mg three times a day.  Experiment when you have un-pressured time to find out what your individual experience with it is.

Meditation also quietens the left side of the brain and can help boost levels of these crucial biochemicals.  In our current situation there is  a lot to be said for lining the whole lot up - excellent diet, biochemical supplementation, meditative and natural lifestyle etc.  It seems like we could do with all the help we can get.

It may be that many spiritual teachers are blessed with particularly good brain biochemistry and so are naturally more tuned into exalted states. Advice along the lines of feeling more love may be as helpful to the rest of us as, in Tony’s words, ‘a cheetah telling a tortoise to run faster’.  We may genuinely need biochemical help to restore our brain function to a level where it can feel more and the states of consciousness described by the spiritual traditions become reachable. 

Potentially available to all of us are genius abilities – and also the capacity for deep bliss. At present our powers of creative consciousness are largely kept literally at a dream level.  The more conscious we become the greater our ability to manifest our greatest dreams.  Humans whose brains were fully connected would feel an automatic empathy with each-other and their environment and would create a better world.

Melatonin has to be obtained from outside the UK.  A reputable supplier is Pure Encapsulations at www.organicpharmacy.org.  Also passion flower, S John’s Wort and ayahuasca herbs.   For further information and practical advice on this topic please feel free to email me at holly@rawcuisine.co.uk.

The approaches described here are the subject of on-going research and are not intended as medical advice.  It is the reader’s responsibility to see what works for them.

Tony Wright’s and Graham Gynn’s book ‘Left in the Dark’ can be purchased at oceanwavevibrations.  Also passion flower, S John’s Wort and ayahuasca herbs.   For further information and practical advice on this topic please feel free to email me at holly@rawcuisine.co.uk.More information about Tony’s work may be found at his website www.kaleidos.org.uk.

Holly Paige September 2007