Santhosh's ramblings

Awakened sleep – this appears like an oxymoron. But this is what the Shunamite woman said, “ I was asleep, but my heart was awake ”. (SoS; 5:2) Was she in REM sleep? Where could she recognize that she was sleeping but her heart was awake? As she moved in and out of her NREM to REM, she kept recognizing her awakened heart? But the question I am grappling with is, what keeps my heart awake? For her, it was the anticipation that her lover would come at any time and call her out. A desire for her lover, as she went in and out of her NREM, REM sleep cycles. Neuroscience and physiology now say that in such relaxed contexts, like sleep, and music, diffuse thinking happens. “Diffuse-mode thinking is what happens when you relax your attention and just let your mind wander. This relaxation can allow different areas of the brain to hook up and return valuable insights.” Author Barbara Oakley, using the analogy of playing a pinball game writes “The diffuse approach… often involves a big-pict...

Observing young bikers who engage in reckless and daring maneuvers on the busy roads of Delhi evokes various emotions in me. I call them Reckless and Crazy. Initially, I feel irritated, wondering how they can behave in such a manner. I also experience fear, as it is apparent that their reckless driving endangers their own lives and the lives of others. At the same time, a desire arises within me, a longing for youthful freedom to engage in such daring acts that were denied to me. However, upon further reflection, I realize that recklessness and craziness are inherent in all of us. It seems to be a part of human nature. Some individuals exhibit this behavior for the sake of others, such as when someone in love engages in crazy and reckless acts for their beloved. Others engage in such behavior purely for their own satisfaction and the thrill of adventure. I have even heard of a 81-year-old man climbing Mount Everest – now, that's truly crazy! Perhaps those of us who believe in a C...

There are three cardinal rules of driving in Delhi, and the same applies to towns and cities across India.  First, occupy any available space you find. Do not give space to others if you can avoid it. Second, do not look back or around. Some drivers even close their side view mirrors and rearview mirrors to focus solely on their forward path. Your time and destination are of utmost importance; others are not. Third, break any barriers or boundaries that can be broken. Dividing walls are to be opened up, and lanes are merely suggestions to be ignored. Do not give space to others; run alone and break boundaries if possible. This is what the daily traffic teaches me. However, there are also three cardinal rules for living. Give space to others. Life is not about racing and winning, but about journeying together. If life is about these principles, you will look back and see those who are moving slowly and offer them encouragement and space. You will also notice those around you who ca...

As a young doctor, when I entered a rural mission hospital to work for a year or so, I was convinced that I was wasting my time. I was waiting to get into residency, and working there was not the optimal path to secure a residency of my choice. However, there was an inner compulsion pushing me to give it a try. On the other hand, I was certain that it would be a waste, and I expressed this to the senior doctor who had invited me to work for a year. He gently told me that a year of apparent waste might not be wasted if it helped me gain clarity about my life since I was not particularly clear at that time. I didn't believe him then, but I decided to go through with that one year of seemingly wasted time and life. In life, waiting is often viewed as a period of wasted years. However, a contemplative examination of stories from the Bible teaches us otherwise. Take Abraham, for example. He received a promise to become the father of many nations but spent his whole life wandering from p...