The Heavenly Passage Known in the West as Reissner’s Fiber

Lawrence Wile

doi:10.3390/rel13030248

Abstract

This article explores the hypothesis that Reissner’s fiber, an enigmatic, anomalous, thread-like structure that runs from the center of the brain to the end of the spinal cord, is the neural substrate of suprasensory perceptions of the divine. Justification for this hypothesis derives from a comparative study of descriptions of the “subtle body” from ancient esoteric traditions, testable speculations about altered states of consciousness correlated with the subtle dynamics of the fiber, and the fiber’s evolutionary trajectory in humans from its perinatal involution to its potential regeneration. While adequate testing of the hypothesis will require new technologies, preliminary investigations are underway. The goal of this research is to promote research about Reissner’s fiber with the hope that it could lead to the discovery of a universal religious experience underlying the transcendent unity of religions.

Highlights

Reissner’s fiber (RF), an anomalous, enigmatic thread-like structure that ensheathes the central axis of the central nervous system (Muñoz et al 2019; Wile 2016) as the possible source of suprasensory perceptions of the divine
Justification for this investigation derives from a comparative study of descriptions of the “subtle body” from ancient esoteric traditions, testable speculations about altered states of consciousness correlated with the subtle dynamics of the fiber, and the fiber’s evolutionary trajectory in humans from its perinatal involution to its potential regeneration
The following focuses on Hindu, Taoist and Jewish traditions because they trace their origins to prehistoric times and provide the clearest correspondences with RF

Summary

Introduction

Passage Known in the West as Reissner’s Fiber. Religions 13: 248. Reissner’s fiber (RF), an anomalous, enigmatic thread-like structure that ensheathes the central axis of the central nervous system (Muñoz et al 2019; Wile 2016) as the possible source of suprasensory perceptions of the divine. Justification for this investigation derives from a comparative study of descriptions of the “subtle body” from ancient esoteric traditions, testable speculations about altered states of consciousness correlated with the subtle dynamics of the fiber, and the fiber’s evolutionary trajectory in humans from its perinatal involution to its potential regeneration.

Subtle Body

Reissner’s Fiber and the Divine

Neurohistory of Reissner’s Fiber

Conclusions