Which Foods Are Not Suitable for the Pineal Gland? What about Dark Chocolate?

Dear Rajaganesan,

I can only answer you from a spiritual standpoint. Spiritually speaking, the pineal gland is connected with the spiritual eye, which Yogananda also referred to as the “pineal eye”. So everything we eat which pulls our energy down (tamasic food) or makes it restless (rajasic foods) is not good for our “pineal eye”, the spiritual eye.

The yogi is therefore taught to eat mainly sattwic (pure) foods.

Concerning your second question: is dark chocolate good for the third eye, also called the spiritual eye, or agya chakra?

Yogananda taught that specific foods have a specific vibration, a quality, stimulating a specific state of consciousness within us. These states of consciousness are usually connected to a specific chakra.

For example:

• Grapes have vibration of divine love: this would be the heart chakra.
• Wheat helps us to be firm in principles: this would be the first chakra.
• Beets stimulate in us martial courage: this is the third chakra.

He didn’t talk about cacao and its vibration, as far as I know. However, it seems to me that pure cacao (and therefore dark chocolate) is essentially a rajasic food (agitating, restless). Therefore it would not classify as a food which is good for the third eye. The sugar which one finds in dark chocolate too is rajasic, and therefore not suitable for the third eye.

Milk, however, is good for concentration, Yogananda taught. It is therefore good for the spiritual eye, which is the seat of concentration in our body.

This being said, a nice piece of dark chocolate every now and then, or of any chocolate, is a treat. One shouldn’t be fanatical about it. Yogananda once gave Swami Kriyananda five dollars to go and enjoy an ice cream.

Joy,
Jayadev