Preface
To my readers:
In October 2004, I was invited to participate with nine
other
scientists and visionaries in the “Dialogue between Buddhism
and the Sciences,” a biennial meeting hosted by His Holiness
the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamsala, India. The
Dalai Lama had read about my research on how laughter
affects genes and has taken a keen interest in it. The actor
Richard Gere, who was a guest at the meeting, evinced great
interest in my presentation. This book covers almost every'
thing we discussed at that meeting.
Research in the life sciences is advancing at an astonishing
pace, exceeding even the expectations of those who work
in this field. The human genome was completely decoded just
a couple years ago. We now have the necessary means and
skills to read the blueprint of the human body. Although at
first we believed that the cracking of the genetic code
would
solve the mystery of life, it has become increasingly clear
that
life is not so simple. The more we study even a single cell,
the
more we understand its immense complexity. I have been
involved in life science research for over forty years, the
latter
half of which has been devoted to genetic research. The goal
of this book is to convey the inspiration, surprise, and
wonder
I have derived from both the content and process of that
research and to share with you how you can apply some of
those insights to how you live your own life.
There are two points in particular that I wish to share
with you. The first is the remarkable discovery that our
genes
are not fixed but change in response to various factors. How
many people in the world blame their shortcomings, such as a
lack of aptitude at sports, on their parents? It is true
that
heredity influences individual characteristics and
abilities.
But although these traits are genetically transmitted, our
genes also come equipped with an on/off switch that can
change their function. Regular exercise, for example,
switches
on good genes that result in improved muscle tone and health
and, at the same time, switches off harmful genes.
The environment can also trigger this on/off mechanism.
From what I’ve observed in research and in my own experi¬
ence, exposure to a different environment seems to stimulate
good genes and unlock a person’s potential. Even more amaz¬
ing, however, is the fact that the on/off mechanism can be
triggered by mental attitude. Research now shows that our
way of thinking can activate our genes. A recent experiment
I led, which I will describe in detail later, found that
laughter
significantly reduced blood-sugar levels in diabetics after
meals. We subsequently identified specific genes that are
acti¬
vated by laughter, proving for the first time that positive
emo¬
tion can flip the genetic switch. Learning how to activate
positive genes and deactivate negative genes could open up
infinite possibilities for expanding human potential.
The second point presented in this book is a scientist’s
per¬
spective on what makes possible all the wonder around us.
The
enzyme/hormone system and the related genes that govern
hypertension have been the focus of my life’s work. Yet
despite
almost a century of extensive research by many capable
scien¬
tists, much remains unknown about even this single subject.
The mechanism of life is an amazing mystery. People talk
about “living” as if it were a simple matter, but not a
single
human being could survive by conscious effort alone. Regu¬
lated by the automatic functioning of hormones and the
automatic nervous system, all our vital functions, including
respiration and blood circulation, work full time to keep us
alive without any special effort or intervention on our
part. It
is our genes that control these vital systems, and to do so,
they
work in perfect harmony. When one begins to function,
another responds by stopping or by working even harder,
finetuning and regulating the system as a whole.
It seems highly inconceivable that such superb order
could occur by mere coincidence. Something greater must be
behind the harmony of our world. Many use the word God to
describe this concept; as a scientist I have chosen to call
it
“Something Great.” Although it is invisible and not easily
perceived with our other senses, working as I do in the
field of
life sciences, I am strongly aware of its existence. Cracking
the genetic code is a truly marvelous feat; yet even more
marvelous is the fact that this code was imprinted on our
genes in the first place. We know that we did not write it,
yet
it cannot have been written randomly. The genetic code
which is equivalent in volume to thousands of books, is
contained within and mysteriously yet undoubtedly controls
the infinitesimal space known as the cell.
It is human nature to seek to know the unknown and to
strive to understand the incomprehensible. “What’s new?” is
the scientist’s constant refrain, demonstrating that the
destiny
of science is to evolve. As long as our fundamental
curiosity
does not change, science will continue to progress. New
developments and discoveries in the life sciences, in
particu¬
lar, have immediate effects, leading to new technology, to
improved breeding techniques in livestock farming, or to the
creation of new medicines. As a result, however, science and
technology can be easily perverted to satisfy avarice and
per¬
sonal ambition. Accordingly, if we do not find some way to
control baser human desires, science will forever remain a
double-edged sword.
The central issue in the debate concerning human clones
is not technology but rather human greed. How far should we
go? Is it appropriate to create a physical copy of yourself
merely
because you want to? Science and technology make it
possible,
but it is people who decide whether or not to do it, and
more
often than not that decision is based on selfish interests.
We
should not be so arrogant. Rather, we should remember that
life, including our own, is a gift from “Something Great”
and
not the product of human invention or greed.
We need self-restraint, the ability to refrain from doing
something unnatural even if it is technically possible. But
self-restraint is insufficient if it is based solely on
ethics. Selfrestraint is bom from the knowledge that we live not by our
own strength or devices but rather by the grace of a myriad
other lives that support our own. By living with gratitude
and
appreciation for this gift we can activate our dormant genes
and open the door to a new and wonderful way of life.
As the founder of the Institute for the Study of the
MindGene Relationship, I am pursuing research to prove my
hypothesis that happiness, joy, inspiration, thankfulness,
and
prayer can activate beneficial genes. The result of the
experi¬
ment on laughter mentioned earlier represents our first
discov¬
ery. Our research, as it progresses, could offer an
explanation
for the truths taught by the Buddha and the Christ described
in terms of the genetic on/off mechanism.
If I had dared to say that positive feelings can activate
genes twenty years ago, I would have been harshly criticized
for being unscientific, but the number of scientists who
share
my perspective on the power of the mind is increasing. In
fact,
scientists all around the world are conducting experiments
to
understand how psychological factors influence the physical.
We need to end the misconception that the mind is unrelated
to physical well-being. Until that time, it will be
difficult to
eradicate diseases with conventional scientific methods
alone.
As scientists and as part of an international community, we
need to devote more effort and resources to studying the
mind. In the world we live in today we encounter many prob¬
lems without easy solutions. It is crucial to have science
and
spirituality working together, complementing each other, if
we wish to find the answers. I hope that this book will be
of
service in this regard.
In my quest for understanding, I have been fortunate to
encounter many wonderful people. I am particularly indebted
to Dr. Reona Ezaki, Nobel Prize laureate and former
president
of Tsukuba University; and Dr. Hisateru Mitsuda, professor
emeritus of Kyoto University and my lifelong mentor, for
their guidance over many years. I take this opportunity to
express my heartfelt gratitude.
I would like to thank His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his
endorsement of my research. I would also like to express my
sincere appreciation to Richard Cohn and Cynthia Black of
Beyond Words Publishing, Inc., and translator Cathy Hirano
for their assistance in publishing this book. The Japanese
version has sold over 200,000 copies, and I am eagerly look'
ing forward to the response of English-language readers to
the
ideas I will share.
Kazuo Murakami
