ABSTRACT
The pineal gland is arguably both the most misunderstood and underrated endocrine gland in the human body. Until 40 years ago, almost nothing was known about the pineal; it was considered unimportant and physiologically useless. Yet, René Descartes stated that the pineal is the “seat of the soul,” and Eastern religions have described the pineal as the mysterious “third eye,” the seat of wisdom, or the source of inner light. Although these beliefs were based on some rudimentary knowledge of the pineal as being photosensitive, the alignment of the pineal with spirituality has, more likely than not, been a deterrent to serious scientic research, relegating the pineal to the realm of the unknowable (see Zrenner1 for a history of the pineal gland).
