Sun exposure and Sun Gazing
As you might expect, hospital patients find it easier to cope with
depression if they are exposed to 30 minutes of sunlight before
sunset. Although Australian hospitals looking after elderly patients
have recently adopted this practice, acharyas have always recommend
religious rituals that require sun worship three times a day, at
sunrise, at midday and at sunset. This ritual is called Tri-sandhya,
which means three ritual worships each day. Sun gazing is
automatically included as part of this ritual.
Over exposure to the sun may also cause over-activity of the
parathyroid glands with associated health problems, also more
applicable to populations beyond the tropics and towards the poles.
Most cancer patients occupy houses which do not allow entry of
sufficient sunlight and when this author researched the subject
further he found that there is a strong negative correlation between
the available sunlight and cancer death rates, i.e. living in a sunny
area is associated with lower rates of cancer. Hence, the incidence
of cancer is highest in the cities, where the concrete jungles, sky-
scrapers and air conditioning in most offices do not allow sufficient
exposure to the sun. Even skin cancer is inhibited by regular low-
level sun exposure, only sunburn itself strongly increases the
prevalence of skin cancer.
It has been stated that trends in epidemiological literature suggest
that approximately 30,000 U.S. cancer deaths yearly could be averted
by widespread public use of regular mild sun exposure. A study on
electricity workers showed that those with the most sun exposure had
the lowest rates of melanoma and skin cancer and vice versa. Other
studies show a strong link between long-term exposure to fluorescent
lighting and melanoma. Melanoma often occurs on areas of the skin
that has not been exposed to sunlight. But most of the economic
activity in developed countries such as U.S. and U.K. appears to
take place in offices with tinted glass, fluorescent lighting and
continuously used air conditioners. Unfortunately this western model
is being adopted in developing countries too.
Further information on cancers and sunlight may be found at:
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/full_spectrum_sunlight.html
Dr. Bhate