EFTA01023067.pdf

From: Deepak Chopra To: "Ramachandran, Vilayanur" < CC: Darold Trefferet Subject: Re: SAVANTS Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2017 09:44:55 +0000 Inline-Images: image001.png Let's do it I can get some funding Deepak Chopra MD 2013 Costa Del Mar Road Carlsbad, CA 92009 Chopra Foundation Jiy o Chopra Center for Wellbeing Home: Where Everyone is Welcome On Sep 16, 2017, at 3:45 AM, Ramachandran, Vilayanur < wrote: We would need a full time assistant housed in one of our offices ( or divided between us ) to coordinate all this But for starters Do you Darold ( if i may ) know of any mathematical savants who could come to our fadlity to be tested . The advantage Is that the Parameters are dearly defined iWo savants would be good for starters I may invite an eminent professional number theorist to join us ( UCSD Is a hot-bed for number theory and pure math - with three Fields medallists ) Cheers Rama From: Darold Trefferet Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2017 1:34 PM To: Ramachandran, Vilayanur Cc: Deepak Chopra Subject: RE: SAVANTS VS, EFTA01023067 Likewise I feel that I know you through your remarkable work. We toil in the same vineyard of mysterious and (as yet) unexplained exceptional brain performance. I would welcome collaboration. So much to explore. How do savants "know things they never learned", like the periodic table, prime numbers, solar system or whole globe geography? (my explanation is genetic memory--the genetic transmission of knowledge (nature v. nurture). I have a register of about 300 savants and about the time I think I have heard it all comes another with new unheard of skill or ability, type 1 or 2 as you refer to those skills. I met with GOMA, a celebrated Japanese musician who, after a head injury, is now an accomplished artist as well. An acquired savant with an entirely different skill post injury. Some of these savants have been part of documentaries. The "work-up" was usually imaging studies looking for 'the spot' of savant syndrome. The imaging produces very pretty pictures for TV, but very little illumination of what has happened. Imaging, impressive as it is, just is not sensitive enough (yet), even DTI or DTT, to pinpoint the underlying defects at the synapse level of savant syndrome, creativity and even autism. More productive results will come from carefully designed, intricate, neuropsychological testing. But there is always the rush to imaging. I have been so consumed with the acquired savant, and hyperlexia (children who read early often mis-diagnosed as being on the spectrum) and paranormal phenomenon in about 1% of savants, my congenital savant registry has not been kept current. I intend to correct that. We have organized an acquired savant registry from unsolicited emails or other sources and will soon publish those preliminary results. We have designed a comprehensive survey instrument to now collect uniform data from those unsolicited, non uniform e mails and will be sending that out soon to the savants and/or families. We have done the same now for 160 hyperlexia patients/families and will be analzying that data. My exploration of para-normal subjects continues. I intend to renew some effort with the savant registry and that may be where our interests most intersect. So there may be ways to collaborate. One person I was collaborating with, Oliver Sacks, regrettably passed away. We were exchanging some cases. I have the largest world collection of savant books, theses, professional articles, news articles, videotapes and correspondence on savant syndrome, which has gradually morphed from savant syndrome only to othere manifestations of the exceptional brain. It is a gold mine of data. The hospital has been kind enough to provide a building and some staff for the Treffert Center which we intend to put to full use and explore other sources of support and expansion. So, let me know your thoughts on this somewhat rambling response to your welcome note. Please feel free to share this with Deepak because of his interest in these same 'mysteries'. Let's see if there are ways to work together in this extraordinary vinyard. Darold A. Treffert, . From: Ramachandran, Vilayanur [mailto: Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2017 3:54 PM To: Darold Trefferet Subject: SAVANTS Dear DR Trefferet WE haven't been introduced formally but i feel i know you through your book, your SCi Am article and your recent lecture transmitted to CARTA UCSD where I work . I have had a long-standing interest in Savants - especially those with math skills ( eg prime numbers ) and visuospatial and our center , in fact , focuses on 'solving " neurological mysteries eg synesthesia , phantom pain , xenomelia ( apotemnophilia ) Capgrsas etc Bernie Rimland had indicated he would like to collaborate but , alas , passed away. Would you be so kind as to refer savants with unusual skills in any domain but esp math , music and art to our facility ? Needless to say we would invite your participation ( assuming you have the time )and coauthorship Coincidentally my good friend and colleague dr Deepak Chopra was visiting our lab a few weeks ago and this matter came up There are two classes of phenomena . First , skills that are clearly definable such as prime numbers , drawing , memory size estimation etc which can be replicated under carefully controlled settings ; two- ' super human ' or even EFTA01023068 supernatural abilities like telepathy , clairvoyance etc which have long resisted replication my focus will on class 1 - a more detailed understanding of whats going on. Before jumping to imaging there are basic simple tests one can do. But I'm also open to testing the latter Theres also a vast grey zone between these two classes. We hope e can interest you in this venture VS Ramachandran PhD MD FRCP ( Lond ) DSc professor and director Center for brain and cognition UCSD La Jolla CA 92093 -0109 EFTA01023069