Is Ayurveda a science or fiction ?? Find the answer here !

1. Ayurveda- Science or fiction?
Dr. Remya Krishnan MD ( Ayu) PhD

2. Ayurveda
• Ayurveda incorporates a set of rationale
(theorems and principles) experimented,
proven and established in multiple ways in
human beings and constantly being verified
for many centuries and documented .
• The set of rationale stays true in past and
present application with no contradictions

3. Unlike Modern science
• Germ theory states that pathogens cause
infections .
• But some people who get contact get infections
while some others do not.
• So any specific disease in an individual does not
arise from single cause.
• All diseases have multiple initiating factors in
the body and get activated based on the nature
of body response to external environment .

4. Host mechanisms
• Contact with germs do not mean that you will get
sick .
• It is the outcome of immature knowledge and
underdeveloped thinking .
• Washing hands by antiseptics alone do not make
you stay protected.
• Understanding host mechanisms is much more
important than understanding pathogens and
vectors .

5. Experiment
• Doing experiment does not lead to science.
• Experiment in man should infact be led by
science.
• Scientific observation, measurement,
publishing, peer review everything should be
based on knowledge of science of life in man .

6. Science of life
• Science is not isolating and understanding one
thing at one time.
• Science of life is the knowledge based on
understanding of relation between all
multitangled phenomena in totality in living
being.
• Diseases of humanbeing cannot be explained by
testing of hypothesis , but require established
basement of proven theorems from science of life
.

7. Modern science
• Unproven or semi proven theories are used as
building blocks for new ideas.
• Imperfect basement leads to imperfect building
up .
• No subordination to impartial & permanently
valid scientific knowledge of life (Ayurveda) .
• The original proposers of Ayurveda did
everything methodically to exclude probability,
chance, coincidence and placebo effect by
ignoring pride and greed in their search for truth .

8. Proposers of Ayurveda
• They have conducted unbiased research .
• They did not create spin in their data
• They commenced re-search from intrinsic
circumstances of every individual and closely examined
and appraised the unique natural ways of response of
human being to external environment .
• They evaluated and established all their findings based
on background “theorems and axioms” of Basic Science
which are fundamentally “deductive” unlike the
“theories” which are fundamentally “empirical “.

9. Inbuilt evidences
• The evidences in Basic science of Ayurveda
were not mere external data to justify any
observation by testing a theory against an
alternative .
• On the other hand they were “inbuilt”
theorems to prove things by showing that
there is no uncertainity .
• Thus the fundamental evidences of Ayurveda
are science based evidences .

10. Science
• Science by its meaning itself is that which could
be applied and proven.
• That which exist in the form of knowledge and
could hardly be illustrated is philosophy .
• Science is best likened to the human brain while
philosophy is to the human heart.
• Science, in general, seeks to understand all
natural phenomena and could be experimented
and observed, where as philosophy is vaguer .

11. Base
• Philosophy bases its explanations from the
argument of principles, but could hardly be
experimented and observed.
• Science bases its explanations based on
thorems which could be well experimented
and observed always.

12. Modern science & Ayurvedic science
• Modern science is different from the science of
Ayurveda.
• Modern Science bases its explanations from
experimentation and observation alone (no
theorems which are permanent truths to guide)
and formulate theories , while Ayurvedic science
bases the explanations for experimentation and
observation based on its theorems.

13. Theorems
• A theorem is a statement which has been proved true by a
special kind of logical argument called a rigorous proof. A
rigorous proof is simply a sound deductive argument,
meaning that it starts with statements which we know to
be true and then makes small steps, each step following
from the previous steps, until we reach our conclusion. One
statement follows from another and it's impossible for the
first statement to be false while the second is true.
• Once a theorem has been proved, we know with 100%
certainty that it is true. To disbelieve a theorem is simply
to misunderstand what the theorem says.
( Courtsey :
http://www.esotericka.org/cmc/tth.html)

14. Ayurveda
• Ayurveda advocates to study problems
concerned with humanbeing in their own
right, answering questions by starting with
what we know in science and proving
theorems.

15. Theory
• Theory is based on testing an idea or hypothesis .
• A theory is an extensive body of knowledge
which brings together a great number of well-tested
hypotheses and mathematical models,
weaving them into a coherent explanation for the
facts and laws we can observe.
• Theories are waiting to get proved (though they
are tested)with certainity , while thorems are
already proven and established and devoid of
uncertainity .

16. Theories versus theorems
• Paradigm shifts (newer replacing older) are
possible in theories , but hardly possible in
theorems.
• Though there could be new theorems to be
proved, those which are evolved stay proven
on accurate testing in every period.

17. Laws of science
• Laws : A statement describing a relationship
observed to be invariable between or among
phenomena for all cases in which the specified
conditions are met: eg- the law of gravity.
Laws- Definite explanations
Theorems- Demonstrable explanations
Ayurvedic Basic science incorporates
fundamental laws and theorems to guide the
Applied science

18. Important to know
• Hypothesis – tentative explanation for an
explanation that can be tested by further
investigation
• Theory- verifiable explanation ( data based
evidence)
• Theorem – Demonstrable explanation - you
can do it again to show people the inbuilt
evidence, and that they can do it too.

19. True science
• Scientific knowledge is reliable and not tentative.
• Real science comprises of theorems and laws
which form the fundamental infrastructure of the
same.
• The Basic scientific research is intended with
gaining an understanding of the natural world for
its own sake. Any kind of applied research for
practical outcomes is worthy only based on
inbuilt evidences of basic research.

20. True science
• By new applied research based on true
science , the older theorems and laws get
strengthened , optimised or are also
supplemented by newer ones.
• As true science does not appreciate testing of
empirical theories or hypothesis ,
abandonment of older ones or substitution
by newer ones never happens.

21. Do you know??
• The science of Ayurveda incorporates "laws and theorems
of nature of humanbeing as well as nature of health and
morbidity," suggesting their universal applicability as long
as human being exists fundamentally as humanbeing .
• The science of Ayurveda incorporates certain logical and
rational order of steps by which scientists come to
conclusions about the humanbeing , his unique way of
response at times of health and disease .
• There are systematically organised principles and
procedures encoded in this science in order to make the
scientists as well as physicians of the science confident in
the answers they find in all time .

22. Innovation
• If we are to meet the health challenges of
future , there is no question that we need to
be innovative .
• But innovation must begin from the right
background of theorems and laws of Basic &
Applied Science of Ayurveda.
• Testing of hypothesis and empirical
formulation of theories is not the path of
innovation in Ayurveda.

23. Settled science
• “We don’t know every thing “ is not
equivalent to “ we are not sure of anything” in
Ayurveda.
• There are too many essential things in which
the Basic science is devoid of uncertainty .
• Ayurveda is a settled science with proven
theorems and principles .
• Only settled sciences perfectly help to add
new .

24. Basic science is our guide , not Biostatisticians
or epidemologists .
 Basic science provides precise answers to :
a. What do I need to know now ?
b. What do I need to know soon?
c.What do I need to pay attention to over time ?
 Clear action plans are best evolved from science , not from
statistics .

25. Thankyou