The document discusses improving memory and cognition from both scientific and Jain spiritual perspectives. It provides background on brain structure and function related to memory. Scientifically, it recommends techniques like repetition, association, visualization, reducing stress, and being attentive. Spiritually, it recommends practices like silence, celibacy, austerity, mantra chanting, meditation and spiritual reading. It hypothesizes that spiritual practices may open millions of synapses and increase neurotransmitter function to boost memory capabilities to extraordinary levels, as seen in shatavadhanis.

1. Mahashatavdhan
Dr Sudhir Shah
(M.D., D.M.)
 Hon. Neurologist to H.E. Governor of Gujarat
 Director of Neurosciences : Sterling Hospital
 Head of Department ,Neurology : V. S. Hospital
4th March, 2012 Mumbai, India
www.sudhirneuro.org

2. Towards Powerful Cognition

3. Plan of My Talk
 Memory function
 Tips to improve memory
 Jain view

4. Human Brain Capacity
 Human brain has roughly 100 billion (1011)
neurons and 100 trillion (1014) synapses
 One can store enormous facts e.g. 90 million
books each having 1000 pages
 One can hold approximately seven items
in short-term memory for about 20 to 30 seconds
 It is known that we severely underutilize our
brain

5. Brain VS Computer
 The brain is much, much bigger than any
[current] computer
 Accurate biological models of the brain would
have to include some 225,000,000,000,000,000
(225 million billion) interactions between cell
types, neurotransmitters, Neuro modulators,
axonal branches and dendritic spines
 No hardware/software distinction can be made
with respect to the brain or mind
 Brains are analogue; computers are digital

6. Brain VS Computer
 The brain is a massively parallel machine;
computers are modular and serial
 Processing speed is not fixed in the brain;
 Short-term memory is not like RAM
 Synapses are far more complex than electrical
logic gates
 Unlike computers, processing and memory are
performed by the same components in the brain
 The brain is a self-organizing system

8. What is Memory?
 Memory is a specific cognitive function: the
storage and retrieval of information
 As such, it is the prerequisite for learning, the
building block of all human knowledge

9. Limbic System & Memory
 Certain structures of the limbic system are
involved in memory function
 These large limbic system structures are
AMYGDALA and HIPPOCAMPUS

10. Limbic System

11. The Hippocampus Plays
an important role in
consolidating
information from
short-term memory
into long-term
memory and retrieves
them when necessary
The Hippocmapus

12. The Amygdala is
responsible for
determining what
memories are stored
and where the
memories are stored
in brain & responsible
for emotional
memories
The Amygdala

13. Memory
Declarative Non-declarative
 Available to conscious retrieval
 Can be declared (propositional)
 Examples
 “What did I eat for breakfast?”
(episodic)
 “What is the capital of Spain?”
(semantic)
 “What did I just say?”
(working)
 Experience-induced change in
behaviour
 Cannot be declared (procedural)
 Examples
 Subliminal advertising
(priming)
 How to ride a bicycle?
(skills)
 Phobias
(conditioning)
Cohen and Squire, 1980

15. Mati Gyan + Shrut Gyan

16. What Is Working Memory ?
 A combination of
– Attention
– Concentration
– Short-term memory
 The ability to temporarily maintain and
manipulate information

17. Working Memory
 The Prefrontal Cortex
 With more difficult tasks involving bilateral
brain activation
 The number of activated brain regions in the
prefrontal cortex increases as the complexity of
the task increases.
 In Munishri, the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus
& amygdala must have been very well
developed…..

18. Hypothesized Memory Processes:
Encoding, Consolidation, and Retrieval

19. Encoding, Consolidation and
Retrieval of Declarative Memories

20. Shatavadhani
 Shrimad Rajchandra (1867-1901)
 Shatavadhani Dr.R.Ganesh ( 1981)
 Muni Mahendra Kumar (1957)
 Sathavathani Sheikh Thambi Pavalar (1874-
1950)
 Shri Manek Muniji Maharaj (1991)

21. Shatavadhan And Above
 Dr. Garikipati Narasimha Rao (2002)
 Dr. Medasani Mohan (1996)
 Dr. Nagaphani Sarma (2000)
 Kadimalla Varaprasad
 Yashodevsuri Ma. Saheb
 Dharmsuri Ma. Saheb
 Nirmalashriji
 Munishri Ajitchandrasagarji Maharaj ( D/O
Panyasshree Naychandra Sagarji Maharaj)

22. Scientific Tips For
Higher Cognition
 Repetition
 Symbolization
 Association
 Visualisation
 Remove stress
 Neurobics
 Be Positive
 Be Interested
 Be Attentive
 Be Active
 Be Relaxed & Happy
 Be yourself

27. Limitations of Scientific
Knowledge
 Laws of Conservation defined only for physical
systems which are closed and passive
 Biological systems are open systems
 Constantly interacting with the environment
 Human beings have memory, which makes it
difficult to do any scientific experiment on them

28. Jain view
 Gyanavarniyakarma xayopasham
Worship of Gyan, Gyani & tools of Gyan.
 Linked with Past birth achievements
 Ways shown to lead to kevalgyana

29. Jain (Oriental-Spiritual) View to
Achieve Higher Cognition
 Maun (silence)
 Brahamcharya (celibacy)
 Sadhna (austerity)
 Tapasya (penance)
 Pratyahaar ( Control of Senses)
 Vinay (politeness)
 Mantrajap (chanting)
 Swadhyaya (spiritual reading)
 Constant Abhyas ( Repeatition)
 Dhyana (Meditation)

30. Spiritual Order and
Shatavadhanies
 Shatavdhanies’ spiritual practices involve all these
disciplines
 By these mind goes into low entropy state &
tremendous data can be stored and recalled
efficiently
 Involves parapsychology like telepathy and
clairvoyance
 It will provide new direction of evolution which is
very different from Darwin’s principle of evolution
 It is a big challenge for the modern science
Shri Pokharna

31. Jain’s Theory of Knowledge Through
Consciousness
 As per modern science, knowledge is nothing but
information organized in some way and information
is nothing but data organized in some way
 We can collect data and generate information and
knowledge through consciousness
 So all knowledge is structured in the consciousness
 Hence the Jain concept that knowledge is structured
in the consciousness is very logical, as demonstrated
by shatavadhanies
 However final destination is Kevalgyan

32. Role of Subconscious Mind

33. Subconscious Mind
 The subconscious (preconscious) mind is part of
the conscious mind and includes our memory.
These memories are not conscious, but we can
retrieve them to conscious awareness at any time
 Your subconscious mind remembers everything
even those things that have entirely by-passed
your conscious awareness
 So boosting Subconscious mind can be powerful
memory tool…..by spiritual practices like
meditation, silence, etc.

34. Suggested Hypothesis
 There may be opening of Millions of Synapses
 Increased function of Neurotransmitters
 More use of Association areas
 Role of Prefrontal cortex, as it is more developed
in animals with higher intelligence
 Formation of G Module and extraordinary tracks
of neurons
 Development of new storage areas

35. Memory and Gene
 Neuroscientists identified a master controller of
memory
 Npas4 gene appears to regulate the brain’s
ability to form new memories
 So by increasing this Gene Expression one can
make powerful memory
 Genes Molecules Synapses
Neurons systems Networks
Behaviour

36. "We remember what we understand; we
understand only what we pay
attention to; we pay attention to what
we want" - Edward Bolles

37. The Value of Chunking
 You have 5 seconds
to memorize as much
as you can
 Then, draw an empty
chess board and
reproduce the
arrangement of pieces

39. Thank you