Re: SAVANTS
Dear DR Treffer=t
WE haven't been in=roduced formally but i feel i know you through your book, your SCi Am arti=le and your recent lecture transmitted to CARTA UCSD where I work .
I have had a I=ng-standing interest in Savants - especially those with math skills = eg prime numbers ) and visuospatial and our center , in fact , foc=ses on 'solving " neurological mysteries eg synesthesia , phant=m pain , xenomelia ( apotemnophilia ) Capgrsas etc
Bernie Rimland had ind=cated he would like to collaborate but , alas , passed away.
Would you be so kind a= to refer savants with unusual skills in any domain but esp math , music a=d 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 =f phenomena . First , skills that are clearly definable such as prim= numbers , drawing , memory size estimation etc which can be replica=ed under carefully controlled settings ; two-' superhuman' or even=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 ju=ping to imaging there are basic simple tests one can do. But lim=also open to testing the latter
Theres also a vast gr=y zone between these two classes.
We hope e can interest you i= this venture
VS Ramachandran PhD MD= FRCP ( Lond ) DSc
professor and director=/span>
Center for brain and c=gnition UCSD
La Jolla CA 92093 -010=
=AO please note
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VS,
Likewise I feel that I kn=w you through your remarkable work. We toil in the same vineyard of =ysterious and (as yet) unexplained exceptional brain performance. I would welcome collaboration.
So much to explore. =C2 How do savants "know things they never learned", like the =eriodic table, prime numbers, solar system or whole globe geography? =(my explanation is genetic memory--the genetic transmission of knowledge (natu=e v. nurture). I have a register of about 300 savants and about the =ime 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 =ho, after a head injury, is now an accomplished artist as well. =AO An acquired savant "work-up" with was an entirely usually different imaging studies skill post looking injury. for =C2 'the Some s=ot' of of these savant savants syndrome. have been The imaging part of documentaries. produces v=ry pretty =C2 The pictures for TV, but very little illumination of what has happen=d. Imaging, impressive as it is, just is not sensitive enough (yet), even DTI or DTT, to pinpoint the underlying defects at the synapse l=vel of savant syndrome, creativity and even autism. More productive =esults will come from carefully designed, intricate, neuropsychological to=ting. But there is always the rush to imaging.
I have been so consumed w=th the acquired savant, and hyperlexia (children who read early often mis- =iagnosed as being on the spectrum) and paranormal phenomenon in about 1% of savants, my congenital savant registry has not been kept cu=rent. I intend to correct that. We have organized an acquired =avant registry from unsolicited emails or other sources and will soon publ=sh those preliminary results. We have designed a comprehensive survey instrument to now collect uniform data from those u=solicited, non uniform e mails and will be sending that out soon to the sa=ants and/or families. We have done the same now for 160 hyperl=xia patients/families and will be
analzying that data. My exploration of para-normal subjects continues. l=intend to renew some effort with the savant registry and that may be where=our interests most intersect.
So there may be ways to c=llaborate. One person I was collaborating with, Oliver Sacks, regret=ably passed away. We were exchanging some cases. I have the largest world collection of savant books, theses, professional article=, news articles, videotapes and correspondence on savant syndrome, which h=s gradually morphed from savant syndrome only to othere manifestations of =he exceptional brain. It is a gold mine of data. The hospital has been kind enough to provide a bu=lding and some staff for the Treffert Center which we intend to put to ful= use and explore other sources of support and expansion.
So, let me know your thou=hts on this somewhat rambling response to your welcome note. Please =eel free to share this with Deepak because of his interest in these same 'mysteries'. Let's see if there are ways t= work together in this extraordinary vinyard.
Darold A. Treffert, M.D.<=span>
We would need a full time assistant housed in one of our off=ces ( or divided between us ) to coordinate all this
But for starters Do you Darold ( if i may ) know of any ma=hematical savants who could come to our facility to be tested . The advant=ge is that the Parameters are clearly defined T=o savants would be good for starters I may invite an eminent professional number theorist to join us ( UCSD is a hot-bed for number the=ry and pure math - with three Fields medallists Cheers Rama
let's do it
I can get some funding=C2
Deepak Chopra MD
2013 Costa Del Mar Road
Carlsbad, CA 92009
=hopra Foundation http://www.choprafoundat=on.org/
Jiyo http://www.jiyo.com/ =/p>
Chopra Cen=er for Wellbeing http://www.chopra.com/
http://home-everyone-welcom=.com/
Home: Where Everyone is Welcome http://home-everyone-wel=ome.com/
ill fund the assistnat . no help n=eeded. looking forward to seeein gyou