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

Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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Page 1: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

Ayurveda- Science or fiction?

Dr. Remya Krishnan MD ( Ayu) PhD

Page 2: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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

Page 3: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 4: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 5: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 6: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 7: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 8: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 “.

Page 9: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 10: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

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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.

Page 12: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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.

Page 13: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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)

Page 14: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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.

Page 15: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 16: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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.

Page 17: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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

Page 18: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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.

Page 19: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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.

Page 20: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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.

Page 21: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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 .

Page 22: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

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.

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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 .

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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 .

Page 25: Ayurveda - Science or fiction ?

Thankyou