Mangaluru: ‘Mid-Brain Activation is Totally Fraud’ – Rationalist Prof. Narendra Nayak

Mangaluru: Addressing the media persons during the press meet held at Mangalore Press Club, Prof. Narendra Nayak- President of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations said, ” A recent phenomenon has appeared in the education scene i India by the name of Mid Brain Activation. Though it has nothing to do with any formal education or prescribed by any authorities, certain unscrupulous individuals and enterprises have been taking gullible parents for a ride claiming that their children can be made geniuses by a technique called Mid Brain Activation”.

“It is said that by activating this mid-brain they can see blindfolded, read hundreds of pages in minutes, see objects behind walls etc. as a proof of this they have been putting on show children who can see things with blind folds on! It is very clear that these “blind folds” are not properly put and the very technique of seeing through them involves peeking through the gaps between the eye and the nose. They also charge heavily for these courses in ‘mid brain activation” he added.

Nayak further said, “In Karnataka one organisation called Mid brain masters has been doing this activity of activating the ‘mid brain’. Despite of all their hype the only tangible achievement they claim is blind folded reading which is just a trick which we just demonstrated with the help of youngster Adithya Acharya. The mid brain activation business in Mangalore is being conducted by one enterprise called as Spoorthi MBM foundation who have put up banners all over the place and a huge hoarding near Ladyhill with children seeing through the blind folds! They invite people for demonstrations and then lure them into enrolling their children for such courses which cost around Rs 25,000. We have challenged any one to demonstrate the power to see through blind folds which we shall apply. We are going to take up this issue at the national level as this fraud has been going on everywhere”.

“Recently one Vinoj Surendran who runs an organization called Ingenium India has taken up our challenge. This link gives us an idea of his activities particularly what he promises for children IMIT (INGENIUM MIND IGNITION TRAINING) . While none of these claims have a shred of evidence to support them, the technique of blind folded reading is used to ensnare children and their parents. He had agreed to take up my challenge on blind folded reading as can be seen on the above link http://nirmukta.com/2010/06/23/exposing-the-miracle-of-blindfolded-sight-the-story-of-ranjana-agarwal/comment-page-5/#comment-317031. The tests for these abilities are scheduled for 19th April, at Calicut.2.30 pm, K.P.Keshavamenon memorial hall, opp. Corporation stadium. We have trained the children of our activists to perform the same under the same conditions that they use to show blind folded reading. The event is being held under the auspices of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations and other organizations from Kerala who are members of this organisation. Sri U.Kalanathan, the Patron of FIRA and a senior member of Kerala Yuyktivadi Sangham will be the chief guest” Nayak added.

” I had made such an offer to one such from Bengaluru in which I had promised to get two hundred children from government schools admitted to their courses. I was particular that these will be from the socially and economically back ward sections of the society so that they could come on par with the more advantaged sections and proposed a donation of Rs. 5 lakh for that. The date was fixed for the April 14 and no one from any “mid brain activation’ shops have turned up for that. ‘Blind fold reading’ is a total fraud and any child who can see without spectacles can be trained to do it within minutes. I request government to bring such enterprises which make such claims to be accountable to put their claims to proper test” said Nayak..

K.S. Madhava Rao, a neuro-psychiatrist, speaking to the reporters said mid-brain was present in all mammals and has nothing to with intelligence. Intelligence was related to the cerebral part of the brain which is much developed than animals. Yet another member at the press meet, Srinivas Bhat, Neurologist from K.S. Hegde Medical Academy said, “The mid-brain cannot be activated to make children read blindfolded. Each child has his own level of intelligence and people should not fall for false claims of organisations. We will give you the IQ level of the child and let parents admit their children with a pre-condition asking for organisation to state the level they will increase after the training. They will not agree,” .