A friend describes a super age connected to mind as viewed by the west in " https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-superager-6826372
*The Vedic Model Of The Mind KR IRS 181122* One Vedic model of the mind is expressed by the famous metaphor of the chariot in the Katha Upanisad and the Bhagavad-Gıta. A person is compared to a chariot that is pulled in different directions by the horses yoked to it, with the horses representing the senses. The mind is the driver who holds the reins, but next to the mind sits the master of the chariot – the true observer, the self, who represents a universal unity. Without this self no coherent behaviour is possible. In the Taittirıya Upanisad 2.7, an individual is represented in terms of five different sheaths or levels that enclose the individual’s self . These levels, shown in an ascending order, are: • The physical body (*annamaya kosa*) • Energy sheath (*pranamaya kosa*) • Mental sheath (*manomaya kosa*) • Intellect sheath (*vijnanamaya kosa*) • Bliss sheath (*anandamaya kosa*) These sheaths are defined at increasingly finer levels. At the highest level is the Self. It is significant that *ananda* is placed higher than the intellect. This is a recognition of the fact that eventually meaning is communicated by associations which are extra-logical. The energy that underlies physical and mental processes is *prana*. One may look at an individual at three different levels. At the lowest level is the physical body, at the next higher level is the energy system at work, and at the next higher level are the thoughts. Since the three levels are interrelated, the energy situation may be changed by inputs either at the physical level or at the mental level. When the energy state is agitated and restless, it is characterised by rajas; when it is dull and lethargic, it is characterised by tamas. The state of equilibrium and balance is termed *sattva*. In the gross physical universe, it can be related to the concepts of mass, Higgs field theory, and possibly Planck’s constant. The three qualities differentiating particles – spin, charge, mass – and the three values from which the fundamental unit of physical spacetime is derived – the *Planck length* – also seem to relate on the physical level to sattva, rajas, and tamas. Prana, or energy, is described as the currency, or the medium of exchange, of the psychophysiological system. The higher three levels are often lumped together and called the mind. The key notion is that each higher level represents characteristics that are emergent on the ground of the previous level. In this theory, the mind is an emergent entity, but this emergence requires the presence of the Self. The mind may be viewed to be constituted by five basic components: manas, ahamkara, citta, buddhi and atman, which cannot be reduced to gross elements. Manas is the lower mind which collects sense impressions. Its perceptions shift from moment to moment. This sensory-motor mind obtains its inputs from the senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. Each of these senses may be taken to be governed by a separate agent. Ahamkara is the sense of I-ness that associates perceptions to a subjective centre and thus creates “personal” experiences. Once sensory impressions have been related to I-ness by ahamkara, their evaluation and resulting decisions are arrived at by buddhi, the intellect. Manas, ahamkara and buddhi are collectively called the “internal instruments” (*antahkarana*) of the mind. Next we come to citta, which is the memory bank of the mind. These memories constitute the foundation on which the rest of the mind operates. But citta is not merely a passive depository. The organisation of the new impressions throws up instinctual or primitive urges that create diverse emotional states. This mental complex surrounds the innermost aspect of consciousness, which is called atman; it is of course the same as the self or the *brahman*. Atman is considered to be beyond a finite enumeration of categories. Lifestyle is the perception of a particular person or entire society towards life and it is the way people live, think and behave. In Indian lifestyle, principles of *Karma* (action) and *dharma* (the righteous way to perform the work) are given significant value. In India, earlier, the life of an individual was being regulated harmoniously according to the stages (*Ashrams*) of life, i.e., studentship (*Brahmcharya*); householder ( *Grihstha*); forest dweller (*Vanprasth*); ascetic (Sanyas) and was meant to maintain the discipline, peace and harmony in the family and society. However, revolution in the social milieu and political scenario changed the patterns of religious beliefs and lifestyle of individuals. And thus, the Indian lifestyle got colored with shadows of cults and cultures. The lifestyle affects longevity and health in old age. Lifestyles also have a role in developing cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD found to be more common in socially isolated older adults. Deteriorations in health (especially mental health) are often the results of faulty lifestyles like smoking, alcohol intake, improper diet and lack of exercise as well as an adverse psycho-social milieu. Adopting the advocated principles of Indian concepts of lifestyle and paying proper attention to mental illnesses of older adults and recognizing their problems may preserve mental health in old age. It is also described that health related problems take place due to imbalance in nutritional intake. Ayurveda advocates consumption of whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables for better mental health. Studies show that food with low amounts of life energy (prana) like over-ripened, overcooked, highly processed, frozen and refined food products should be avoided. Lifestyle (dietary habits, mental exercise, social networking, etc) also have a role in preventing/developing cognitive disorders. Alzheimer's is more common in the community where elderly are socially isolated, whereas it is less common, where supports are available Physical activities also decrease the chances of AD. Yoga, meditation, exercises etc., help prevent cognitive disorders. Alternate nostril breathing is a good exercise to prevent AD. Ramayana and the Mahabharata the great epics describe several disordered states of mind and means of coping with them as well. Lord Dasharth's fatal grief following Ram exile and Dhritrashtra's doting are some of the examples. The Bhagavad Gita is highly acknowledged for its strategic psychotherapeutic properties. The fear of death or the despair of the absurd, ignorance of life's meaning (api varga in ayurveda) and the sadness secondary to loneliness were believed to be three common sufferings of old age. According to Sushruta, physician (chikitsak), drug (dravya), attendants or nursing personnel (upasthata), and the patient (rogi) are the four pillars on which the success of the therapy rests. The highest support to the science of “Ayurveda” was given by the Buddhist kings (400-200 BC). In ancient systems, diagnoses (nidana) of illnesses were based on cause, premonitory indications (purvarupa), symptoms (rupa), therapeutic tests (upashya) and natural history of the disease (samprapti). Keeping the body in good health and free from diseases were very much persuaded in ancient Indian thinking. Ayurveda believed “old age is the foundation of all wisdom, virtues, enjoyments (bhoga) and the source of all ‘purusharth’ (dharma, arth, kam and moksha).” Disease due to senile degeneration causing decline in memory and intelligence (smritikhasay and medhakhasay) are referred in modern time as AD and other dementias. The health related problems were thought to be the result of divine curse, seasonal factors or bad deeds (*dosh bal, daiva bal* or *kal bal pravritti*). To maintain health, healthy ways of life (dincharya, ritucharya) were advocated by “Ayurveda.” Different mental-health conditions occurring in old age are also featured in Indian epics. Decline in old age mental-health, however, is often the result of faulty lifestyle like smoking, alcohol intake, improper diet and lack of exercise as well as environmental and other external factors. Hence, this decline can be slowed down or even reversed at any age through the appropriate interventions to modify individual lifestyle or adverse environmental factors. KR IRS 181122 On Thu, 17 Nov 2022 at 19:17, Rangarajan T.N.C. <[email protected]> wrote: > https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-superager-6826372 > > A superager, also known as a super-ager, is a person who is at least > eighty years of age and retains the memory skills and capacity of someone > at least thirty years younger. This population falls well outside the > "normal" memory > <https://www.verywellmind.com/different-types-of-memory-and-their-functions-5194859> > skill > range for people their age. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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