TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Parents this summer may intend enrolling their children in workshops that claim to make their children geniuses with a technique called ‘Mid-Brain Activation.’ But cautioning parents, the Federation of Indian Rationalist Association has alleged the process that involves blindfolding the child’s eyes and the child being able to read anything put in front of it using his or her senses is nothing but a hoax.
Somu Rao a member of the association, also associated with the Goa Science Forum, said the trend that has been exposed the country over, is now making its way to Goa adding that it was important parents didn’t sign their children up for these workshops. Especially since many were charging anywhere from Rs 6,000 to Rs 25,000 for a two-day workshop.
“They claim they are creating children who have extraordinary powers who can identify colours and letters without any sensory inputs. That is, they can do that without seeing, touching, hearing, tasting or smelling them,” he said.
What actually happens he said as he demonstrated with a 11-year-old child was that children were actually being taught to peek through the blindfolds on the pretext of being told there was a bridge being built between the left and right sides of their brains. Rao claims they are only encouraging children to lie by charging parents hefty amounts.
The organisation that has exposed over three institutions claiming to enhance the brain is now looking to conduct similar exposes in Kerala where parents are charged Rs 25,000 for a two-day workshop.
In one of their efforts at dismissing the technique, the organisation tested children for these powers at a workshop in Calicut, all of whom failed miserably when swimming goggles were placed on top of the blindfold. “This closes the gap between the nose and eyes making it impossible to see anything,” he said.
Rao said psychiatrists, child psychologists, educationalists and people who train talented children don’t in any way endorse the technique. The aim now of the organisation is to create awareness among people.
“The worst part of the whole affair is that these people are coaching innocent children into telling lies when they are actually peeking through gaps,” said Rao.
