Amnesia (Forgetfulness)

In amnesia (nisyān), the faculties of memory, thought, or imagination become impaired. The faculty of imagination is the power that recalls stored images from the treasury of memory when previously seen things are no longer present. The corruption of this faculty sometimes occurs due to a disorder of the common sense (sensory integration), which retrieves information from the store of imagination, and sometimes due to a disorder of the imaginative faculty itself, which is responsible for storing and preserving these images. Excess of fluids causes the nerves to become lax, the body sluggish, and the brain soft. Digestive power weakens and appetite disappears. A cold (nasal infection) leads to weakness of the brain, and the disorder of forgetfulness begins. Even ordinary things start being forgotten. Sometimes the patient forgets what he is saying in the middle of speech. The powers of thinking and imagination diminish. The head feels heavy, and dizziness occurs while standing or sitting. Reading causes a slight headache. After reading or hearing a long passage, the ability to organize it properly and draw conclusions becomes weak. Amnesia is generally of two types:

1. First type of amnesia:

Forgetting the past while remembering the present — this is due to nervous-muscular disturbance. In this condition, the back part of the brain, which is the center of memory, is dominated by excessive coldness and moisture, which cannot preserve stored memories properly, because preservation of anything depends on dryness.

2. Second type of amnesia:

Remembering the past but forgetting the present — this occurs in muscular-nervous disturbance. The cause of impairment in memory is the dominance of cold dryness in the back part of the brain, which is contrary to the brain’s natural temperament. The brain is naturally moist and soft so that impressions of new things can be easily formed. However, when coldness combines with dryness, it creates density and slows down the movement of the vital spirit in this pathway, meaning the supply of fresh oxygen to the brain is reduced. As a result, forgetfulness begins to develop.