Memory is the Source of Dream: Nya̅ya Philosophy and Neuroscience Controversy.

Abstract

This paper will concern about the memory state where memory has been regarded as the source of dream in Nyāya system. Dreaming state or svapna̅vastha̅ is always an important phenomenon in Indian philosophical system. More or less all schools of Indian philosophy accept the state of dream but the main controversial issue is about the nature of dreaming state. Some schools advocate dream as real and some of them do not accept the dreaming state as real. Nya̅ya-Vaiśeṣika system is one of them. They are realist and theist schools in Indian philosophy. They do not admit different stages of reality like the Advaitins. For them reality means only this phenomenal state. In Nyāya, memory is not veridical cognition. They always concern about this phenomenal state and yes!! Dreaming state is one of them but they believe and proclaim that waking state is only real. Waking reality is the first prior among other three stages. For example, waking elephant is real and tangible but not the dreaming elephant.