Treffert Center: A Conversation with Jason Padgett

Ordinary people suddenly becoming artists, musicians or mathmeticians following a head injury or brain trauma. Is it possible? Findings suggest such skill may lie dormant in us all.
Watch an intimate conversation between Jason Padgett, acquired savant, and Darold Treffert, MD, a world-renowned autism and savant syndrome expert.

[@feed5750]

Jason's Shirt: i 8 sum Pi ...and it was delicious.

[@vr_x7364]

Feed 😂🤣👍👍👍

[@yamkelayamkela3508]

Bro i have been looking for this

[@sanidhyasuresh5288]

Lol the thumbnail showed only the i, 8 and the Sigma symbol and i was confused like what is "i 8 Sigma"😂

[@kimdaniells365]

I’m an ultrasound technologist, and he is describing ultrasound physics. It’s exactly how we get our images. He would be An ultrasound God, to explain physics to students in Laymans terms! I would love to speak with him! Amazing man, I’m so appreciative to have found this video!

[@InnerWorlds]

My entire life has been very strange. Much like Jason, I was punched in the back of the head, at around age 16, in a shopping mall. I also had multiple other suspected concussions but was never taken to the hospital for any of them. As a child, I was artistic and imaginative but did poorly in school and failed grade 10 science twice. I was not the least bit interested in science or mathematics. I developed social anxiety and panic attacks over the following years which persisted well into my thirties, as well as OCD, needing to repeat actions several times (again, much like Jason). However, at the same time, I began to see patterns everywhere. As part of this pattern recognition, I found I could identify people extremely well. In multiple ways. For example, when I first saw Alexander Siddig appear on television, I *knew* he was genetically related to Malcolm McDowell. Not just a vague thought but an extremely strong knowledge of it, which was odd considering they don't technically look that similar and are of different ethnicity. I later found that was correct. But a different way that ability expresses itself is that someone can simply describe a person, like a not well known actor, something about their traits and body language and I can quickly figure out who they are. I later learned that at least part of this is probably what is now called being a "super-recognizer". The other part is my analytical ability. Around the time my anxiety surfaced, a couple of years after my last probable brain injury, I began suffering migraines with visual aura. It was unsettling because as someone brought up in a religious environment, here I was seeing something very obviously mathematical and even dare I say digital in nature, right in my very own field of vision. Several times since then I saw various types of patterns and became increasingly interested in the nature of consciousness, and the relevance of math to all of it while maintaining my spiritual inclinations. In 2010 during a fever, the universe and everything in existence was revealed to me as math. A full grasp of what I saw eluded me as the experience ended, but again it increased my interest quite markedly. What's more is, it was not just the math itself but there was a consciousness separate from myself that was showing me all of it. Over my adult life I found myself interested in so many things I have lost count, and realized that I could become adept at whatever I set my mind to do. But as soon as I began to master it, I'd easily lose interest and move on to the next thing. If I tried to focus the ability into a professional career, the business side of it would kill it for me. It led me to think of myself as lazy and incapable, and broken. I angered many people. Sometimes I think of myself as probably one of the most prolific multi-discipline people out there who have accomplished very little of note. My abilities have seemed more a curse than a blessing until fairly recently because I never got that guidance or anyone to bring out the best in me. I always had to self diagnose what I was doing wrong and course correct myself. As a result I've learned a great deal about how the body and mind work and use what I've learned plus my original artistic and language skills to try to help people understand common issues in novel ways. I strongly connect to savantism and synesthesia without being able to say for certain that I have either of these things or even "autism" for that matter; most see me as a normal, but mildly anxious and shy person and as a result I've never been tested for anything. Not that I think I'd qualify - the most maddening part of it is that I cannot even reliably access all of it due to the lingering side effects of these brain injuries. Chronic brain fog / slow thinking / bad memory, you name it. But this is not a sob story nor proclamation that I am anything special. What I would actually like to say is that I am fairly certain that there are thousands of others like myself out there, with some far above average abilities and unique ways of experiencing the world, perhaps gained via accident etc but nonetheless doomed to mediocrity because in a sense, due to all the competing factors in most of our lives it is somewhat of a "zero sum game". Only the most stubborn of us will manage to rise above the noise to truly make something of these unique gifts. And *that* is the moment it can become special.

[@okhstorm]

Thank you for sharing with us!

[@benfaulkner1979]

if you have not already you really need to try some magic mushrooms

[@InnerWorlds]

@@benfaulkner1979 totally did five years ago.

[@benfaulkner1979]

Inner Worlds and did you find that there were similarities between the 2 experiences?

[@InnerWorlds]

@@benfaulkner1979 well I covered a few experiences there but I'll assume you're referring to the near death experience. Yes I felt as though I made contact with a consciousness external to myself during the shroom trip. I was also able to empathically connect with people close to me and realize their thoughts. It was a very difficult experience and I'd even classify it as a bad trip but it left me changed forever in a good way despite that.

[@rennyotolinna2863]

It is a bit disappointing that this channel replicates information that is not scientifically proven, following these cases of 'social engineering' and lack of rigor. All of this has all the hallmarks of being a fraud. It is only based on the stories of this person, who claims to do many things that are not known to be or are anywhere, except for some drawings that are interesting but nothing out of the ordinary, other artists have done something similar and larger with help or not of computer programs. about his sudden conversion, we only have his testimony that he was a 'jock' (I term in English for people only interested in physical exercise and sports with little interest in using the mind) but nothing to indicate that he was retarded or differently less than his state current. What the blow or the trauma of having received if he may have changed is his personality, being a traumatic event, but nothing that indicates an increase in intelligence or a special perception that he did not already have previously... It is common for news agencies and those who collect them, from newscasts, commentators to youtubers or streamers, echo without even verifying, but they feel interesting commenting on it or just want to have the news of the day to have something to publish or something to say. In fact, there are no works by this person to say that he is a mathematical genius, or investigations, publications in specialized magazines, everything is based on his stories talking about someone else or as a researcher of the phenomenon (savant) that is attributed to him, it has been referred to him or analysis of tomographies of his brain after the trauma, which is common in patients with similar conditions but NOTHING more specifically. Therefore, it seems that we have to accept yes or yes that this is real only for anecdotes. There is a case in Spain, in which a young man posed as important people and even a member of the Spanish 'secret service' or 'FBI' (CNI) with his personality and verbiage, without any of his statements being true, Nicolás Gómez Iglesias, Called by the press as 'Little Nicolás' who posed as a royal adviser, attended important events and swindled large amounts of money as a result of his dealings, a whole real-life soap opera, he was even tried and convicted of fraud. In this case, without saying that this person cannot make the beautiful drawings that he does, it cannot be said that he is a genius either because where is his genius? Where is your genius math work captured? It's more of an 'emperor's new clothes' case (where people don't see the wonders it claims to do, but don't dare say otherwise).

[@user-pp8xq7wr5p]

Rest in Peace, Mr. Treffert.

[@JASONQUANTUM1]

He was an amazing man with a kind soul. He helped so many people and changed their lives for the better. I will never forget him.

[@19battlehill]

Funny that Isaac Newton is given credit for creating Calculus -- in reality everyone has this programmed in their brain software they just aren't able to access it and Newton had access -- so did he really invent calculus or is something God gave all human beings. The human brain is the most sophisticated computer in existence and WATER is to it as silicon is to a computer. Silicon has limited surfaces - whereas water has endless ones.

[@PalmdalesAdonis]

They are able to access it but in the traditional way which is studying, this guy uses a different easier method to access this he sees math in a different way but the ordinary person will have to study hard everyday

[@michaelpage1030]

I had a severe cramp in my hamstring & I passed out & grazed my head on the bed post. I was probably out no more than 30 seconds. But I had this incredible experience that all at once I had command of all this infinite knowledge. I remember thinking how incredible it was actually grasping all the knowledge in the universe. Just seeing formulas, etc, & how amazed I was having that information. Incredible experience.

[@nicklechner4158]

i had a traumatic brain injury as well and have released a music album and going to school for astronomy!! keep it up!!

[@aek12]

Can you share your story?

[@ilianavazquez3135]

Omg i am floored. I had a few same experiences!!!! I saw things and I couldn't even explain them it was so overwhelming I'm in tears right now

[@peneleapai]

*and... ??!!!* ... what happened since ?? Hope you are feeling Good 💖

[@Karim-ik5ij]

If some one has a math test coming up, I have a boxing match coming up and am getting tired of my punching bag.

[@SkyeRangerNick]

Here is an experiment one can do; easier today because we have such amazing tech. This plays on the sound perception Jason gives in the example at the end of the above video. (Yes, I know that I am writing to a video that was posted almost 8 years ago.) In a small circular automobile race track, one can set up 100 sound detectors on the wall encircling the actual track. The sound detectors can be set to record pitch and volume; making a continuous record at standard intervals of time onto computer memory. Have an automobile race around the track at a constant speed while the sound detectors are recording sound. When these records from the 100 devices are plotted together, we would see the results Jason describes in his example in the video.

[@LordMondegrene]

This happened to me in 2006, but my new abilities are not in math, or art.

[@neilcreamer8207]

There's a lot of popular ideology behind the idea that the brain is like a computer running software. If you look at the history of ideas, it's clear that this is just the latest iteration of us trying to explain the world in terms of our newest technology. If you take a wider view and compare what happened in cases like Jason's brain trauma with other, more transient instances where brain capacity is changed, like through meditation, psychedelics, near death, hypoxia, etc., it seems more plausible that 'normal' brain function acts to limit us to a 'normal' human experience. This implies that we are somehow less than we could be. I think the more important question is not how we can release the hidden potential but what possible advantage there could be in the limitations since we presumably evolved to be the way we are.

[@Jefferdaughter]

It has long been speculated that we train ourselves not to see, not to sense, not to be aware of so much around us - so that we are not distracted from the 'normal' state of awareness, the state that we have all decided to agree upon as 'reality'.

[@jperry9488]

I had a surgery that cut open my head, but I have now been seeing and saying things like Jason, it’s weird, I feel as though I’ve lived this before

[@pelecranileboi9011]

Describe it more

[@blackpeppericecream]

Can I have the same gang to beat me up too?

[@mygirldarby]

Since this happens when an area of the brain is damaged, it seems like the brain is some kind of limiter or a filter that keeps us from experiencing things like Jason does.

[@rockroll7649]

Jason's pattern recognition skills could make him a very rich futures trader, assuming he also has a good amount of self-discipline and can sustain concentration.

[@CharlesDeMar]

Jason is a gifted, brilliant teacher. About 54 minutes into the discussion his explanation of infinity starts to sound like theology.

[@AVs4Lyfe]

Thank you Jason I just found out I'm a savant yesterday

[@DianadeAvila]

Thank you Dr. Treffert. Appreciate being in contact with you and seeing Jason's story and your great explanation.

[@victorholmlund6480]

we would travel with the speed of light in 2 years if everyone is like him

[@britneytezino3187]

Awesome interview Anthropology student and a Autism mom of 3 and a Geometer / non linear 😊

[@robertwhiteley-yv1sy]

He is experiencing a right hemisphere deficit. He is perceiving the world as the left hemisphere sees it, not actually how it is.

[@anaoha999]

please teach me math , i need to see to understand

[@michaelherweg7421]

I like his shirt

[@ImanGibbons]

my favorite is cherry!

[@britneytezino3187]

Switching are paradigms from linear to nonlinear

[@nickidaisydandelion4044]

This shows us that our existence is not what we thought it was according to school science. This case in particular is an insight into the infinite headset realities on top of headset realities.

[@Teeko253]

So he’s from Tacoma. Nice

[@terencewinters2154]

Or a religious experience

[@britneytezino3187]

SpaceTime curvature

[@pillettadoinswartsh4974]

It's all contained in the universal consciousness, which we all have different receivers for (nervous systems, brains). We tend to think information is only learned. But if that was true, how did the first teacher learn it? New ideas all come from this. Think of your brain as a kind of antenna for information. This information is transmitted from universal consciousness to your own personal consciousness. Or...................it isn't. Animal and plant consciousness is included here also. And then a disease or a brain injury initiates dormant brain matter, OR different parts of the brain begin communicating with each other, when they never had before. Meditation is another way. When a brain is "re-wired," it begins to download information from this consciousness, useful to its newly acquired brain functionality. It's happened to me more than once. And I've read about others too. They also tend to call it a "download" of information or even wisdom.

[@kyawswehan]

I can see how west focus is too much on external world. Topic about consciousness is less then a few seconds. Such ability is side track of meditation in the east. However, target and purpose of meditation is never about external physical world. Thus they bypass all those art, music, and maths.

[@chuckmaddox6725]

I'm sorry but someone with agoraphobia would never go to a mall for Subway...much less stay there and eat it

[@mhoward231]

Love the t-shirt.

[@mares3841]

Functional MRI results were statistically significant...

[@nervous711]

19:25 Please tell me like constantly... I really need someone to binge me with this kind of enlightenment...

[@susanralph274]

this proves that even God gets bored

[@nervous711]

Where can I find the movie adaptation mentioned in this conversation?

[@unemployed452]

Real spiderman 🙏🙏

[@katesisco]

When I was 3 I fell out of a moving car and who knows? Is my art talent the result? I seems to see the 'big picture ' of issues which is not helpful in social settings as I'm perceived as 'know it all' and 'smart alecy' and hard to get along with. Do I mind having to add my numbers in soduku? Yes. But I would rather have the big picture.

[@em13thirteen]

He can see the matrix

[@-Datboijj-]

THIS WILL BE ME THE FIRST SAVREN!!!

[@susannes2806]

What about brain development in utero?

[@ccsnd77]

I Ate Sigma Pie

[@rasheedahladd6044]

Wow!!!

[@southernbreeze3278]

Is there any evidence of his being a savant? Straight A's in advanced math classes? Deriving previously unknown math equations or discovering new applications for known equations? Advanced understanding of theoretical physics? i.e., anything more than just drawing fractiles?

[@quranissuccess6141]

No, because the guy is a sham. Even though he drew fractals, even didn’t realize it until another university professor (who actually knows math unlike this hack) pointed it out. At this point, all this guy is doing is throwing the word genius around and drawing shapes

[@Name-oz4lq]

There’s a whole lot of evidence & research on this guy. I would suggest looking into his story more, you know, before you go blurting out ridiculous opinions.

[@veloxlupus303]

After over a decade of being a “genius” he has still not produced ANY original research in mathematics or physics. No publications, nothing. Why? Even normal people get to do original research within 6 years of starting to learn mathematics. But Jason has nothing after much longer than that. Why? Because he is a fraud.

[@eatplaylaugh3019]

Velox Lupus What are you talking about? You said 'even nornal people start doing original research within 6 years of studying math'?? Who are these normal people who are apparently doing this ground breaking research? And Ive never heard him describe himself as a genius some media channels have called him that what he really is, is a savant specifically a sudden savant. The injury he had lead to this development of math prowess, the drawings where just the begining. Maybe he will discover something new in math or maybe he wont. Why people are interested in his story is in how his worldview and whole personality changed after the brain injury and his new sudden talent and interest in math. It makes many people think about what this says about the nature vervus nurture debate because his injury rewired some parts of his brain to make him understand math much easier when he just knew some algebra before. Have you really done the research on him for you to discredit him so easily?

[@veloxlupus303]

@@eatplaylaugh3019 1. I never said “ground-breaking research”. Just original research. University students start doing something original within their masters, which in the UK comes in your 4th year of study. Expert level research comes in the PhD, which is within the approx 6 year mark. Im currently doing a masters in theoretical physics, and I already did some original work with a supervisor. So yeah; the “normal people” are pretty much all people studying mathematics/physics. 2. He does describe himself as a genius. Literally, his OWN BOOK is called “Struck by Genius”. Its in the title. 3. I did do all the research that I could (other than reading his book since I couldn’t find it in the library and Im not going to buy it off from him. If I see it somewhere I will give it a look). There frankly isn’t that much out there on him other than repetitive articles claiming him to be a genius without proof. 4. After 17+ years, Padgett has not published a SINGLE paper. NOTHING. Not a single mathematical proof/theorem/anything. 5. In mathematics, ones skill is determined by what one can prove or derive not by unsubstantiated claims. Padgett has only claimed to be a mathematical savant. But the fact that he has not published a single paper is proof of his lack of mathematical skill/interest. 6. Drawing pretty pictures is absolutely meaningless to mathematics. Any serious mathematician can see this. Again, compare it to Feynman diagrams, which are pictures, but with precise mathematical meaning. His artwork has none of this. 7. Again, I do want to stress: he has not published anything mathematical or show any skill. Compare him to someone like Terence Tao. That guy is a genuine genius who has been prolifically publishing results continuously. Even before he published this, he had a amazing problem solving skill in mathematical competitions. Padgett has shown nothing. No research, no problem solving skills, nothing.