What is Mind?

[Alex_G]

As far as conciousness is concerned, one theory or interpretation i have created is that at the point of death, your conciousness slowly converges to zero. So as death sets in, and hypoxic damage to the brain starts, your sense of time and ur surroundings for example start to slow. Due to the stresses of death, the brain will start firing random synapses which would account for the 'life flashing before your eyes' phenomenon. This can be compared to the nervous response to huge fear, where the classic and un-intentional urination occurs. With these 2 concepts in mind, i can create a realistic situation of heaven and hell, where as your brain function slows and converges to zero, alongside your flashbacks, u will effectivly life forever in your past experiences. (As far as the conciousness is concerened). This new dimention of existance lasting forever and yet ony for an instant, could be simply classed as a good or bad experience. In effect a version of heaven and hell as far as the person in question.

 

[yossarian22]

No need for that, thank you.

Oh come on...
Its just one itty bitty cut.

 

[djrez4]

Oh come on...
Its just one itty bitty cut.

What's in it for me? (other than a lifetime of emotional rollercoasters...)

 

[yossarian22]

What's in it for me? (other than a lifetime of emotional rollercoasters...)

Well, you'd never be alone.

 

[WhiteSeal]

I build computers, and have studied the physical aspects of the brain. To me, the computer and the brain are the same thing, the body being the power source to the brain. The soul is the operating system and BIOS, without which the hardware is useless. This makes sense because there is almost no explanation as to why the neurons and operons in the brain accept and produce electrical pulses to send down the nervous system other than something makes them. Thinking is the something, by the way.

Medial lobes are the hard drive, the cerebellum is the RAM, white matter pieces are buses of the different parts, wrinkles are lines of metal that transmit data, arteries and veins are metal that transmit electricity, the frontal lobe and sensory nerves are the GPU and keyboard/mouse inputs, the sound card is the optic nerve, the prefrontal cortex is the processor, and the subconscious is background processing between the hard drive and CPU. I probably missed some parts huh...
When you wipe a hard drive, data goes bye-bye, but you can still use the drive. I like to think that parts of the mind are recycled like that.

 

[Godfather89]

Mind is God; Mind Is Consciousness... Mind is external from Brain... And is at the same time integrated to the brain. The Mind and The Brain are opposites one being psycho spiritual the other being only physical. One is quicker than the speed of light the other much slower than light... Yet, we think in this society there one in the same... *sigh*

 

[logician]

The brain is the mind.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

The brain is the mind.

The mind can observe the brain.

 

[sandandfoam]

The brain is the mind.

Is it ?
Research strongly suggests a preparadness at birth for dealing with dynamic perceptual experiences.
This preparadness seems to me to be a component of mind, it's transmission is just one thing that suggests to me that mind is more than brain.

 

[Storm]

What is mind?

According to my beliefs, a segment of the spectrum of interaction between matter and consciousness. I believe that it's only partially based in the physical brain.

Is there any evidence for the notion that mind is separate from and not dependent on the brain?

Hard evidence? No. Why do I believe it then? Because it makes more sense with my other beliefs.

Why or why not?

We are currently unable to detect and measure consciousness.

 

[camanintx]

According to my beliefs, a segment of the spectrum of interaction between matter and consciousness.

What makes you think that consciousness exists separately from the material brain? Experiments would tend to suggest otherwise.

 

[Willamena]

What makes you think that consciousness exists separately from the material brain? Experiments would tend to suggest otherwise.

They don't have to exist separately to be able to interact. The only requirement is that they be two different things, as they obviously are.

 

[Storm]

What makes you think that consciousness exists separately from the material brain? Experiments would tend to suggest otherwise.

When you say "consciousness" are you asking about the human mind, or my concept of divine consciousness?

 

[DallasApple]

Well all I know is when I've lost my mind....I still had a brain or I woud have died.

Blessings

Dallas

 

[camanintx]

When you say "consciousness" are you asking about the human mind, or my concept of divine consciousness?

Either. Where is there any evidence that consciousness can exist separately from a material brain?

 

[Storm]

Either. Where is there any evidence that consciousness can exist separately from a material brain?

1) Human mind:
I don't believe it exists seperately from the brain. I believe that the brain is a vital element, just not the sole source.

2) Divine consciousness:
I admitted in my earlier post that there is no such evidence. It's my theological stance. Would you like to go into it further?

 

[camanintx]

1) Human mind:
I don't believe it exists seperately from the brain. I believe that the brain is a vital element, just not the sole source.

2) Divine consciousness:
I admitted in my earlier post that there is no such evidence. It's my theological stance. Would you like to go into it further?

If there is no evidence of a Devine Consciousness, then I don't see the point in arguing theological views.

 

[Storm]

Well, there's certainly no scientific evidence, and I don't pretend that there is. But I have a harder time believing that consciousness is an emergent property, myself.

 

[Troublemane]

As far as conciousness is concerned, one theory or interpretation i have created is that at the point of death, your conciousness slowly converges to zero. So as death sets in, and hypoxic damage to the brain starts, your sense of time and ur surroundings for example start to slow. Due to the stresses of death, the brain will start firing random synapses which would account for the 'life flashing before your eyes' phenomenon. This can be compared to the nervous response to huge fear, where the classic and un-intentional urination occurs. With these 2 concepts in mind, i can create a realistic situation of heaven and hell, where as your brain function slows and converges to zero, alongside your flashbacks, u will effectivly life forever in your past experiences. (As far as the conciousness is concerened). This new dimention of existance lasting forever and yet ony for an instant, could be simply classed as a good or bad experience. In effect a version of heaven and hell as far as the person in question.

Interesting rationalization of NDE data, which I note, you neglected to factor in the fact that NDE's frequently include an OBE, or "out of body" experience which cannot be accounted for using a purely "mind in brain" model. A far better theory would include this, and may also consider the effects of mind on actual, physical quantum-mechanical experiements.

My suggestion is the tunnel to "the light" is experienced due to the mind/energy body becoming detached from the physical body and approaching the speed of light. This would also account for the "life review" experience as (approaching lightspeed) time is "flattened" due to the Lorenz Transform.---Just a hypothesis, but one that takes into account OBE's as well as NDE's.

 

[Troublemane]

What makes you think that consciousness exists separately from the material brain? Experiments would tend to suggest otherwise.

There is the "observer effect" in quantum mechanics. Although this Wikipedia article is biased against the theory that mind influences matter, experiments attempting to prove a connection/disprove a connection are still inconclusive:
Observer effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Although the article posted above claims the famous 'schrodingers cat' paradox invalid due to the question needing to be phrased in quantum-mechanical terms, this is not a valid argument or disproof but is an amusing if not wholly ridiculous dodge.

There is no valid case for simply dismissing the mind/matter relation altogether due to Bell's Theorem, which predicts an inherent nonlocality to certain quantum interactions. These interactions are inherently nonlocal, and this has been tested many times. This nonlocality in nature suggests itself to many researchers as a place for investigation into the mind/matter connection.
Bell's theorem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nonlocality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The growing opinion of many is that there is a nonlocal 'field' (called mind) out of which energy/matter arise, but it may be a while before mainstream science accepts what mystics have known for centuries, that mind is the only true thing in the world, and that everything else is an illusion.

Another theory along these lines is of course Sheldrake's 'morphic fields'
Morphic field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia