"Out of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most" - Mark Twain -
When you hear the word "Mind", what do you think?
What do you believe your mind to be? Think about what you have learned at home, school, etc., regarding what is your mind, could you tell what it is or point to where it is located?
Do we have a mind, or are we a mind?
In short, what "comes to mind"? ;)
Since the dawn of humanity man has been intrigued by this concept. It has been the topic of different studies, investigations, books, movies, etc. Indeed, many philosophers, old and modern, teachers, scientific, religious men, spiritual leaders, and all who wondered about their nature and essence, have asked these questions.
Today, despite all contributions from science, we still know very little. Notwithstanding the rich heritage of ancient cultures containing their teachings and wisdom we inherited, we are still unsure. Oooh, the mind of man...!
From a Psychology perspective, the mind is a three-part "substance" consisting of three levels: Conscious, Subconscious, and Unconscious (or Superconscious, depending on who names them). It may be located somewhere in the brain... or maybe not; nobody knows for sure.
We know that the mind exists; however, no one has been able to identify what it is. In the same way, it is not possible to point at its location and whether it has physical characteristics. Nonetheless, we know that it is closely related to the brain, and it is through it how we can connect with our mind.
Exploring the mind-brain relationship
Science has shown that our brain vibrates at different speeds. The vibrations caused by the brain's electrical activity fluctuate between 0-4 at the Delta level and between 14-28 at the Beta level of the mind.
The brain is continually producing these waves; however, one of them is prevalent at any given time.
Our brain is in the Beta level of mind (around 14-28 cycles) while we are aware. Once we get into a relaxed or meditative state, the brain falls into Alpha (about 7-14 cycles). When the brainwaves descend to around 4-7 electrical pulses, we are at the Theta mindstate. Theta is a deeply relaxed state of mind, similar to light sleep or "drowsiness", as if between asleep and awake. Once the person falls into a deep sleep (almost 0-4 cycles), it is now at the Delta level.
In general, we know, somehow, when we access any of those four states of mind. However, when the brainwaves fluctuate between 40 and 5000 cycles, we are at the Gamma level of mind. The Gamma brainwaves participate in higher mental exercises, such as the learning processes. We are not always aware of being at the Gamma level of mind.
So, it is clear that the brain's electrical cycles are directly related to mind levels. What is not entirely clear is how that relationship happens or what exactly connects one to the other.
How much do we know about our mind?
We learned a lot about the mind's works, functions, what it does, and in many cases, how it does it, its effectiveness when applied, and its faithfulness to men's desires. However, these are all immaterial or virtual functions, if you will. Nonetheless, the mind's activities and levels can be measured through the brain's electrical cycles, which does not mean that the brain is the mind or vice-versa... What, and where is the mind then?
Nobody can point at its home or location, its shape, size, or physical attributes. Perhaps that is the only thing we know so far, that mind is not physical... unless it becomes.
Some theorized that the body is part of the mind and not the other way around. In other words, the mind is the home or container of the body, and in that case, the mind cannot be the brain. If this is so, why do we think that our brain contains our mind? Is it because we believe that the brain also is the one that thinks? However, for those who had an NDE (near-death experience), it is clear that the mind is not in the brain. They remember "seeing" their bodies while outside of it. Who (or what) saw the body? Who was thinking then, if the brain was still in the body and the person was disconnected from it?
All those are engaging and compelling questions that could take us to a fascinating discussion. There are virtually endless possibilities; however, there are not sure answers and not a clear understanding of what the mind is. We at Beyond Conventional Therapy believe in constant growth and learning, and shall continue this fascinating discussion...!
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