Mind and Body

Mind and Body

Since the first awareness of self, the relationship of the mind and the body has been an ongoing problem for the human race. The first part of the problem is the mind and consciousness

and its domain. Second, how does the mind and consciousness relate to the physical body? Thirdly, does the mind exist independently of the central nervous system and thus function on a non-physical level.

Mind and Consciousness

According to C.J. Goodwin (2005), Gustav Fechner (1801-1889) held the belief the universe had a kind of consciousness that was over and above the consciousness of individual life and that with death an organism's consciousness would join this cosmic consciousness (p.105).

The above paragraph is an assertion that empirical psychology is unable to prove at this time. The reason of course is that scientific testing on such a theory is extremely difficult if not downright impossible. However, this difficulty is also apparent in studying the mind and consciousness within the human body. Consciousness or awareness is a subjective belief dependant on the interpretation of an organism in relation to sensory perception. Human beings have similar consciousness but proving this is exactly the same consciousness is a difficult thing to test. The mind interprets reality with a myriad amount of information from experience and thresholds of feeling. A newborn infant has been defined by some psychologists in history as a blank slate however, we now know that a fetus has consciousness and responds to sensory perceptions such as music or voice. The newborn may not know the idea of cold or have any experience of it yet responds to it with dislike probably because it knows and is accustomed to warmth.

The mind and the body seem to be like two entities whose purpose is the protection of the other in order to experience a physical reality. The body delivers information through the nervous system, which the mind interprets to determine action. Likewise, the mind directs the body to fulfill its desires. These desires may be good or bad for the body and so we can determine that the mind is dominant in this relationship. Both entities have the common goal of survival; however, this goal may come into conflict with the minds desires. The mind often seems to want as much pleasure as the body can deliver, however wisdom comes from the signals the body sends that too much of a good thing can permanently damage the body and limit the amount of pleasurable sensory perception.

The symbiosis of body and mind lends credit to Gustav Fechner's claim that the mind and the body are two parts of the same reality and function in two ways to perceive the same thing (Goodwin, 2005, p. 105). The common idea of thinking is the consciousness mind is a non-sleeping experience. If this is true then the question of where the conscious mind goes during sleep is relevant. Certainly, the conscious mind is at rest during sleep since awareness of the environment is minimal or non-existent. Last night, this writer was dreaming when suddenly during the dream the pain of heartburn came. The writer was looking in the dream for relief from something to drink. The frustration of not being able to drink something caused consciousness and the writer found the pain was real. This means the body can contact the unconscious mind when the need arises.

The Independent Mind

The American clinical physician Larry Dossey (1989) claims,

"There is good evidence that the mind cannot be localized. It displays its nonlocal character in a million ways, showing us that it is free in space and time, that it bridges consciousness between persons, and that it does not die with the body (Dossey, 1989 as cited by Ikeda, 2001)."

Dossey (1989) (Dossey, as cited by Ikeda, 2001) goes on to explain if the nonlocal mind is a truth and humanity believed it to be so then it would lead to a new moral structure in society and to a possibility of a change in the insane way we act towards each other. If the mind is free of material restrictions then there is no isolation from each other.

This writer believes the independent mind is true and that science... specifically psychology is on the verge of proving it. If a mind knows itself, it might use the body in the correct way. The key to knowing the mind lies in higher levels of consciousness than the tool the brain is capable of reaching. The quest of psychology is to prove the nonlocal mind is a fact and find the methods to access higher states of consciousness and know ourselves.

The proof of a mind independent of the central nervous system through empirical psychology is slowly emerging yet is still a proof that is through belief or a kind of faith. The clearest proof resides in the intelligence of insentient beings such as plants. Independent of a central nervous system plants learn and adapt to the environment. This is proof of a mind or awareness that exists beyond physical feeling.

Conclusion

The mind and consciousness work in symbiosis to survive and allow the mind to experience and fulfill desires. The realm of the mind and conscious mind is the physical world of sensory perception. The proof of a mind independent of the central nervous system is emerging from empirical science. Insentient beings are the clearest proof of a mind independent of a central nervous system. Clearly, the study of the mind and consciousness is in its infant stages but with time, the secrets will emerge and a new age for human beings will begin.

References

Goodwin, C. J. (2005). A history of modern psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Ikeda, D. (2001). The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra a Discussion, (Vol. 3, Chap. 11-15) World Tribune Press.