Sunday Special: Brain, Mind and Consciousness

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Study of mind and consciousness is often difficult due to the observed-observer dichotomy. Cartesian approach of dualism has been questioned by oriental schools of Yoga and Vedanta as well as the recent Quantum theory of modern physics.

Mind has not been clearly defined in Psychology. It is often considered as the software and an epi phenomenon of the body particularly the brain which is made of matter. Brain is considered as the seat of Mind. Neurobiological approach tries to explain the mind as a by-product of physio chemical processes involving billions of neurons in the human brain and its various components or functions consist in the thought processing, emotions, intelligence and awareness. Mind can, thus, be defined as collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior. The term Consciousness refers to one’s awareness of his unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations and environment.

Consciousness and Mind are two distinct entities though intimately interconnected, affect and interfere with their functions–cognitive and non-cognitive.  Neurobiological approach of elucidating the consciousness, suffers from various defects as that could define and quantity the same by way of certain parameters like levels of awareness, and could discuss consciousness in terms of its mechanism like a cerebral state characterized by electrochemical flow in certain groups of nerve cells like ‘reticular activating system- (RAS)’ However, it fails to explain the experiential aspects or the subjective state of being oneself or the “I” experience which everyone realizes in day to day life. But despite so much research going on, we still are not aware of neural mechanism underlying consciousness. We can only agree to believe that brain is a physiological component of the body and can be said to be the seat of mind and consciousness. The mechanism of the cognitive functioning of the mind is still unknown. 

But in oriental thinking body and mind have always been considered as an interconnected holistic system of two different manifestation of the same reality. The study of mind and consciousness through established scientific procedures of research are often difficult due to the observed (subject)& observer dichotomy.

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Datei:Descartes mind and body.gif

The root of the problem consists in the fact that most of the interpretations are based on the dualistic and reductionist approach of Rene Descartes who considered mind and matter (brain) as two different and distinct entities. This dichotomy puts limitation because the observer has to use the same faculty of mind to measure and analyze data related to another mind under observation. Thus, objectifying of the subjective experiences of another person can be erroneously imperfect and inaccurate when interpreted.

Behaviorists like Watson and Skinner described the existence of a conscious will. They described every behavior based on S-R (stimulus -response) theory. Sociocentric theory gave a lot of importance to social determinants of human behavior, discounting the ‘free- will’ in human behavior.

Cognitive schools adopted a different route focusing mainly on mental processes like memory, perception, imagery and thinking which were also influenced by extraneous factors such as culture, education, state of health etc. of individual (observed). But they failed to explain the nature of cognizer behind the process of cognition.It is the Humanist Existential Theories or Third Force Psychologies which revolutionized western thinking in recent years and accepted the concept of free will and its importance as a motivator of change. They gave importance to abstract concepts like empathy, love, altruism, truth and beauty. Theories of Carl Rogers, Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow, Eric Fromm and Roberto Assagioli were closer to the theories of oriental philosophies. Roger’s “empathy”, Maslow’s “self-actualization”, Fromm’s “ultimate union” and Assagioli’s “transcending the self to achieve higher self” are almost identical to what Oriental Philosophers consider as ‘Liberation, Moksha or Nirvana’. Upanishads, Brahma sutras, Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali’s Yog Sutras are the well-known treatises dealing with these issues in the Indian Sub-Continent over centuries.

Sage Patanjali, an ancient seer, had enunciated as early as 2nd century BC, the practical steps of such introspection in his 195  aphorisms popularly known as “Patanjali Yog Sutras ” wherein he maintains that the goal of human existence is liberation from this ephemeral world and exiting or liberating from the cycle of death and birth and attaining the central core of existence that is a transcendental state of ” Purush “.This is stated as a trans ego state going beyond the phenomenal world of ” ego” which is at the periphery of awareness.

Science as is known today is primarily based on the perceptual paradigm. Oriental Philosophies do not subscribe to the body -mind dichotomy because, in fact, these Philosophies consider mind and body as the basic aspect of the underlying reality of universal unitarity. Amalgamation of soul into super soul and attaining ‘Moksha or Nirvana’ is the ultimate goal described in various Vedantic texts where consciousness is described as a singular basic entity of the Soul or Atma but when manifested due to Avidya or false identification as- Self (Asmitha), assumes its pluralism–but here is “One” appearing as many due to only perceptional error: एकं सद् विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति। The Vedantic philosophy has considered Mind as the subtle form of matter imbued with Chit(Chetna) to acquire the ability to perceive and think. Consciousness, on the other hand, is considered finer than “mind matter “ which is all pervasive, omnipotent, omniscient and eternal. The ancient Seers or Rishis claim that such truth can only be revealed through intuitive research by diving deep into the Self in the process of absorption (Samadhi)

Swami Vivekanand considers body as an external crust of mind just as the oyster and its shell, appear they separate, but in actuality, are the same and inalienable for their existence. Mind & Body are both intertwined and mutually dependent on each other. When mind is disturbed, body too suffers and vice versa. Oriental Philosophies of mind, matter and spirituality often have been ridiculed as being esoteric, unscientific and not verifiable under rigorous standard of modern science. With new discoveries the limits of science have been pushed further and various phenomena, hitherto unexplained, are now tangible and intelligible. Who knew? some years back that we could ever fly but with the advancement in Aeronautics we have been able to set our feet on the moon.

Ability of human being to perceive or observe something lesser than most of the other species living on earth. We cannot see beyond the range of 400–800 nm or can hear not below 20hz and beyond 20000hz. But with the aid of various instruments and sophisticated techniques it would be possible to visualize the realm of unknown realty. On the same analogy one can safely assume that it may be possible some day for science to view the things happening in the mind too.

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Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mind-body dichotomy mentioned earlier is really problematic. Einstein’s theory of mass (matter)energy convertibility provided a base to visualize matter-energy as an inalienably interconnected singular reality, though under certain conditions they may show up as distinct entities. 

Quantum mechanics believes in particle -wave duality until an observer venture to see it. It means that a subatomic particle can co-exist as a particle and wave at the same time. Its position and speed are probabilistic not deterministic, as if subatomic particles seem to have their own mind and free will defying all other physical laws of perception. Similarly, neural activities going on in the mind seem to defy all known laws of science. Only law that prevails over there is the “Law of Uncertainty” which has been recognized as an intrinsic law of Nature which reigns supreme at the subtle level.

At that level duality (Dwait)or non-duality (Adwaita) is a meaningless concept, as all the physical and nonphysical stages of matter and energy are superimposed and intricately entangled at a particular point of time, but all of a sudden, probably under any weird Quantum mechanical conditions or under the spell of the Will (Ikshan) of an observer the veil of uncertainty slips down, and reality appears in the shape of a material particle. But how? and why? does it happen -nobody knows. Science helplessly succumbs to its limits.

 

 Author

Shri Chandra Mani Singh (C.M. Singh) is an Ex-Member, Public Service Commission, UP. He was born in 4 June,1949 in village Kaithi, Dist Varanasi, UP. He was graduated and post graduated in Science from Prayagraj University, Prayagaraj, UP. He joined Provincial Co-op Service in 1975. Worked in different capacities. Received 5 times Best Productivity Awards from National Productity Council, GOI and Jawaharlal Lal Nehru Excellent Award while working in State Warehousing Corporation, UP. He was retired in June,2011 from Public Service Commission, UP as Member.

Thereafter, he has been self-engaged in study of Vedas and Vedanta in the light of modern Scientific reasoning and thoughts and trying to delve out the deeper messages hidden in them. The books he wrote: Ved, Vigyan Avm Brahmand;  AdbhutBrahmand; AseemShristi ;Prithvi; Bharat Avm Vishwa Bhugol; Stephen Hawking: Anant Yatri

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