Mind vs. Brain: Are They The Same?

     Perspective. We all have one. Sometimes we don't think  we do until we actually think about certain things that gain a perspective. Such as, "Do I believe in heaven and hell?" "Where does behavior come from?" "What does a caterpillar turning into a butterfly symbolize?" And we can all take it literal and answer in scientific form. I know I have. But that has to do with the brain. Perspective is more to do with the mind set than anything. And here we are...Are the mind and the brain the same thing?

   The big howdy-do question. 

   We can prove we have a brain, hell there's pictures of what our brains look like. We can prove that behavior has some biological explanation. We can't prove that there is a heaven and hell. We can't prove that the caterpillar turning into a butterfly symbolizes anything. The last two are ideas based on faith and philosophy. We can't prove it, but we believe it. 

   How is the mind any different? The mind is often thought of as the brain. But it's also thought of as an organ of the brain. Which is true? Well, scientists don't know yet.  But that doesn't mean that we don't have an idea about it.

   Faith. A strong word, is it not? We have faith that there is a God. We have faith that there is heaven and hell. We have faith that there's purgatory. We have faith that there is Nirvana. We have faith that a caterpillar and butterfly symbolize something. We have faith that in other people....I could go on couldn't I? Everyone has faith in a certain something, religion, philosophy, morality etc. Faith is believing. 

   Maybe we believe that the mind and brain are two separate organs. Brain--we see it. Mind--we don't. So far. No one can see a thought in the brain...But obviously we have one! I believe that's what the mind is. The mind is where our thoughts come from, it's where we decide what to do or say. 

   Sure, the fore brain plays a large part in our emotion. But what processes and analyzes the emotions and how we decide to act on them? Maybe that's the mind...the mind which has a connection to the brain. Much like the left and right hemispheres of the brain are connected and work with each other.  So why couldn't it be that the mind and brain are two separate parts of humans that are connected?

   This is my perspective after a long period of thinking. But I want to hear everyone else's perspective as well.  Please, if you like, use the comment box to tell me and everyone else your perspective. After all, it's much like scientist forming a hypothesis. 

Fire In The Family

November 19, 2009



I'm sitting here thinking- What the hell do I write? I've had no inspiration to write in my blog lately. Except for the Twilight rant yesterday. Things have just been a blur the last few weeks. I'm going to my Aunt and Uncle's house tomorrow and can't wait. My Uncle Larry isn't exactly legal Uncle just yet, he will be once he marries my Aunt but I've known him since the 3rd grade, longer than my whole family has known him. So he's like an Uncle. My brother lives with my Aunt and Uncle because he's legally my Aunt's son but my Mom's biological son. My Aunt adopted him when he was little because my Mom needed help. It was weird when I first found out at 14 years old but it's worked out. He still calls my Aunt his Mom and my Mom his Aunt. People think it's weird. My best friend thinks I have a "Dr. Phil" life because of everything that happens t me. I just call it life's huge surprises.

Anyways, I love my Uncle Larry. He's one of the only people I'd trust with my life. Though I guess it helps that he's a Firefighter. I think he's nuts because he decided that's what he wants to do because I am terrified of fire. But he likes it as far as I can tell.

I think I've been afraid of fire since a house I'd lived in with my Mom and Ex step dad had caught on fire, somehow the fireplace did it. I'm not sure of the details. But I'm defiantly afraid of it. When I went to Universal Studios, we went to the Backdraft show. Now the end of the show was cruel for me because the whole thing caught fire, of course it as restrained (however they did that miracle) and it couldn't cause any damage or get out of control. But then I was on the last level and that level FELL! It didn't fall all the way down of course but enough to make me jump even when frozen with fear, teeth grinding, eyes wide and heart stopped. Not a good experience for me. And not one I'm likely to repeat. If you're over 60 and have high blood pressure or heart problems and you are terrified of fire like I am- I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! If you're not however, you might find it interesting.

Funny how thoughts travel huh? From sitting, to my Uncle Larry, to fire, to Universal Studios. I love the brain. It's a complex little mystery of life that I don't think science can explain most the time. Something or someone genius knew what s/he was doing when s/he made us Humans.