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| Fundamental Components |
Fundamental Components
The conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the physical brain are basic components of your mind. Some would also add a dash of spirituality, but for our model that would only add complications without providing any compensating clarifications.
A definition of the mind
The human mind can be defined simply as the combination of the conscious and subconscious activities of the brain, along with the physical structure of the brain itself. Adding the physical brain to that definition of the mind lets us include the networks of neurons and synapses in the brain as well as the impulses travelling along those networks, and the neurotransmitters in the synaptic gaps at any given time.
Including neural impulses and neurotransmitters in the definition of mind may help to capture some of the ephemeral nature of the mind that is often associated with dualism.
Three components of your mind
The anatomy of the physical brain has been the subject of many investigations, but its structure is so complex and subtle that much still remains to be learned. Despite the complexity and the unknowns, a three level model of the physical brain was presented in section1.1 that consists of the hindbrain, the midbrain complex, and the forebrain. These three main components of the physical brain play a significant role in the models to be developed of the conscious mind (below) and the subconscious mind .
We all experience conscious and subconscious thoughts every day, yet investigations into the basic natures of the conscious and subconscious minds tend to be complex and controversial. The ambitious goal in this chapter is to follow a number of threads of thought that can be used to construct a model of the conscious mind.
Whatever the mind is, or does, there is little doubt that such activity occurs within the confines of the skull. Studies of brain injuries confirm that specific mental functions are lost when particular regions of the brain are damaged. Studies of brain functioning with MRI scans confirm that specific mental tasks result in more activity in particular regions of the brain. As long as you live, your brain is busy thinking and maintaining bodily functions.
The profound implication is that when we die, our brains cease to function, neural impulses grind to a halt. Our personal minds cease to exist, just as a computer program fades away when the power is switched off.
The conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the physical brain are basic components of your mind. Some would also add a dash of spirituality, but for our model that would only add complications without providing any compensating clarifications.
A definition of the mind
The human mind can be defined simply as the combination of the conscious and subconscious activities of the brain, along with the physical structure of the brain itself. Adding the physical brain to that definition of the mind lets us include the networks of neurons and synapses in the brain as well as the impulses travelling along those networks, and the neurotransmitters in the synaptic gaps at any given time.
Including neural impulses and neurotransmitters in the definition of mind may help to capture some of the ephemeral nature of the mind that is often associated with dualism.
Three components of your mind
The anatomy of the physical brain has been the subject of many investigations, but its structure is so complex and subtle that much still remains to be learned. Despite the complexity and the unknowns, a three level model of the physical brain was presented in section1.1 that consists of the hindbrain, the midbrain complex, and the forebrain. These three main components of the physical brain play a significant role in the models to be developed of the conscious mind (below) and the subconscious mind .
We all experience conscious and subconscious thoughts every day, yet investigations into the basic natures of the conscious and subconscious minds tend to be complex and controversial. The ambitious goal in this chapter is to follow a number of threads of thought that can be used to construct a model of the conscious mind.
Whatever the mind is, or does, there is little doubt that such activity occurs within the confines of the skull. Studies of brain injuries confirm that specific mental functions are lost when particular regions of the brain are damaged. Studies of brain functioning with MRI scans confirm that specific mental tasks result in more activity in particular regions of the brain. As long as you live, your brain is busy thinking and maintaining bodily functions.
The profound implication is that when we die, our brains cease to function, neural impulses grind to a halt. Our personal minds cease to exist, just as a computer program fades away when the power is switched off.
