INTRODUCTORY

 
 

Look again at the Necker Cube in the opening page and try to decide, unless you can fix it: "who has the upper hand, the mind or the brain?" --- as to why it can't be fixed in a unique position my simple idea is that each cerebral hemisphere wants the upper hand, but I could not switch one of them off to verify --- so, whatever my mind's powers the brain to this point has the upper hand since I can't stop the discontinuous transition of the image nor can I switch off one cerebral hemisphere with an act of will.

Hence how can I solve the riddle: "is the mind a product of the brain or, conversely, is the brain a product of the mind?" if incontrovertible evidence puts my mind on the loser's side?

Now look at another picture, look well at it several times and you will se quite many things in accordance with what your fantasy will suggest and that will be strictly subjective, that is to say taking place within the mind and modified by individual bias. Moreover, can you stop the small black dots jumping in the grid? Yes, with a small effort of will, maintaining the gaze steadily focused on a single white dot. Who has the upper hand now?

What is at stake here is to try to understand the complex feedback relation between the physical entity - the brain - and the immaterial entity - the mind. These are questions which can hardly be answered with certainty on the dissection table or with tiny electrodes picking up signals from living brains in the surgical room or specialized diagnostic equipments such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) which will display on a monitor the areas active in the brain in response to certain actions, events or even thoughts, however far neurological sciences have advanced in pinpointing selected brain areas and blotting down the results of the research and hence leave us still in the darkness. Quantum physics, solitons and string theory being introduced in the picture - in the fantastic brain/mind panorama - adds to its dimensions and simultaneously tells us that a perception of the painter's hand is still a long way off.

Being rather enamored with that mysterious entity, the mind and its fathomless marvels, my personal view is a tendency to view the brain as a product of the mind. The only real solution of the conundrum would be to see the complex mind-brain from the other side - that is, from the side of antimatter (taking for granted that the mind is immaterial!) - pinpointing and scanning the mind in the same wise as it is done for the brain in the tangible labs of our beautiful planet.

Let us consider these three propositions:

the brain as a product of the mind

to pick up the problem from the universe of antimatter

is the mind a preexisting entity genetically transmitted?

these concepts being an example of what is meant by mind-fodder.

However far we may get towards the knowledge of the brain what is of paramount interest - and the scope of this site - is getting to terms with our mind, to discover as much as possible about it and here the brain is undoubtedly the helping tool but the solution to the mind problem is deep within the mind itself and that is the path to follow with the help of rational and reasonable concepts and a good amount of introspection and analysis. Knowledge, well grounded and within acceptable standards, is both precious and a path to psychical well being and the words "psychical well being" are synonym of freedom from the world's tangles.

Feedback and contributed mind-fodder will be welcome and posted on the site in appropriate sections.