Brain vs. Mind

Is someone  being defined by their brain and its functions, or is it defined by something greater, such as the concept of the “mind?” I would say that, as far as we know, the brain’s functions are the only things that control what we do and feel. If that’s all that we currently know about the subject, then why would we venture to guess that there might be something supernatural? People do the same thing with deities by having no knowledge and still choosing to believe in them. It’s not that I’m saying that there is no way that the “mind” is what controls us, I’m just saying that since we have no knowledge of that concept being true, then we should stick with what we know and say that the brain is what defines us.

                There are those who say that the “mind” is what defines us because they feel that if the brain was all that there was to us, then our bodies would be all that we have and we wouldn’t have the possibility to live on after death. Humans long for the notion that we are more than just our physical selves and that there is part of us that is eternal in nature.

                The way I see it, people experience the world through the senses, and therefore are able to visualize this outside world in many ways. Since all we visually experience is the world around us, we begin to think of ourselves as detached to something like the brain. It is just this illusion that we are above our bodies that drives us to assume that we are something more than a series of biological functions. In the beginning of times, I would not object to this conflicting argument as much as I am doing now. That is because in today’s world we have been able to observe the brain and learn exactly why we experience what we experience.

                Some people have told me that there may be a “mind” deeper inside the brain that we just aren’t able to observe. However, even if this were the case, then the so-called mind would end up being something physical, just like the brain. Therefore, the only counterargument would be that there is a “mind” inside of us that does not physically exist, which is completely absurd.

                My argument is that literally every single experience that we have, whether it be an experience of pain or pleasure, is just our brains performing their everyday tasks. Some people like having the idea that there are certain feelings like “love” and “existentialism” that rank higher up than normal feeling, sometimes seeming supernatural. But when it comes down to it, love is just and instinctual feeling of connection with another human, most likely having to do with an extended time of connecting physically with someone.

                I will always hope that there could be something greater, but that is just a hope and I have no intention of forming belief system out of it.