Ever since the dawn of time, man has striven to understand his own mind, his thoughts, his emotions, and especially, his dreams. I share in this exploratory mission, and have in such an exploration stumbled upon a rather curious thought:
The "Brain" and the "Mind" seem to be separate entities all to themselves, while still being unquestionably linked together.
Is this the case, though? Can it be possible to be one, and also separate? Do they even intermingle at all? Is one dominant over the other? Are they equal to one another? The answers to these questions I will attempt to find as we go along. A daunting task for a mere mortal such as myself, but I shall continue, in earnest, to try.
Can two things be One and also separate?
First things first, can it be possible to be intrinsically linked together as "One" and also be separate from one another, each being "One" individually? We must find the answer, I think, in a simpler example and then see if it applies to the more complex. I would like to present the idea of a human hand to you, and myself. "One" hand is comprised of many smaller parts, each part comprised of other, even smaller parts, so on, so forth. Can we say that the "One" hand is a single unit all to itself? I think we can assert that as a truth. The one hand encompasses within it's Being all the smaller parts of the whole, and I think this as well can be asserted as a truth. The one hand has smaller parts, as we've already established, comprising it's whole. Fingers, for example - four of them, and one thumb - comprise a set of smaller pieces of the whole one hand.
Is each finger a "One", all to it's own, and able to stand alone? I would have to say yes, because a finger is still a finger if it is cut off the whole one hand and lay separate from the whole. It is recognizable as a finger, and is known to be a finger, whether it's attached to the one hand or it's not. Can the finger perform a function without the hand, though? I would have to absolutely say no to this, because without the hand's ligaments and the muscles within it to move the finger to perform any kind of function, the finger is useless. It maintains the appearance of a finger only, but cannot perform the function of a working, operational finger.
Likewise, without the finger, the hand cannot function properly. It requires all it's smaller parts of the whole to perform as the one hand. Afterall, a hand without fingers is not really a hand, as we can understand a hand to be - it is an incomplete mass of flesh which has no function or quality to it. With all the ligaments and muscles it has within it, the hand cannot use those ligaments and muscles to grasp an object without fingers with which to do so. It is still recognizable as a hand, but without it's fingers it is useless.
So let's take this example and slap it onto the ideas of Brain and Mind, shall we?
I would suggest that for this example, we understand that the Mind is the whole, which has many parts within it with which to function properly. It is, in essence, the Hand. The Brain, likewise, is a part of the whole, and is for this example akin to the fingers and thumb.
Taking the above example, and applying it here, we can easily say that "One" Mind is comprised of many parts making up it's whole, including the "One" Brain. Taking the Brain first, we can understand now, rather easily, that it is a separate entity, recognizable as a Brain with of without the Mind attached. A Mortician would be able to tell you this were true, as a corpse's Brain can be observed as a Brain, simply inactive. It is recognizable, but cannot possibly function on it's own separate, without being connected to the Mind. It cannot perform any function, or serve any purpose detached.
Likewise, the Mind must follow suit in the example above, and be understood to be a Mind even as the Brain is taken from it. It would appear as a Mind, be able to be recognized, but couldn't function properly without the Brain being a part to it. Without the Brain, the Mind would be a shadow of it's former self, in this view, and while still able to Be, wouldn't be able to perform any remarkable function, or serve any purpose anywhere near what it could while having all it's parts intact. Just as a Hand without Fingers could serve a small purpose - possibly by being something to lean on, or push open a door with - the mind in this capacity couldn't perform it's originally designed function, and be MUCH less useful in this state.
Do the Mind and the Brain intermingle at all?
I believe by using the above examples, we can assuredly agree that the Mind and the Brain do, in fact, intermingle with one another intimately. They are both separate entities, as we found, but are intrinsically connected to one another to the point which without one, the other would suffer tremendously. This question has been answered to my satisfaction by the examples above, and I hope to yours as well - if not, find the comment box below!
Is the Mind or the Brain dominant over the other?
Again using the example already supposed above, I can say at this point that this question becomes rather clear to me. The Brain, while being an integral part of the whole Mind, cannot even exist other than in appearance on it's own, much like the Finger - it simply dies apart from the Hand. Thus is the fate of the Brain - when separated from the whole of the Mind, it simply dies, and cannot live on by itself. It cannot stand alone and perform any function whatsoever.
The Mind, however, seems to have the ability to survive and function - even on a much more limited scale - on it's own separate from the Brain. Much like the Hand would live on, but be simply crippled, without the Fingers, the Mind would seem able to survive in some form without the Brain at all. It's abilities would be severely lacking, and desperately wanting, but it would survive - I believe - and continue on in whatever state it's left in.
Conclusion:
The Mind seems to be the encompassing "One" to the whole between itself and the Brain, and the Brain merely a smaller, but sufficiently important, part of that whole. The Brain, while intrinsically connected to the Mind, is not required for the Mind's survival, but is necessary for the Mind, as a whole, to function properly and serve an expected purpose.
Thanks for reading, and I hope your BRAIN doesn't hurt, like mine does right now ;)
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