A philisophical question

[KraziHare]

If i imagine my mind, am I thinking of my brain, or is my brain thinking of me?

[highawatha]

since your mind is more than just a brain....i think its your brain thinking of you and some of whats in your mind

[IGotTheCottons]

I think it's neither. I think your imagination lies within the relms of your mind, so if you imagine your mind, you're in-turn, imagining your imagination. Good question. That's my 2 cents on it for now... I will think about it more and maybe change my mind... or maybe my mind will change me?

[Sad Panda]

Originally posted by KraziHare
If i imagine my mind, am I thinking of my brain, or is my brain thinking of me?

I was going to just say, "Whoaaa...yeah man...totally! *toke*", but I think it'll be fun to see what this means if you break it down. Bear with me...I'm just making this up as I go along.

You have defined two entities: you, and your mind/brain. Your first premise is that these two things are separate, otherwise the two statements "I am thinking of my brain" and "My brain is thinking of me" would mean the same thing. So, the first question that must be resolved is: what is the relationship between you and your brain?

Let's look at two major interpretations of the thought process that would lead you to both of those conclusions. Then we'll see which premises lead you to either of those interpretations. Here's interpretation #1:

"You" could be meant to be defined as everything that, when put together in just the right way, forms YOU. This includes your mind, body, and spirit. And by spirit, I mean whatever the intangible quality is that differentiates You from someone else who just looks like you. So, when the entity of You acts, we can say it is a combination of your spirit prompting a thought to emerge from your mind, and then your mind potentially forming an action in your body. In this interpretation, your spirit acts as commander of body and mind.

The chain of command is spirit>mind>body.

So, "If I imagine my mind", what is going on? You, which is basically your spirit controlling your mind and body, is causing your mind to imagine itself. Thus the answer would be "I am thinking of my brain."

Interpretation #2:
There is no such thing as a spirit. A mind plus a body is all there is to a person, and two people with the same physical brain and physical body are the same person. So, the special quality that makes You different from someone who just looks like you is merely an illusion created by your physical brain. Basically, "spirit" is just a function of the mind. Then, when you want to act, your mind imagines your spirit, which controls the direction of your thoughts. Then your fictional "spirit" tells your mind to act, and the action is carried out by an order from your mind to your body.

The chain of command is: mind>(spirit)>mind>body

So, when you say, "If I am imagining my mind", what is happening? Your mind is imagining something (your spirit) which directs you to think of your mind again. But, in that scenario, your mind is the one imagining You. So the answer would be "My mind is imagining me."

What's the difference between the two answers? Well, it depends on what happens when you form a thought. Is your "spirit" directing the show and manipulating your Earthly body, or is your "spirit" merely an illusion caused by your mind?

Summary: If you believe your spirit is the cause of your thought process, you are probably inclined to believe You are thinking about your brain. If you believe your thought processes just happen, and your "spirit" is at best a creation of your imagination, you are probably inclined to believe Your brain is thinking about you.

Personally, I'm with the latter. My brain is thinking about me.

[Digit]

if you are imagining your mind, you are imagining your mind.

to me it really is as simple as that.


but as sad panda delved into, it really does depend on one's definitions of who or what defines "you" and "mind".

though i will add,
mind is not the same as brain. Your "brain" is the large internal organ in your cranium. Thinkers of all kinds have tried for millenia to pin down what exactly "mind" is.


"consciousness man!"





edit-
that first sentence could also read as:
if you are imagining your mind, your brain is imagining your mind.
or;
if you are imagining your mind, your mind imagining your mind.

[GLADIVS]

SOUL, SPIRIT, MIND, AND BRAIN

that's the way I see it




so in essense Your mind is "thinking" about your brain.

i think I just confused myself, hahaha

[Sad Panda]

Originally posted by Digit

though i will add,
mind is not the same as brain. Your "brain" is the large internal organ in your cranium. Thinkers of all kinds have tried for millenia to pin down what exactly "mind" is.

Good point. I guess I used "mind" and "brain" interchangably. I guess there are more interpretations of how the thought process works than just the two I mentioned. Meh, who knows. I'm just happy my stoned rambling makes any sense to anyone the next day!

[easy rider]

.. ...... to much for my brain to contemplate... ..... my brain is going to EXPLODE!!!!....

[KraziHare]

Originally posted by easy rider
.. ...... to much for my brain to contemplate... ..... my brain is going to EXPLODE!!!!....

That's what I was going for

[TheNightGoes90]

This discussion reminds me of Descartes' First Meditations. He proves a number of different truths using deductive logic after simplifying to as great an extent as possible the other variables that could call into question his conclusions. For instance, he uses a technique called "radical doubt" to question his own existence. In this particular discussion, he insists that it's impossible to know if we exist unless we can use deductive logic to come to such a conclusion. After determining that the physical world we observe is unimportant to his analysis of himself, he realizes that the simple fact that he has asked the question proves that he exists. You've probably heard the expression "Cogito ergo sum." Well, this is its source. "I think, therefore I am."

In relation to the discussion you guys have been having, he assumes that there is no difference between the concept of "I" and the entity that thinks (not the physical mind, but the force that compels it). Later, he continues this line of reasoning in such a way that it allows him to prove that God exists. The spiritual portion of Sad Panda's post contains some of the same ideas as his explanation.

Okay. Rambling as usual. I wish I could say that I'm high, but I haven't been able to find any for nearly a month now. It's a sad, sad world when you live in a big city like DC and know no one willing to hook you up.

I hope someone found that interesting, at least.

[thccrystals]

Your brain is your mind. Don't believe all the hype.

[TheNightGoes90]

Originally posted by thccrystals
Your brain is your mind. Don't believe all the hype.

You believe that the physical matter located within your head is the only thing required for your mind to function? I know that it would be impossible to think without it, but might there be another variable required for it to function as well?

[stoned_soldier]

next time i blaze i'll keep this in mind and i'll try to come up with an answer.. good question..

hey hey! it's 420!