Generally, I would say that neuroscientists agree that mind "emerges" from brain. This mans that brain functioning alone is the basis of what we experience as "mind." The brain is comprised of neurons and glial cells whose interaction is extraordinarily complex (though, of course, we can use advanced technology to study their behavior). And just as organized phenomena like hurricanes or hail storms emerge from simpler elements and forces such as water, wind, gravity, the spinning of the earth, and so on, so does mind emerge from brain.
I know it sounds like "fudging" it to use the word "emerge." There is a "leap" or a "gap" there. But, mathematicians are working on theories to understand emergence since this is a property of all complex systems. I hope this explantion helps!
Going deeper (haha!): is it your impression, Barbara, as a neuropsychiatrist, that mind is something found "inside" the brain, or that our neurons are more like channels to receive "mind" which is nonlocal.
The metaphor I like for the latter our brain is like an antenna with receptors that are tuned to pick up the signal from a nearby radio station and filtered through our experiences both individually and as a collective.
I know this has been a controversial topic for millennia, and is still up for debate, but I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Generally, I would say that neuroscientists agree that mind "emerges" from brain. This mans that brain functioning alone is the basis of what we experience as "mind." The brain is comprised of neurons and glial cells whose interaction is extraordinarily complex (though, of course, we can use advanced technology to study their behavior). And just as organized phenomena like hurricanes or hail storms emerge from simpler elements and forces such as water, wind, gravity, the spinning of the earth, and so on, so does mind emerge from brain.
I know it sounds like "fudging" it to use the word "emerge." There is a "leap" or a "gap" there. But, mathematicians are working on theories to understand emergence since this is a property of all complex systems. I hope this explantion helps!
Interesting conversation.
Going deeper (haha!): is it your impression, Barbara, as a neuropsychiatrist, that mind is something found "inside" the brain, or that our neurons are more like channels to receive "mind" which is nonlocal.
The metaphor I like for the latter our brain is like an antenna with receptors that are tuned to pick up the signal from a nearby radio station and filtered through our experiences both individually and as a collective.
I know this has been a controversial topic for millennia, and is still up for debate, but I'd be interested in your thoughts.