Where is the mind?

Question

Before you answer, consider the fact that you cannot argue that the mind is inside your physical head. It so happens that the brain, the seat of our intelligence, is in the physical location. But what has that to do with the location of the mind?

Think about the question as well as your response before answering. Please provide justification for your opinions.

Answer 1

First of all, the nature of the question itself implies that the term 'mind' refers to something, and it implies that this thing that the word refers to is substantial. I would say that the question is misguided on both counts. I would make 2 claims:

1) Mental states do not REPRESENT a mind-independent reality.
2) There are, in reality, no substances, thus the mind cannot be a substance. Treating the mind like a substance leads to confusion.

On the subject of representationalism, I will just say this: Existence is a process. What we think of as ordinary conscious experiences partially constitute the process of existing. The feeling that the world is "out there" in such a way that objects in the world seem to exist completely independent of me is a very interesting and important form of delusion. The most powerful lies are those that have enough truth within them to be completely credible. The truth of our "the world is out there" feeling is that, yes, there are indeed vast realms of Being that are unknown to my ego-centered conscious experience. But being "unknown to" or "not experienced by" does not necessarily imply being "ontologically independent from". I am constituted by far more Being than I am ego-consciously aware of at any given moment, thus a great deal of the process-being that I am seems to be independent of me. This is just common, daily awareness of the world as "other" and it is fine so long as we don't try to take this ordinary daily experience as being "ultimate truth". In reality, nothing is truly independent of me. My limited conscious moment is just an ASPECT OF the world in the moment – not something that "represents" the world at a moment. Neural firing patterns in the brain do not "represent" an independent world, rather, they constitute the "worlding of the world" from one perspective within the process of "worlding". (Sorry for the odd terminology, but language is not very well designed to discuss these things. "Worlding" is just short for the process of Being as it experiences Itself in terms of determinate properties.)

On the question of substance: Philosophers use the word 'substance' to get at the idea of something that is "self-sustaining" and that endures through time despite changes to its accidental properties. If you think that the mind you have now is the same mind you had yesterday, then you are thinking of the mind as substantial, and you are probably identifying yourself with your mind. "I think, therefore I am" implies that without thoughts I do not exist. In a certain deep sense, this is true, but it is not really true when spoken from the perspective of ego-centered consciousness. There is more to your Being that just your ego-centered thoughts, so it turns out that all of your ego-centered thoughts can disappear, and yet "you" would still be the process-Being that you are. Your ego thinks it of itself as a substantial "essence" that survives from one moment to the next. This is your ego's delusion. Each moment of process is ontologically distinct from every other moment of process, so nothing of "substance" survives from one moment to the next. The ego-mind does not survive over time, but is created within each moment of Being. Our true "identity" is not in time or space at all. It is not a substance. It is not an individual soul. It has no location in either space or time.

So where is the mind? It is always "right here" in any given moment. Mind is the perspective of Being in any given moment.

Answer 2

Mind has its existence ONLY in its activity ....... the thought process !
We have legs, and most of us can walk too .. Now where is the walking ? Not in legs. When we stand still or sit, we still have legs but there is no walking... quite similarly (not exactly the same), there is a mind when we are in a thought(s) process .... when there are no thoughts (this happens very rarely and for an insignificant period of time), there is no mind (this no mind state is also more commonly referred to as "empty mind".... The Japanese employers, of late, have said to be looking for empty mind people as first preference, apart from qualification and/or experience !)
The whole of Indian spirituality focuses on an effort towards mastering the technique of making the mind still, or empty or no mind state.. The famous Patanjali Yoga Sutras describe 'Yoga' as cessation of mind also (in fact Yoga just means 'Union', and this Union takes place only when the mind is consciously calmed)
..
Nice question.. the additional details is very much indicative of the clarity about what is being asked about !! Good going... !

Answer 3

I just read a fascinating article in Time magazine all about the brain. Go to your local library and search out that issue from a few weeks ago. It will both answer your question and raise hundreds of new ones.

Answer 4

The location of my mind is in my brain. I know this because humans beings who have brain damage or chemical imbalances in their brains, have trouble using their minds. It can't get any clearer for me.

If I lose my arm, my mind works, if I lose a kidney, my mind still works, if a volcano erupts 100 miles from me, my mind still works. So it seem to me that my mind is in my brain.

Answer 5

Where is thought? Where is love? Where is joy? Where is the soul? All of these are pure energy that has no physical structure and are part of the eternal creative force the creates and sustains all.

Answer 6

i don't see why the mind cannot be inside the head, as mind is brain itself. take any action or manifestation of mind. u can see functional magentic resonance imaging (f-MRI) scan of the brain and u will see corresponding activities in corresponding regions of the brain. any other organ cannot show this correlation with mind.
QED.

Answer 7

it's an epiphenomenon of the brain, no more, no less.
one of the best sources for that viewpoint is a book called _consciousness_explained_ by a guy called daniel dennett.
500 pages of physiological and philosophical details and rationale.

Answer 8

In every cell of the body!
Organ transplant recipients have been found to take on beliefs, desires or thoughts of the donor.

Answer 9

It seems that you already have the answers set in your mind, wherever you think it is. Here you merely want to test our 'mental' prowess and prove the superiority of yours.

Too bad, we are not into wasting our time into such small indulgences.

Come back, when you really want to learn.

Answer 10

The mind can be many different places, it all depends where you want it to be, our minds wander all the time!