Do you believe the mind is material or immaterial?

Question

I guess the mind could be considered material because its caused/functions by/because of the brain but it could also be immaterial since my thoughts are not physical, hmmm what do you think?
Also, do you think the immaterial/metaphysical aspect of the mind is in a sense proof for the metaphysical world?
What causes the mind to come into existence? Humans or God?

Answer 1

I know that the mind is made of matter. Now if you had asked what the soul is made of, then I would answer that the soul is made of spirit. The saying is; " The mind is a vehicle for the soul". The mind is a bunch of neurons that act as a structure enableing the soul to control the body. The mind comes into existence as a result of sexual intercourse. The soul enters the body of its deserving by the will of God. The reason you can't remember your past lives is because memory is made possible by structures within the brain which develope as your brain does. When your soul transmigrates to another body, those structures are not there.

Answer 2

The human spirit is a powerhouse which generates life for the functioning of the human body.

Brain is an organ which controls the functioning of the physical body by sending and receiving "signals" from various parts of the body.

The mind is a storehouse of memories and thoughts. I would say the mind affects how the body including the brain functions. Thought patterns genereated by the mind have an impact on the body and the environment around us. The mind genereates various different such minute patterns, vibrations and waves each time we think.

At such the mind is material as the thought patterns, vibrations and waves have specific geometric patterns and colours associated to them although these are not visible or measurable to the human senses or scientific tools.

Answer 3

The Brain is the organ which is material.
The mind is that which is going on in the brain which is immaterial, but dependent entirely upon the material brain to manifest it.

The mind comes into existence because of the functionality and complexity of the brain.

Answer 4

A very good question. I'd like to answer from a Buddhist perspective if I may be so permitted.

To Buddhists, both are material. They exist to our perception and are the causation of "self". Yet all of the Parts are impermanent. To Buddhists, everything exists yet is impermanent.

It is the arising of "Self" within the Mind which is the focus of Buddhist Teaching. This is because to Buddhists the "Self" part of the Mind is the cause of our selfishness.

Thoughts, to Buddhists are very real as we see them controlling our Actions and we therefore see that we must be aware of these thought processes and understand them for a better way to think therefore a better way to Act. As for whether the existence of the Mind is proof of the Metaphysical or not is debateable. I don't contend to know the answer, perhaps other's may have better insight.

What causes the Mind to exist is the Arising of "Self", this is titled "Ignorance" to Buddhists but is not meant as being nasty or "bad", rather "without knowledge" or "untrained", perhaps even "unaware".

This is the Buddhist perspective, perhaps it can be used for useful comparison to the other responses.

Peace from a Buddhist...

Answer 5

Mind is incorporeal that manifests itself through the corporeal. The Bible says that God is a Spirit; therefore, God is the Cosmic Mind, to which we are attached. Our minds are an extension of the Mind that is God. The human brain is wired to allow the human mind to express itself in the physical word, that is the corporeal. When the brain is incorrectly wired at birth, or become incorrectly rewired after disease or a head injury, then the ability of the mind to express itself perfectly is hampered. This is what occurs with epilepsy, schizophrenia, dementia, and many psychiatric disorders. It is not the mind that has changed, but the vehicle through which the mind expresses itself---the brain. Drugs and alcohol are major contributors to the destruction of the pathways within the brain that can bring about changes in personality, which is the ability of the mind to express itself in a cognizant manner. Religious people will often incorrectly attribute the activity of demons to addictions and psychological disorders, when in fact it is brain damage that is cause the aberrant behavior.

Answer 6

I use the analogy of a hologram. When you have a hologram, it's a sheet of plastic that you shine a light through and get a 3D image. Your brain is like the plastic and your mind is like the image. Your brain is material, but your mind is basically just an illusion. It's part of the manifestation of the physical and chemical processes in your brain.

"Metaphysical" anything doesn't exist.

Answer 7

This is weere things can get confusing. I'm guessing when you say "mind" you mean the actual brain. .correct? If you meant he brain, well it has been proven that your thoughts are physical. Why? Because many neurotransmitters and neurohormones react everything you think and signals are sent throughout your body to prepare your body to do something. So thinking is physical.

God is why the mind is in existence.

Answer 8

The brain is material; the mind is immaterial.

Answer 9

The problem with the human brain is that it is very complex and incapable of self-understanding. This leads to such concepts as thought being something more than chemicals. Since we do not like to consider that thought has limitations, we try to fill in the gaps. It's easy to fall into this trap.

Answer 10

The mind is "mush," between most people's ears. What you are trying to relay is the philosophical aspects of how peoples behave toward materialism and those who behave who are NOT materialistic. Most of the persons who say they aren't materialistic in general are HYPOCRITES because in behavior it is generally these types that steal, beg, borrow or are the rich. That includes a wide spectrum of persons on earth, including the religious. Very FEW peoples have been NON-materialistic and they are REMEMBERED because for they were ODD, in a world that relishes in conquering, murder to name a few bad behaviors amongst the many used for gaining possessions. As for the existance of the mind thank mommy and daddy for that one. You try to phrase much of what you ask in a philosophical way and as one with 2 doctrates in it, I'd say to stick to the norm of just living a life of happiness and fulfillment and quit trying to ANALYZE everything..........