What is a thought?

Question

Literally, biologically, physiologically (if that's the word), what is a thought?

Answer 1

It is the creation and storage of electro-chemical patterns in the brain tissue, caused by stimulation of the various senses of the body; taste, touch, sight, smell, hearing. It is enhanced by the various experiences we have had that have also been previously recorded supplying increased nuances.
This describes the recording of an experience.

A thought is brought about by the combinations of many different experiences which are then coalesced into a single part of many such combinations.

Directed thought is called creative thinking. Stringing together many such individual thoughts, to produce a desired outcome.

There are many different kinds of thought and thinking processes. Most of which are yet to be fully understood or even envisioned as thinking.

To try to put some of the methodology by which man creates thoughts are beyond the ability of the English language to describe.

To conceptualize a non-existant thing and put that into a written description or drawing is another of those things not yet understood either.

The following is the answer a friend of mine gave when I asked him.
"This is a very good question. Makes one think, ah create thoughts, ah memories, ah oh! crap I don't know!"

Answer 2

You have to allow your mind to pursue that question. Have you noticed how the brain answers in images and speaks inside you head? I see the bain as a human super computer that spews out thoughts and images if you OK it, An OK allows the images and words into your awareness or presence. it suggests the answer and further questions which you accept or reject and your response is recorded. If you continually igore that type of question the neurons tend to shift to the configurations that you have interest in. An image is across the whole brain and words come out of a certain section. Your yeses and noes allow enrgy to the question or not. Thoughts are words, but the brain thinks in images. How we see the pidtures and hear the words, I don't know. Images are compared for similarities and dissimilarities. Match and we feel good, normal, no match a sense of something wrong and get a message that we can block or not. It may not even get into the consciousness if you routinely block that type of mismatch say on certain subject the connection move somewhere else and the brain gets re-progammed with every new information to a degree. If you permit it, it can zero in on the particular part of the picture where there is a problem, no match, and it is another symbol, picture or dreamlike sequence within the image and you spot that flaw in that movie and the one in the next until you get down to the problem. It give the wording for the image and you can correct it and it's fixed the misinformation causing the mismatch. There is not much further interest unless your just interested in the procces so you move on. Your awareness, conscious or subconscious will scan the images coming at 24 frames a second, you awarness seems to have no speed limit and can explore and process images as fast as they come. I suppose we all have some similarities, but may be a liitle different with different wiring from different interests and information. I am more interested in the awareness. That seems to be the real you. You have a body and you have thought, but they don't seem to be you, but the awareness is. We sometimes identify ourself by our bodies and our thoughts, but the awareness sits back and watches the show. It seems to be universal in everything from a very low level to us. Sort of comes with the body. That' way they say body, mind and spirit. Maybe you could get your own take on how it all works. Two heads are better than one We could be out of our heads just observing in all in our halo. Yeh, that's it. Actually I suppose we do have some sort of electro magnetic field. Whether we us it for anything I don't know. That's over is psychic experiences.

Answer 3

Thought or thinking is a mental process which allows beings to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires. Words referring to similar concepts and processes include cognition, sentience, consciousness, idea, and imagination.

Thinking involves the cerebral manipulation of information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, reason and make decisions. Thinking is a higher cognitive function and the analysis of thinking processes is part of cognitive psychology.

The basic mechanics of the human brain reflect a process of pattern matching or rather recognition. In a "moment of reflection", new situations and new experiences are judged against recalled ones and judgements are made. In order to make these judgements, the intellect maintains present experience and sorts relevant past experience. It does this while keeping present and past experience distinct and separate. The intellect can mix, match, merge, sift, and sort concepts, perceptions, and experience. This process is called reasoning. Logic is the science of reasoning. The awareness of this process of reasoning is access consciousness (see philosopher Ned Block).

Thinking can be modeled by a field (like a mathematical representation of an electro-magnetic field, but with each point in the field representing a point of consciousness). Patterns are formed and judgements are made within the field. Some philosophers (panpsychists/panexperientialists - see wikibook on consciousness) believe the entire field is conscious in and of itself, a consciousness field. They say consciousness creates thinking, thinking and other brain processes do not create consciousness. Other scientists (for example Bernard Baars) think of it as a workspace. Some philosophers (for example Thomas Nagel) have said they do not have a clue as to how we are aware of our thinking.

A thought can be said to be whatever arises in the dualistic mind. A dualistic mind is one in which the one from which the thought arises considers himself to be separate from other forms. A thought may be an idea, an image, a sound, a smell, a touch or even an emotional feeling that arises from the brain.

Answer 4

Thought or thinking is a mental process which allows beings to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires. Words referring to similar concepts and processes include cognition, sentience, consciousness, idea, and imagination.

Thinking involves the cerebral manipulation of information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, reason and make decisions. Thinking is a higher cognitive function and the analysis of thinking processes is part of cognitive psychology.

The basic mechanics of the human brain reflect a process of pattern matching or rather recognition. In a "moment of reflection", new situations and new experiences are judged against recalled ones and judgements are made. In order to make these judgements, the intellect maintains present experience and sorts relevant past experience. It does this while keeping present and past experience distinct and separate. The intellect can mix, match, merge, sift, and sort concepts, perceptions, and experience. This process is called reasoning. Logic is the science of reasoning. The awareness of this process of reasoning is access consciousness (see philosopher Ned Block).

Thinking can be modeled by a field (like a mathematical representation of an electro-magnetic field, but with each point in the field representing a point of consciousness). Patterns are formed and judgements are made within the field. Some philosophers (panpsychists/panexperientialists - see wikibook on consciousness) believe the entire field is conscious in and of itself, a consciousness field. They say consciousness creates thinking, thinking and other brain processes do not create consciousness. Other scientists (for example Bernard Baars) think of it as a workspace. Some philosophers (for example Thomas Nagel) have said they do not have a clue as to how we are aware of our thinking.

A thought can be said to be whatever arises in the dualistic mind. A dualistic mind is one in which the one from which the thought arises considers himself to be separate from other forms. A thought may be an idea, an image, a sound, a smell, a touch or even an emotional feeling that arises from the brain.

Answer 5

Physiologically - idea: the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about; "it was not a good idea"; "the thought never entered my mind"

Literally - thinking: the process of using your mind to consider something carefully; "thinking always made him frown"; "she paused for thought"

Physiologically - the organized beliefs of a period or group or individual; "19th century thought"; "Darwinian thought"

Physiologically - opinion: a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty; "my opinion differs from yours"; "what are your thoughts on Joseph?"

Biologically - transfer of impulse in your brain that cause the above (idea, opinian, belief, and thinking.)

Answer 6

An electro-chemical process that takes place in the brain, A neuro-transmitter lets out a chemical compound that a specific neuro-receptor receives, and translates into a small portion of data, this happens very quickly in most people and with many cells at a time.

Answer 7

Thoughts come from feelings. Feelings come from master programs concerned with 3 things: Wanting love, wanting to control things or to change things, and the desire to keep ourselves secure. All wanting leads to not having. If we stay in the now moment, we would not think. We just would BE.We have @50,000 thoughts per day! Some people more. That's why we relegate most to the sub-conscious mind, where we don't have to see them. Our body runs on auto pilot, and most of our mind is the same. Email me for more info @ [e-mail].

Answer 8

AThought - Human being's defensive reaction to a vast mass of Nothing out there beyound the scull's boundary.

Answer 9

I dunno. I never had one.