Does the 'mind' exist?

Question

Not the brain, but the 'mind'?

Answer 1

A useful analogy: the mind is the software, and the brain is the hardware. Our dna contains the code to produce our brains, thus minds too. Some people have high quality brains/minds while others dont. The interesting aspect of our mind is that it it far more maliable and subject to a whole range of enviromental and social factors, while the physical structure "brain" is only subject to factors such as nutrition.

The fact that you ask this question is proof of your mind. You can call it what you want, ego, conciousness, thoughts, etc., Mind is the sum of the brain, and it is the only part you can really "know". The most important functions of our body are automatic, and withheld from our mind so we can ask silly questions like, "Does mind exist?" :)

Answer 2

I think that many of those answering may be confusing mind with brain. Your brain is an amazing organ it controls our muscles, respiration, pulmonary function and a host of other lesser known functions, but it does not think.

Thought is a function of mind that exists independent of anything physical. What appears to be the brain thinking in brain function imaging and other brain measuring attempts is only blood flow being measured to the part of the brain that acts as an interface between the mind and the body. This is the secondary function of the brain after regulating bodily functions. It acts as the interface, or the mind body connection.

Without it there would be no way for the nonphysical mind to exert any control over the physical body.
It is interesting that science has done its best to overlook this fact for so long. The silly idea that thought is some magical function of some mysterious electrochemical reaction is so vague as to be hilarious. There are several ways to disprove this theory beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Being nonphysical in source your mind is in no way effected by the death of the body and loss of the mind body interface, or brain.

Love and blessings.
don

Answer 3

Descarte argued that the very act of thinking proves the existence of a mind, hence the phrase cogito ergo sum -I think therefore I am. However, this was disputed by many other philosophers chief among them arch-sceptic David Hume. He asserts that introspection only provides evidence for a stream of consciousness that could just be a bundle of thoughts rather than constituting a unified mind. Hume claims that when we say I am thinking of my dog the most we can mean is that a thought of my dog is occurring, as “I” does not really refer to anything in this case.

However, Hume’s objection is not conclusive. His bundle theory of thought runs into problems when simultaneous thoughts are considered and how to place these thoughts into the same bundle. To distinguish and identify particular mental states to place them into bundles would require us to first distinguish between who possesses them, which would appear to indicate that we have minds. It seems that we cannot conceive particular mental states independently of particular persons so they must have particular minds.

Sorry if the tone seems a bit formal for Yahoo Answers, I've taken most of this from a philosophy essay I had to write for university.

Answer 4

The mind is a conscious part of the body sensitive to the needs of the whole body. So, yes the mind does exist.

Answer 5

no. our thoughts and feelings are portrayed to belong to our 'mind' which is really just neurons traveling around our bodies and carrying hormones and to our brains. every animal has the ability to think, but we dont usually do around thinking that an animal has a complex mind like us. the mind does not really exist, it is just a term used to describe our thoughts and emotions which still exist in our physical brain.

Answer 6

There is no reason that the brain and the mind cannot be the same thing. Perhaps the brain is a physical manisfestation of our mind.

Answer 7

i exist then my mind exists.
the brain is the organ you see in medical books , and which can be operated on.
the mind of a human exists from the moment he is out of the womb and he cries to announce the birth of mind.his consciousness records everything he comes across either in his conscious self or in his unconscious THROUGH THE MECAHANISM of his mind. the moment this mechanism stops, his consciousness stops . in this case either he Dies, or he becomes a VEGETABLE, ie, the mind isnt functioning. in that case he cannot say of himself, i exist .he is gone.

Answer 8

Consciousness exists. Perhaps the mind is a construct of consciousness. It only exists because it is structure that consciousness builds.

Answer 9

Obviously

Answer 10

yes, it does...otherwise how you live?
you have brain yet you never think ....what is brain for?