who are you when there is no mind?

Question

mind is composed only of thoughts.

the state of deep sleep shows us that something continues whether we are consciously aware of it or not.


thinking is not necessary to being.

what remains when mind is not present?

Answer 1

The Self. You see what is really you, without the logic of the mind to distract you.

Answer 2

The mind is always present, unless or until injury happens to the brain, destroying parts of it. Then, you are merely a shell.
The mind, the thought processes do not shut off just because you are asleep; dreams are another way of sorting out matters of the day, week, month, etc.

What makes you you is only thoughts and the mind - the body could have any mind stuck into it and be someone else. Your mind could be stuck into any body, and you would still be you.

That's an issue with cloning. People assume a clone would be exactly as you are - same thoughts, etc. Not so, unless the thoughts, the mind was somehow recorded and also implanted into the clone. Otherwise, the clone would be similar to you in looks, but nothing else.

Answer 3

Well, from what I of remember of school physics, energy cannot be destroyed, it just changes from one form to the next(light to heat etc). So supposing we have a soul (which would be a highly intricate form of energy) and sentience being our conscious selves. without this sentience the energy would still exist...would it remain intact or is our sentience the glue that holds it all together? Conjecture I know but ghostly apparitions have been reported throughout time, are these leaks from a parallel plane, conscious energies or a manifestation of humankinds need in the belief of being after life? It could just be that we are organic machines that only work for a set amount of time and then simply stops being. So if conscious thought is missing at this time has our freedom of choice gone with it? if so the answer has to be selected memory patterns are the only thing left but without the "computer" to process them

Answer 4

And what the mind is? How did the mind become to exist?
The mind is a subtle element of the eternal living entity, if the living entity is eternal, so the mind. The function of the mind is thinking, feeling and willing. We are not dead stone. Because the mind we came to this material world, and for the same mind we can get out here and go back to Godhead.
In Bhagavad gita is explained by Lord Krishna as follow:
TRANSLATION
"One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well."

"For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy."

Answer 5

That's tough, because who is to say whether or not 'mind' is present? Is it self awareness that defines it? Are you self aware if you're in a coma? Are hibernating animals self aware? What even defines self awareness? Interesting question, but you could write volumes on the possible answers.

Answer 6

The mind is on when you are sleeping. Your mind never stops 'working' or 'dies'. When you dream you use your mind and if you don't dream more than likely you did you just don't remember it. But if their is no mind, their is only a body.

Answer 7

Mind is instantiated in the brain. Mind is emergent of cognitive processes. When the brain dies, so does the mind. Did you have something else to say about this?

Answer 8

A body. Biological processes.

Answer 9

The observer

Answer 10

Nothing. Broken, lifeless parts.

edit: You seem to assume that because when one is not conscious their brain is still involved in activity, that there's still some mystery regarding death as well.

The difference is that, in your example, the brain is still very much alive. When you die, it no longer is.