Dualism - Mind vs. Brain

Dualism - Mind vs. Brain. Randall Niles delves into the immaterial world of thought and consciousness.

Dualism is the concept that our mind is more than just our brain. This concept entails that our mind has a non-material, spiritual dimension that includes consciousness and possibly an eternal attribute. One way to understand this concept is to consider our self as a container including our physical body and physical brain along with a separate non-physical mind, spirit, or soul. The mind, spirit, or soul is considered the conscious part that manifests itself through the brain in a similar way that picture waves and sound waves manifest themselves through a television set. The picture and sound waves are also non-material just like the mind, spirit, or soul.

The alternative concept is materialism. Materialism holds that everything in our universe is made from physical materials including the human mind or brain and that spiritual attributes do not exist in the universe. This concept holds that our mind and brain are one and the same.

If dualism is not true, the mind is limited to the physical brain. Assuming this scenario, what kind of a mind would we expect? We certainly would not expect to have consciousness strictly from materials. Perhaps we could expect to see a mechanical mind similar to a computer that is run by a program. We would not expect things like consciousness, sensations, thoughts, emotions, desires, beliefs, and free choice. Such a mind would behave in a deterministic way based upon the laws of matter. Many scientists and philosophers are now concluding that the laws of chemistry and physics cannot explain the experience of consciousness in human beings.

We would not expect people with such a mind to be responsible for their behavior because everything they do is determined by the attributes of matter. We all know that is absurd. Also, we could not trust our minds since they are just a random collection of materials not produced by an intelligent mind.

Visit http://www.AllAboutPhilosophy.org/dualism.htm to further explore the non-material dimension of consciousness, self, and mind vs. brain.

Also, go to http://www.RandallNiles.com/videos.htm to watch more videos examining Dualism and Mind vs. Brain!

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• Mind vs Brain
• Mind and Brain
• Dualism
• Monism
• Conscience
• Subconscious
• Self
• Thought
• Neuroscience
• Randall Niles
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[reflect7]

A belief in monism/physicalism requires that we deny the existence of things like sensations, thoughts, emotions, desires, beliefs, and free choice since matter/materials themselves do not have these type of properties.

[reflect7]

I think your example still supports a physical brain along with a separate non-physical mind. The mind is the conscious part that manifests itself through the brain in a similar way that picture waves and sound waves manifest themselves through a television set. The waves are also non-material just like the mind, but if you damage the physical appliance (tv/brain), the the integrated system won't work.

[000SMITH000]

"Something to think about?" LOL...not really. There is absolutely 0 evidence for dualism. The brain producers thoughts and emotions. These thoughts and emotions DO NOT and CAN NOT exists on there own. They are simply products of a physical, functioning brain. There is no such thing as "dualism".

[GodlessHippie]

i find a strange sarcasm in the questions asked by anti-science people like this.

He asks some valid questions about consciousness, mind, and brain. but the problem is, if somebody gave the current proven scientific theory to answer his questions; i feel that he would just scoff and say "prove it!" or "if you want to believe that". some people just dont know what the word science means. =(

[My5tuff4u]

I'm trying to find out if our thoughts come from inside or outside my head, it's an interesting journey so far.

[nightvidcole]

@1971SuperLead Quite profoundly, when the amygdala or other parts of the limbic system are damaged. It can also have an effect if certain parts of the prefrontal cortex are damaged.

[MrWildbill20056]

@GodlessHippie Anti science? Given you actually used the term 'current proven scientific theory' I wonder what your own grasp of any scientific discipline is up to! There are several competing hypotheses for the emergence of consciousness, but it is, and was 2 years ago and has not changed since, the case that no one has given even a close proximation to an account of the 'hard problem of consciousness.'

Anti science is best exemplified by statements such as your own, which misrepresent it.

[almostskater3210]

@reflect7

I think materialism just means that neural connections cause these things, not that they in themselves have "physical properties," but, then again, I suppose they do.

[metaldude82]

@000SMITH000 No, the brain does not entirely produce thoughts and emotions. A person needs to have subjective experience in order for thoughts and such to manifest themselves through the brain.

[Hufflewaffle]

You need to get to grips with the difference between objective knowledge and subjective experience. As soon as you start assigning objective values to subjective experience you are in trouble. Unfortunately this is what a lot of religious people seem to want to do.

[lookatmepleasesir]

@GodlessHippie so there are proven scientific theories which answer these questions?

[thegodphreaker]

@reflect7 Wrong. Those all come from the brain. Which does physically exist.

[humansaretheworld]

Both mind and matter are objects and concepts of our consciousness. Matter is the

world as perceived thru our outer 5 senses and mind is perceived internally. Physicalism

ignores that which is doing the perceiving to avoid having a dualistic system. Everything

we think about and make judgements about are based upon on dualism so what is

the problem with a pair of opposites for mind/matter?  We have lite/dark, hot/cold, good/bad, is/is not, etc as needed for differentiating.

[TheConcolor]

@1971SuperLead Yes. Especially damages to the frontal lobe can change a persons capabilities of feeling certain emotions, and even radically change their personalities. Google it :)