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Actually this question dates back to antiquity when the famous philosopher Rene Descartes proposed a concept called dualism which posited that the brain was organic matter like the rest of the body and that the mind was metaphysical, like a soul, which intereacted with the body via the pineal gland. For some 300 years afterward this concept of mind-brain dualism has been debated. And understandably so; afterall - what is the mind?

Present-day neuroscience: the mind is a consequence of patterns of neural cell activity across vast networks in the brain. We can see this in MRI scans of the brain when people perform cognitive tasks like mental problem solving. We can see how brain-wave patterns change from being asynchronous to synchronous during unconscious states for e.g., from general anaesthesia or grand mal epilepsy. We also see modern medicine treat the mind by taking advantage of what is known about brain systems, for example with antidepressant medication which elevates mood by boosting serotonin and noradreneline levels in limbic and frontal cortical areas. So we know that what we call the mind - our consciousness thought, personality, intelligence, memories etc - is correlated with activity across brain areas, and we know that when these patterns of activity change across networks, so too does our mind.

So, in one respect Descartes was right in that the mind is not physical like the brain is. But the same could also be said about software that interprets electron flow through your computer's CPU. While these are separate physically, they are dependent functionally. The same is true for the mind and the brain.

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12y ago
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14y ago

This is a science vs. philosopy (religion) question. Science has already demonstrated that it believes it is the same thing, whereas most humans "feel" that science is wrong, that indeed, the mind is the "soul" that continues to exist after death. Therefore, if you believe you continue and there is an afterlife, you will most definitely believe they are not the same thing. If you do not believe in an afterlife, you will say yes, they are the same thing. If you are like me and admit that you do not definitely know either way, than there is no way to answer this question at our present stage of human development. I don't know that humans will ever have the capacity to prove irrevocably (in the sense that 1 +1 =2) the absolute facts of this debate until (when and if) we're able to prove irrevocably that there is (or is not) an afterlife in some form.

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Q: Is your brain and mind the same thing?
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Does anybody know a simpler explanation for David Armstrong's Mind-Brain Identity Theory?

The Mind and Brain are the same...


Difference between brain and mind?

Mind is part of living life and Brain is a part of body.


Is mind a creation of the brain or brain and mind are two separate things?

I previously thought that mind and brain is the same thing. They just show the dual nature. But now I think that they are completly different things. Mind is something which is spread over us like a cloak. Its connected with the brain and when we think we use the brain with the mind. And our brain is connected to each and every person around the world like a brain cell is connected to other brain cells. Thats a huge connection! And I think this is the reason why Telepathy is possible. In my opinion through Telepathy a human connect not only with one persons mind but also with each person around the world at the same time. That is why I think that mind is a thing of some other dimension which can't be seen or felt by us or any other machines which human has created but we just know that it exist. Thats all! And its all my imagination and I think that its a new thought.


How is a mind like your brain?

Your brain is the body part. It is the fatty, grey matter in your head, full of tissues, blood vessels, neurons and synapses. It is entirely physical. Your mind is not physical, it is made up of your thoughts, emotions, personality and desires. Your mind is thought to be a result of your brain, but it does not mean that they are the same thing. You can think of the brain as being the hardware of a computer. The mind is the program that runs on the computer. They are similar because they work together to produce consciousness and sentient thought.


What is mouth-mouth island?

It is the same thing as your face and my brain.


How does rabies affect the brain?

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Is the graded quiz the same as the printed quiz on brain pop?

yes it is the same thing


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Makes your brain to tell you to do the same thing.


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by studying the same thing again and again... or just do some brain improving activities...


Is there any anatomical location of mind?

No. Ths mind is a psychological area concenring what the brain does, for example the personality. As it it not a physical thing it cannot have an anatomical location.


What does mindstorming mean?

Mind storming is basically the same thing as brain storming. It sets the stage for letting your creative juices call forth suggestions for your writing as well as ways to improve your fortune and productivity.


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An illusion is a trick that confuses your mind, meaning you see one thing but the brain see's another.