Is the mind independent to the body?
The mind body problem is a philosophical problem that is concerned with the relationship between the mind and the body, whether the mind exists independently of the body or whether the mind and body are one substance. There is a vital difference between the mind and the body some would say, meaning that the mind is held responsible for mental elements such as pain, euphoria, desire, purpose, belief and kindness whereas the body is responsible for the physical elements such as mass, size, location, force, and even a pencil. These categories are very debateable and this is the cause of the mind-body problem.
It is arguable that the mind and body exist independently of one another, so they are not one
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The existence of psychology as a field of study proves that the mind exists independently of the body. The term psychology means “the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behaviour in a given context”. There would be no reason to study just the mind alone and it’s affects on something physical such as behaviour if the mind and the body were not independent. Mind affects behaviour, which as we know in most case is physical. If the mind was the same thing as the body it could not affect itself.
The idea that the mind and body are one substance is often backed up by ideas such as the following. People often say that when damage occurs from physical trauma, drug abuse or pathological diseases, our mental powers are always compromised. This means that when our body (something physical) is in trauma, our mind has no choice but to be a part of it. This is proof that the mind and body are one substance because if it wasn’t the mind would have left our body to deal with the trauma and would not have been affected by it.
The placebo effect is very strong evidence that the mind and are one because when patients perceive actual improvement in their medical condition after having a placebo it shows that because they mentally believe that it is going to cure them of their disease and they will get better, it makes
The practices of mind and body focus the interactions among the brain, body, behavior, and spiritual energy.
The mind/body problem is regarding the nature of the relationship between the mind, consciousness, and the physical world. It is a problem because, it brings into question whether the mind and body are separate substances or of the same substance. It also asks whether there is a relationship between the two. The problem also questions what is defined as consciousness, and, how can it arise from normal materials. I don’t believe Descartes has adequately solved it with his concept of dualism because he points out that the pineal gland is responsible for how the two interact since there is no other function for that gland. However biologist have proven Descartes wrong and has no scientific proof that would suggest important functioning in the human body. Also, scientific research discovered
The practices of mind and body focus the interactions among the brain, body, behavior, and spiritual energy.
Thesis: The mind-body problem arises because of the lack of evidence when looking for a specific explanation of the interaction of mental and physical states, and the origin and even existence of them.
The mind-body problem is an age-old topic in philosophy that questions the relationship between the mental aspect of life, such as the field of beliefs, pains, and emotions, and the physical side of life which deals with matter, atoms, and neurons. There are four concepts that each argue their respective sides. For example, Physicalism is the belief that humans only have a physical brain along with other physical structures, whereas Idealism argues that everything is mind-based. Furthermore, Materialism argues that the whole universe is purely physical. However, the strongest case that answers the commonly asked questions such as “Does the mind exist?” and “Is the mind your brain?” is Dualism.
“The mind-body dualism, in philosophy, is the fact that any theory that the mind and body are distinct kinds of substances or natures. This position implies that mind and body not only differ in meaning, but refer to different kinds of entities (Britannica).” The most basic form of dualism is substance dualism. Substance dualism is the idea that he mind and body are composed of two ontologically distinct substances. According to one who believes and studies dualism, the mind is comprised of a non-physical substance, while the body is constituted of the physical substance, also known as matter. Dualism is closely related to the philosophy of Rene Descartes. Descartes identified the mind with consciousness and self-awareness and distinguished this from the brain. He believed that the brain was the seat of all intelligence. This lead to a great debate over the mind and body. So, ultimately, what is the nature of the mind and consciousness and its relationship to the body?
One, such as Descartes, might argue that because the brain has a physical presence, it is solely an entity of the body; the mind consists only of the intangibles. My response to such a statement is that because the mind exists only in the synapses that comprise the brain, the mind and brain are inseparable and therefore a single entity. Moods and complex emotions are heavily influenced by physical properties of the brain, such as the levels of certain chemicals. The loss of certain components of the brain can lead to an alteration of the mind as well. For example, Alzheimer’s disease causes dementia, a severe alteration of the mind, by destroying certain neurons and synapses. No other organ or appendage of the human body possesses this quality. The removal of a spleen or loss of a limb cannot permanently alter the mind on a primary level.
It can be very difficult to find a universal proposal that offers a solution to the mind body problem. While solutions to this problem differ greatly, all attempt to answer questions such as: What makes a mental state mental? What is the fundamental nature of the mental? Or more specifically speaking, what makes a thought a thought? Or what makes a pain a pain? In an attempt to answer these questions, many philosophers over the centuries have rejected, proposed, or altered preexisting theories in order to keep up with the thinking and science of their times. Entering the 21st century their still exit a plethora of theories, some stronger than others, which include Cartesian dualism, physicalism,
exists except from matter so therefore the mind and the body (brain) work together and
A body is just a body without a brain to command it and a brain can only do so much without a body to yield. It’s undeniable that the mind and body are completely dependent on the other to function, but where do they join together to form a unique individual. To what extent do the mind and body bridge together to form a unique individual? Is there even a bridge that connects them or are the mind and body separate entities who solely rely on each other to function, but that’s where all the shared boundaries that create a person end.
If it is logically possible that my mind exist independent of my body, then my body and mind are distinct things.
For centuries philosophers have engaged themselves into conversations and arguments trying to figure out the nature of a human person; this has lead to various theories and speculation about the nature of the human mind and body. The question they are tying to answer is whether a human being is made of only the physical, body and brain, or both the physical or the mental, mind. In this paper I will focus on the mind-body Identity Theory to illustrate that it provides a suitable explanation for the mind and body interaction.
We see the mind together with the brain because they are as one and the same thing, such as the feeling of pain
Some would choose to declare that every human being is both a body and a mind. Both being gelled together until death, than having the mind go on to exist and the body being lifeless. A person lives throughout two collateral histories, one having to do with what happens to the body and in it, and the other being what happens in and to the mind. What happens to the body is public and what happens to the mind is private. The events which reply to the body consist of the physical world, and the events of the mind consist of the mental world.
The mind is about mental processes, thought and consciousness. The body is about the physical aspects of the brain-neurons and how the brain is structured. Throughout time our ancestors have exemplified the aspect of mind over matter. An example being the Egyptians turning stone into large cut blocks which they used to build the pyramids. The mind is a powerhouse that lets one have the ability to discriminate and reason. In todays society there is an entire career field to go into that deals with mental stability. The reason being is that without mental stability our ability to reason is damaged and our lives are thrown off balance. This will lead to mistakes made in everyday life. Exercise and nutrition have now been scientifically proven to help combat against the three main mental imbalances of stress, depression, and anxiety disorders. Depression stress and anxiety are no joke, as they can kill you!