(January 2025 edition)
THE MOST popular hypothesis that I have heard of is that from monist materialists (who believe that everything is material), that the MIND is some kind of emergent phenomenon from the physical existence of neurons, the stuff that composes them, and the stuff they do.
There are historically other types of monism and materialism, but the monist materialists are the ones that presently dominate discussions on the MIND.
If we were to follow monist materialism, then we would have to entertain the hypothesis that it is the brain’s electrochemical activities that create the MIND.
It is a given that we all know subjectively that it is our MIND that chooses to move our muscles.
Thus, the brain’s constantly changing electrochemical activity creates the MIND, which triggers the UMN to fire. The blackhole before the UMN is the MIND itself. And all its putative characteristics that are hot philosophical issues such as inward accessibility, subjectivity, intentionality, goal-directedness, creativity, and consciousness.
That doesn’t make much sense to me. Rather it is more sensible to think that it is changes in the electrochemical activity of the brain, specifically the cortical neurons, that directly triggers the UMN to fire. But it is still the MIND that causes that electrochemical activity.
Admittedly when it comes to the topic of the MIND, I know that I do not know. I do not know its genesis or nature. Just its effects, and only on other persons when it causes muscles to move. All behavior and every act from us are mediated by moving muscles.
There is another viewpoint. There are those that believe that the mind is as fundamental to the Universe as the fundamental constants of nature. That makes them a kind of dualist (as Descartes was), rather than monists.
(Note. The philosophy of the MIND has been a discussion that has spanned centuries.)
Whatever it is, I believe that the MIND is grounded and rooted in the physical world in our brains.
In addition, since our MIND’s decisions are obviously influenced by our subjective emotions, then the purported anatomical seat for emotions, the limbic system of the brain, must be involved as well. This system is mostly made up of several nuclei of neuronal cell bodies deep in the cerebral hemispheres.
The neurons of the cerebral hemisphere are constantly firing, creating electrochemical patterns all over the cerebral cortex and deep gray matter. It is hypothesized that these patterns may form the basis for memories. Perhaps even the MIND, as mentioned above?
If so the MIND cannot be localized by us neuro people. The electrochemical signals that form the MIND may encompass the whole brain or specific components or areas of electrochemical activity that travel around the brain.
It’s also possible in my opinion, that the electrochemical signals and patterns they form that results in the emergent phenomenon of the self-aware MIND can only form such a powerful phenomenon because the component neurons are communicating very fast, perhaps even instantaneously. This is what makes the MIND self-aware. (To be continued)/PN
