Mindy Body Problem

The so-called mind/body problem originated with a philosopher called Descartes who considered the mind as existing only in the mental realm and the body existing only in the physical realm. This philosopher was under the assumption that the mind could exist without the body. The problem with this theory is that the mind is a functioning physical entity that can not exist without the body, just as the body can not exist without the mind. The two function together as one, and if one is not working properly it can adversely affect the other entity. The mind is constantly delivering messages to the body. These messages are telling the body what to do and how to function. These messages are in fact electrical currents moving from the mind, throughout the body, in milliseconds. Without the mind, the body can not function properly.

The realm of mind and consciousness is one where the mind exists without conscious thought. This means that an individual can be conscious but not be aware of his or her thoughts or the individual bodily functions that are occurring inside his or her body. When an individual is in a deep sleep, not dreaming (rapid eye movement) but just a deep sleep, that individual is conscious but not aware of his or her thoughts and feelings. In this state, an individual can be thinking and even feeling many different things, but still not be aware of the thoughts that his or her mind is processing. An individual’s mind does a number of things to keep his or her body alive and functioning, but this specific individual is not mentally aware of what is occurring in his or her own body. An individuals mind continues to function every second of every hour of every day of his or her life.

The realm of mind and consciousness relates to the physical body by either being aware of what an individual is thinking or not being aware of those specific thoughts. As stated previously, the mind is functioning without actual awareness of the occurrences. In a split second an individual’s mind can release many different hormones that allow his or her physical body to function so that he or she is able to walk from one place to the other, without any real knowledge of how or why the process of walking is happening. The only conscious thought that made this occurrence happen is that this individual wanted to move from one spot to the other. In stating this, an individual’s mind can function in a split second without the individual even being aware of what is happening in his or her own body. This relates to the physical body by the mind is telling the body what to do and how to function