Am I the only person who actually had a shock to my system when I read the first chapter of the book? I've spent a lot of time thinking about what meaning is without an omnipotent being calling the shots, but far less time thinking about the third wave: my mind is just my brain.
I DON'T LIKE IT.
I spend a lot of time with my mind, it's very important to me. I don't want to imagine it as being just a series of neurotransmitters shooting sparks. Especially because I have a mental illness. I always separate the two levels of consciousness that I have: regular brain is more like "mind" and is reasonable, calm and coherent. "Mean Brain" is the one that tells me I suck, am terrible at everything, no one likes me and there's no point to anything. It's the panic mode. I've always attributed Mean Brain to my wonky brain chemicals, which are less wonky when getting treatment. But if my mind is just my brain, it's not my mind telling Mean Brain to sit down and be quiet. That means my brain is talking to my brain: self, sit down and shut up while the same self takes over.
I'm sure if I looked into the science of different regions of the brain and how the anxiety part is probably the lizard brain part, it would be more clear and I'd feel less jarred by these thoughts...of my brain...not my mind. Oof.
See you in class, comrades.
That sounds shockingly similar to a family friend of mine who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Having conversations with yourself could just be a way to think something through thoroughly, but there is a possibility that it could be a symptom of something else. It might be worth talking to a mental health specialist if you haven't already done so.
ReplyDeleteHa, that's not exactly what I mean. Intrusive thoughts are not the same as having a second personality or swings from one extreme to the other. (Though bipolar disorder doesn't necessarily require those.) I imagine most people have an internal monologue of some kind, if they're thoughtful in any way. But yeah, I have diagnosed depression and anxiety and this is how it comes out sometimes. I have meds for that.
ReplyDeleteThe point I'm trying to make is that existentially, not having a "higher mind" is frustrating for someone who has a broken brain.
ReplyDeleteWell... do you mean something metaphysically and dualistically distinct from your brain, or can "mind" (and spirit) name an aspect, activity, functionon, or disposition, etc., of the brain regarded as the ultimate seat of consciousness? Are you a Cartesian dualist?
ReplyDeleteI think you can own your brain, and like it, and also think that it gives rise to all your higher functions of thought and feeling. This will be an interesting conversation!
Is the brain and the mind two different things?
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me a lot of what Descartes dedicated his life to figure out his stance on- ultimately he decided on the duality of the brain/mind existing in separate spheres... I personally identify more with a pragmatic view that we dont have a "minds eye" but that brain/mind act in conjunction as ONE thing... definitely an interesting topic to think about.
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