Where is the Mind in human body? Is it in the brain? or in the heart? Brain and Heart are nothing but organs present in the human body. Do they contain 'Mind'? What do we imply when we say 'Mind'? Generally speaking 'Mind' implies intelligence, intellect, focus, analytical ability etc.
Let us pose a question that will simplify our previous question. You remember those unicellular organisms? with cellwall and one nucleus. Primitive life forms we are told? Are they 'mindless' organisms roaming around invisible to our eyes? Or are they intelligent enough to search and find their food, retract back from pain, identify hostile environments. The answer is obvious, they are intelligent and they do have mind. So where is its mind when it don't even have a Heart or Brain or even a neuron for that matter?
Now let us pose another question: What is mind? Is it intellect? or Is it our memories? Our cognitive, analytical skills? It is quite hard to define 'Mind' if we keep seeking the answer through microscopic vision. Analyzing our senses, using our experiences which we have learnt throughout the life and tapping into the information present in our genes and memories, all this constitutes 'Mind'. But how do these skills develop? Are they already coded in our genes? But who determines which gene to be activated (and to what extent) and which gene to be suppressed? The Mind? So what is Mind?
The mind is nothing but the interaction and response that kicks in as a resut of such interaction of our cells with their environment. This interaction and response in fact controls the gene expression and the behaviour of entire organism. So there are 2 components of our Mind. One- all those cells, their receptor systems or organs that interact with the environment (and their response to environmental stimuli) and Second is the environment itself. Environment here means Physical, emotional, chemical, psychological stimuli that we encounter in our day to day life.
In 2015, while doing some research on Cancer, I happen to stumble upon two very beautiful books that changed the way I look at life itself: 'Biology of Belief' by Bruce Lipton and 'Molecules of Emotion' by Candace Pert. Dr. Bruce Lipton in his book Biology of Belief has very beautifully described this relation between our body and the environment and how this interaction affects our genes. He rightly says that all the various kinds of receptor systems present on the cells that interact with environment (Skin, gut mucosa, eyes, ears, nose, tongue etc) constitute our 'Mind'. Because it is at these focal points where the interaction between our body and the environment takes place, which ultimately regulate our genes. Dr. Candace beautifully describes how chain of molecular reactions set into motion when we response to a particular environmental stimulus. We already know that Brain and Skin originate from same germ cells (ectoderm). And a number of psychological conditions are associated with skin and gut manifestations.
So according to this new concept of epigenetics and mind-environment interaction, we are not victims of our genes, which control our behaviour, health, age etc. But in fact we are in control of our genes. A highly sophisticated organism like Man can control both the components of 'Mind' (i.e environment and the response to environment). We can choose the environment we place ourselves (physical, emotional or psychological environments). We have the capability to choose in what environment we want to be or want to avoid. At the same time, we can regulate the response as well. If we tend to believe that a particular environmental stimulus, for example a bad news or a physical injury, has happened for our betterment in long run, then we respond to this apparently bad stimulus in a good way. All the good genes tend to be activated and the bad genes tend to be suppressed, even though the environmental stimulus was not pleasant. This is the crux of 'Biology of Belief'. So in a way, belief is mind. If you choose to have a positive attitude and positive outlook for everything that happens in your life, you tend to respond in a good way (and trigger good genes) and these responses throughout your life make up what you are (mentally, physically and psychologically). This concept puts you in charge of your body, mind and health.
Let us pose a question that will simplify our previous question. You remember those unicellular organisms? with cellwall and one nucleus. Primitive life forms we are told? Are they 'mindless' organisms roaming around invisible to our eyes? Or are they intelligent enough to search and find their food, retract back from pain, identify hostile environments. The answer is obvious, they are intelligent and they do have mind. So where is its mind when it don't even have a Heart or Brain or even a neuron for that matter?
Now let us pose another question: What is mind? Is it intellect? or Is it our memories? Our cognitive, analytical skills? It is quite hard to define 'Mind' if we keep seeking the answer through microscopic vision. Analyzing our senses, using our experiences which we have learnt throughout the life and tapping into the information present in our genes and memories, all this constitutes 'Mind'. But how do these skills develop? Are they already coded in our genes? But who determines which gene to be activated (and to what extent) and which gene to be suppressed? The Mind? So what is Mind?
The mind is nothing but the interaction and response that kicks in as a resut of such interaction of our cells with their environment. This interaction and response in fact controls the gene expression and the behaviour of entire organism. So there are 2 components of our Mind. One- all those cells, their receptor systems or organs that interact with the environment (and their response to environmental stimuli) and Second is the environment itself. Environment here means Physical, emotional, chemical, psychological stimuli that we encounter in our day to day life.
In 2015, while doing some research on Cancer, I happen to stumble upon two very beautiful books that changed the way I look at life itself: 'Biology of Belief' by Bruce Lipton and 'Molecules of Emotion' by Candace Pert. Dr. Bruce Lipton in his book Biology of Belief has very beautifully described this relation between our body and the environment and how this interaction affects our genes. He rightly says that all the various kinds of receptor systems present on the cells that interact with environment (Skin, gut mucosa, eyes, ears, nose, tongue etc) constitute our 'Mind'. Because it is at these focal points where the interaction between our body and the environment takes place, which ultimately regulate our genes. Dr. Candace beautifully describes how chain of molecular reactions set into motion when we response to a particular environmental stimulus. We already know that Brain and Skin originate from same germ cells (ectoderm). And a number of psychological conditions are associated with skin and gut manifestations.
So according to this new concept of epigenetics and mind-environment interaction, we are not victims of our genes, which control our behaviour, health, age etc. But in fact we are in control of our genes. A highly sophisticated organism like Man can control both the components of 'Mind' (i.e environment and the response to environment). We can choose the environment we place ourselves (physical, emotional or psychological environments). We have the capability to choose in what environment we want to be or want to avoid. At the same time, we can regulate the response as well. If we tend to believe that a particular environmental stimulus, for example a bad news or a physical injury, has happened for our betterment in long run, then we respond to this apparently bad stimulus in a good way. All the good genes tend to be activated and the bad genes tend to be suppressed, even though the environmental stimulus was not pleasant. This is the crux of 'Biology of Belief'. So in a way, belief is mind. If you choose to have a positive attitude and positive outlook for everything that happens in your life, you tend to respond in a good way (and trigger good genes) and these responses throughout your life make up what you are (mentally, physically and psychologically). This concept puts you in charge of your body, mind and health.
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