Many people confuse the terms ‘mind’ and ‘brain’. They believe that both words refer to the same thing: the organ in our brain that allows us to think. However, the mind and brain are two distinct but linked entities. The mind certainly operates via the brain but is separate from it. This can be a confusing idea to consider, but it’s important to understand the difference between mind and brain. The mind uses the brain, and the brain responds to the mind. The mind also changes the brain. People are free to choose their activities; their brains do not compel them to do so. Yes, without the brain, there would be no conscious experience, yet the experience cannot be reduced to the processes of the brain.
We discussed the distinction between mind and brain in an interview with Jean Fallacarra, a prominent serial entrepreneur, scientist, and athlete known for his contributions to the health, fitness, and wellness industry through his startup Cyborggainz Neuroscience Calisthenics, we unraveled the difference between mind and brain and how it affects our daily lives.
The mind is made up of energy, which it generates by thinking, feeling, and selecting. It is our aliveness that makes the physical brain and body function. That is to say, we are our minds, and mind-in-action is how the brain generates energy. When we’re awake, the mind is a stream of nonconscious and conscious activity, and when we’re asleep, it’s a stream of non-conscious activity. It is defined by a triad of thinking, feeling, and decision-making. When you think, you’ll feel, and when you think and feel, you’ll be able to make a decision. These three elements are constantly in sync.
The brain on the other hand is a neuroplastic responder that is highly complicated. This implies that when your mind stimulates it, it responds in a variety of ways, including neurochemical, genetic, and electromagnetic alterations. As a result, the brain’s structures expand and adapt, allowing new physical thoughts to emerge. Because every experience you have, every second of every day, affects your brain, it is never the same. To summarise, your mind is the unique way you experience life. It’s in charge of how you think, feel, and make decisions. Your physical brain merely reacts to these one-of-a-kind experiences.
Lastly, Fallacara exclaims that knowing your mind and brain are separate puts a person in charge of his/her ideas and behaviors because then they can learn to control them. Finally, it means that they can have control over what they put into their brain and how they change what’s already there.
