The concepts of brain and mind are closely connected and have many common points. However, the mistake of using them as synonyms has been made, when they really represent very different entities.
Although multiple structures and functions of this organ are already known, there are still points that generate a lot of confusion. One of them responds to the differences between the brain and the mind. Both terms are often used interchangeably, as if they were synonyms. However, nothing is further from reality. Although it is true that the mind and the brain maintain a very close relationship, the reality is that there are several points that make the difference between these two entities .
At a very essential level, the brain represents a material and physical reality as an organ of the human body. On the contrary, speaking of mind implies referring to an intangible entity that cannot be seen or touched. However, this debate between brain and mind involves great complexity. From classical philosophy, the relationship between the human body and the mind has already been raised.
In this way, there are authors who have considered them as two independent realities while others understand that they are indivisible and dependent. If at any time you have fallen into the mistake of exchanging both terms believing that they designate the same thing, do not worry. In this article we will try to clear up those doubts by reviewing the differences that allow us to distinguish between the two concepts .
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What is the human brain?
As we have been commenting, difficulties in clearly distinguishing between brain and mind are quite common. For this reason, we will stop, first, to define exactly what the brain is and what the mind is. Once the separate definition of each concept has been clarified, we will review their core differences.
The human brain is the central organ of our nervous system, located in the head and protected by the skull . The brain of human beings usually has many similarities with that of other mammals, although the area of the cerebral cortex, especially the frontal lobes, is much more developed. This is because the cortex area is linked to functions such as reasoning, planning, impulse control and abstract thought. In other words, the cortex controls the functions that most distinguish us as humans from other animals.
The brain acts in our body as a switchboard that coordinates and controls all our functions. On the one hand, it allows us to receive information of all kinds (visual, auditory, tactile…), interpret and issue a response according to it, so that it acts as the person responsible for the emission of our behaviors. In addition, the brain is also responsible for keeping our vital functions active, such as breathing, sleep, consciousness or cardiac control. Thanks to the brain we can also relate and interact with the environment around us, which contributes to our survival.
The brain is an organ that has shown to be prepared to keep functioning in multiple situations. It has been observed that, in a certain way, the brain tries to adjust to the deficiencies and compensate for the damage it suffers throughout the life of the individual. The brain has a key feature and that is that it is plastic.
At birth, our brains are highly malleable, although this quality is reduced over the years . However, even as adults we can see how the brain surprises us with its ability to adapt to adversity. For example, if a brain structure is damaged by an injury, the adjacent structures may end up assuming their role to avoid losing the function in which the damaged area was involved. Likewise, the brain always tries to maintain a state of homeostasis with adequate levels of the different chemical compounds.
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What is the human mind?
While the brain is a structure that is part of the brain, the mind is an entity of an abstract nature. The mind is activated by brain function, although it is clearly separate from it. That is, the mind is the product without form or structure that emerges from the function of the organ . The mind has been much more difficult to study throughout history, since it is an immaterial entity. Thus, the biological sciences have emphasized the study of the brain, while the mind has been the subject of philosophy and the social sciences.
The mind refers to the intellectual, cognitive and psychological capacities of the individual. Within what we call the mind, processes such as perception, thought, consciousness, memory or imagination are included.
One of the questions that has raised the most philosophical problems has to do with the way in which this abstract entity that we call mind interacts with the material entity . All the questions in this direction have not yet been clarified, although there is a growing integration of the investigation of both entities (brain and mind), with the functionalist perspective prevailing today.
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How are the human brain and mind different?
After having individually defined both concepts, surely the differences between the brain and the mind have become more than clear. Anyway, in case you need (or just want) to have the information with a more visual character, we have prepared the following selection of the main differences between the human brain and the mind in the form of key points.
1. Material entity vs abstract entity
As we mentioned before, the mind represents an abstract and subjective entity, while the brain is an organ of the body that constitutes a material entity. Therefore, the mind and all the psychological processes that make it up are not palpable or visible. Instead, the brain and its different structures can be analyzed in detail as if it were a piece of machinery . This difference has meant that the study of the mind has been, in general, more conflictive and complex than that of the brain, since there is no organic base that allows the object of study in question to be manipulated.
2. Different subjects
As we have been commenting, the brain and the mind constitute two separate entities although closely linked to each other. The synergy of both is what allows human beings to behave as we do, so their connection is naturally necessary. The mind would not exist without a functioning brain, and a brain without a mind would just be a collection of cells and blood vessels. Despite this connection, the study of the mind and the brain has traditionally been separate from one another.
The reason for this phenomenon lies in the fact that, as we have seen, they are realities of a different nature. One constitutes a material and palpable reality, for which the biological sciences have gone out of their way to know each one of its little nooks and crannies and functions. The study of the brain has united multiple scientific fields, such as biology or medicine . In recent years, the field of neuroscience has grown exponentially, reflecting that knowledge of this important organ is still a mine to be exploited.
Instead, the mind has to do with the individual in question, their internal world and their subjectivity. For this reason, all mental processes have been the subject of the social sciences, especially philosophy and psychology. More specifically, the field known as philosophy of mind is a branch of analytical philosophy that studies the mind and everything related to it: perception, emotion, thought, beliefs, etc.
3. Mind as a product of the brain
Although some authors have argued that the mind and brain are two separate realities, as we have seen, this is a misconception. The reality is that human beings have an organ made up of structures and connections that constitutes the organic base necessary for the mind to emerge. Therefore, the psychological processes of an individual are a byproduct of brain function. Thus the abstract entity is derived from a physical entity . In conclusion, the brain without a mind is a brain without life and the mind cannot appear if there is no functioning brain.
Conclusions
The study of human psychology is fraught with complexity and has been a focus of interest since ancient times. Although we know more and more about the way we think and behave, there are certain issues that have always given rise to much debate and confusion. In this article we have dealt with one of them, which has to do with the differentiation between the brain and the mind.
In the literature, the indistinct use of the two terms is quite common, although in reality they designate different entities. The brain configures the material part, while the mind represents the private and subjective experience of each person . Although the distinction must be clear, it must also be assumed that both realities need each other to give rise to human behavior.
For our thoughts and beliefs to emerge, there must be a physical substrate that works properly. Similarly, a brain without a mind cannot be a living brain. This issue is a good example of the difficulty involved in understanding psychology in its most essential aspects, because despite the infinity of means and knowledge that we have today, questions very similar to those of centuries ago continue to generate debate.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.