The Mystery of the Mind
"Human experience is determined by the nature of the mind and your senses, as well as by the external objects which the mind reveals to you.
To put it another way, it is very clear that in fact, I have no other self than the totality of things which I am aware of. Carpe diem."
I hope you didn’t take the title to your heart, but do you know it’s possible to lose you mind?
Come to think of it, is your mind a thing or an object that you can
conveniently drop off and pick up any time you like?
Your mind isn’t anything like your temper that you can lose any time, as I don’t think the mind is made up of
emotions. Or is it?
But then people also say that you can be as you “make up your mind to be”.
This signifies that you can create your own mind!
Some suggest that you should
“change your mind” to change
yourself or your life. It definitely implies that
the form of the mind is moldable.
Besides losing your mind, there are other phrases like, to apply your mind,
free your mind, bear in mind, and peace of mind that you frequently use in your
daily life.
Interestingly, mind
is being referred to differently in all of these phrases.
With so many adages
and characteristics attributed, doesn’t the mind seem intriguing enough?
I must say that
there’s surely something quite magical about the mind.
Having said all that,
I think you’d like to know how to control your mind so you don’t lose it, so as
to say.
Well, for that you
need to try to understand your mind and unveil its magical power.
“Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it
into a mind.” ~ Jeffrey Eugenides
Mystery of The Mind
People including
philosophers, psychologists, and scientists differ in their definition and
explanation of the mind.
Since it is actually
a complex and controversial issue, I’m not going to deal with it in depth
because there will still be a lot left uncovered. But let me try and explain it
the best way I can.
Some consider the
mind as a distinct and separate entity, whereas others regard it as a part of
the body.
Further, some say
that the mind is localized in the brain, while there are some who believe that
it’s not assigned to any particular part of the body.
But one thing you can
be sure of is that the mind is not the brain, and the brain is not the mind.
However, many people
believe that the mind is surely connected and related to the brain in some
ways.
What’s your view
about the mind?
Generally, people
relate the mind to their thoughts and opinions, which are generated from the
brain.
On the other hand,
some say that the mind is the “consciousness”. Well, consciousness is known as
awareness or an alert cognitive state, and some term it as a state of mind.
Many religions have
different views about mind and consciousness. Some of them also use the
concepts of “soul” and “spirit” to define and differentiate them.
However, I want to be
as simple as possible to define the mind, so you can know it better and learn
how to control it too.
“The mind is everything. What you think you
become.” ~ Buddha
What is the Mind
Going by the present modern day assessment, Wikipedia defines mind as:
“The set of cognitive faculties that enables
consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, and memory.”
In fact, some
consider mind as the seat of the faculty of reason, which is responsible for
one’s thoughts and feelings.
If so, then mind
would be considered responsible for your intentions, desires, wants, and
expectations. It may be defined as a way of thinking and an attitude or outlook
of life.
Here’s another
popular definition of the mind:
“The collective conscious and unconscious processes in a
sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior.”
I do believe that the
mind is also a collection of different processes of your brain and its form or
state depends on the “Self”, which is again the core person that you are.
The mind is a complex
process in itself that is in a state of flux, and it can be changed,
controlled, and harnessed by yourself.
Actually, I’ll draw
an analogy to understand brain, mind and the self.
Consider your brain as
the computer (hardware), your mind as the program (software),
and the Self as the operator (user).
The mind uses the
processes of the brain to carry out various functions of the body as desired by
the Self.
As part of its
function, the mind also controls the senses.
And, because the
senses are sometimes under the influence of external factors and conditions,
they in turn impact the mind, and the functions of the body.
The mind is just like
software, it has no physical existence. But, it cannot exist without the
computer or the brain in the body.
However, the good
thing is that you can re-program your mind, and it only requires some skill and
effort. Once you do that, you can control your mind and bring it in your favor.
I understand there
might be a difference of opinion about this topic and I’d love to know your
thoughts and opinions in the comments.
“To the mind that is still, the whole
universe surrenders.” ~ Lao Tzu
What Happens When You Lose Your Mind
You feel that you
lose your mind when you’re confused and troubled. You either lose touch with
the reality of life, or aren’t able to cope with your unrealistic expectations
or traumas.
You feel you’re
entangled in the web of life, have no control over yourself, and are not able
to find any way out.
You lose your mental
balance because you lose faith in yourself and your abilities.
Since the mind is
continually changing and is unstable in nature, it maintains a very delicate
balance between the state of an organized and disorganized brain.
If you lose your mind
or if it changes its focus, then various processes of the brain are affected,
including perception, thinking, judging, and memory, which might lead to
disorientation and disorganization.
Therefore, the
personal output and efficiency will be adversely affected.
The person can become
depressed, mentally ill, or start behaving in a silly or strange way if the
mind loses its orientation and control for a long time.
It is said that
losing your mind is close to becoming crazy. You might do some one-odd
crazy act but that doesn’t really make you lose it. 
However, sometimes
people use the term “lose your mind” to mean that you should drop off all your
worries and tensions, forget yourself, and just enjoy life!
“You can chain me, you can torture me, you
can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” ~ Mahatma
Gandhi
How to be Yourself and Never Lose
Your Mind
Well, it isn’t
difficult to remain sane and be yourself.
All it takes is to
follow certain principles in life and have requisite qualities in yourself.
• Believe in yourself
• Accept yourself
• Think Positive
• Don’t be judgmental
• Validate before you
accept
• Be realistic in
expectations
• Think before acting
• Have patience
• Motivate yourself
• Educate and change
yourself
• Be focused
• Be fearless and
stress free
• Control your mood
and temper
• Let go!
This is only a part
of the magic potion your need to get hold of yourself.
I’d suggest you read
the above post and know all these points in detail.
One thing that will help you live
a happy life is to get control of your mind, because that alone will take care of most of the above mentioned
qualities.
Sometime you need not control your mind, especially if you’re a
creative person or involved in a creative process. But you still need to define
its limits.
However, as it is, controlling the mind does not mean that you
stop living freely and make your life dull.
It’s about making
optimum use of yourself and your life, and back it up with the power of your
mind.
“A mind at peace, a mind centered and not
focused on harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the
universe.” ~ Wayne Dyer
What Is the Need to Control Your Mind
Your mind is quite
powerful, whether you control it or even otherwise. It has the capability to
learn and develop on its own.
The mind feeds itself
with all the internal and external information you directly or indirectly
provide it with.
Even a little child
has a mind of his or her own. The child gets deeply associated and involved
with the developing mind, and begins to believe and obey it.
If ever asked, the
child says he or she will do what the mind says. Not to mention, the adults
also do that!
In most of the cases,
your mind loves to indulge in the senses, derive pleasure, make least efforts,
resist change, and remain in a state of inertia.
This is the state
when you can say that your mind is working on its own, and rules over YOU. And
we make the mistake of equating and identifying mind with the “Self”.
It’s a lot like the
situation where you’re the President of your country, but the government
doesn’t obey you and prefers working on its own whims and fancies.
Can such a government
or a person ruled by the mind ever be successful? I don’t think so.
To be happy and
successful, you need to control your mind like an ideal operator. You need to
keep it within limits and make it obey your orders, and work as per your
instructions.
The mind is like a wild horse. It is very powerful, but to use that power,
you got to tame it. Control it with the reins, and teach it to be calm and
silent.
Don’t let the mind
take you for a ride, instead put a saddle on it and ride it towards the direction
you want to go.
Remember that great
saints and people have blamed an uncontrolled mind for the sufferings in your
life.
“All problems are illusions of the mind.” ~
Eckhart Tolle
You’ll never lose
your mind if you’ve control over it. You’ll always remain sane, oriented, and
organized if you know the techniques to control your mind.
The mind is not bad
or useless. It performs useful functions that are essential for your day-to-day
living as well as to be successful.
It just has a wild
nature and likes to be free and uncontrolled, and makes you do the wrong
things.
All you need to do is
educate your mind continuously and constantly.
Make your mind your
best friend, and you will never fail to achieve happiness and success.
In my future posts
about the mind, you’ll know how to do that.
Till then, don’t lose
your mind and keep it intact.
“Most people believe the mind to be a
mirror, more or less accurately reflecting the world outside them, not
realizing on the contrary that the mind is itself the principal element of
creation.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore
Over to You -
How would you define
the mind? What could make you lose your mind? Why do you think you need to
control your mind? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Some expressions with mind:
"Are you out of your mind?" = Te has vuelto loco?
"Don´t mind him" = No le hagas caso
"He has a mind of his own" = Hace lo que quiere
"What´s on your mind?" = Que te preocupa? / Que estás pensando?
"Bear in mind" = Tener en cuenta
" I had it in mind to go to the cinema tonight" = Pensaba ir al cine esta noche
"I´ve changed my mind" = He cambiado de pensar
"Make up your mind" = Decídete
"He has lost his mind" = El ha perdido la razón
"Never mind" = Da igual / no importa
"You blow my mind" = Alucino contigo
"That never crossed my mind" = Eso nunca se me pasó por la cabeza
Here is this fantastic song with the lyrics by The pet shop boys " Always on my mind"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3xYB9rNaoI
