Brain? Mind? Consciousness?
Don’t be confused; they each have different functions.
The brain is a complex wiring system of conduits carrying information. As we experience, the brain develops memory patterns, creating a specific configuration of mind. Consciousness – the life force intelligence – flows through the space within the wiring; the axons. It is through
experience and repetition that the pathways develop, but these cannot go further without personal experience.
This point is very important when it comes to our understanding. Imagine a town you know: in your mind’s eye, you can only go along the streets where you’ve actually been. Nothing registers about the areas you haven’t visited, and so you go back to what is familiar. Of course, there is some subliminal information that gets into our system without us noticing, because we may not be sufficiently aware.
When talking to someone who hasn’t had the same experiences as us, there is a lack of recognition; nothing ‘lights up’ and we are met with a blank expression.
NB Brain cells that are damaged due to a stroke are not beyond repair. They can regenerate. This process of creating new cells is called neurogenesis. With practise and repetition (like everything else), recovery usually occurs during the first three to four months after a stroke.
When does consciousness enter the body? There are different views on this. The word ‘enter’ may suggest many things. Is consciousness created by chemicals, suggesting that it is an organ of perception? Or perhaps consciousness enters the body – in which case, we may infer – or not – that consciousness can also leave the body. Two views, two ways of seeing life.
The mind can change.
The brain can change.
Consciousness never changes.
Practise meditation and see the mind expand.
It is through the quality of our mind that we express our configuration-programming.
