Never Fear the Loss of Your Mind, For You Have No Mind to Lose

I tell my students that they will never need to fear losing their minds, for they have no minds to lose.

Perpend:

 

What is the difference between mind and brain?

 

These two terms are only hazily separated as a matter of definition;  even psychologists do not clearly distinguish between mind and brain.  But we do tend to use these verbal expressions in certain set phrases or in clear recognition that the brain is an organ of anatomical reality, whereas the mind has more spiritual and metaphysical implications. 

 

Thus, we always use the term, “mind,” in expressions such as the following:

 

“I almost lost my mind.” 

 

“I changed my mind.”

 

“I really spoke my mind on that one.”

 

We would never say that we lost, changed, or spoke our brains.

 

Conversely, we would never speak in terms of having a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination of our minds, having mind surgery, or establishing synaptic connections in the mind.

 

In collecting patterns of usage and in analyzing the actual determinants of behavior, I give the following definitions of mind and brain:

 

The brain is that anatomical organ of the central nervous system in animals that determines cognitive processing, physiological functioning, and physical movement. 

 

The mind is a metaphorical expression associated with spiritual conceptualization and the illusion of free will, most often assumed to be unique to or exalted in human beings.

 

With these definitions, then, be clear:

 

The brain is real and located in the bodies of human beings and many other animals.

 

The mind is metaphor, the metaphorical vessel via which humankind is perceived to exercise free will, which is in fact an illusion.    

Once you, my readers, comprehend the illusory nature of free will and divest yourselves of that notion, pass that truth on to your fellows so that you may send forth a rippling effect that will gather force and sweep down the illusions currently keeping us from our best selves.  For the paradox is that the better we understand the illusory nature of free will, the closer we will get to those conditions for which we should hope to exercise free will, if we had such a trait.  We do not, but we can instead courageously venture forth to erect that environmental context in which we can tap our powerful brains for better decision making.

 

This is the importance of the K-12 Revolution for the advancement of knowledge-intensive curriculum, imparted by teachers of great knowledge:

 

Better decision-making is founded on knowledge, and on the basis of knowledge we shall build a world for the enrichment of all lives on this one earthly sojourn.

 

 Fear no loss of your minds, for you have no minds to lose.

 

 Tap the magnificent potential of your brains instead.

 

 A corresponding world of magnificence will reward you for the tapping.