Difference Between Mind and Brain
Usually most of us think that the mind and brain are the same thing and are interchangeable . We use one of the two words when we talk about the same thing . However, even if they are interconnected, the mind and brain are two totally different things . Our brain is an important physical organ situated in our skull while the mind is considered to be mental .
Though the mind works through our brain but both are separate entities . Brain is made up of nerves and cells like other organs and it can be touched whereas the mind can’t be touched . Brain has a defined shape , size and mass while the mind has none of these . Brain being an organ can get diseases but the mind is just a concept and has no physical existence . Brain is part of the head while the mind is a part of the brain . Brain being a physical part can be studied but the mind can’t be studied , it’s just a concept of the brain .
Mind uses our brain which in turn responds to the mind .The mind can change the brain . It’s Mind that forces one to do something good or bad , the brain doesn’t force . Our mind is a powerhouse which can feel , think and choose and generates energy via such acts.The brain can store our memories and feelings . These acts produce thoughts which in turn bring structural changes inside the brain called neuroplasticity . The brain is a complex neuroplastic responder. Each time our mind’s thoughts change it responds differently . The brain’s response changes every time , every moment but the mind is how one individually feels or experiences life .
In short, while the mind is responsible for our thinking and emotions the brain is responsible for physical actions taken by our senses . So we can say our mind is a software and the brain is hardware of our body . Brain receives all information through our senses , it coordinates and organizes and sends information to our body to act accordingly . The mind can be defined as a network of consciousness , thoughts and processes that arises from neurological activities inside the brain .
Main Functions of Brain
* Mobility and Movement -The brain sends signals to different parts of our body for various types of motions .
* Speech and Language - Functions of speech and understanding or interpreting languages are processes inside the brain .
* Knowledge of sensation - Human feelings like heat , cold , tickle , pain etc are processed by the brain .
* Storage of memories - Our brain can store all thoughts and emotions felt by mind .
* Decision - When in a tough or dangerous situation , our mind decides what action is needed , whether to fight or fly away .
* Balance and Coordination of body - Our daily activities like walking , running or taking support to balance the body is coordinated by the brain .
Parts of Mind - There are three parts of minds -
1 . Conscious mind - It is a human’s ability to think , reasoning , composing , analyzing , criticizing , discriminating between good and bad , thinking of present , future and past .
2 . Subconscious mind - It is that part of mind which isn’t in control of the conscious mind . It controls functions like breathing , heart beating . It can also control emotions, store memories of the subconscious mind and the conscious mind decides which one to keep .
3 . Unconscious mind - It’s that part of mind that includes thoughts . memories and feelings that aren’t consciously thought about . It includes repressed feelings , desires , reactions , thoughts and hidden memories. It's sometimes also called the subconscious mind .
Main Functions of Mind -
1 . Thinking - Thinking helps in planning and doing any work .
2 . Feeling - Feelings help in knowing positive and negative events of life and also to decide if someone’s life is bad or good as per his / her individual feelings.
3 . Desire - Desire motivates us to act to gain something or achieve some objective .
There are also some similarities between mind and brain -
* Both mind and brain together form the reality of human life .
* Science yet doesn’t know everything about the mind and brain .
* Both the brain and the mind are affected by external forces like learning , interactions , trauma , etc.
* Both help in decision making and functioning of body parts .
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