Mind and Body - Research Paper - Volume 4 - Issue 12 - Dec 2014

Aug 22, 2026

Mind and body are presented as closely and intimately related through both everyday observation and anatomical evidence. Physical conditions are argued to shape mental outlook, while prolonged worries and anxieties damage health. Brain diseases are linked to changes in mental life, and mental functions are described as localized in different brain regions. Several theories—interactionism, occasionalism, and pre-established harmony—are reviewed to explain this relation, followed by critique of strict dualism.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Mind and body relationship in everyday experience

Anatomical evidence and localization in the brain

Major theories: interactionism

Major theories: occasionalism and pre-established harmony

Critique of dualism and the proposed problem

ReseaRch PaPeR Philosophy Volume : 4 | Issue : 12 | Dec 2014 | ISSN-2249-555X Mind and Body | Aloke Bhunia | | --- | | Researcher, Vidyasagar University (West Bengal) | ABSTRACT There are some undeniable acts which point to the close relation between mind and body. There are many facts of everyday occurrence which prove that mind and body are closely related. A blow on the head is followed by temporary loss of consciousness. One’s general physical condition influences one’s mental outlook. On the other hand, prolonged mental worries and anxieties wear down one’s physical health. The facts of anatomy also point to this relation. A disease of the brain affects of mental life. Various forms of mental life are now known to be localized in different portions of brain. It has been observed that if a particular part of the brain of eliminated by operation, the mental experiences connected with that part becomes eliminated or interfered with. Moreover, comparative anatomy has established that mind grows in capacity as the nervous system becomes more and more complex from the lower to the higher forms of life. These observation unmistakable points to some form of an intimate relation between mind and the body. But what is the nature of this relation? Several theories have been advanced to describe the nature of this relation, viz., Interactionism, Occasionalism, Pre-established harmony. Parallelism, Epiphenomenalism, Emergent evolution etc. 1. Interactionism Mind or spirit, being the highest value reached by the process of evolution so far, is different from the body it inhabits. It is, therefore, imperative to examine the relation between mind and body. That there is a very close and intimate connection between the two is obvious. It is common experience that mind influences body and body acts upon mind at every moment of our life. When drunk, one sees two lamp posts instead of one; if thereis indigestion you gave nightmare. Hence states of body influence mind. Again if I am angry my face becomes stiff; a pain in the mind produces paleness’ of the face. Hence mind affects body. When one is doing mental work the amount of blood-pressure in brain increases. A disease of the brain affects our mental life. Descartes advocated, in a crude form, the theory of interaction between mind and body. Mind and body are two separate and independent substances created by God. Descartes maintained that these two substances interact and there is a casual relation between the two. The spiritual substance of mind has definite location in the pineal gland of the brain at which point. Descartes supposed, it exerts influence upon the body and is affected by the brain process. According to interactionism, therefore, bodily or nervous processes are at times supposed to cause mental experience and at other times are caused by them. That mind and body do interact seems to be a fact of common observation. And yet such interaction is inconceivable. If two substances are entirely different and heterogeneous; as supposed by Descartes, how can the one act upon the other casually? Casual connection presuppose qualitative likeness between cause and effect. A nervous process can cause another similar nervous process but not a mental one. You cannot crest an immaterial wish by a stone. Again how can the immaterial, non-spatial soul have a location in the pineal gland? Moreover, such utter dualism violates the law of conservation of energy. It is a general conclusion of science that the total amount of energy in the physical universe remains constant; it can neither increase nor decrease. There may be transformation of one kind of energy into another, as heat is changed into light, but in such transformation, on energy is lost or gained. Now ifa brain-process is transformed into a mental one, certain amount of physical energy ends in mental activity and so it apparently vanishes form the physical order. Thus physical energy goes on decreasing. Ag

FAQs

What evidence is used to argue that mind and body are closely related?

The document cites everyday examples where bodily states influence consciousness and mental states affect physical condition, along with anatomical claims connecting brain processes to mental life.

How does the paper explain the interactionism view of mind and body?

It describes interactionism as the idea that mind and body, though distinct substances, can causally influence each other, including Descartes’ account involving the pineal gland.

Why does the document criticize Descartes’ strict dualism?

It argues that casual influence between entirely heterogeneous immaterial and material entities is inconceivable and that such dualism conflicts with the conservation of energy.

Aug 22, 2026

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