Theory of How the Mind Works

How does the mind work? Does anyone really know how the mind works? Will anyone ever be able to answer those questions? These are tough thoughts I never thought I would actually be pondering...

It is amazing to think about the journey one's mind takes over a lifetime. This makes me think of a baby versus an adult...two totally opposite ends of the spectrum. The baby's mind is basic and is just in the beginning stages of learning and developing. And what a journey it has ahead! The adult's mind is complex and filled with so much information that can be used to understand and process things encountered. How is it possible that the mind develops so much and works like a masterpiece throughout our lives?

I think this masterpiece called the mind is something that is developed over time. It is something that is acquired...it is learned. It reminds me of the "ah-ha!" moment we experience when the light in your mind turns on, the wheels are turning, and you just know.

This "ah-ha!" moment doesn't just happen, though. It has to start out with the basics, like the color red or an object like a flower. The very basic things we learn are stored in our minds, and we can continually deposit knowledge into our mind, building a plethora of information over time. This process never stops and is continual as long as you receive a stimulus to provoke the learning and storage of the knowledge.

How is it that you can look out a window and transform pulses of light into objects, like trees, the sky, clouds, and grass? How do you know what they mean, and what relationships exist between those objects? It is the basic knowledge that your mind has stored and continues to build on through experiences that help answer questions like this.

You learn what a tree is, and the components that make up a tree (the trunk, branches and leaves.) Your mind has stored this information that you have gathered so anytime you see a tree, you are aware of it, can process the tree, and then react to the tree. If the wind is blowing, you know that the branches of the tree will sway and that leaves may fall to the ground. You know this information and can process this information because you have learned it...your mind allows you to continually build upon and access the information.

I think the mind is a masterpiece that may never be understood fully by anyone, which is the most fascinating part. The unthinkable can happen. To me, the mind works like a process. It is something that a person learns over a long period of time and that we train our minds to do or remember things from experience...trial and error, learning.

It beings first with the awareness of the situation. After being aware of the situation, we can then begin to process and analyze the situation. While we are processing the situation, we can make inclusions about what is happening in the situation and why it is happening in such a way. Then we can react to these situations, whether it is in a positive or negative way. After reacting, we then reflect and learn from the situation, ultimately learning from the specific decision you chose to make. Every step of this process is recorded in your mind and can be accessed when needed or recalled.

The mind is simply a masterpiece...it is most unique in the fact that you have the opportunity to paint the components of your own personal masterpiece every single day of your life.