The Mind?

[Kuu]

I've been wondering lately: What is the mind? Does the mind truly exist? If so, what, if anything, distinguishes it from the brain?

I'm not sure this topic belongs in the religion section but I can't really think of a better place to put it, and it may come down to religious beliefs.

My understanding of the mind has come to be: the mind is to the brain as the soul is to the body. Even if you do not believe in a soul, this could still be acceptable because I am merely saying that the way the soul is thought (by some) to be in relationship with the body may be the the same way the mind is in relationship with the brain.

[Ajit]

I think a mind is purely a mechanical function of our complex brains.  It is given quite an abstract description as of now, but I believe as science progresses in the future, the concept of the mind will be broken down into different physical categories and explanations as to how exactly it functions.

It will, in the future, be calculated, duplicated, and created.  Nothing spiritual about that.  The mind is in my opinion a purely physical phenomenon that is just waiting to scientifically explained.  Just a part of the brain.  I think that no natural-made creature has a mind to the same degree as us.

To sum up; I don't think there is anything spiritual about the mind, except for that it is the sole tool that allows the soul to communicate and interact with this physical realm.

[Bloodshadow]

I don't think the mind and consciousness really exists. After all, our brain is simply a computer composed of cells, transmitting neuro-electrical signals among each other. The mind is to the brain as the OS is to the computer.

[Daxx]

I've been wondering lately: What is the mind? Does the mind truly exist? If so, what, if anything, distinguishes it from the brain?

Wikipedia defines "mind" thusly:

Mind (pronounced /ˈmaɪnd/) is the aspect of intellect and consciousness experienced as combinations of thought, perception, memory, emotion, will, and imagination, including all unconscious cognitive processes. The term is often used to refer, by implication, to the thought processes of reason. Mind manifests itself subjectively as a stream of consciousness.

I think that's a fair definition.

"Mind" is essentially what happens when the brain is active. What distinguishes it from the brain itself is that it is an emergent property of the brain's operation. If the brain is not operational, then the mind does not function (or "exist").