The Mind Factor

There are many definitions and descriptions of the mind in terms of functionally,
characteristics and development. However, one of the closest to the actual
principles of the mind is the definition by the ‘American Heritage Dictionary of
the English Language’ which defines the mind in the following words:

‘The collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that

direct and influence mental and physical behaviour’.

The above definition uses the word ‘processes’ in an organism which direct and
influence both mental and physical behaviour. This kind of description can be
examined more closely by simply presenting an example for the purpose of
comparison and illustration. The example and the comparison, outlined in the
following section, will give us a better understanding of the mind as a whole,
but in particular to its origin and its relationship with the brain and the overall
effect it has on the rest of the body.

What is ‘The Mind’?

Therefore, the question arises again, what is the mind? Well, the function of
the mind, in principle, can be compared with a computer program. This
program usually comes under two different names or types, i.e. there are two
working programs, the ‘input program’ similar to a computer software program
and the ‘firmware’ program, similar to the program(s) installed within the
hardware during the manufacturing process.

The ‘firmware’, which is a permanent program and can be difficult to change, is

stored in the processer, permanently. This firmware program, in principle and
for the sake of comparison only, is similar to the input program within the
structure of the DNA. On the other hand, the software program which can be
installed into the hard disc (HD) of the computer can be compared to the input
from the surrounding environment, usually it gets through via the five senses
and/or via the mother to the unborn foetus, i.e. it can take place at a very early
stage such as from the time of conception, and onwards.

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From the above statement, we can say that the two apparent main sources for
the formation and building of the mind are:

1. The DNA program (inherited from the parents)

2. The input program via the five senses (from the surrounding
environment)

The Conscious and Unconscious Mind

The mind is the main vehicle in dealing and handling the body and our conscious
thoughts. That means, by being in control of our minds, whether in the form of
the input or the way we use it, it can shape the way we live, i.e. the way we
behave, our health aspects, knowledge and educational pursuit, finance and
social level and many more other factors which may affect us directly or
indirectly.
When we are not asleep, the conscious mind is the part which can be in control
and function in order to perform certain daily tasks. In fact, as has been
mentioned above, the best outcome is to learn how to control the conscious
mind, rather than it being in control of us. However, there is a much bigger part
of the functioning mind. This part has been termed by many as the
‘subconscious’ mind. Again, if we use the comparison by adopting the
computer principles terminologies, then the subconscious mind here can be
compared to a ‘database’. If we compare the conscious mind with the
subconscious mind, then the conscious mind is a very small section of the
overall total individual mind i.e. the subconscious mind is clearly the major part
which can play an important role during our lifetime, whether we are conscious
of it’s functionality or not. Reportedly, the conscious and subconscious mind
has been compared to an iceberg, where the iceberg part located above the
water is compared to the size of the conscious mind and the largest part
submerged underneath the water is the size of the subconscious mind. The
above example is simply to show that there is a huge difference in functionality,
capacity and the overall dimension of the subconscious mind compared to the
conscious mind.

What is ‘The Brain’?

In regard to the brain, the physical brain is the base where the functionality of
the mind is located. The very subtle electrical frequencies (waves) constantly
emanated as part of the functionality of the mind extends over a large area
around the head and the body. The brain, therefore, is simply the hardware
part ‘housing’ the mind, i.e. the brain is the processor, in computer terms, and
therefore it is a location where vast amount of energy is being used and
produced constantly to sustain the firing activities of the above electrical
waves. These frequencies/waves are continuously acting and reacting between
the inner and the outer-world of an individual person. The activity of the
electrical vibrations are part of the mind action, as they interact with the
environment which the mind may find itself in, while at the same time sending
signals via the brain on how to react whether in the form of inner and/or outer
physical activity as well as in the form of an input to the conscious and
unconscious mind.

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These signals will have an immediate effect, such as on the motor co-
ordinations, memory, cognition and various aspects related to the activity of the
two minds, i.e. conscious and unconscious reacting with each other - where in
most cases, the individual person is not aware of this kind of interaction apart
from what is taking place within the conscious mind itself.

Functions of ‘The Mind’ (Summary)

Briefly, the mind as a whole may include a number of functions, as have been
listed by psychologists; some of them are listed below:

1. Consciousness
2. Memory
3. Motor Co-ordinations
4. Sensation
5. Cognition
6. Reasoning
7. Volition
8. The Unconscious

General Health
Having understood the very basic concept of the mind, the most important
things here for good health is the building within the mind of the ‘positive’
aspects. These positive inputs via the conscious mind, and most importantly
being deposited so to speak, into the subconscious mind, should successfully
establish itself ‘within’ the individual person as part of an active inner program.
The output of this inner program will be shown via the conscious mind and, at
the same time, it will be applied gradually onto the body for a better overall
general health.
This kind of inner program, sooner or later, will be reflected in the form of
positive signs within the mental, emotional and consequently the physical
activities. This will lead to a significant improvement in all aspects of individual
life. For this reason, a positive mental program is similar in many ways to a
well designed and correctly coded computer program. By running a positive
program as part of the mind function, embedded in the subconscious and
reflected in the conscious, the results will be shown throughout your body, as
well as in your behaviour and attitude to yourself and others.

Najib Altawell