Mind, Memory, Dreams and Consciousness

Mind, Memory, Dreams and Consciousness

Mind, Memory, Consciousness and Dreams are terms used to describe the working of the brain.

None of these terms are inclusive nor exclusive in enlightening the understanding of the working of the brain.

Brain is the most variable component of these elements, if this discussion is extended to the animal kingdom.
I am going to exclude the brain and its physiology from this entry.

The reasons I will briefly outline.

Brain can exist in a vegetative state with modern technological support as long as artificial ventilation is maintained.

I have done this myself as an neonatal resident in UK.

One example is enough.

Obstetric registrar delivered a baby by cesarean section.

The baby’s heart had stopped a few minutes before.

I was called in and I concurred, in fact, the heart had stopped.

I was in a dilemma.

If I do not resuscitate this baby, I will (this was a locum not a permanent job with my superiors behind me) fall into trouble for negligence.

I made an immediate decision to give intra-cardiac injection and got the attending nurses into full action gear.

That included calling in the Senior Registrar for his approval before shoving in the needle to the baby’s heart.

He said OK and the baby’s heart did start in a shutdown state.

I did another stupid thing immediately afterward.

Shoved in a intra-arterial canula and pumped in saline to stabilize the blood pressure and open up the veins (intra-arterial infusion was not in vogue, then, except at Oxford University).

After stabilizing the physiological state and (in addition), opening an intravenous infusion, I transferred the baby to the ICU.

This baby started fitting after six hours of resuscitation and for another six weeks.

Everybody including the parents were cursing me behind my back.

This was good on me and I decided to leave intensive care and UK for good.

Of course in later years, I was more comfortable in pathology where decisions are made “after fact” (like Ceylon Politics) at postmortem.

Even after postmortem only in about 50% one can make solid conclusions.

The postmortem of this baby did not reveal new facts.

In Ceylon this baby would have been declared dead without resuscitation.

Not having technology is a blessing in disguise!

Now coming to my discussion, this baby’s brain was dead but not his heart.

It was in a vegetative state without properly functioning brain.

I followed my Buddhist instincts and fell apart with British colleagues.

In my mind, I was not a God to decide the future for this baby’s life, in this life.

I am not an arbitrator of Kamma in evolution.

I did what the physiology could support but could not intervene, in the evolution of the next life.

Like the near death experience of cardiac arrest patients, if I could see into the next life my intervention could have been masterly inactivity.

But I have no discretion available according to the practice of western medicine (except supporting life with artificial means).

The “Let Go” principle according to the nature of events unfolding is not something discussed in depth in the West.

I make following prepositions (none may be correct, some may be correct, certainly, not all of them are correct).

1. Mind inhabits the brain when suitable but exists it when impossible for functioning.

Body and Mind in a comforting cave of existence.

2. Mind does not become extinct at death.

3. It grabs another living body (brain) by default.

4. The transition period is ill understood as seen in “Near Death Syndrome”.
There is no inter phase or untar-bhava or elderly wise men helping the soul.
The transition is quick and automatic without an intervening phase.
It is like the transmission of an electron through a transistor gate.
The mind enters the transistor portal and goes into the next Bhava of existence instantaneously and it is one way ticket and no coming back.
The mind floating in space and looking for a place of rebirth of choise with wise men helping in is not at all plausible.
The wise men have no right to intervene except masterly inactivity.
Imaging all the souls waiting for a rebirth point keep on floating in space there will be War or clash of souls. I hope you got the point  I am driving at.
Each soul has his her own pathway of transition.
Not even so called God can intervene.

5. It either grabs the current body of existence (at least temporarily) with doctors’ help (resuscitation) or has no choice but to exit and enter its own individual path.

6. Mind can exist outside the body.

7. Body can exist without a mind (EBENs of extraterrestrial origin).

This is where the bioengineering would create biological entities / agents that can reproduce identical biological robots.

The presumption here is that without a previous existence of the mind, a new “soul” cannot be created de novo.

8. Highest level of mind’s existence is its detachment from the entanglement with the body (current or future existence).

9. There have to be many minds of existences and there cannot be a “Unity of Mind” (as God or super agent of creation).

10. All of the above is not true.

11. Some are plausible and some are not.

What is the truth of mind, memory and consciousness?

Difficult to answer but let me try the plausible.

1.Consciousness or Awareness of the present.

In the case of the baby (above scenario) the consciousness was non-existent.

If it did, the baby would have chosen to live.

2. Mind

Mind is a powerful indestructible entity.

Mind has a powerful choice at the time of death.

It either goes into outer realm of existence in another birth (reincarnation) or grab onto the current body as long as possible.

I have a saying here.

The “Tunnel Vision” lets one previews the next birth.

If it is good the current beholder “lets go” and peacefully say Good Bye”.

I haven’t found many in my life of experience except perhaps few kids in death bed.

The nest scenario is the sight of terror having seen the lowly next round of birth.

They are the ones who hang onto the ventilator for ages and super choice of Intensive Care Units, where every minute is money on the coffer for Private Nursing Homes.

Of course drain of resources for public service.

Above discussion is an eyeopener for critical care specialists.

They should know when to let go.

In this sense reincarnation is a “Soul Healing” doctrine.

Whether it is true or not is immaterial for one who has arrived at that juncture.

3. Memory

I have not located any part of the brain and haven’t got a clue.

It got to be outside the brain.

Where?

I do not know.

4. Dreams

It is my favorite. Apart from sleeping a lot now (I call it catch up sleep) dream is a fascination. I even think that dogs do dream.

Imagine an EBEN Robot working 24/7 schedule and a Ceylonese.

It is a habit for government servants and politicians to sleep while on duty or in the parliament.

They are paid for that (sleeping) and discover wakeful state after retirement when not having a regular income (bribes not available) and discover many poor people live a life of bare existence and sleepless nights.