Mind and Brain - 14 top questions

If we are ever to understand the mind-brain relationship, it is important to ask the right questions. If we are to model the workings up there in the head, it is important to create a model of those workings. Only in that manner can we suggest tests toward validity and reliability. If we deny functionality of the mind-brain operations, there becomes a muddle most difficult to fathom. Therefore, assuming functionality, upon which nature seems to operate in most venues, we note for the mind and brain the following capacities: recognizing, learning, remembering, abstracting, rejecting, and focusing. There are more, but these are most important for a first go. There is yet another aspect of the mind-brain, that of spiritualism. From the atheist to the most devout believer, most all persons consider themselves to be “spiritual,” that is having a capacity beyond the mere biological firing of neurons and the like.

Of course, there is the perennial nagging issue of consciousness, like what on earth is it? Many have attempted to locate this most interesting aspect of humans. It has eluded all. For the time being, we will simply assume it to be an artifact of the massive complexity of mind-brain interactions. Self-organization of complex systems is at once obvious to those having studied such systems, but elusive in that there is seemingly no “locale” where it resides. Another most important issue is scale. There have been conjectures involving consciousness (and mind-brain operations) spanning the quantum, molecular, cellular, and even mechanical scales of description, together with the electromagnetic and chemical scales of physical processes. Therefore, the questions below must be classified as to scale. That said, and noting the difficulty of just this, it may never be possible to determine a working model of mind and brain that spans all such scales.

There is every reason to believe the mind-brain constitutes a combined cooperative-competitive system. Competitive, yes, because of the main brain processes each desiring limited resources. Cooperative, yes, because the brain processes must be harnessed in such a way to accomplish tasks, from the most primitive to complex.

Our first attempt will be to set some questions, upon which the constructed model might encompass. Difficult though they are, any model must address them - eventually.

How does the mind focus on tasks and how does it remain focused on them?
How does the mind allocate brain resources to accomplish tasks.
How does the brain processes limit or allocate resources to its various subsystems?
How can we measure the various capacities of brain subsystems
What is the latency of excited brain systems before returning to their natural state?
How to measure the intensity of brain systems and how the mind can excite them.
How does the mind abstract events to apply its learning from a specific to future events?
How does the mind form expectations or anticipation of future events?
How does the mind or brain distinguish conflicting stimuli, rejecting the one and focusing upon the other? Put another way, how do we selectively attend to events that particularly interest us?
Which of the brain parameters are under objective control by the mind – or brain?
How does the brain recall information? Alternatively, how does the brain organize information?
What is consciousness?
Will there ever evolve a model of the mind-brain that will permit one key point of valid scientific theories – predictability?
How can we account for a spiritual experience?

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