Information from our senses is processed by the components of the central nervous system, including the - 

• • Networks of nerves around the heart and gut
  • Spine and brain stem
  • Hind brain
  • Mid brain
  • Cerebral Cortex

The nervous system consists of approximately 100 billion neurons (nerve cells). Each neuron has an average of 10,000 connections to other neurons.

• As this information is integrated the unconscious, and conscious processes of the mind arise.  

• Consciousness – is the experience of ‘feeling like something’
  • To feel like a bird, a dog, or a human
  • When conscious we are aware of ‘things’ such as sensations in our body, processes of the mind – thoughts, feelings, memories, the environment around us and other creatures.
  • We can direct our awareness & influence our conscious experience

Understanding our mind is key to using it well -& good mental health

Processes of the Mind include unconcious and concious processes.

Unconscious processes of the mind include - 

Unconscious regulation of the body - Blood flow, heart rate, digestion, metabolism, balance. 

Unconscious mental activity including 

• Concepts
  • Meanings of words
    • wolf, apple, boy
• Processes
  • Grammar – meaning of a sentence
    • The wolf and the boy ate the apple
    • The wolf ate the boy and the apple
• Motor skills
  • Riding, driving, sport, writing
    • Automatic – ‘muscle memory’

 

Conscious mental processes include - 

Drives – arising in the Hind Brain - (reptilian brain) in  reptiles, fish, birds and mammals including us. 
      They promote Individual survival

• Hunger
• Thirst
• reproduction
  • Automatic
  • Satisfying urges produces dopamine & pleasure
  • Drives are the basis of addictions

Conscious drives, reactions & thoughts are often illogical & Unhelpful

Survival Instincts – arising in the Hind Brain 
promote Individual survival

Response to danger

• • Fight
  • Flight
  • Freeze

 

Drives and Survival instincts are Automatic

They cause us to Act before thinking and allow a Quick response in an emergency, but are Often not useful when it is safe and when there is an abundance of food and resources. 

Emotions –  are concious experiences that occur in social animals – mammals. They arise in the midbrain (mamalian brain) and promote the  Survival of the group

Humans also learn and communicate in words which allows us to form concepts and to think about abstract and complex problems and to form Thoughts and Beliefs. These processes of the mind arise in the cerebral cortex.