Chapter 1 – Mind and Body
General
To understand Atma and Parmatma we need to understand our body and mind. Unless and until we get a good sense of physical parts of our body it will be difficult to comprehend my thoughts and explanation. I am not going to describe in details our body parts and our mind because there are number of books and articles written by very knowledgeable persons and my suggestion would be to pick any one of them to get the right information. However, I am going to explain them from my perspective so that one can understand my explanation on Atma and Parmatma.
By the way I have read quite a few books myself including Gray’s Anatomy, the bible of medical studies. It will not be out of place to mention that my wife is a family physician and my daughter is a pediatrician and my son is a family physician.
Acknowledgement
The material in this section to describe about the brain has been taken from the following 2 web site:
www.livescience.com & www.humanbrainfacts.org
I strongly suggest that please review the web sites to get more detailed information as the contributors have done an excellent job in explaining the most complex part of human anatomy.
Body
Human body is the most complex structure that exists in the world. It has 2 distinct parts, outer or external and inner or internal. The 2 parts have different functions but they work in unison to keep us moving and alive. The primary function of the inner parts is to ensure human being lives and outer parts primary function is to provide information to brain so that it can help in making right decision.
Inner part of the body contains numerous items that are all very critical. However, there are 5 items that to me are the most important. First is Heart which provides blood to all the parts of the body so that they can function properly. Blood is the life line. Second is Lungs which helps us breathe. It provides Oxygen that is crucial for survival. Third is Kidney which helps the body in getting rid of garbage else body will become a waste basket and will stop functioning. Fourth is Stomach whose main function is to store energy in the form of food and provide proper nourishment to the body. Fifth is Brain which acts as a controller of the body.
Outer part of the body consists of sensory organs. Eyes are for viewing. Ears are for hearing. Nose is for smelling. Hands are for feeling. Legs are for moving. Mouth is for tasting (tongue) and chewing. The main purpose of these sensory organs is to pass the information to the brain for processing and making good decision.
Understanding the role of the inner and outer parts of our body is important as it will help in understanding our brain.
Mind
Brain is Mind. As mentioned brain is the controller as such it is the most important and complex part of our body. Again, I am not going to describe the brain in scientific terms but in generic terms so that we can understand its importance in understanding Atma and Parmatma as I feel brain has direct relationship with Atma and Parmatma.
Brain consists of over 86 billion cells which are called Neurons also known as gray matter. These neurons are connected to each other by trillions of connections known as synapses. These cells serve as storage for information. Think of this structure as beehive. Brain also contains over billion of nerve fibers known as axons and dendrites commonly known as white matter.
Gray matter serves as nerve connection and processing whereas White matter is responsible for connecting brain with the other parts of the body.
The largest part of the human brain is the cerebrum, which is divided into two hemispheres. Underneath lies the brainstem, and behind that sits the cerebellum. The outermost layer of the cerebrum is the cerebral cortex, which consists of four lobes: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the temporal lobe and the occipital lobe. These two hemispheres are commonly known as Left Brain and Right Brain. Left Brain controls all the muscles on the right side of the body and Right Brain controls the left side muscles. There is no concrete evidence but it is a general belief that Left brain is responsible for speech, language, calculations and fact retrieval. Right brain is responsible for visual and auditory processing, spatial skills, artistic capabilities and creativity.
Frontal Lobe is responsible for problem solving, creativity and personality. Temporal Lobe is responsible for memories, Parietal Lobe is responsible for visual function, reading and understanding language, Occipital Lobe is responsible for vision. Cerebellum is responsible for balance, coordination and motor learning (example walking, playing instruments etc.). Brain stem manages basic life functions.
The human brain develops from three sections known as the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Each of these contains fluid-filled cavities called ventricles. The forebrain develops into the cerebrum and underlying structures; the midbrain becomes part of the brainstem; and the hindbrain gives rise to regions of the brainstem and the cerebellum.
The brainstem is connected to the spinal cord and its primary functions include: relaying information between the brain and the body; supplying some of the cranial nerves to the face and head; and doing critical functions in controlling the heart, breathing and consciousness.
Between the cerebrum and brainstem lie the thalamus and hypothalamus. The thalamus relays sensory and motor signals to the cortex and is involved in regulating consciousness, sleep and alertness. The hypothalamus connects the nervous system to the endocrine system where hormones are produced — via the pituitary gland.
The cerebellum lies beneath the cerebrum and has important functions in motor control. It plays a role in coordination and balance, and may also have some cognitive functions.
Communication and coordination with the different part of the body is performed by neurons through chemical and electrical signals.
It is an accepted fact that human brain works faster than any known computer in the world therefore level of electrical and chemical activity is beyond imagination. This is the reason why 70% of the brain content is water. Water acts as a coolant.
The sensory parts of the body feed information to the brain for it to process and issue instructions for action. Inner parts maintain proper environment so that brain can function without any problem.
Now we have some idea about our body and brain so let us try to understand what Atma and Parmatma are.