Chapter One: Embodied Consciousness

1402 Solar Hijri | Issue 1

Introduction

The embodied human is a material being. It is confined to the realm of matter. Its personality is rooted in the body. This includes its consciousness and dependent capacities. The consciousness of the embodied human is its mental acquisitions and insights.

The Mind and Perceptual System

Consciousness is an abstract concept. It belongs to secondary philosophical intelligibles. It is a function of the mind. Cognitive sciences study the embodied human mind. They explore the phenomenon of thought and the nature of knowledge. The attributive relation of mental consciousness is examined. It is found in the objective, external epistemic subject.

The embodied human mind is material and physical. Its mental substance is a conscious, self-sustaining epistemic subject.

The mind can learn and retain knowledge. This depends on the quality of material particles. These particles determine consciousness. Their strength or weakness matters. So does their capacity for connection. This happens through a process. It involves interaction with the biological world.

The mind of the epistemic subject is a phenomenon. It is a manifestation and a determination. It has sensory perception. It creates meaning aligned with external reality. This occurs intensively and gradationally. It is relative, collective, and world-oriented. It depends on the purity or impurity of its determination. This is not a single act. It is a complex process. It operates across material, imaginal, and rational layers. Initially, all layers are physical.

The mind’s relation to knowledge is that of creator to created. This resembles the relational discussion in Sadrā’s philosophy. The known is identical to its relation to the mind. This relation exists within the reality of the known. The known is attributed to the mind in its reality. This is not through an extrinsic or accidental relation.

The mind is not the soul, self, or ego. It is self-sustaining. It does not require an essentialist framework for its existence. This self-sustainability is not the autonomy of the Enlightenment. That autonomy is detached from the sacred. Instead, it is a self that must be pure. It must be empathetic and ethical. It must be free from egoism and negative emotions. Only then can it attain truer, stronger, clearer consciousness.

The mind is not a faculty of the soul. It is not an essential quality or a psychic state. It is not a category of relation. It does not involve an extrinsic relation between knower and known. Relation and attribution have objective reality. They are not non-existent.

The mind is distinct from the soul. The soul is the true self or ego. It is the phenomenal self of each individual. It is their unique existence. It is created for a specific purpose. It has a unique function. It is non-repeatable. Mental consciousness and cardiac knowledge serve this function. They support the personality of the soul. The soul is a perfected stage beyond nature. Cardiac wisdom serves this self.

Phenomenal knowledge of existence is self-evident. We will discuss this later. Phenomenal knowledge of the soul and self becomes clear. It appears at the level of the inner heart. Yet, an impure form of this consciousness exists. It is found at the levels of nature and soul.

The truth of the self is simple. It is non-composite. It is perceived clearly through the heart. The mind’s understanding of it is distorted. This distorted consciousness is common. It exists among all embodied humans. It is a fundamental form of consciousness. It varies in intensity and gradation.

Knowledge of one’s existence is self-consciousness. Knowledge of other phenomena is creative. It is phenomenal. It is realized through the heart’s perceptual system.

The material mind has mysterious consciousness. This consciousness is phenomenal. Yet, it is material. It faces many limitations. These affect all actions. They include consciousness and creativity. Knowledge and expertise are acquired over time. This happens gradually. It is intentional. It involves creation. It engages the entire body. It occurs in a collective world.

The mind is embodied. It involves all bodily cells. It is the center of consciousness and perception. The human body is entirely conscious. Knowledge permeates all cells. No particle lacks consciousness. Each particle is a cognitive system. It knows what to do. It acquires consciousness based on conditions. It may lack certain knowledge. Each particle holds vast information. Natural empathy can access this. So can creative reflection. This requires a balanced state. It must avoid anxiety and chaos. Empirical studies can reveal this data.

Human judgment of cellular knowledge is vast. Philosophically, a particle is simple. It is the smallest unit of interaction. Yet, it extends to billions of cells. Each cell is a molecular manual. It is coded to guide activities. Cellular signaling is a complex system. It governs cellular functions. It coordinates interactions.

The mind is subtle but material. It receives signals. These come through the brain and heart. They include sensory perceptions and mental concepts. The mind creates the perceived phenomenon. It transforms information into consciousness.

The mind has creativity. It produces consciousness and knowledge. It can encompass four domains. These are sensory perception, imagination, fantasy, and reason. These levels must be active and vibrant.

Imagination is the lowest domain after sensory perception. Fantasy is stronger. Rational cognition follows. It focuses on material affairs and physical knowledge. Up to this point, the mind’s domain is physical.

The mind and soul interact complexly. They grow and ascend. They may peak or decline. The soul is born from the material body. It is initially embodied. If purified, it becomes abstracted. It transfers its perceptual system to the heart. It submits to it.

Humans ascend beyond the heart. They shed attachments. They achieve annihilation. They become pure and supra-abstract. They gain love, unity, and divine authority. They become divine humans with knowledge. We will discuss this in Chapter Two.

The mind’s scope does not include spiritual knowledge. Mental consciousness is limited. It involves sensory experiences and conceptual sciences. It does not transcend embodiment. Yet, it can submit to sacred knowledge. It does so with devotion.

The Brain and Heart

In the material realm, the mind is linked to the brain and heart. Perceptual sciences show vast capabilities. The brain and heart shape consciousness. This process is physical. The brain commands the mind and bodily functions. The heart is the source of life. It is the origin of will. It manages inner senses. It connects to inner meaning. It perceives the environment.

The brain and heart are key channels. They handle information. Abilities like perception, learning, and memory depend on the nervous system. So do analysis, illusion, and imagination. Over twenty senses are involved.

The human brain is complex. Its largest part is the cerebral cortex. This outer layer handles cognition. It supports thought and reasoning. Information arrives as energy waves. Sensory organs receive them. Nerves transmit them to the brain. Events are produced as energy. They convert to matter.

Neurons are primary components. They transmit neural signals. These go to the spinal cord and brain. They perceive environmental information.

The brain connects received patterns. It seeks similarities and differences. It is an efficient processor. It analyzes propositions. It is sensitive to novelty. Scientists equate lifting a glass to vast computations. This sensory process forms in the brain’s material structure.

The brain is a parallel processor. No gap exists between mind and body. The brain learns with the body’s aid. It controls the body. The heart has the widest communication network. It generates and transmits essential information.

The mind can align the body. It requires balance and speed. When the mind gains awareness, the body acts instantly. Mind and body become one. This makes consciousness cohesive. Decisions become agile. Exercise makes the body flexible. Greater activity enhances harmony with the mind.

Mental consciousness is biological. It is an embodied process. It involves molecular changes. Neural connections play a role. It relates to neurobiology and brain function.

The heart is not a mere pump. It is the body’s most powerful generator of rhythmic information patterns.

The heart contains about 40,000 neurons. They transmit information to the brain. They enable sensing and memory. The heart is not just mechanical. It is a powerful generator. It communicates with the brain and organs. It uses neural, biochemical, biophysical, and energetic pathways. These include hormones like oxytocin. Oxytocin supports bonding and trust.

Oxytocin is produced in the brain and heart. It aids childbirth and breastfeeding. It supports cognition and tolerance. It fosters social bonds and complex behaviors.

The heart’s electromagnetic field is strong. It is 5,000 times stronger than the brain’s. It radiates outside the body. Magnetometers can measure it. This field is the body’s most extensive.

The heart has extensive neural connections. It links strongly with the brain. This bidirectional link aids consciousness. The heart influences the brain significantly. It is called the “little brain.” It is a complex sensory organ. It processes and encodes information. A cardiac energetic system exists. It coordinates bodily functions as a whole.

Human perception is vast. It is boundless. Humans have complex brains. Their perceptual systems are advanced. Yet, this is not their main distinction from animals. Animals have complex perceptual systems. They possess mysterious consciousness.

Mental consciousness is not unique to humans. Some animals surpass ordinary humans. These animals have souls. They transcend nature. Their consciousness is greater.

Consciousness and belief create distinctions. They make humans ordinary or exceptional. Animals vary in perception. Their scientific advancement is limited. The soul holds abundant consciousness. Even a child with a soul has vast knowledge. This knowledge is intuitive. It appears without human mentors. It manifests in admirable decisions.

The mind operates in sensory and conceptual domains. It has a collective structure. It is intertwined with all phenomena. It is complex. It seeks effective action. It moves from superficial perception. It uses reflection or genius. It may submit to inner intuition. This occurs in a universal system.

The brain, heart, and body collaborate. So does the surrounding world. They manage thoughts. They construct the mind. This processing is not limited to the brain or heart. It involves the entire body. The embodied human is cosmic and universal. Cognitive sciences cannot be confined to neurology. Collective consciousness plays a key role.