chopra

Why it's Better to Have a Mind than a Brain...

I’ve decided once more to write about the mind. In particular, the point must be made that we are not our brains. We are our minds, a rich, alive, constantly changing mystery. The brain carries out what the mind wants. To mistake the brain, a lump of proteins, sugar, and water, for a mind is a drastic mistake.

Some years ago while researching cases where patients spontaneously recovered from cancer — an occurrence that remains unexplained — I hit upon a striking fact. There is no consistent thing that such patients do, no single technique drug, or alternative therapy. Some prayed, some became Buddhists, some turned to coffee enemas or grape juice. There was no consistency at all, and no scientific evidence that a magical substance had been found.

Is the American system due for a major overhaul? Three recent crises have exposed major weaknesses in that system. The economic bubble burst after decades of rising prosperity. Health care expenses have soared beyond reason. The military finds itself mired in two wars, even though we are told that a rocky recovery is underway, these crises are more fundamental than they appear. Three pillars of American life are cracking, along with the beliefs that hold them up.

AROUND THE WORLD people yearn to find peace and give solace to the suffering and bereaved. Once again the clash of polarised enemies clamours for attention.

Al-Qaeda takes pride in this heinous and sordid crime, while Western nations seek to bring the terrorists to justice. Yet it would be naive to take the simple way out and call this an example of pure evil and depravity.