THE MECHANISM OF THOUGHTS

Mind can only know objects; it by itself cannot determine good or evil. It is on account of the different cetasikas (mental factors) that the consciousness becomes good or evil. (a+kusala = opposite of + wholesome = unwholesome). 

Truth is of two kinds; that which is known through the five ordinary senses and by reasoning based thereon; And that which is known through the subtle, supersensuous power of yoga.

Knowledge acquired by the first means is called science; and knowledge acquired by the second is called the Shastras /Vedas. The followings are the fourteen unwholesome mental factors which make the consciousness unwholesome.

1. Moha = delusion,

2. Ahirika = moral shamelessness,

3. Anottappa = moral fearlessness,

4. Uddhacca = distraction, restlessness,

5. Lobha = greed,

6. Ditthi = wrong view,

7. Mana = conceit,

8. Dosa = hatred, anger,

9. Issa = envy,

10. Macchariya = jealousy, selfishness,

11. Kukkucca = remorse,

12. Thina = sloth,

13. Middha = torpor,

14. Vicikiccha = doubt, skepticism

The akusala cetasikas (unwholesome mental factors) are present in the stream of consciousness of everyone. We often hear or see the evil power of greed, hatred, pride, etc. The whole world, due to akusala mental factors, is full of turmoil and atrocities. We even come across such evils ourselves. Your thought pattern and mindset determines how successful you are or will be. If you've been getting the same negative results repeatedly than it's time to change. 

मनोबुद्धिरहङ्कारश्चितं करणमान्तरम्।

संशयो निश्चयो गर्बः स्मरणं विषया अमी।

Our internal sensory mechanism - mental faculties (चित्तवृत्ति) are based on mind (मनस्), intelligence (बुद्धिः), ego (अहङ्कारः) and consciousness (चित्त). Their respective functions are looking for alternatives, focusing on one alternative out of many, assimilating that particular alternative in self for giving command and perceiving the effect. 

शुश्रूषा श्रवणं चैव ग्रहणं धारणां तथा। 

ऊहापोहोऽर्थ विज्ञानं तत्त्वज्ञानं च धीगुणाः॥

(शुश्रूषा, श्रवण, ग्रहण, धारण, चिंतन, उहापोह, अर्थविज्ञान और तत्त्वज्ञान – ये बुद्धि के गुण हैं।)

There are 8 functions of intelligence. These are: processing (mixing), hearing (interpreting sound), reception of external impulses, storing of impulses, analyzing, searching for alternatives, matching the incoming impulse with the stored impulse and determining the meaning/concept. 

Perception (प्रत्यक्ष) is the processing of the result of measurements (मिति) of different but related fields of some object emitting impulses (प्रमेय), with some stored data in memory (मान), to convey a combined form “it is like that” (इदं घटः इति संप्रत्ययो भवति), where “it” refers to an object (constituted of bits - इदं) and “that” refers to a concept (संप्रत्ययो) signified by the object (self-contained representation - घटः). 

Measurement returns restricted information related to only one field at a time. To understand all aspects, we have to take multiple readings of all aspects. For example, we the see the radiation emitted out of a body, but we touch the body that emits the radiation. Hence what we see is not what we touch. Either way, we cannot describe the body fully (अनवर्णे इमे भूमी). For a proper description of the body, we have to see, touch, taste (test its chemical composition), smell (test its emitting gases) and measure its magnetic resonance and combine the result of all of these. 

Mental Factors that Influence the Mind 

The brain acts like a computer. In addition to encryption (language phrased in terms of algorithms executed on certain computing machines - sequence of symbols संग्रह), compression (quantification and reduction of complexity – grammar - व्याकरण) and data transmission (sound, signals - प्रेरण), there is a necessity of mixing information (mass of text, volume of intermediate data, time over which such process will be executed - प्रयोग) related to different aspects (readings generated from different fields - शाखा), with a common code (data structure – strings - भेद) to bring it to a format “it is like/not like that” (इदं घटः न पटः). 

In communication technology, the mixing is done through data, text, spread-sheets, pictures, voice and video. Data are discretely defined fields (इन्द्रियम्). What the user sees is controlled by software - a collection of computer programs (विज्ञानम्). What the hardware (अन्तःकरण) sees is bytes and bits (अर्थ). In perception (प्रत्यक्ष), these tasks are done by the brain. Data are the response of our sense organs to individual external stimuli (इन्द्रियार्थ सन्निकर्ष). Text is the perception arising out of the excitation of the neural network in specific regions of the brain (चित्तवृत्ति). Spreadsheets are the memories of earlier perception (स्मृति).

 Pictures are the inertia of motion generated in memory (thought) after a fresh impulse (भाव), linking related past experiences (भावना). Voice is the disturbance created due to the disharmony between the present thought and the stored image (this or that, yes or no – विकल्पन – इदं वा इदं वा). Video is the net thought that emerges out of such interaction (सङ्कल्प) that makes us aware of the observer of the event (अहङ्कार). Software is the memory (अन्तःकरण बुद्धिः). Hardware includes the neural network (स्रोतस्). Bytes and bits are the changing interactions of the sense organs (including sound that produces words - strings) with their respective fields generated by the objects evolving in time (विकार).

The result of measurement is always related to a time t, and is frozen for use at later times t1, t2, etc, when the object has evolved further. All other unknown states are combined together in a superposition of states (अध्यास). Hence there is an uncertainty inherent in it, which Shannon calls entropy. In perception, the concept remains in a superposition of states and collapses in response to some stimuli. In information technology, the updating is done by an agent. In perception, it is done by the neural network and memory. All information has a source rate (complexity) that can be measured in bits per second (speed) and requires a transmission channel (mode) with a capacity equal to or greater than the source rate (intelligence or memory level). In perception, these are the intelligence level (बुद्धिः) and mind (मनस्).

How do our sensory agencies function? At any moment, our sense organs are bombarded by a multitude of stimuli. But at any instant only one of them is given a clear channel to go up to the thalamus and then to the cerebral cortex, so that like photographic frames, we perceive one discrete frame at every instant, but due to the high speed of their reception, mix it up - so that it appears as continuous (अलातचक्रवत्). Unlike the sensory agencies that are subject specific (eyes can only receive electromagnetic radiation, ears only sound, etc.); the transport system within the body functions for all types of sensory impulses.

 This occurs against concentration gradients with the input energy like the sodium-potassium pump in our body, which moves the two ions in opposite directions across the plasma membrane through break down of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Concentrations of the two ions on both sides of the cell membrane are interdependent, suggesting that the same carrier transports both ions. Similarly, the same carrier transports the external stimuli from sensory agencies to the cerebral cortex and back as a command. 

In perception, this carrier is the “indriyam” (इन्द्रियम्) called mind (मनस्). The existence of mind is inferred from the knowledge or lack of it about external stimuli (लक्षणं मनसो ज्ञानस्याभावं भाव एव वा). Only if the mind transports different external impulses to the brain for mixing and comparison with the stored data, we (Self) know about that (for the first time impulse received about something, there is no definite ‘knowledge’). Shatapatha Braahmanam 10-5-4 and Ayurveda deal with this subject elaborately.

How does thought function? Mechanically, because it is the inertia of mind. Since force causes motion (गति), cessation of force should imply cessation of motion (गतिराहित्य). However, since the bodies are seen to move even after the force ceases to operate, there must be some force that moves an object even after the original force ceases to operate. Kanada explains this by what is called a shadow force (प्रतियत्न), as it mimics the normal effect of force through extension (गुणान्तर आधान) like shadow is our extension that moves with us. This shadow-force is called inertia (संस्कार). The inertia of motion (वेग) is found not only in solids (पृथ्वी), but also in fluids (जल), radiations (तेजः) and forces (वायुः), in addition to mind (मनः), though the last cannot be verified physically (अमूर्तगुणः). It has only to be inferred (अनुमित) from its effects.

Thought (भावना) is not perceptible through any of the sense organs, as it is non-physical (अमूर्त). Inertia of motion (वेग - ओँविजीँ॒ भयचल॒नयोः॑) is dependent upon its cause (कारणगुणपूर्वकाः), i.e., the displacement is related to both the mass and the applied force. It cannot be generated without an applied force (कर्मजाः). In the case of thought (भावना) it is not so (अकारणगुणपूर्वकाः). It is generated based on contact with some object through sensory organs or through memory generated by it (संयोगजाः). Both these generate effects either similar to the force that created them (motion or thought) or can generate different effects (समानासमानजात्यारम्भकाः).

Thought (भावना) can generate inertia based on memory only (स्वाश्रयसमवेतारम्भकाः), whereas the inertia of motion (वेग) can generate motion not only in the space adjacent to it, but also in other places through chain reaction (उभयत्रारम्भकाः). Inertia of motion (वेग) generates continued motion (क्रियाहेतवः). Thought (भावना) can be only a formal or instrumental cause (निमित्तकारणत्वम्), whereas the inertia of motion (वेग) can be either formal cause or a catalytic cause (उभयथाकारणत्वम्). Unlike motion generated by forces, motion due to inertia do not exist till the forces exist. Inertia of motion can be neutralized due to contact or friction with solids, fluids or air (स्पर्शवद्द्रव्यसंयोगविशेषविरोधी). In the case of thought, it is destroyed by getting the object of thought (प्राप्ति), acute pain that diverts the mind (कष्ट) or knowledge about the subject of thought (ज्ञानम्).

प्रत्यये तु चिदाकारो वृत्त्याकारश्च सुव्रताः।

विद्यते मोहमाहात्म्यादेकाकारावभासते।

ज्ञाता ज्ञातार्थजातस्य यः साक्षी भासते स्वयम्।

स एव साक्षाच्चिन्मात्रस्वभावात्मा न चापरः।

Perception has two parts: operation of senses and conception as knowledge. The operation of senses is temporal (अनित्य), whereas conception is time-invariant (नित्य). We see something momentarily, but we recognize it because the knowledge of the object as a concept is permanently stored in our memory. When the consciousness (चित्त) interacts with external impulses, there is some activity in its corresponding field. This activity is called its operation (वृत्ति). Since both are without fixed dimensions, they remain in a limited superposition of states (अन्योन्याध्यास).

 Because of this, during the operation of the external impulses, the perception is confused with knowledge. It is like a reflection in the mirror. It appears same. But if the mirror is destroyed, only the reflection vanishes – not the object. Alternatively, if the object is changed, the reflection also changes. The reflectivity remains same. Happiness Comes From Within: Seeking happiness outside of ourselves is like waiting for sunshine in a cave facing north. Happy life with best wishes

 https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/what-is-conscious-and-subconscious-mind

Authored by Dr Anadi Sahoo