Science often starts with the assumption
that the mind, as well as consciousness, is somehow the result
of the functioning of the brain. By contrast, yoga often sees
both the mind and the brain, and indeed all matter, as pure consciousness
which has progressively differentiated first into subject and
object, and then into more complex but limited forms. The difference
between the two viewpoints may not be as great as it first seems.
Just as matter and energy cannot really be different because they
can transform into each other, in either scenario matter must
contain the essence of consciousness, and consciousness, the essence
of matter.
In both cases, the mind occupies an intermediate
position between brain and consciousness and serves as a bridge
between them. Many yogis regard mind as a special kind of sense
organ, not unlike an eye or a nose, that interprets and selectively
presents data to consciousness. The data can come from the senses,
from internal sources such as memory, imagination and feeling,
or from other more mysterious sources. On the conscious side there
is a centre of will that can issue commands and, if it chooses,
direct attention. On the unconscious side is a vast territory
full of insights, inspirations, imaginations, unprocessed junk,
old programs, and also, in my experience, a very deep connection
to a more whole and inclusive world.
