Dear Professor, I am writing an essay on the relation between body and mind.

Could I ask you some questions?

Sure, happy to help   😀😀                                                                           

Thank you! I want to discuss all the classical positions on the relation between brain and mind

I’d like some input from a real neuroscientist on this, because some of them sound …. really weird and implausible?

Ok, but I’m not really an expert in philosophy or psychology as such.             

Oh but it is specifically about what the brain can and cannot do that I have questions …

That actually is my area of expertise, so fire away!                       

So I’ve reviewed the classical positions, like Cartesian Dualism, where mind and brain are separate and don’t interact …

… that _is_ weird and implausible …                                                

Right! But what I actually have the most trouble with is the identity theory: that the mind just is the brain, full stop.

On first sight that also is weird and implausible!                           

Yeah, so there are a couple of variations on this theory, but the gist seems simply that “we are our brains”

I’m sure it is more complicated than that … I can tell you straight away, I’ve lots of brains close up, but never a  thought …                                      

Ooh, that’s a good one, can I quote you on that? 😍

It’s just the punchline from an old joke, but sure …😄                     

Right, but there are some variations on this theory and this is where things get confusing for me …

One says that all mental processes correlate one-on-one with physical processes in the brain, hence the mind is the brain

Literally?    🤔                                                                                             

Yes, they argue the mind isn’t caused by the brain, but coincides with the brain? Like lightning isn’t caused by an electrical discharge, but simply is an electrical discharge?

OK, that actually sounds … intelligible. Send me your draft and I’ll check it out.                                          

Thank you! That’s very helpful! ☺️

I’m actually curious what else they have to say about the  brain … 😮😮