STEERING THE POT Challenge – September 2025
THE MIND
THE MIND
Hello Friends! I am back with the second part of the body-mind-soul challenge. Finally. I’m sorry for the break last month; suddenly, life spun out of control, and I had to drop everything and run to the rescue. We are not out of the woods yet, but it has gotten a little bit calmer here.
Another change from the last time is that I joined the team of Cheery-Os here at Oscraps. I still am very new and still have my training wheels on, but so far so good I was assured that it is OK for me to run this challenge, and it is OK to accept the offer from wonderful Jenn of Joyful Heart Designs, who generously decided to sponsor a reward for this challenge.
So, without further ado, let us begin! This month, we will explore the concept of the mind.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Definitions:
Mind is…
- the set of cognitive faculties that enables consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, and memory - a characteristic of humans, but which also may apply to other life forms
- the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and, especially, reasons
- the normal or healthy condition of the mental faculties
- a person's intellect
I don’t know about you, but to me, the above definitions do not define the mind too well. In fact, they pose more questions than they give answers. Here are some of them:
- Is the mind the same as the brain?
The brain is a bodily organ, much like the lungs or liver. It’s part of the nervous system. With this, we can all agree, I think. There is scientific evidence of a strong relationship between the physical brain matter and the mind. Take, for example, the traumatic brain injuries, strokes, use of some drugs, or even a pregnancy or menopausal hormonal changes. They can all alter the brain, either physically or chemically, and in turn, shift thinking patterns, behaviors, and emotions.
We can probably all agree that the brain is responsible for our senses, perception, intellect, thinking, reasoning, memory, and even judgment – all listed as faculties of the mind. We tend to – or at least I tend to – think of a brain as a body’s computer, responsible for all the “hard science.” I have never considered associating a “soft science” of feelings with the brain or mind.
We do use our whole brain to do things, so the left- or right-brained people are just a myth. Nonetheless, the left and right sides of the brain hold primary responsibilities in specific processes:
LEFT
| RIGHT
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- Are the emotions and feelings faculties of the mind (and/or brain)?
Emotions are often described as biological, chemical, involuntary, and subconscious responses to external stimuli that prepare the body for action (i.e., a jolt of adrenaline and increased heart rate when scared). They are rooted in brain activity and neurotransmitters, acting as internal signals. As such, they are largely beyond our control, just like all other bodily actions, such as the heartbeat or digestion. And yes, they definitely are the faculties of the brain, as well as the nervous and endocrine systems.
On the other hand, feelings are defined as the conscious awareness and interpretation of those emotional states. They are subjective, influenced by our thoughts, memories, beliefs, previous experiences, and cultural background (i.e., being able to recognize and name the jolt of adrenaline and increased heart rate as fear). They are the mental components of an emotional response, helping us to make sense of what's happening. Since feelings are conscious, we have more control over them, at least in theory. In practice, it takes some practice to be able to distinguish between emotions and feelings. Achieving that, however, enables greater self-awareness and the ability to manage emotional responses more effectively.
- Consciousness
It is understood as the state of being aware of oneself and one's surroundings, encompassing perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. Consciousness is generally thought to involve awareness (the ability to recognize external stimuli and internal mental states), subjectivity (the personal, first-person experience of sensations and feelings), information processing (the brain’s ability to integrate and process information from various sources to create a unified experience), and attention (the ability to focus on specific aspects of the environment or internal thought).
If we accept that perception and emotions are elements of brain activity, and thoughts and feelings are aspects of the activity of the mind, then we must also accept that the brain/mind is the seat of consciousness. However, the origin of this phenomenon remains unexplained by both science and philosophy. Maybe it’s purely biological, and any brain that achieves the minimum of human-level brain complexity will have to become conscious. We cannot check that, as our brain is considered the most advanced in the known universe. We simply lack comparison. Or maybe it is a divine spark, the aspect of being created in God’s own image. That is also something we can neither prove nor disprove.
Whatever it is, to me, the mind is a bridge between body and soul, between what’s material and what’s immaterial (spiritual?) in human beings. It has its roots in the biology of the brain and related systems, but then it goes further. To me, the mind is inextricably connected to consciousness, and it doesn’t exist without it.
- Mental health
Ironically, the reason I could not post this challenge last month was/is the mind—or mental health, to be exact. Let me give you a little feel about it.
I have a friend, let’s call her Ann. We used to work together. She’s in her 70s, unmarried, and childless. Her only brother lives quite far away and has an extremely hectic life. Ann’s first severe mental health crisis started at the end of 2021 and ended at the beginning of 2023. During that time, I somehow became her primary caregiver to the extent that I was granted power of attorney to assist her with her retirement. At the end of this May, Ann’s mental health problems suddenly returned. They are supposedly nothing too bad, “just” depression and anxiety, but the extent of them is truly debilitating. The anxiety causes her stomach to rebel against even a few bites of food or sips of drink. As a result, she almost stopped eating and drank way too little. Weakness from lack of nourishment made her unstable on her feet, so she spends her whole day in bed, which makes her even weaker. This weakness, together with depression and fear of falling, stops her from taking care of her hygiene. That in turn causes UTI and wounds in unwashed crevices of the body… In 2023, all these were almost magically cured by just adjusting Ann’s mental health meds. Unfortunately, they stopped working, and so far, a replacement has not been found yet. We are in and out of hospitals for both physical and mental health. Right now, Ann is in a rehab center, and I am working on applying for Medicaid on her behalf and finding a nursing home… Now, tell me that the mind and body are not interconnected!
Challenge:Alright, another novel written.
Now is your turn to reflect on the mind, preferably your mind, with all its beauty and troubles, then create a scrap about it. It can be related to your understanding of what the mind is, or some of the questions I raised (mind vs brain, relations among mind, emotions, and feeling, mind vs body, or mental health, etc), or something else, whatever is mind-related and speaks to you. Everything is allowed: photos, no photos, templates, no templates, one-pagers, two-pagers, series of scraps, any size, etc.
Rules:
It’s a safe space, so you can be raw. Please follow the general Oscraps rules for the Gallery and Forums. Other than that, let it go and “dance like no one’s watching”
Reward:
At the end of the month, one randomly chosen winner will be awarded a $10 coupon to the Joyful Heart Designs store. Thank you, Jenn, for your generous sponsorship!
How to Post:
Please share your artwork in the "Members' Gallery" and then in a thread below.
Example:
If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me in this thread or via direct message.
