Mind Over Matter?
Originating from “The Geological Evidence of the Antiquity of Man” by Sir Charles Lyell, the famously-quoted idiom mind over matter has raised a plethora of philosophical questions which have puzzled the minds of quantum physicists and philosophical thinkers alike.
Written in 1863 in reference to the increasing status and evolutionary growth of the minds of animals and man throughout history, this is a key concept in exploring the effects of the mind, especially mental health, on the physical body. This idiom implies that exercising free will / willpower, will overcome physical problems. This raises philosophical questions such as ‘to what extent can freewill and the mind influence the material state of the body?’ and especially, in these constantly-changing times, ‘how can this help me to achieve my goals at the same time as maintaining my health?’
In a philosophical context, the mind is commonly referred to as set of cognitive faculties including consciousness, imagination, perception, thinking, judgement, language and memory, which are separate from the brain. This phenomenon is often referred to as metaphysical and exempt from the material world. In our current age, with the ascendance of scientific materialism, we have a strong tendency to reject anything that does not fit our materialistic paradigm (collective viewpoint), classifying it as ‘mystical’. Consumerism and the drive of capitalism within the economy runs rampant within our society – we have come to view the universe as a purely physical system, operating as a machine.
However, it has become evident from various researchers that the concept of is much more complex than it initially appears. Quantum physicists such as Albert Einstein would argue that, through his theory of ‘relativity’, energy is more fundamental, than matter. This would prove that everything is energy and consciousness is intertwined with it- all life forming a cohesive force. These revelations of energy imply that consciousness directly effects the nature of reality. This all is mind approach indicates that: it is not that mind is more than matter; it is that matter is nothing more than the mind. The physicist, astronomer and mathematician Sir James Genes had a similar viewpoint, stating that ‘consciousness is fundamental’ and all matter is derived from it. All of existence is sourced within a conscious web of people and actions – a conscious, interacting universe.
This leads me to my main point, the expression of the conscious mind: words.
We use them every single day to express a plethora of emotions, thoughts and ideas between people and different social groups. They are the most powerful and integral part of communication and progression in relationships with other people as well as oneself. In addition, they are a clear and concise output for our free will to be observed by other people; words have the simple, yet potent power to alter the mentality of any person. If the universe is a web of conscious energy connecting people and outcomes, words have a dynamic impact on what a person thinks, feels and attracts- we must be cautious of the words we utilise, the unhealthy aspect(s) of our conscious we express.
“Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble.”
Yehuda Berg, key philosophical and political thinker
For instance, without words (whether spoken or signed), there would not be formation of languages and societies would cease to exist without a viable form of communication- as emotive human beings, we rely on other people to live a pleasurable and fulfilling life.
In application to an example such as a medicinal placebo, where an inert treatment is supplied to the patient, it is often stated positive psychology (a healthy mindset) increases the restorative properties of the body. In this case, by anticipating a beneficial outcome with optimism, a patient can, through their own free will, nurse themselves to eventually reach a healthy state. This is commonly-known as the placebo effect and occurs due to evolutionary biology, the subconscious mind’s innate will to live.
It has also been observed that the colour of the placebo drug stimulates different responses in patients: ‘blue and green are associated with tranquillisers’ so the patient experiences drowsiness whilst ‘red, yellow and orange are associated with stimulants’, seen from the research of Dr. A. J. de Craen of the British Medical Journal. There has been a high percentage of success in antidepressant drug trials, indicating that mental health is also greatly impacted by the use of a placebo and positive affirmations from a medical specialist.
Whilst this may have once been regarded as pseudoscience, it has become regularly-accepted and emerged as a new branch of science: Psychoneuroimmunology. Thus, indicating the prior points highlighted by quantum physicists; the mind appears to greatly influence the overall health of the material body.
Furthermore, this mental association is a vital tool or vice if not correctly utilised; it is fundamental in combatting and overcoming addiction no matter how ingrained they are into a victim’s lifestyle.
Psychological studies indicate that even the simple repetition of empowering sentences (e.g. ‘I am amazing’), gradually reprograms the subconscious mind to achieve the desired reality. These words are received, by our conscious, as law. Through differing our lexical choice, keeping them pure, each person (as well as those not reading this article) can completely change our reality.
Each and every day, victims of abuse or addiction discover their individualism, atomism and self-power throughout their discovery as spiritual beings. The modern material world ties humanity to impurities, people can be led to believe that temporary circumstance can solve the spiritual problem of being a mortal being. By assessing areas for improvement and being open to criticism or specialist help, a person can begin taking the necessary steps to alter their own conscious thinking-patterns for the betterment of themselves. The universal factor of life is change and it is important that we, both as a society and student body, realise how it influences our lives, embracing it. It is important to remember that, although routines may be bleak, uneventful, or even depressing, the free will to make a difference is universal amongst every human being. Together we must discover our own self-worth, contributing our collective consciousness as a community, to produce sustainable change. If we can perform our own metamorphoses into better people, simply by reconfiguring our thought patterns, there are no limitations to what a person can achieve, once the importance of mind over matter is realised.
Overall, this is synonymous with our underlying theme as a community: hope.
As each of our lives progresses, it is important to remember to stay closely-connected to friends, family and peers as well as oneself in order to maintain a positive, productive headspace. It has been demonstrated that an individual can have widespread, beneficial impacts on others- strengthening their mind after overcoming hardships. Becoming a strong, independent and confident individual involves stimulating the mind with goals and aspirations and the enforcement that they can be achieved.
The human mind is an uncertain aspect of science and philosophy but can be a truly powerful source of motivation when paired with self-love.
Cover image by © Noah Lock