A French philosopher, René Descartes, explained a concept called dualism. This concept identifies the mind as having the ability to be conscious, have self-awareness, and separate itself from the body. Descartes believed that the mind controlled the brain through the body, “he placed the seat of the mind in the brain and linked the mind to the body” (Ellison 4). This concept has greatly evolved over the past few centuries; however, Descartes’ original theory created a foundation for regarding the relationship between the two. Different mediums portray this mysterious relationship between the mind and the brain in distinctive ways. The novel Andrew’s Brain by E.L. Doctorow, the essay “The Last Hippie” by Oliver Sacks, and the scientific article
…show more content…
In this essay, Greg, the protagonist, develops cancer, which deteriorates his brain. This causes the relationship between the brain and the mind to alter because Greg’s brain is not at its full capacity: “Greg was gravely disabled neurologically and mentally” (Sacks 45). This neurological damage really affects his mind; however, it is still able to survive the injury to the brain. His brain finds a way to communicate to the mind, which preserves some memories that are especially important to Greg. He has a strong passion for music and when he was diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, his passion for music prevailed- he was still able to remember songs word for word and the location of The Grateful Dead performance he attended: “I went to see them at the Fillmore East, and in Central Park” (Sacks 47). His recollection of this event reveals the tenacity of the relationship between the brain and the mind. Although his brain is deteriorating, along with his memories, it is still able to transfer some memories to the mind. When a brain suffers frontal lobe damage, it “produces a subtler and profounder disturbance of identity” (Sacks 56). This is what happened to Greg; he lost his identity, but because his mind was still “highly intelligent and inventive”, he was able to retain some information from his brain. This relationship also allowed him to remember a professional trumpet player with the help of Connie, his music therapist: “How come all you Connies are so musical?... You know she played the trumpet too” (Sacks 52). While Greg is able to remember the name of a professional musician, because of his passion for it, he is unable to remember the names of the hospital staff who he works with on a daily basis. This illustrates the power of
In this essay, Greg, the protagonist, develops cancer, which deteriorates his brain. This causes the relationship between the brain and the mind to alter because Greg’s brain is not at its full capacity: “Greg was gravely disabled neurologically and mentally” (Sacks 45). This neurological damage really affects his mind; however, it is still able to survive the injury to the brain. His brain finds a way to communicate to the mind, which preserves some memories that are especially important to Greg. He has a strong passion for music and when he was diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, his passion for music prevailed- he was still able to remember songs word for word and the location of The Grateful Dead performance he attended: “I went to see them at the Fillmore East, and in Central Park” (Sacks 47). His recollection of this event reveals the tenacity of the relationship between the brain and the mind. Although his brain is deteriorating, along with his memories, it is still able to transfer some memories to the mind. When a brain suffers frontal lobe damage, it “produces a subtler and profounder disturbance of identity” (Sacks 56). This is what happened to Greg; he lost his identity, but because his mind was still “highly intelligent and inventive”, he was able to retain some information from his brain. This relationship also allowed him to remember a professional trumpet player with the help of Connie, his music therapist: “How come all you Connies are so musical?... You know she played the trumpet too” (Sacks 52). While Greg is able to remember the name of a professional musician, because of his passion for it, he is unable to remember the names of the hospital staff who he works with on a daily basis. This illustrates the power of