[MD] Mystics and Brains

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Platt]
I'm trying to decide which is the better word to describe the 
activity of the that big bulb of nerve tissue we call the brain -- 
"consciousness" or "mind." I like "mind," mostly because it's short 
and sweet. But, nearly every word is replete with connotations 
(personal meanings). Like the world "liberal." :-) So I wonder if you 
use a kind of mental criteria to select just the right words for what 
you are trying to convey.

[Arlo]
You know what I'm going to say, don't you? :-)

Like any other metaphor, word selection (and the "net" of subsequent 
inferences, associations and meanings) is really tied for me to two 
important tangents.

First, how well does the metaphor "point to the ____"? For us, 
individually, this is more an "intuitive" decision. What YOU call it 
when you're laying on your back and looking at the stars.

Second, how well does the metaphor serve immediate pragmatic needs? 
In this case, depending on the situation, it may be advisable to use 
"mind" at times and "consciousness" at others (and "soul", "spirit", 
"self", "software", "atman", etc. at others, etc.).

At times, I personally prefer "Voice". This makes it both social and 
interactive (dialogic).