The Human Mind

THURS., DEC. 1, 1988, 6:25 AM
FARM, STUDY

From time to time (here in the earth) I have offered what could be identified as disparaging remarks about the human mind. Today is not one of those times. Instead I shall generally praise this incredible creation of Mine.

I do say (and it is true) that sometimes there is conflict between the mind and the spirit in a person. I also say that when they function together there you see the fullest human person – My finest creation.

The brain is the organ, and the mind is the function. What function? To know, to learn, to discern, to make judgments, to understand, to be able to apply – – these are some of what the mind does. To go beyond knowledge to wisdom is most typically a result of mind and spirit working together.

Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden story. The two had brains, but there was no reason for their minds to be functioning. In the idyllic story there was no reason for them to have clothing or shelter, and food was readily available (though the four food groups were not all represented). There was nothing for the mind to deal with, which could be called bliss by those whose minds must be overworked… or hell by those who have known the exhilaration of creative, productive thought.

So I set up a prohibition – no eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To know good from evil requires understanding of consequences, mind function that sees alternatives and can weigh the values in each, as well as the capacity to balance present perceptions, memories of past events, and projections into the future. The minds of Adam and Eve had not had to do any of this and therefore were being wasted.

I set up the prohibition, with an improbable consequence. They knew Me as Creator and Sustainer. Unemployed minds could not conceive of My killing them… whatever “that” was. They had no experience with punishment or death; these were non-functional words. Yet, with non-functioning minds there was no commanding motivation to eat, either. So I had to intervene. As the story goes, I “sent in” a talking serpent, who challenged Eve’s mind with the thought that the fruit of this tree would bring important knowledge. Her mind began to “hum”, she weighed alternatives, and, “wisely”, decided to give her mind a chance to function. Adam followed, with some equally good motivations (even as he denied these later).

As God I followed through with consequences, but not death, which would have been silly. The man must work hard, and the woman must suffer in childbirth. But minds began to devise ways of making work less arduous, and present day minds have carried this to an unsustainable extreme. Minds have devised institutions, practices, and medications to help make childbirth more bearable. And, this “curse” has deterred few women from having babies and becoming mothers. This approaching Christmas season is the recollection of what was, in the Scriptural story, an easy birth.

So, the human mind has great capacities, even that of denying the existence, power, and influence of spirit. What minds devise and conclude conflict with the thinking of other minds. This causes trouble… and also human progress. So I created the human mind, and I purposely activated it, knowing full well that the consequences would not all be good. I love those who use this mind for the good of the earth and of other humans. I love those who use their minds to thwart the evil that other minds try to inflict. All in all, it all works about the way I expected it to work. I am not disappointed and frustrated with the human mind.

There are many ways to learn, and minds do not all function alike. Remember this as you plan learning opportunities. Remember that learning how to learn, through experiences, is, in your culture, a supreme need. Be aware of and appreciate the thought processes of students and the varying results that can come from different minds.