martin jeffrey asked:
Hi Grahame,
I'm curious as to what the differences are between the mind and thetan. More specifically, I would like to know if memories and emotions are a product of the brain, or if the brain is more so used as a machine to interpret such things as memories and emotions that are a property of the thetan itself.
Further I am curious if the reactive mind is solely contained within the brain itself, or part of the thetan?
Sorry if my question seems a bit off mark, Scientology is an entirely new set of concepts for me.
Thanks
Hey Martin,
Excellent questions. They are totally answered in the book "Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought", but to save you the wait after you order it :) , here is the short version:
I'd recommend watching this video if you haven't already: "The Parts of Man". It gives you some useful background data in just a couple of minutes. I think it will help with understanding my explanation.
Now let's define our terms. Definitions from The Scientology Glossary.
Thetan: the person himself - not his body or his name, the physical universe, his mind, or anything else; that which is aware of being aware; the identity which is the individual. The term was coined to eliminate any possible confusion with older concepts. It comes from the Greek letter Theta (Theta), which the Greeks used to represent thought or perhaps spirit, to which an n is added to make a noun in the modern style used to create words in engineering.
Mind: a control system between the thetan and the physical universe. The mind is not a brain.
Body: the organized physical composition or substance of an animal or man, whether living or dead. The body is the thetan’s communication center. It is a physical object. It is not the being himself.
Your Questions:
Q1: I'm curious as to what the differences are between the mind and thetan.
A thetan is the person him or herself. The mind is the computer a thetan uses to store memories, make decisions, calculate things, etc.
Q2: I would like to know if memories and emotions are a product of the brain.
No. They are products of the thetan.
Q3: or if the brain is more so used as a machine to interpret such things as memories and emotions that are a property of the thetan itself.
No. The brain can be thought of as a sort of switch-board for the nerve impulses sent around the body. Emotion comes from the thetan, but can be influenced by the body and environment. Memories are recordings of the physical universe and the thoughts and conclusions of the thetan.
Q4: I am curious if the reactive mind is solely contained within the brain itself, or part of the thetan?
Definition of reactive mind: that portion of a person’s mind which works on a totally stimulus-response basis, which is not under his volitional control and which exerts force and the power of command over his awareness, purposes, thoughts, body and actions.
The reactive mind is not part of either the brain or the thetan. It is the part of the mind where moments of pain and unconsciousness are stored and thus is a difficult place for the thetan to get his attention into and is therefore not under his control.
I hope I've answered your questions. For more details you really have to read the book I linked to above.
If I haven't answered well enough or my answers have brought up more questions, then just ask some more.
