Developing Mind Overview

Overview of The Developing Mind, 2nd edition (incomplete)

Mind, Brain, Relationships - introductory 

Definition of Mind:  The mind is an embodied and relational process which regulates the flow of energy and information.

• it is within the brain and between brains
• the mind is an emergent property or process arising from the distributed nervous system and from communication patterns occurring in relationships
• both experiences (especially within relationships) and the genetically programmed maturation of the nervous system determine the structure and function of the developing mind
• the mind is more than the sum of its parts [that suggests something transcendent or at least separate from its parts, yet if it is merely emergent or entirely dependent on the brain/relationships, in what way is it more than those dependencies?]

The Buddhist definition of mind: That which is knowing and clear. Perhaps it could also be defined as wisdom realizing the emptiness of inherent existence, and as far as I understand it that which knows (subject) and those things which are known (objects) are considered to be of one nature (dependently originated with no fixed or findable essence).

After defining the mind, on page 5-6:

"The implications of this definition are significant...One implication is that we don't "own" our minds - that we, our individual "selves", are interdependent on others for the functioning of our minds.  This relational part of the definition makes some people uncomfortable. Yet if you are in a family, or in a one-to-one relationship, you know that your subjective, inner mental life is profoundly influenced by others...And so what we need is a link that connects the social with the synaptic."