Are Thoughts Physical?

Theresa · **Sat May 21, 2005 12:07 am Are Thoughts Physical?**

What do you all think?

Don't just vote, reply!

(Take this question LITERALLY)

Hitchhiker · **Sat May 21, 2005 12:26 am**

Thoughts are not tangible, that is, you cannot emit a thought for people to see and touch.

Thoughts are just electrical impulses, however, exchanged within your brain. So to that extent, yes, thoughts are physically present within the chemicals in your brain. Scientists just have to figure out how. . . .

Oliver · **Sat May 21, 2005 12:33 am**

I voted: "I have no idea" because that's the truth; I just don't know.

Everything we see and feel is obviously physical, but even air is physical. Light consists of photons and they too have a mass, a very small mass but they do weigh.

Electrical currents, how small they might be, also have a mass and therefore are physical. As a matter of fact, everything that exists in our universe is physical.

But a thought? The thought about feelings? I don't know. It must be stored is some way on a physical manner in our brain but does that encompass the full emotion? I'm not sure...

LightningBoy · **Sat May 21, 2005 2:10 am**

I think thr human mind processees work on more dimensions than we realise. I do think they're physical, and I do think that they can manifest themselves in physical ways; for instance if I think that I want to move my arm, it will move. There are simply more ways that thoughts should be able to interact with surroundings.

Seven of Nine · **Sat May 21, 2005 5:33 am**

I have no idea. I really don't know how thoughts are processed, or if they're physical. All I know is they can cause physical changes.

Dirt · **Sat May 21, 2005 6:22 am**

They are created in your brain, so they must be somewhere in there. But I think it's more that they influence the physical, because your head don't look like a balloon when you think lots.

Theresa · **Sat May 21, 2005 11:05 am**

It wouldn't, Dirk. The storage capacity for the human brain is astronomical.
We have 10^12 neurons in the central nervous system, 99.9999% of which are interneurons, each of which typically is connected to 10^3 other neurons. Thoughts and ideas could be bouncing around from neuron to neuron for weeks before a signal ends as an observable output.

Starbuck · **Sat May 21, 2005 11:19 am**

I really don't know. Thoughts are electrical impulses and they do have mass, so in that sense, yes. And they are exchanged between neurons in your brain, so in that sense, yes. But dirk brings up an interesting point. When you think a lot, you're head doesn't become inflated like a balloon. Yet then again, Theresa brings up another interesting point, that our brain does have incredible storage capacity, and in all actuality, we really don't forget anything. Memories and thoughs are stored in the back of the brain until they are needed again. So, I really don't know. I haven't voted yet, though. I think I'll wait and see some more evidence before I make my conclusion.

Dirt · **Sat May 21, 2005 3:09 pm**

AndrewBullock · **Sat May 21, 2005 5:43 pm**

I voted "I have no idea."

I really don't.

I guess I haven't really thought of it this way. In a way thoughts can bring you physical pain. I really don't know though...

~Andrew

1/1 · **Sat May 21, 2005 5:50 pm**

I don't think they're physical, more spiritual.

lionhead · **Sun May 22, 2005 9:45 am**

Yep, thoughts are Physical in my book. I believe that just becasue of the fact we don't use most of our brain and we can do the things we do with it. Its so complex andi believe that all those things we do with thoughts are not really special when you look at it Physically.

I think our brain is capable of much, much more.

nothing Spiritual, magical or Mystical about it.

Perhaps we have gotten so much brain we can't handle it.

Birdy · Socialist Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 13502 Location: Here.

Not entirely. They are a combination of the body and the mind; if you're dead, you cannot think, (well, ok, we don't know that for sure, but there's no brain activity) so therefor it must be a combination of the mind (or soul, spirit, whatever you wanna call it) and the body working together...

I think.

lionhead · **Sun May 22, 2005 9:52 am**

Your mind, your Concience IS your body.

madlilnerd · **Sun May 22, 2005 9:54 am**

Thoughts are electricity, but is electricity physical or metaphorical

lionhead · **Sun May 22, 2005 9:57 am**

If its created by your own body its a Bio-Chemical reaction. So physical.

madlilnerd · **Sun May 22, 2005 10:08 am**

thoughts are mental, but mental means something to do with thoughts.... I'm confused

Birdy · Socialist Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 13502 Location: Here.

Hitchhiker · **Sun May 22, 2005 11:04 am**

Birdy · Socialist Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 13502 Location: Here.

lionhead · **Sun May 22, 2005 5:01 pm**

its the believing there are 2 parts what is so confusing. Its too complex too tell really, Perhaps its just your brain thinking its a better solution too think it has 2 seperate parts, perhaps it can function better with that idea.

i don't know. Doesn't matter what you believe, its all with the same brain.