Mind: A Transition Function

Abstract

Figure 17.1 shows a drawing in which Leonardo da Vinci indicates, with intersecting lines, the senso comune in the third cerebral ventricle, where he thought there was a confluence of the senses. Figure 17.1 also includes the equally famous drawing of René Descartes showing the convergence of sensory inputs in the pineal body. The process of producing and assembling percepts into a perception is clearly not the only higher function of the nervous system, but it is certainly one that is frequently considered. An important goal throughout the rich history of neuroscience has been to identify the one place where receptions are converted into perceptions. It is now apparent that there is not a single locus (a Cartesian theater) where this occurs, but rather it is a distributed function of much of the brain. It is appropriate that we conclude this book on nervous system interactions with a brief consideration of the higher functions that might be called the mind.