Material cognition, also known as brain cognition, implies that the brain is capable of independent thought. This form of cognition is inferential. However, direct cognition of the external environment necessitates the use of the five sensory organs, each of which requires a specific material medium to function: light is essential for the eyes, sound waves for the ears, and nerve endings are crucial for tactile sensations in the body.
To be more specific, material cognition becomes brain cognition. Firstly, the brain itself can think; it has this capability. Mental cognition is considered a capacity of mental consciousness, but we regard it as brain thinking. This thinking is inferential cognition, such as calculation, mathematics, physics, imagining something. But direct cognition of the external environment requires the five sensory organs.
For the brain to produce direct cognition of external objects, it is ultimately the brain that interprets visual information, not the eyes. Consider why the eyes do not ‘see’ when you are asleep. The actual process of visual perception occurs in the posterior cortex; the eyes serve merely as auxiliary instruments. Light reflects off an external object, strikes the retina, and is then electronically transmitted to the back of the brain to form an image. It might seem puzzling how the back of the brain, devoid of light, can generate an image. Yet, this phenomenon has been substantiated by scientific and medical research, and if you dare to oppose it, science will straighten you out.
The cognition of the five senses is known as direct cognition. The functioning of these senses depends on specific material mediums and the support of mental consciousness, or brain activity. Likewise, the process of thinking hinges on the brain’s operation, which in turn requires a steady blood supply. Without it, the brain is incapable of thought. In modern combat sports, a technique known as the guillotine choke can induce a deep sleep in minutes by cutting off the brain’s blood supply. Targeting the head during a fight, a single well-placed strike can lead to a knockout due to the brain’s temporary loss of blood flow and subsequent inability to function.
After intense running, if the oxygen supply falls short and the brain is deprived of air, challenging someone to add 3 plus 8 may not yield an accurate response. Indeed, the brain’s ability to think is contingent on physical factors. This principle applies to all senses; they all require specific physical mediums to function. For instance, eyes need light to see—without it, vision is not possible. Similarly, the body relies on nerve endings for the sense of touch; if these nerves are numbed by an anesthetic, the brain will not be able to detect touch. These are examples of the physical mediums necessary for brain cognition.
Excerpted from: Cognition and Expression Part Two
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