Can we model Human Mind ?

It's also interesting to technically model our mind taking into account it's properties. It has following peculiar properties -

1> Patterns in Mood Transition
There is a mood pattern. The moods keep on transiting from one another. Under normal circumstances no mood remains constant for long period of time say more than 3-4 hours . If you are very happy you will become normal after that time, if you are sad you will become normal again after 3-4 hours. If you are angry you will become calm automatically. If you are normal, and say no body is around you for long time then you will be in boring mood. There are many moods. The mood patten is not directly controllable. Indirectly it is possible to some extent say 20-30 % only. Because mood patterns are changed by external inputs also which are not controllable by us.

2> More Vs less frequent behaviors pertaining to every Mood
In every mood we do particular tasks (behaviors) more frequently. For example -
1. when we are cheerful we talk and laugh a lot we will make jokes etc.
2. When we are tense we will work very seriously, we will do more amount of mental thinking.
3. When we are bored then we go out for a walk or we play something etc.
While it is interesting to note that these tasks are not mutually exclusive. For example -
1. In sad mood also we may watch TV as do we in happy mood.
2. We may still continue to work even after getting bored.
3. We may keep totally calm and quiet when we are very angry also.
But probability of these things is very less as compared earlier ones. So every mood has some high probability behavioral counter parts associated with them. Based on their frequency of occurrences we can plot their distribution. It's safe to assume that they bear certain normal distribution like gaussian.

Now looking at above two aspects of mind we can model our mind as a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). HMM is a statistical computational model which has a set of states. Every state is connected to few other states. At given point of time the HMM is in one particular state but at next time slot it can transit to any other states to which it is connected. To which state it will transit depends upon the input to that state and the transition probabilities associated with each of it's arc. Each state can emit certain symbols. Some symbols are emitted with high probability while some with very less probability.

In our model, moods are states of HMM while the behaviors are emissions of every mood. Ever mood can transit to itself or one of the other moods. There are transition probabilities associated with every mood. For example probability of angry----> Calm is much higher than angry---->happy. So we can construct a graph of these moods as circles.

The Emission probabilities can be modeled by simple histogram or by Gaussian Mixture Model if needed. This model will be specific to each person. The model's transition and emission probabilities can be calculated by studying behavioral patterns of that person for sufficient amount of time. If we create this models for multiple persons then each of these models will reflect personality of that individual.

Who decides the transition and emission probabilities ?
It's an interesting question one should try to ask himself. In my opinion, the transition probabilities are coming from nature (our genes). Even these probabilities change with age. But external conditions also can change these probabilities to some extent. For example if you get addicted to something like say playing computer games then your mood pattern actually changes !
The emission probabilities come from nature (genes) as well as equally from external conditions. In a particular environment, the mood states learn which type of behavior they should emit more frequently. For example if you are in classroom and you get very angry you still keep quiet. While if you are outside with your friends then you express your anger. The emission probabilities come from culture and ethical values of family also. It's really a complex thing to analyze how these probabilities are learnt !

Moral:
Mind can be modeled as a stochastic process. It's nothing more than that. This important fact provides us some basic reasoning to why mind is categorized as 'jada' (as opposed to sukshma) in Vedanta. The ancient people had studied the nature of 'Self' to the details that they knew every nuke and corner of it . And quite suprizingly modern science has not even touched these things till now. It's not even able to define the things like consciousness till now. So isn't Vedanta fascinating ?

Hard to Practice - Accepting the Illusion

Here comes an interesting question - Those who realize that we are living in an Illusion, they will become dull / lethargic or even get depressed by knowing this fact that what they were believing since their birth was actually not true ! It might even make their life worthless and meaningless ! So what to do ? There are a few points to be pondered upon carefully.

1) The fear of getting dull / depressed comes because the mind is attached with this mundane world for many years / decades. It can not suddenly accept the reality. But the fact is that the person does not realize the reality suddenly. It is a long process. It might take few years or even few decades also to come to conclusion that this is an Illusion (refer to earlier blogs). So, it's not something completely out of the blue.

2) The dullness coming to oneself is a part of process of detachment from this mundane world. It should not be misinterpreted as something devastating consequence. It's just a small obvious part of the bigger phenomenon happening to you. When a wound starts healing, we feel an itching sensetion. We have to bear it. We can't say that without feeling that sensation I want to get the wound healed ! Even doctor can not help us. And we practically accept it without any complaint.

3) When one realizes the truth.... yes, he will become dull / depressed for sometime. But that dullness is also temporary. Because mind and moods follow pattern. As every dark night is followed by a sunny day, so does the dullness of your psyche. The Illusion itself takes care of that dullness, we need not explicitly worry about it. It will get diminished over a period of time. The analogy is the death of somebody very close to you. You can't bear that shock but after few months / years your mind automatically accepts it.

4) Many people say that you should not take this real world as an Illusion in true sense. But is it not getting away from the reality rather than facing it ? Facing that dullness is also a bravery. Knowing the truth is a reward. This reward does not come to everybody. If one realizes the truth, he/she is really a chosen person by nature. Thinking rationally, one should not run away from that reward.

5) Most important - Some people argue that discard such a theory which can bring dullness to your life... But we are talking about the realization. Realization in itself is not a philosophy or a theory (refer to earlier blog "Knowledge Vs Realization"). Rather, philosophy / theory leads to a realization. You can discard a theory before you realize it. Once you realize it as a truth you can not discard it ! If you try to run away from the truth you have realized, the truth will chase you. You will be more depressed and frustrated.

"Let us be brave. Know the Truth
and practise the Truth.
The goal may be distant,but awake, arise,
and stop not till the goal is reached."
-- Vivekananda

Realize The TRAP

A time comes when you realize that everything in life is a trap. Everything is following some rule, some law. Everything is falling under some pattern. No act, no action, no thought, no emotion is independent and autonomous in itself. And there you realize why this mundane world (including yourself) is Maya (an illusion).
Both animate and inanimate part of Nature are following some complex but very determined flow. The most stunning part of realization is that the agency know as 'free will' also in itself is nothing more than a complex set of patterns. So everything is Illusory - everything is 'Mayavi' here. We are in a trap. This stage is the opening door to the true nature of reality. And here starts our real journey because unless you know that you are in a trap, you can't think of getting rid of it, would you ?