Tom Brennan Character Profile - 875 Words

Characters in ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ and how they deal with aspects of growing up or transitions into new phases of life and a broader world. Character: TOM BRENNAN Experience encountered | Growth, Change or other consequences as a result of the experience | Key quotes | Language identification and analysis | Car accident | Tom wants his old life back prior to the accident and he sees the accident as the end of his life as he knew it. He loses his sense of identity and sense of family in particular.Feels guilty and ashamed about the irrevocable consequences his brother’s irresponsibility had for other people and their familiesRetreats into a depressed state which feels empty and black. | p.5 Thinking about past Australia†¦show more content†¦In many ways, they’d saved my arse.’After seeing Brendan crying over photos of Daniel Tom thinks p.238 ‘†¦but for the first time it helped me look at everything with a bit of distance. ..We were all on our own journey, and some days the traveling was worse than others.’P.165 ‘I took the books out and carefully, page by page, started to remove what I wa nted to copy. With each memory I touched, I felt it gain-that pain, like a sledgehammer slicing through your heart. It hurt so much but it was a good hurt because it wasn’t in vain. This was going to help Daniel. If he had to face a future, then so did I.’p.242 When Tom and Brendan are at the waterhole talking Tom says, ’Gran says we’ve got to leave our ghosts behind.’p.261 Tom describes his relationship with Chrissy, ‘When I was with Chrissy, I was me again. Simple Tom Brennan- no ties, no debt, no guilt, no bad thoughts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I missed me, Tom Brennan, and that’s why now I could smile, ‘cause I could see that he was coming back.’ And when Tom and Chrissy are swimming together he says, p.283 ‘You are everything. Everything!...You helped me find my old self. Believe me, that’s everything.’ |Show MoreRelatedMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagescases, and illustrate that c ertain successful and unsuccessful practices are not unique. Information Boxes and Issue Boxes are included in each chapter to highlight relevant concepts and issues, or related information, and we are even testing Profile Boxes. Learning insights help students see how certain practices—both errors and successes—cross company lines and are prone to be either traps for the unwary or success modes. Discussion Questions and Hands-On Exercises encourage and stimulateRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesAgainst whom are we competing? Identifying and evaluating competitors’ strengths and weaknesses Evaluating competitive relationships and analysing how organizations compete Identifying competitors’ objectives Identifying competitors’ likely response profiles Competitor analysis and the development of strategy The competitive intelligence system The development of a competitive stance: the potential for ethical conflict Summary CONTENTS vii Stage Two: Where do we want to be? Strategic direction

Natureview Farm Case - 2405 Words

TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 CASE SUMMARY 2 2. OBJECTIVE/MAIN ISSUES 4 3. MARKET TREND ANALYSIS 4 3.1 ORGANIC PRODUCTS 4 3.2 YOGURT PRODUCTS 5 4. SWOT ANALYSIS 5 5. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 6 6. RECOMMANDATION 12 6.1 MARKETING STRATEGIES 12 6.2 PROMOTIONAL SUGGESTION 14 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Case Summary Natureview Farm Inc. is a small yogurt manufacturer that manufactured and marketed refrigerated cup yogurt under the Natureview Farm brand name. It was founded in 1989 in Cabot, Vermont. In 1999, it was reported that the growth of Natureview Farm is $13 million in revenues (see Table 1.1) and by 2000, Natureview Farm has becomes a leading national yogurt brand with 24% of the†¦show more content†¦Natureview Farm want break into the mainstream supermarket channel to meet this goal ($20 million by the end of 2001). 3. MARKET TREND ANALYSIS 3.1 Market Trend for Organic Products The prediction of organic products’ market growth is from $6.5 billion in 1999 to $13.3 billion in 2003. Generally, there are few characteristics of shoppers who purchased organic products regardless of channel which are higher income, more educated person and mostly live in the Northeast and West. 46% of them bought organic products at the supermarket, 25% at a small health foods store and 29% at a natural foods supermarket. Organic dairy products were bought by 74% of heavy organic food buyers and 29% of light organic food buyers. 3.2 Market Trend for Yogurt Products There were top four competitors that were fairly concentrated in the market which are Dannon, Yoplait, Breyers and Columbo. The top two competitors controlling over 50% of market share. There are two dominant distribution channels for yogurt product which are supermarkets and natural foods store. Supermarkets had sold 97% of all yogurt consumed and natural foods store only sold 3%. 4. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) was done to serve as the external and internal environmental analysis behind the background of Natureview Farm current product and market situation. The summary of the SWOT analysis is as below: [pic] Figure 4.1 SWOT Analysis 5. FINDINGS ANDShow MoreRelatedNatureview Farm Case1181 Words   |  5 PagesNatureview Farm Case Natureview Farm is a small yogurt manufacturer with annual revenues of $13 million. It produces three different size cups – 8 oz. cup, 32 oz. and 4 oz. cup multipack. However, Natureview’s goal is to increase its annual revenue to $20 million in two years. With a solid relationship with its current, successful strategy in the natural foods channel it is considering expanding into the supermarket channel. Conversely, it does not want to hurt the company brand it has created asRead MoreNatureview Farms Case Analysis2493 Words   |  10 PagesNATUREVIEW FARM, INC. CASE WRITE-UP I. Address Who You Are and Who You Are Writing To This analysis is provided by the members of the marketing team at Natureview Farm, Inc., on behalf of Christine Walker, Vice President of Marketing.   The purpose of this analysis is to provide a recommended course of action for the company to grow their revenues by 50% by the end of the 2001 through the use of SWOT analysis on the three recommendations proposed by the senior leadership at Natureview FarmsRead MoreNatureview Farms Case Study Essay1638 Words   |  7 PagesNATUREVIEW FARMS Introduction Go big, or go home! This is a saying that is heard in all different fields. Its meaning is far more than the five words it contains. Go big, as in everything you do, do it to the best of your ability. Go home, means that you are throwing in the towel when things get tough, more or less, just giving up. My dad said those words to me when I was too afraid to get on stage at my first ballet recital, and he would say those same words to the management team atRead MoreNatureview Farm Case (Solved)918 Words   |  4 PagesInstituto Tecnolà ³gico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Ciudad de Mà ©xico. Estrategia de Operaciones Benjamà ­n Casar 971389 Angà ©lica Hernà ¡ndez 1490033 Natureview Farm Tabla de Contenido Introduccià ³n †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..2 Modelo de Negocio: 2 Identifica las razones por las que la red de abasto de Tamiflu fue incierta despues de haber cumplido con las backorders. 3 Valore los elementos a considerar en el manejo de reservas para una pandemia globalRead MoreNatureview Farm Case Write Up1686 Words   |  7 Pages1) How has Natureview succeeded in the natural foods channel? What are the two primary types of growth strategies under consideration by Natureview? Product attributes: Natureview, in the following referred to as NV, benefits from the strong attributes the customer connects with the product. Through the special process and ingredients the products can achieve shelf life of 50 days, which is significantly higher than the average 30day shelf life in the industry. In order compete with NV on thisRead MoreThe Natural Foods Channel Of Natureview Farm1677 Words   |  7 Pages1. How has natureview succeeded in the natural foods channel? Natureview Farm was founded in 1989; Natureview Farm was positioned as a natural food brand. Within the period of 10 years and produce and promoted refrigerated cup yogurt with brand name of Natureview Farm. The company has been succeeded in building a quality healthy product that differentiates it from other because of its natural ingredient and long shelf life that gave it its strong brand name.it has a natural distribution within naturalRead MoreNatureview Farm2497 Words   |  10 PagesExecutive summary Natureview Farm was established in 1989 as the brand of refrigerated cup yogurt. After 10 years, it was able to increase its revenue by 129%, which is from $100,000 up to 13 million. However Natureview had difficulty in maintaining its consistent level of profitability which lead firm to financial problem. To solve this problem Natureview needed VC to fund investments. VC would grant the fund only if Natureview could accomplish the goal: growing its revenue to $20 million before

The West free essay sample

Turner proposes that the West was independent from the instruction and influence of the East while Limerick gives many examples of the West’s dependence on the East and how the federal government played a key role in the development of the Western frontier. Limerick gives insights that weaken the â€Å"tradition of independence† (Limerick 575). Her critiquing of Turner alters one’s perspective of how independent the West really was by discussing slavery, economic development, and psychological restraints on rebirth. Limerick points out that the settlers who were establishing the West were originally Easterners (Limerick 573) and continued to desire the benefits of living in an eastern state with a dependable government. These people knew what it was like to be a citizen as opposed to an early settler on the ungoverned frontier. They had known the benefits of having a senator and representatives in Congress, an advantage unknown to the territories out west. This point of view from the new westerners â€Å"did not heighten one’s independence, but lessened it† (Limerick 573). The people from the east begrudged being part of a territory instead of a state (Limerick 573). The governing that the West was receiving was comparable to what the South had been given as a punishment after the Civil War (Limerick 573). These Easterner settlers were the people pushing for territorial statehood, and more importantly, for a connection with the east and the federal government. Turner reasons that American development in the frontier began separate from the East (Turner 531). Limerick contests this due to the theory that the settlers started their â€Å"perennial rebirth† (Turner 531), as Turner would say, with a strong connection to the East. The settlers from the East did not want to forget their past and yearned for the representation in the government and its guidance and protection. Limerick addresses land subsidies and reliance of the federal government by the West as another important factor of the dependence of the frontier. The fact that the government was giving settlers land in itself shows how dependent the West actually was. In Plenty Coup’s narrative piece he describes an incident in which he was forced from his home to meet with the president over the â€Å"future of his people†. The President wanted to take over the Indian land. â€Å"I added that we did not want a railroad built through our country because it was our hunting ground†¦ [he] kept us in Washington for over a month† (Coups 564). From this we see how the distribution of â€Å"free land† as noted by Turner was achieved from the Indians and used to essentially support the creation of the west. â€Å"The government continued to carve up the clan lands† (Yava 565). Where would the land have come from if not from the Indians? Without the land subsidies, frontiersmen would not have a sense of ownership over their land. The government gave financial assistance to the West for various projects, also decreasing its independence. As a result of much of this funding, private enterprise, such as the transportations system, could not thrive (Limerick 575). Money was given to freighting companies and railroads and therefore personal projects were scarce because they could not compete with funded companies. Turner mentioned the improvement of railroads in the west but failed to mention how these modes of transportation came to be. He stated that with construction of the railroads the west â€Å"began to evolve† (Turner 533), not saying that it was only with the West’s dependence on federal funds that the railroads were able to transpire. The West became reliant on the government for a majority of its economic needs. Congress began supporting volunteers in Indian campaigns, post and land office positions, highway development (Limerick 575), forts, and public buildings (578). In addition to the West’s reliance on the government, according to Limerick, settlers could not let go of their pasts and consequently brought the east with them, demonstrating their dependence on their homeland. Limerick exemplifies this point by relating the story of Daniel Boone. Boone escaped to the wilderness of the West only to be followed by other pioneers and thus found himself in the predicament he began with: â€Å"intolerable civilization† (Limerick 580). Although Boone was hoping to leave refined society, by paving the way to the West he brought other settlers with him. Western independence was often described as liberation from the past; instances such as Boone’s show that Western Americans brought their problems with them to the frontier (Limerick 580). Turner asserts that the frontier furnished â€Å"a gate of escape from the bondage of the past† (Turner 550), but keeping Limerick’s theory and the example in mind, one could not believe this statement. Turner also alleges that the advancement of the frontier brought individualism along with it (Turner 548). Individualism was not present if settlers were bringing their eastern pasts with them. These settlers were still connected to the East and were recreating their homeland and therefore they were not individualists. Slavery was another conflicting matter between Limerick and Turner. Turner chose to disregard the subject of slavery in his essay. He determined that it was unimportant to his argument and therefore did not comment on the issue. Limerick’s assertion is that the west brought the struggles of slavery to a â€Å"volatile peak† (Limerick 581). One’s understanding of the West’s effect on slavery is rather pessimistic when Limerick’s view is considered. Limerick’s essay brings forth a line of reasoning that suggests that the â€Å"tradition of independence† (Limerick 575) in the West was a â€Å"fantasy†. Americans were not free from relying on the federal government and the westward movement failed to help one evade the past (Limerick 580). Her arguments drastically alter the perception of the West illustrated by Turner and contrast with many of Turner’s views. Limerick brings forth a new way of interpreting the development of the West, suggesting that it was the dependence on the federal government that helped the West pull ahead.

The Mind is Separate from the Brain a Descartes Assumptions

Table of Contents Introduction Process of Thought Creation Creating Memories Experienced Stimuli and Imaginary Stimuli Resolving the Issue Conclusion Reference List Introduction The assumption of Descartes that the mind is separate from the brain is indeed a very intriguing concept since to this day the origin of thought, which the mind consists of, has yet to be accurately pinpointed by science (Gamst, 2011). As scientists such as Tsien (2007) point out there have yet to be accurate studies which pinpoint exactly how thoughts manifest within the brain (Tsien, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While it may be true that it is now possible to know which area corresponds to which bodily function or which particular area is responsible for adaptation, pleasure or even general sensations it is still vague as to how neural firings come together to produce a thought (Fox, 2006). For example, an individual can think of either a single word such as â€Å"appetite† or think of doing a particular action such as â€Å"going for a drive† yet such simplistic thoughts cannot be identified as originating from a particular location. In this particular instance philosophers turn towards the universal law of â€Å"something cannot originate from nothing†, taking this into consideration thoughts must then originate from somewhere. It is assumed that the firings of neurons within the brain are responsible for the concept of thought yet when examining the origin of neurons themselves it is strange to think that the concept of complex thought and behaviors originates from electrical synapses which don’t produce thoughts of their own (Koch, 2011). It is based on this that various individuals do in fact agree with the assumption of Descartes that the mind must exist som ewhere outside of the body and that it influences the actions of the body through some here-to-unknown method of control (Pinker, 2007). On the other hand it has been stated by various psychological studies that such an assumption should not be considered 100% accurate. For example, Bensley (2003) states that â€Å"if the mind is separate from the brain then why is it that substances which affect or inebriate the brain causes changes in thought patterns which come from the mind?† (Bensley, 2003). This particular viewpoint is expressed by studies such as those by Astin(2004) which examine the preponderance of drug usage among many artists, musicians, and even scientists to which they attribute a great deal of their moments of sudden clarity and imagination from which they derive their greatest work (Astin, 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If the mind were truly s eparate from the brain then the concept of thought creation should remain constant instead of experiencing sudden shifts through artificial external influences. Process of Thought Creation It is still relatively unknown how thoughts are created yet what is known at the present is the way in which various substances can affect thought processes and how certain mental states can be achieved through the cornucopia of present day drugs or sudden accidents. For example, many people in the U.S. suffer from depression yet are able to overcome this particular mental state through the use of antidepressants. Other examples include individuals that use illegal drugs, alcohol or even people that were involved in car accidents resulting in brain damage. All these individuals, in one way or another, showed evidence of altered mental states which goes completely against the assumption of Descartes. Another way of looking at this particular situation is based on the views of Flanagan (1991) which examine the origin of knowledge and how people learn to think in precise ways (Flanagan, 1991). Flanagan (1991) explains that while various psychologists such as Freud have suggested that mental processes consist of id, ego, and superego most of them present the notion that the mind is located within the body (Flanagan, 1991). In fact various modern day psychologists such as Levine (1997) explain that knowledge of the latest psychoactive drugs is a necessity in the field of psychology due to chemical based treatments showing a great deal of effectiveness in dealing with a large percentage of many of today’s abnormal psychological behaviors (Levine, 1997). It must also be noted that thought should not be separated from behavior since behavior affects the formation of thoughts based on external stimuli which in turn affects the way in which a person perceives a particular situation. Since various psychoactive drugs can help to change the way in which a person behaves this in tu rn affects the way in which thoughts are created. These chemicals work by altering chemical firings within the brain by enabling better connections and lowering or increasing neural firings. This shows that thoughts can in fact be altered based on artificial external stimuli from chemicals that affect the brain.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taking into consideration the fact that the mind is basically made up of a collection of thoughts and memories this shows that the mind is not as separate from the body as Descartes may have us believe. Creating Memories When pursuing arguments in favor of the mind being situated within the brain it is important to explore the concept of memory and how this relates to the creation of thoughts. Memories are basically stored experiences from which thoughts are based upon, as Murchland (2010) explains thoughts are basically the result of accumulated experiences from which memory plays an essential role and as such you cannot separate one from the other. Based on the experiments it was seen that memories are created and formed through the activation of thousands upon thousands of neurons within the brain. In the experiments electrodes were attached directly into the subjects brain after which they were asked to watch a series of short films while the firing of their neurons were recorded. When asked to recall specific parts of a clip neurons that were recorded firing when that specific clip was being shown began to activate after which the patients explained what was in that specific segment. It is based on this experiment that the process of memory creation and recall was shown and as such proves that the concept of â€Å"memory† exists within the brain. Further evidence of this lies in the fact that individuals that have experienced bra in trauma in the past experienced prolonged lapses in memory. Since thoughts are a result of accumulated memories and accumulated thoughts create the concept of the mind it can be stated that the mind is within the brain and not located outside of it. On the other hand some defendants of Descartes state that the brain is merely a node from which the mind channels thoughts and as such problems with the brain would of course affect this process of communication (Alanen, 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This does present a rather intriguing way of looking at the issue since if the brain can be considered nothing more than a transmitter instead of the origin of thoughts then this lends a significant amount of credence to the Descartes’’ assumptions. For example, if the process of the interaction between the mind and the brain can be simplified into two people talking over walkie-talkies within a finite distance then interference in the way of weather phenomena or distance will result in miscommunication. Taking this into consideration drugs, accidents or a variety of other factors that affect the brain can thus be thought of as a form of â€Å"interference† that normally affects the process of communication. It must be questioned though, if the mind is not within the brain then where does the mind exist? It cannot be denied that the concept of â€Å"the mind† does indeed exist since it is an accumulation of thoughts which are undeniably real yet there has yet to be an undeniably proven area where the mind exists outside the body. Experienced Stimuli and Imaginary Stimuli One of the current ongoing justifications behind the separation of the mind from the body is the concept of substance dualism which states that the mind and matter are essentially fundamentally different types of substances that interact in some unknown fashion. This particular assertion is part of Descartes’’ Cartesian dualism in which he suggests that the mental actually does not have an extension in space and material objects cannot essentially â€Å"think†. From a certain perspective this does have basis on a certain degree of truth, the way in which the mind transmits information is basically through a series of chemical and electrical signal within the brain. Neither electricity nor chemicals can actually â€Å"think† and as such it cannot really be said that by combining the two the concept of thought will suddenly emerge. It must also be noted that the human body is essentially made up of water and carbon which on their own don’t have the capacity for thought and even when combined wouldn’t have the capacity to create thought as well. Taking this into consideration it is assumed by the defendant of Descartes’ that the concept of the mind must thus exist in some other plane of existence (similar to the concept of the soul) and it is through the brain that the mind interacts with the body. The inherent problem with this particular observation is the assumption that the concept of thought is actually a substance. For example, experienced stimuli in the form of eating an apple, going on a date or kissing someone you love are recorded and can be brought to the forefront of an individual’s thoughts merely by trying to recall a particular event. Imagined stimuli on the other hand can take the form of day dreaming about kissing the person you love, imagining that you won the lottery or ev en eating something that you have never once eaten before. What must be understood is that while both methods of stimuli exist within the thoughts of the mind they cannot be considered as being equivalent to actual substances. While it may be true that the universal concept of something cannot come from nothing prevails even in the realm of psychology and philosophy what must be understood is that the imagination can be considered a realm that both exists and doesn’t exist in the first place and that it is wholly dependent on experienced stimuli. Everything that a person imagines is based upon some form of experienced stimuli that they encountered in one form or the other. This is the inherent origin of imagined stimuli, furthermore imagined stimuli is considered by researchers such as Condillac Aarsleff ( 2001) as being fleeting and cannot be â€Å"fixed† so to speak (Condillac Aarsleff, 2001). Thus if something is not fixed and cannot be touched, held, smelt or tas ted then such a type of stimuli can be considered as being â€Å"inferior† to experienced stimuli. For example, a person can experience two different ways of eating a chocolate sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and chocolate sprinkles: they can either experience this within the mind through imagined stimuli or they can actually do so through experience stimuli. Only in experienced stimuli can an individual feel the full gamut of flavors, textures, scent and taste of eating a chocolate ice cream sundae while in the case of imagined stimuli it is limited to a vague visual representation. While this doesn’t prove that the â€Å"space† that Descartes’ refers to doesn’t exist it does show the fundamental difference in experiences between the physical and the imaginary (Devlin, 1996). If the objects in the physical realm cannot â€Å"think† in the words of Descartes then why is it that experiences within the physical realm are more vivid and enticing as compared to the imaginary world? When trying to examine whether the mind is part of the brain it is important to examine the effect of visual and verbal stimuli and how this affects comprehension. Visual stimuli can come in a variety of forms whether it is an image, a video or a piece of scenery (Gollwitzer, 1990). All individuals in one way or another are exposed to various aspects of visual stimuli whether they want to or not which can take the form of sights and scenes that they see on a daily basis (Gollwitzer, 1990). Speaking on the other hand is a less permanent method of stimulation due to its spontaneous nature wherein the act of talking between two or more individuals produces varying views, thoughts and concepts that are produced at a faster rate compared to objects, people and scenes that are aspects of visual stimulation. It is actually due to this that ideas conveyed during the act of speaking are at times forgotten or not conveyed in the way the communi cator intended due to the way in which people interpret information differently through the act of talking. Furthermore, due to the presence of other communicators the result is a less controlled environment for stimulation wherein each individual gives out their own thoughts and ideas without there being a specific order to their introduction in the conversation (Spivey, 2007). What must be understood is that conveying emotion through vocal tones, facial expressions and gestures is one of the most important aspects of speaking due to the fact that these are the methods by which other communicators derive the intent of the speaker. For example, the phrase â€Å"get here now† can be said with little emotion and no facial expression and the communicator would be unable to determine the importance of â€Å"going there now†. On the other hand when phrase â€Å"Get Here Now!† utilizes a strong forceful voice and an angry facial expression the other communicator reali zes the urgency of the situation and â€Å"goes there† immediately. Studies such as those by Fields (2005) show that when it comes to processing particular types of information people are more adept at memorizing and recalling visual stimuli as compared to speech stimuli (Fields, 2005). Fields (2005) explains that this is due to the fact that remembering various aspect of speech stimuli involves not only having to recall specific words and phrases but individual responses as well whereas visual stimulus involves nothing more than what can be seen through the eyes (Fields, 2005). This is particularly important to take note of since when it comes to forming thoughts and imagery in the way that Descartes perceives most do so through imagery rather than through words. Since speech and visual imagery are basically processes of external stimulation why is it that people are more predisposed towards visual imagery when it comes to thought processes rather than speech? The reason beh ind this is actually connected to the study of Yuperlik (2009) which explains that the brain is more adept at processing images than speech and as such there are inherent limitations to what can be memorized and imagined (Yuperlik, 2009). In fact studies such as those by Spivey (2007) explain that humans are more evolutionary adept at visual stimulation than all other senses (Spivey, 2007). Since the brain has an inherent evolutionary predisposition towards a particular way of operating then if the mind were truly separated from the brain then it wouldn’t experience the same limitations as the brain however it does and as such this is indicative of the fact that the mind is within brain. If it weren’t it wouldn’t be subject to the same inherent predisposition towards visual imagery. Resolving the Issue In order to resolve this issue it is best to subject the assumption of the mind being outside of the brain to Occam’s razor in order to determine the overa ll validity of the assumption. The basis of Occam’s razor is â€Å"the simplest explanation for a problem is usually the right one†. This is based off the principle of parsimony which states that â€Å"it is pointless to do more with something when it can be done with less†. Taking this into consideration, it can be stated that since thoughts can be affected by drugs, alcohol and injuries to the brain, and since all of these occurrences are dependent on some external force affecting the brain, this means that thoughts are within the brain and thus the mind exists within the brain and not outside of it. What must be understood is that since there is no current concrete evidence in support of Descartes’ assumptions it cannot be supported under Occam’s razor and thus it should not be considered as something which is 100% valid. It can only be considered as such when there is sufficient corroborating evidence however till such a time occurs it can be c onsidered nothing more than philosophical conjecture without sufficient facts backing it up. Conclusion Based on the findings of this paper it can be stated that the mind is an inherent function of a developed human brain and as such cannot be considered a separate aspect of it placed in some sort of space outside of human understanding. If something affects the brain it affects the mind as well and as such Descartes reasoning is inherently flawed. On the other hand it must be noted that at the time when he created his assumption regarding the separation of the mind from the brain the science of understanding the brain’s neurologic functions was barely in its infancy and as such it can be stated that Descartes may have made such an assumption due to an inherent lack of knowledge. Reference List Alanen, L. (2004). Descarte’s concept of mind. Times Higher Education Supplement, (1624), 11. Astin, J. (2004). Psychosocial Determinants of Health and Illness: Integrating Mind , Body, and Spirit. Advances In Mind-Body Medicine, 20(4), 14. Bensley, D. (2003). Can Minds Leave Bodies?. Skeptical Inquirer, 27(4), 34. Condillac, E., Aarsleff, H. (2001). Essay on the Origin of Human Knowledge. Cambridge University Press. Devlin, K. (1996). Good-bye Descartes?. Mathematics Magazine, 69(5), 344. Fields, R. (2005). Making Memories Stick. Scientific American, 292(2), 74. Flanagan, O. J. (1991). The Science of the Mind. MIT Press. Fox, D. (2006). Through the mind’s eye. New Scientist, 190(2550), 32. Gamst, G. C. (2011). The recursive mind: the origins of human language, thought, and civilization. Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries, 49(2), 400-401. Gollwitzer, P. H. (1990). Deliberative and Implemental Mind-Sets: Cognitive Tuning Toward Congruous Thoughts and Information. Journal Of Personality Social  Psychology, 59(6), 1119. Koch, C. (2011). Probing the Unconscious Mind. Scientific American Mind, 22(5), 22. Levine, G. (1997). Carlyle, Descart es, and Objectivity. Raritan, 17(1), 45. Murchland, B. G. (2010). Mind’s world: imagination and subjectivity from Descartes to Romanticism. Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries, 47(8), 1490. Pinker, S. (2007). The mystery of consciousness. (cover story). Time International  (South Pacific Edition), (3), 54. Spivey, M. J. (2007). Redesigning our theories of human information processing.  Information Design Journal (IDJ), 15(3), 261-26 Yuperlik, A. (2009). Rapid formation and selective stabilization of synapses for enduring motor memories. Nature, 462(7275), 915. Tsien, J. T. (2007). The Memory Code. (cover story). Scientific American, 297(1), 52. This research paper on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions was written and submitted by user Er1ck to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.