SELF-REFLECTION

Sense or awareness of something being the mind’s internal process, in itself is or relates to a process inside the mind. And awareness of this is also an internal process of the mind. So the more you become aware of yourself the more you are invoking processes internal to the mind. But, as can be seen, you will never catch up. So you will never become aware of every internal process of the mind. So you cannot understand your own mind fully. An eye can see everything but not just itself! 

The only way this race can stop is if memory gets “exhausted” and doesn’t give you the data of the internal processes to look at. But since you are reflecting on something that you have just thought of recently, memory will serve rightfully.

But how come this stark distinction of – internal and external i.e. the mind’s internal processes and the mind interacting with the world? While the mind is interacting with the world, there are simultaneously internal processes active too (and as regards to the same signals that are coming from the external world and thus signals which are involved in the mind’s interaction with the external world). So there is simultaneity of internal and external processes. So why not the analogous i.e. why aren’t there external influences while the mind is engaged in internal processes i.e. influences of the external world while the mind is looking at its own workings/processes? Are there world-data influences while the mind is self-reflecting? Doesn’t seem so because one might say – my mind is looking at myself; and thus, this ‘mind’ (that is looking at myself) is not looking at the external world at that time – so nothing from the external world is entering the mind at that time! But what about sensory inputs (disturbances from the surroundings)? But still, somehow, there seems to be this apparent absence of external disturbances and tremendous tranquility while the mind is looking at itself. How come? This only prompts that the mind and senses are fundamentally different machineries, which are merely connected to each other. There is no integration to a great extent. And the mind can shield or numb itself from sensory inputs too (which are external to this ‘looking at itself’ process) to a significant extent while it is looking at itself.