ABSTRACT
Scientific advances in understanding how the brain develops and functions in relation to behavior were made possible by four related transformations that provided new ways to conceptualize the relationships among brain and mind and knowledge and perception. The first involved a transition from a spiritual to a scientific conception of mind. René Descartes’ doctrine that the brain and mind are different entities supported a dualistic distinction between the physical and mental that discouraged scientists from trying to understand how neural and psychological processes are related. Only when brain scientists ignored religious doctrine and viewed the mind as physically embodied in the brain did they make progress in identifying the neural determinants of perception and memory.
