Where do thoughts come from?

Maha Vishnu in the Causal Ocean.

The origin of thought remains one of the most elusive questions in both psychology and philosophy. In the psychological realm, thought is often perceived as a byproduct of neural processes—an emergent property of the brain’s intricate wiring, shaped by a delicate balance of sensory input, memory, and emotional experience. The brain, a labyrinth of synaptic connections, functions as the birthplace of thought, weaving complex mental representations from the raw material of perception. These thoughts are not merely static images or words, but active constructs, constantly shifting and evolving in response to the world around us. The prefrontal cortex, the seat of higher cognition, orchestrates these mental symphonies—planning, reasoning, analyzing—producing a continuous stream of ideas, judgments, and conclusions.

Yet, this materialist view of thought’s origin pales in comparison to the metaphysical interpretations offered by Hinduism. In this tradition, the mind (*manas*) is not an isolated, mechanical system but a bridge between the individual self (*atman*) and the vast, ever-expanding universe. Thought, in this view, is not born from the brain but emerges from a deeper spiritual realm. The mind is not the master of thought but rather a vessel through which the divine expresses itself. Hindu philosophy suggests that thoughts arise from the dance between *avidya* (ignorance) and *jnana* (knowledge), with the individual’s attachments and illusions shaping the quality and direction of these thoughts. They are not merely fleeting impulses but reflections of the mind’s deeper entanglements with the world—thoughts, then, are both the reflection and distortion of the self’s true nature. To think is to be tethered to a cycle of desires, fears, and attachments, only transcended through the disciplined practice of meditation and self-realization. Here, thoughts are not to be controlled or eliminated but understood, seen as fleeting manifestations of a greater consciousness.

Psychology’s division of thought into categories—propositional, imaginal, and motoric—offers a more structured, though no less profound, understanding of the mental processes at play. Propositional thought is the language of logic, of yes and no, of true and false. It is the quiet hum of reason, the mental machinery that evaluates, categorizes, and concludes. It is the mind in its most rational, deliberate form, crafting statements that make sense of the world. This type of thought governs our ability to reason, to solve problems, to follow the threads of cause and effect. Yet, this is only a part of the story, for thought is also creative, subversive, uncontained. Imaginal thought is the space where the mind is free to roam, where images and fantasies take form. It is the realm of daydreams, of invention, of dreams that exceed the limits of the known. Here, the mind does not simply process; it generates—creating futures that have not yet happened, reimagining pasts that can never be relived.

And then, there is motoric thought, which links the mental with the physical, the intangible with the corporeal. It is the thought that precedes action, the mental rehearsal that guides the body’s movements, often with no conscious awareness. When the mind envisions a gesture, the body responds almost involuntarily. Here, thought is not only intellectual or emotional; it is a prelude to action, an embodied reflection of the mind’s intentions.

Together, these types of thought paint a rich portrait of the mind—both a logical engine and a realm of creativity, a conduit for both rationality and the physicality of existence. Whether they arise from the neural web of the brain or the spiritual depths of the self, thoughts are as much a reflection of the mind’s interaction with the world as they are the world’s invitation for the mind to transform.