Philosophical Understanding of the Essence and Nature of Mental Reflection

Aim. To reveal the essence and nature of the mental form of reality reflection.Methodology. A philosophical analysis of the process of mental reflection in the context of the problem of “brain and psyche” is carried out in the work. In the process of research, the theoretical method of scientific knowledge and the general philosophical dialectical method were used, as well as the methods of abstraction, induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, and mental modeling of the stages of mental reflection.Results. In this paper, the process of mental reflection of reality is considered in detail from the position of L. S. Vygotsky’s cultural-historical approach and the systemic organization of physiological functions. The author draws attention to the fact that the brain and psyche interact with each other through cognitive cross-function connections. Although it is known that the mental activity of the brain has a dual material-ideal nature, the question still remains unresolved: “How does the material brain reproduce the non-material psyche”? In this regard, the article provides an opinion that the knowledge of mental phenomena occurs through higher skills and abilities, psycho-nervous activity and neural hypernetwork – cognite. The role of the cognitive neurodynamic system in adequate mental reflection of the external world is revealed. The special significance of cognitive neural connections and relationships in mental reflection is emphasized, including A. R. Luria’s position on this issue. S. L. Rubinstein’s views of on the relationship of mental processes with brain functions are analyzed. D. Chalmers’ opinion concerning two concepts of mental – phenomenal and psychological is given. Attention is drawn to D. Dennett’s position, according to which, the non-material mind is clearly correlated with the material brain. In this regard, the opinion is expressed that the activity of the cognitive system of the human brain has a circular nature, in which the following stages can be traced: perception, awareness, understanding, thinking, speech and movement. In conclusion, the author shows the role of cognitive cross-function connections in the system of mental reflection of reality.Research implications. The work for the first time carried out the rethinking of the process of mental reflection of the external world from the standpoint of L. S. Vygotsky’s cultural-historical approach, where cross-function connections and relationships play a special role. An attempt has been made to show the true essence and nature of the mental reflection of objects and phenomena of the external world based on the systemic organization of the mental activity of the brain.