. Doctrine that mental phenomena are entirely caused by physical phenomena in the brain or central nervous system, and themselves have no effects, mental or physical. An epiphenomenon is a by-product, itself without (significant or relevant) effects,...

In philosophy of mind, epiphenomenalism is a view according to which some or all mental states are mere epiphenomena (side-effects or by-products) of physical states of the world. Thus, epiphenomenalism denies that the mind (as in its states, not its...