What solution did Descartes propose to the problem of interactionism?

Descartes proposed that the mind interacts with the body through the pineal gland, which he believed to be the point of contact between the immaterial mind and the physical body. This idea stemmed from his dualistic view, where he distinguished between the mind as a non-physical substance and the body as a physical substance. He suggested that the pineal gland, being centrally located in the brain and not duplicated on both sides, served as the mediator facilitating the interaction between mental processes and bodily actions. This approach aimed to address the challenges that arose from his dualism, especially the question of how an immaterial mind could influence material body functions. The belief that the interaction occurred in a specific physical structure was a significant attempt to reconcile the dualistic nature of existence that Descartes proposed.