Your first paragraph contains a little too much mechanical rhetoric, but essentially I think what you are touching upon the Santiago Theory of Cognition. It is important not to draw comparison between the brain and a computer that processes information, true understanding requires a holistic paradigm. These two articles by Fritjof Capra should steer you in the right direction. I recommend his book the Web of Life.

The Santiago Theory of Cognition - Fritjof Capra
The Web of Life