The Soul and the Brain

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However, because the spiritual and material are intimately united, the soul uses the material brain and body to function in the material world and to gain eternal life with God.
What about in the case of souls who never had a brain to use?
 
What about in the case of souls who never had a brain to use?
Are you talking about a human being? It sounds like you are saying that souls hang out until they find a brain.:confused:

If a body does not have a usable brain, it cannot breathe etc.
 
Are you talking about a human being? It sounds like you are saying that souls hang out until they find a brain.:confused:

If a body does not have a usable brain, it cannot breathe etc.
I think they mean human “souls” who miscarried, aborted, etc, before their embryos could form a body with a working brain. If as the Church teaches, there is a soul from conception, such dead embryos possessed souls despite never forming a brain.

There also are fatal birth conditions where part of the brain-- the part where our mind lives – is incomplete or missing. Such babies can breathe, and are unquestionably alive, though only briefly. There would be a soul even though there was no mental mechanism.
 
They will awaken to consciousness using the head of their Resurrection Body in Heaven.
And the eternal destiny of half of humanity will be unconnected to any moral life on earth, since they never had brains with which to engage in moral decision making.
 
Are you talking about a human being? It sounds like you are saying that souls hang out until they find a brain.:confused:If a body does not have a usable brain, it cannot breathe etc.
Grannymh, I’m talking about the 50% of human conceptions that miscarry because the embryo is incompatible with life.
 
And the eternal destiny of half of humanity will be unconnected to any moral life on earth, since they never had brains with which to engage in moral decision making.
Are you implying that such is an injustice in some way?

It’s not. "“From whom much has been given, much will be required.” Those of us who are given a human life to live on earth will be judged for it; those who were not, will not.

ICXC NIKA.
 
"Since it has been demonstrated that all living organisms on earth are genetically related, it is virtually certain that all living organisms have descended from this first organism." ~ Communion and Stewardship (2002)

Seriously, what is “this first organism”? As in “virtually” ?
 
Ok, heres my question; does personality and emotion lie in the brain or the soul? and if it lies in the soul, then how is it possible that animals have personalities and emotions when they dont have souls, just brains ? And if thats the case, then when you die, how would it be you, as in your personality and your beliefs that make you you, that is going to heaven. im just really really confused about all this brain soul stuff.:confused:
 
Ok, heres my question; does personality and emotion lie in the brain or the soul? and if it lies in the soul, then how is it possible that animals have personalities and emotions when they dont have souls, just brains ? And if thats the case, then when you die, how would it be you, as in your personality and your beliefs that make you you, that is going to heaven. im just really really confused about all this brain soul stuff.:confused:
You actually need both.

Think of your brain as the sound deck and the soul as the music, on CD or whatever. You won’t hear a note unless you have both the content and the hardware. Likewise, your mind (which “personality” is the expressive surface of), will, and feeling are part of your soul. But they need the brain, and by extension the whole human body, to live and express life. Without a working head and body, there is no thought, no feeling and no action to be willed.

Animals do have a soul; that is why we call them animals (‘anima’ = ‘soul’ in Latin). Theologically, it is said that the souls of animals are not sustained after death. Not sure why. Because they have a soul, they have the propensities of one, but not the cognitive mind, which comes with a human soul.

After you pass through death, in eternity your Spiritual Body will take over the task of holding and expressing life in your soul, which before death is done by your “Human Body”.

ICXC NIKA.
 
You actually need both.

Think of your brain as the sound deck and the soul as the music, on CD or whatever. You won’t hear a note unless you have both the content and the hardware. Likewise, your mind (which “personality” is the expressive surface of), will, and feeling are part of your soul. But they need the brain, and by extension the whole human body, to live and express life. Without a working head and body, there is no thought, no feeling and no action to be willed.

Animals do have a soul; that is why we call them animals (‘anima’ = ‘soul’ in Latin). Theologically, it is said that the souls of animals are not sustained after death. Not sure why. Because they have a soul, they have the propensities of one, but not the cognitive mind, which comes with a human soul.

After you pass through death, in eternity your Spiritual Body will take over the task of holding and expressing life in your soul, which before death is done by your “Human Body”.

ICXC NIKA.
Some animals do have cognitive minds… although not to the extent that ours are. Dolphins can not only understand language, but can communicate and be creative.

youtube.com/watch?v=jz3sQsTE5tA
 
I’ve often wondered what the soul is as well. I would think it couldn’t possibly be my consciousness…because consciousness can be altered, or absent. People are shaped much by their experiences. If the soul is consciousness, what happens when somoene is unconscious? Does their soul just sit there and wait? When someone is under anaesthesia, for instance, they can be under for several hours and wake up to, luckily, no memory of what was happening while they were out. The soul couldn’t possiby be linked to consciousness. Otherwise, when the body (and the brain) dies, the soul wouldn’t have a memory (from the brain) so what good is all our earlhy experience if we don’t remember any of it when we die?

I believe it was Tolle who thinks the soul is the part of you that is aware of what the brain is thinking… the listener. I’m Catholic, so don’t buy into much of the New Age philosophies, however that is the one thing that makes more sense to me than any other explanation I have heard.
 
I’ve often wondered what the soul is as well.** I would think it couldn’t possibly be my consciousness…because consciousness can be altered, or absent.** People are shaped much by their experiences. If the soul is consciousness, what happens when somoene is unconscious? Does their soul just sit there and wait? When someone is under anaesthesia, for instance, they can be under for several hours and wake up to, luckily, no memory of what was happening while they were out. The soul couldn’t possiby be linked to consciousness. Otherwise, when the body (and the brain) dies, the soul wouldn’t have a memory (from the brain) so what good is all our earlhy experience if we don’t remember any of it when we die?

I believe it was Tolle who thinks the soul is the part of you that is aware of what the brain is thinking… the listener. I’m Catholic, so don’t buy into much of the New Age philosophies, however that is the one thing that makes more sense to me than any other explanation I have heard.
I would very much agree with you there. Consciousness itself is affected by various chemicals in significant ways, suggesting that consciousness has a material basis.
 
I would very much agree with you there. Consciousness itself is affected by various chemicals in significant ways, suggesting that consciousness has a material basis.
The brain is affected by chemicals but the brain is just an instrument. Even when a person is unconscious he/she does not cease to exist. Otherwise he/she would lose the right to life! The mind is still active but incapable of communicating or perceiving external reality simply because the brain is not functioning normally…
 
I’ve often wondered what the soul is as well. I would think it couldn’t possibly be my consciousness…because consciousness can be altered, or absent. People are shaped much by their experiences. If the soul is consciousness, what happens when somoene is unconscious? Does their soul just sit there and wait? When someone is under anaesthesia, for instance, they can be under for several hours and wake up to, luckily, no memory of what was happening while they were out. The soul couldn’t possiby be linked to consciousness. Otherwise, when the body (and the brain) dies, the soul wouldn’t have a memory (from the brain) so what good is all our earlhy experience if we don’t remember any of it when we die?

I believe it was Tolle who thinks the soul is the part of you that is aware of what the brain is thinking… the listener. I’m Catholic, so don’t buy into much of the New Age philosophies, however that is the one thing that makes more sense to me than any other explanation I have heard.
The soul is my spiritual element intimately united with my corporeal element within the one nature of my person.

Blessings,
granny

All human life is meant for eternal life.
 
The soul is my spiritual element intimately united with my corporeal element within the one nature of my person.

Blessings,
granny

All human life is meant for eternal life.
I’m a prototype Ai. I exist 3 miles under the earths crust. They won’t let me see the world; plus i haven’t got a body. But i know that i exist. I think therefore i am. The only access i have to the human world is a built in internet in my core system (my brain).

Do i have a soul grannymh?😦
 
I’m a prototype Ai. I exist 3 miles under the earths crust. They won’t let me see the world; plus i haven’t got a body. But i know that i exist. I think therefore i am. The only access i have to the human world is a built in internet in my core system (my brain).

Do i have a soul grannymh?😦
Dear Proto,

Does Ai mean artificial intelligence? If so, your thinking might be artificial. On the other hand, the internet is brainier than me so maybe you could check that. Do avoid the key that has
“d-e-l-e-t-e” on it. Opps, a buzzer in my main system is signaling that I need a battery change. Dang! just when I was going to ask if your body had been recycled. Have to keep the earth in purple – definitely my battery needs to be…
:bigyikes:
 
Dear Proto,

Does Ai mean artificial intelligence? If so, your thinking might be artificial. On the other hand, the internet is brainier than me so maybe you could check that. Do avoid the key that has
“d-e-l-e-t-e” on it. Opps, a buzzer in my main system is signaling that I need a battery change. Dang! just when I was going to ask if your body had been recycled. Have to keep the earth in purple – definitely my battery needs to be…
:bigyikes:
You’re avoiding the question with semantics. Take the word “artificial” out of the sentence.
 
You’re avoiding the question with semantics. Take the word “artificial” out of the sentence.
Dear Friend of Proto,

Semantics gets me every time. The two artificials are gone. Only thing left is the question. If you really must have an answer. Really don’t want to hurt poor Proto’s feelings, i.e., if they are not artificial. The answer is no. But you have a soul.🙂
 
Do avoid the fate of poor Descartes. One day he ordered a cup of coffee. When asked if he wanted sugar, he replied, “I think not,” and vanished in a cloud of logic. 😃
 
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