With a lot of religions you have the idea of dualism, that non-material something usually called a soul. It is supposed to be what contains everything that makes you “you”. This is supposed to be everlasting and what goes on to Heaven, Hell or reincarnation after you croak. Now, I'd like to know what evidence is there for the existence of this non-material whatever.
Your mind we have evidence for. The brain is an organ and the mind is what the brain does, so to speak. Nowadays a lot of what the brain is up to can be measured, mapped, etc. The mind is not something separate from the brain, but is the result of neural activity. If the mind is not the result of neural activity, but the result of some non-material soul then it should not be dependent on the organ known as the brain.
But, if various parts of the brain get damaged in an accident, or due to illness, things can and sometimes do occur that greatly change you. You become a different person. How depends on what gets damaged. Everything that makes me the unique person that I am is contained in my brain – personality, memories, ability to process everything our senses detect, etc. Now if your brain gets damaged, and you become a different person, what happens to your soul?
The way I was taught about the human soul was that it contained everything that made me “me”. After death, you'd end up before the creator and be judged for whatever you did while alive and treated accordingly. You would either go up or down, so to speak. So, where is this thing? Why can't we detect it? If my brain contains everything that makes me who I am, of what use is this soul?
There are people on this site that know a lot more about this than I do. Any input from both believers and unbelievers alike will be much appreciated by me. I came here hoping to learn, so please respond. Thanks.
Your mind we have evidence for. The brain is an organ and the mind is what the brain does, so to speak. Nowadays a lot of what the brain is up to can be measured, mapped, etc. The mind is not something separate from the brain, but is the result of neural activity. If the mind is not the result of neural activity, but the result of some non-material soul then it should not be dependent on the organ known as the brain.
But, if various parts of the brain get damaged in an accident, or due to illness, things can and sometimes do occur that greatly change you. You become a different person. How depends on what gets damaged. Everything that makes me the unique person that I am is contained in my brain – personality, memories, ability to process everything our senses detect, etc. Now if your brain gets damaged, and you become a different person, what happens to your soul?
The way I was taught about the human soul was that it contained everything that made me “me”. After death, you'd end up before the creator and be judged for whatever you did while alive and treated accordingly. You would either go up or down, so to speak. So, where is this thing? Why can't we detect it? If my brain contains everything that makes me who I am, of what use is this soul?
There are people on this site that know a lot more about this than I do. Any input from both believers and unbelievers alike will be much appreciated by me. I came here hoping to learn, so please respond. Thanks.
“To terrify children with the image of hell, to consider women an inferior creation—is that good for the world?”
― Christopher Hitchens
"That fear first created the gods is perhaps as true as anything so brief could be on so great a subject". - George Santayana
"If this is the best God can do, I'm not impressed". - George Carlin
― Christopher Hitchens
"That fear first created the gods is perhaps as true as anything so brief could be on so great a subject". - George Santayana
"If this is the best God can do, I'm not impressed". - George Carlin
