Integrating the Scientific method and the Spiritual vision for all-round human growth

Tag Archive for ‘Consciousness’

Has science disproved the Bhagavad-gita?

Question: Science says that consciousness comes from the brain. Doesn’t this disprove the Bhagavad-gita claim that consciousness comes from the soul? Answer: No. In fact, the question itself is incorrect. The claim that the brain produces consciousness is made not by science, but only by materialist scientists who believe that matter is the only reality [...]

What is the difference between mind and consciousness?

  To hear the answer, please click here Answer Summary: 1. Consciousness being energy of the soul is spiritual, whereas mind is material, being one of the constituents of the subtle material body. 2. The mind is like the screen of the TV whereas the soul is the person watching the TV and consciousness is [...]

Artificial Rains – Imaginary Gains, Real Pains

(This article was written when the Maharashtra government. attempted to produce, with much fanfare, artificial rains through cloud seeding) ‘Artificial rains soothe Maharashtra.’ Headlines like these have been a frequent sight in recent newspapers. The image of a political leader and a scientist flying in an airplane, shooting a chemical spray into the clouds and [...]

Is there any scientific proof for the existence of the soul?

Answer: Yes, there’s a lot. Let’s consider just one category of evidence offered by Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). NDEs are experiences of extraordinary visions and perceptions during periods of unconsciousness among people who were medically dead or nearly dead due to various causes like accidents, diseases, surgeries or attempted suicides. From the viewpoint of scientific testability, [...]

What is the source of consciousness: the brain or the soul?

Question: Is there any practical scientific evidence that the soul – and not the brain – is the source of consciousness? Answer: Yes, there is the sensationally incredible yet scientifically documented evidence of people who have practically no brain yet have normal or even above-normal intelligence. “Is your brain really necessary?” was the title of an [...]

Can robots be conscious?

Question: Scientific advancement in fields like artificial intelligence promises to produce conscious robots. When consciousness is thus produced by robots, will the soul hypothesis – the theory that the soul is the source of consciousness – be disproved? Answer: No. The advances in artificial intelligence are proving, not disproving, the soul hypothesis. Let’s see how. Most [...]

Don’t neuronal correlates of consciousness disprove the soul theory?

Question: Researchers have found precise correlations between specific areas of the brain and particular emotions. Doesn’t this make the idea of soul as the source of emotions redundant? Answer: No, because correlation doesn’t imply causality. Here’s an example to understand the difference. Suppose a tragedy novel leads to a spate of suicides. A researcher investigating the [...]

If consciousness comes from the soul, then why do brain states affect consciousness?

Question: If our consciousness comes from the soul, and not the brain, then why do brain states affect consciousness? For example, why does damage to the speech center of the brain make the person unable to speak? Answer: Consciousness originates from the soul, but manifests through the brain. To understand this, let’s consider three crucial questions: [...]