As I flounder I will try to answer.
Personally I don't think we have a soul. I'm arguing this from a non-religious point of view, my opinions are mine. I'm not a neuroscientist but I work with several world accepted experts, and no I cannot reveal who they are. It is unfair to them. But one question I keep coming up with is, and ask them; what is memory? What is thought? What is intelligence? What is the difference ,if any between my 'free' intelligence and the honey eater bird I'm watching perched on my gutter, bent over double looking for a bug to eat? they ask me the same, I'm an Immunologist and they ask the same question, How does immune memory work? Our understanding of such processes change very rapidly. My understanding of immune memory has gone haywire in the last few months with some landmark studies.
Why do we believe in souls?
Maybe because we cannot understand how our brains work. We are locked in the concept that if you cannot understand then it is due to divine intervention.
Most of us have no concept of epigenetic changes, siRNA and how kinase pathways work. I sure don't. How can you change a protein to remember? Simple, in practice we do it when we immunise people against flu whatever. we teach our immune system to remember. What remembers? A 180,000 Mwt protein in that case recognises a sequence of preserverd amino acids on a particular protein. We have billions of those proteins hence we are protected.
Does the brain work the same way? Well probably, she says, with no proof and how to get over synaptic communication, why a brain cell can be three meters long and that is longer than I am tall, Why? What does that mean?
Is it a soul or is it biology?
I will put a caution on my comments. I will not knowingly insult anyone's religious beliefs. My comments are mine alone. They are posted for discussion and interest and to be thought provoking.
Cindy
