| RELIGIOUS BELIEFSWhen we speak of religious | | | | brain that "causes" a sense of self is likewise not |
| beliefs we mean its theological tenets. Christianity | | | | yet discovered. This concept of the "brain causes |
| and Islam share common ideas and beliefs having | | | | consciousness" is fundamentally the viewpoint of |
| their roots in a common source--Judaism. This | | | | the mechanists that sees man as merely a |
| religion in turn derived many of its doctrines and | | | | machine. The above concept is flawed, however, |
| beliefs from the Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians, | | | | because portions of the brain have been known |
| Chaldeans, and the Sumerians. Perhaps it would be | | | | to be destroyed and yet the presence of a sense |
| true to say that almost every religion is syncretic, | | | | of self still remained. In the condition known as |
| though they may try very hard to cover this | | | | hydrocephalus, for instance, large sections of the |
| up.Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Taoism | | | | cerebral cortex may be destroyed or missing, |
| are more mystical in nature and differ greatly | | | | being filled instead with cerebro-spinal fluid, and yet |
| from the Semitic religions in many basic principles; | | | | individuals suffering from such a condition may |
| Hinduism comprising of many philosophical schools | | | | lead normal lives without suspecting their blight. |
| of thought, embraces various theological ideas. | | | | They may even have an I.Q. above average.The |
| Some schools of Buddhism teaches that there is | | | | mechanists, Freud (1856-1939) among them, claim |
| no permanent entity called the soul; that what is | | | | that our behavioral actions are automatic |
| thought to be the soul is simply a collection of | | | | responses to external stimuli, and that life is a |
| karmic tendencies transmittable from one | | | | result of the right combination of chemicals |
| incarnation to another. Their extreme views are | | | | derived from food and oxygen. That an animating |
| nilhilistic in nature; however, it is doubtful whether | | | | force exists to vitalize the organism they may |
| this was implied in the teachings of the Buddha. | | | | concede but this force is looked upon as a |
| For instance, if there is no Self, then there is also | | | | physical energy akin to electricity. The mechanistic |
| no Gautama Buddha in existence; and yet, | | | | theory describes how perception takes place |
| prayers are still being directed by the faithful to | | | | through the stimulation of the senses that creates |
| this exalted being. Fundamentally, although these | | | | nerve impulses, and how these nerve impulses |
| religions have diverse concepts regarding the soul | | | | travel to the sections of the brain related to the |
| they all point or refer to the One where all | | | | senses, and how they form sensations; but the |
| sentient beings originate. All have their own | | | | theory does not consider the real perceiver that |
| particular name or names for this Source, and all | | | | tries to make sense of the sensations. To |
| have their personal ideas regarding this Divine | | | | mechanists, the perceiver is thought to be one of |
| Essence.Theological precepts are often tainted | | | | the functions of the cerebral cortex. In short, the |
| with the frailties of the human ego and intellect | | | | mechanistic concept leaves no room for the |
| and thus offer a poor basis for the study of true | | | | existence of the soul. To a mechanist the |
| religion and its revelations concerning the soul. | | | | purported existence of the soul is considered as |
| Nevertheless, we will strive to present its beliefs | | | | an absurdity.If the eminent neuropsychologist Karl |
| with as little bias on our part as possible. This | | | | Lashley (1890-1958), author of Brain Mechanisms |
| section will be brief, for to do justice to the | | | | and Intelligence, after years of research could not |
| subject would require many pages and go beyond | | | | discover the seat of memory in the brain, how |
| the scope of this work.In Christian theology it is | | | | much more difficult would it be to discover the |
| believed that the soul prior to birth is devoid of | | | | seat of the self or soul--not withstanding |
| any individuality or personality. It is only when God | | | | Descartes' (1596-1650) assertion that the pineal |
| breathes through the nostrils of man that the soul | | | | gland is its locus. This French philosopher and |
| acquires self-consciousness, and is a "living" | | | | mathematician also declared, "cogito, ergo sum," |
| being--and this condition of being alive is believed | | | | or "I think, therefore I am" thus implying that the |
| to remain with the soul after death. In the Book | | | | Self arises into existence as a result of thought, |
| of Genesis it is recorded that,"God made man out | | | | or as a function of the mind. Nevertheless, |
| of the dust of the earth, breathed the breath of | | | | mystics have proved to themselves the possibility |
| life into his nostrils, and made man a living soul." | | | | of transcending thoughts and yet remaining in |
| (Gen 2:7)The phrase "living soul" is equated to the | | | | existence, and possessing an exalted sense of |
| state of being self-conscious. According to this | | | | Self, unified with the Cosmos. The mystic's |
| notion unless there is an awareness of the | | | | standpoint is supported by Jean-Paul Sartre |
| existence of an ego, or a self, a person or being | | | | (1905-1980), French philosopher and writer. To |
| does not truly have a soul. Such a creature is | | | | Sartre, existence does not depend on the |
| "soulless." A person may be alive imbued with the | | | | functions of the mind, that a being does not exist |
| soul-essence, the life-force, and yet remain | | | | simply because it thinks. According to Sartre, |
| soulless, in the sense that it is not self-aware. | | | | existence precedes the mind--or thinking.Rene |
| Some states of insanity may represent beings | | | | Descartes' statement is therefore erroneous, or |
| who are "soulless." While the living soul is | | | | perhaps our interpretation of his statement is |
| associated with the awareness of the ego, | | | | wrong. "I think, because I am" would be closer to |
| immortality is associated with the awareness of | | | | the truth. In spite of this, Descartes was |
| the superego, the Higher Self. This idea, though, | | | | somewhat accurate in believing that the pineal |
| falls in the province of metaphysical | | | | gland plays an important role in man's occult |
| thought.Basically, theology consider the soul to be | | | | physiology as we shall see later when we discuss |
| a substance implanted in man. It is believed to be | | | | the metaphysical purview.Mainstream science may |
| an entity divinely created and bestowed upon | | | | disavow the existence of the soul on the pretext |
| man when man takes his first breath. Christian | | | | of its immateriality, undetected by their |
| theology formulated the idea that man is a divine | | | | instruments; and yet, matter in its actual state in |
| creation, the highest of all beings, and that the | | | | similarly immaterial. This was the proposition of |
| whole universe was created for man alone in | | | | Leibniz (1646-1716), the German philosopher, who |
| support of his existence.In Christianity the terms | | | | considered matter as a manifestation of Mind--"a |
| "lost souls" or "degraded souls" are often | | | | stupid variety of mind." To explain this graphically, |
| expressed. The moral quality of a person's life is | | | | for instance, what we call concrete matter is |
| believed to be able to affect the soul. However, | | | | actually made up of moving molecules. Molecules in |
| from the metaphysical point of view soul-essence | | | | turn are made up of whirling atoms, and these |
| is immaculate, perfect, immutable and divine. What | | | | are composed of even smaller particles. Should |
| may be affected is not its essence but its | | | | these sub-atomic particles be magnified "nothing" |
| conscious expression. The consciousness arising | | | | would be found. Matter, is therefore, made up of |
| from soul essence is that which evolves and | | | | "emptiness." We may call this void "energy," |
| strives to reflect the image, archetype or | | | | "mind," or "spirit," but whatever we call it, the fact |
| blueprint that God created for man. This is stated | | | | remains that matter is actually as insubstantial as |
| emphatically in Genesis; however the statement is | | | | the soul. If the reality of one is accepted why not |
| often interpreted literally. This blueprint is the | | | | the other? The many particles composing matter |
| image or divine qualities of God. It does not refer | | | | are filled with this "nothing," or space. Another |
| to form but to the inner nature of the | | | | curious fact is that if we were to remove the |
| life-essence.The Hindus, generally speaking, believe | | | | space inherent within a human body, for instance, |
| the soul to be an entity that resides in the | | | | and all the "particles" united, the total compaction |
| physical body and is subjected to reincarnation in | | | | would result in a piece of matter no larger than a |
| accord with its karma. The Upanishads says that, | | | | mite of dust. Leibniz's theory is also paralleled by |
| "The Supreme Person, of the size of the thumb, | | | | the thoughts of Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| dwells forever in the heart of all human beings." | | | | (1803-1882), the American Trancendentalist. |
| Its esoteric wisdom, moreover, tells us that the | | | | According to Emerson matter is "a phenomenon, |
| immaterial man is constituted of various principles | | | | not a substance." He also considered the material |
| each having their own particular function. The | | | | world to be,"a divine dream, from which we may |
| highest principle within the microcosm of man is | | | | presently awake to the glories and certainties of |
| the Atma, or according to others, the Paratman.In | | | | day."Science informs us that nothing is destroyed. |
| the Bhagavad Gita, the microcosm is represented | | | | That matter is just energy possessing a certain |
| by Krishna, Arjuna, the carriage, and the horses. | | | | structure and magnetic-field. It is acknowledged |
| Krishna is the Spirit, the highest aspect of man; | | | | that everything in existence is made up of |
| Arjuna the evolving soul; the carriage the mind; | | | | energy. Now as the existence of consciousness |
| and the horses the senses. Graphically five horses | | | | and a sense of self are undeniable, they should be |
| are often represented. They represent the | | | | thought of as indestructible as well, for Science |
| senses of man through which the vital force | | | | has already implied the idea in its equations. So |
| escapes and runs uncontrolled. In yoga and | | | | why then does Science not accept the possible |
| esoteric practices the senses are subdued so that | | | | existence of disembodied consciousness--the |
| the vital force may be directed within to awaken | | | | soul?--because it cannot be perceived? Quiet an |
| the sluggish Arjuna. Krishna is the guide that | | | | absurdity, really--even while embodied the Self |
| assists Arjuna in this project.ANCIENT BELIEFSAs | | | | cannot be seen. Can you see your Self?From |
| we mentioned before, the belief in the survival of | | | | whence does the sense of self-identity come? It |
| the soul after death goes way back to the | | | | seems that mainstream science is still a long way |
| earliest development of humankind. Primitive | | | | in finding this one out. However, new paradigms |
| Neanderthal tribes, for instance, would bury food, | | | | are being formulated by open-minded scientists |
| tools, and weapons along with the corpses of | | | | who are now considering the world-view of |
| their departed in order to provide them with the | | | | eastern mystics in conjunction with the new |
| bare necessities in the afterlife. This custom still | | | | developments and discoveries in the field of |
| survive in some cultures and is a clear indication | | | | physics and psychology. The theories of quantum |
| that not only is soul survival believed in but that | | | | physics and transpersonal psychology are closing |
| the afterlife as a continuation of the sort of life | | | | the gap between essential religion and |
| lived in the physical world is likewise | | | | conventional science. Regarding the mystery of |
| presumed.Animism was the prevailing belief among | | | | the Self in relation to the brain we are reminded |
| prehistoric man. Everything was considered alive | | | | of the words of the researcher and scientist |
| and pervaded with a soul-force that even gave | | | | George Buletza who said in the Rosicrucian Digest |
| inanimate objects a consciousness and an | | | | (Sept. 1983) that,"Rather than the brain producing |
| intelligence of some kind. Stars in particular were | | | | Self, it is the other way around. The brain is a |
| believed to be souls long dead and living in heaven. | | | | product of Self, of Being ever striving to be. The |
| To the primitive mind, the sky or firmaments | | | | brain is the incredibly fine instrument created by |
| were considered to be heaven, just as hell was | | | | Self in the process of expressing its own nature . |
| thought to lie beneath the earth.That the soul | | | | . ."It has been observed in many laboratory |
| "resided" and functioned in the physical body, a | | | | experiments all over the world that human |
| location was sought for its residence. Some | | | | consciousness reveals an ability to extend itself |
| believed the heart to be the organ of the soul, | | | | beyond the boundaries of the brain and body, |
| others pointed to the head. Some primitive | | | | that somehow it may perceive or influence |
| cultures thought that the blood was the vehicle of | | | | events at distant places. Such mental activities |
| the soul--that the blood carried soul-substances to | | | | suggests to some scientific observers that |
| every part of the body. The demon | | | | consciousness may exist independent of the |
| Mephistopheles in a play written by Goethe | | | | corporeal form.Many branches of science such as |
| (1749-1832) declares the blood to be a "curious | | | | physics, psychology, astrophysics, and biology, are |
| thing." The belief that the blood is the vehicle of | | | | investigating the soul, and each has their own |
| the soul is not without foundation, however. If the | | | | particular methods of inquiry. Perhaps the most |
| soul in this context is considered to be the | | | | important branch of science that has been |
| life-force, prana, chi, or even oxygen, one can | | | | developed in recent times, relatively speaking, is |
| only surmise how the primitive mind intuited this | | | | parapsychology.ParapsychologyParapsychology is |
| scientific fact. Scientifically, it has been noticed that | | | | that branch of science that studies the nature of |
| blood-transfusion often causes a temporary | | | | psychic or paranormal phenomena. Its scope of |
| change in character in the person receiving the | | | | investigation covers a wide range of subjects: for |
| donor's blood. Could it be that blood is | | | | instance, ESP, hauntings, poltergeist activity, |
| impregnated with one's soul-characteristics? As | | | | Near-Death Experience, Out-of-the-Body |
| the blood was associated with the soul, many | | | | Experience, UFOs, Strange Creatures, Weird |
| primitive tribes such as the Scythians evolved the | | | | Phenomena, etc. There are now many institutes |
| custom of drinking the blood of their enemies or | | | | investigating, studying, and teaching this branch of |
| victims in order to absorb their courage, strength, | | | | science. The word "parapsychologist" is often |
| power, and abilities. The custom of forming | | | | misunderstood. Many people seem to think that |
| blood-brothers is also based upon the belief in the | | | | being a parapsychologist is synonymous to being |
| importance of the blood as related to the soul, | | | | psychic. This is erroneous. A psychic may not be |
| and its transcendence over fleshly ties. Members | | | | a parapsychologist, and vice versa. A psychic is |
| forming blood-brothers would drink the blood of | | | | someone who perceives impressions through |
| fellow members thus forming a soul-bond | | | | higher senses not ordinarily registered by the |
| overriding the normal flesh-and-blood | | | | physical senses. Psychics may not generally |
| relationships.The ancients often depicted the soul | | | | understand the impressions that they register, |
| as a bird often human headed, perhaps referring | | | | and may simply believe and be fooled by illusions |
| to its ability to fly. The Aztecs, ancient Greeks | | | | and appearances. A parapsychologist seeks to |
| and Egyptians among the many ancient races, for | | | | understand unusual phenomena through scientific |
| instance, often portrayed the souls of their dead | | | | analysis, and by using empirical methods with the |
| in murals and pottery as a winged bird taking flight | | | | aid of carefully devised instruments. A mystically |
| from its lifeless corpse. Eagles, hawks, doves, | | | | inclined metaphysician, on the other-hand, basically |
| peacocks and phoenixes were often used to | | | | strives to understand phenomena with the aid of |
| represent the soul.Not only the head, heart, and | | | | his intellect, intuition, and other higher faculties. The |
| blood were believed to be the seat of the soul, | | | | parapsychologist's basic methods are |
| but likewise the breath. Believing that the breath is | | | | three-dimensional, the psychic's four-dimensional, |
| associated with the soul and life, the aborigines of | | | | and the mystic-metaphysician's, five-dimensional, |
| Papua New Guinea would breathe through tubes | | | | or even higher.To illustrate the difference |
| into effigies of their forefathers in order to confer | | | | between a paranormal and a metaphysician's |
| a certain vitality to their departed souls. This is a | | | | understanding of phenomena, we will just illustrate |
| magical practice based on the law of similarity. | | | | one out of many. As an example, supposing a |
| Many tribal cultures practiced the placement of | | | | psychic were to receive impressions of an |
| obstructions in the nostrils of their dying ones as | | | | impending disaster, he would consider it to be |
| a last effort to saving their lives. This they believe | | | | truth and proclaim it to others. He would make all |
| would effectively prevent the soul from escaping | | | | sorts of predictions anent the impressions that |
| and causing the death of the body.It is believed | | | | was registered in his mind. He would consider it as |
| among ancient and savage people that the soul | | | | a revelation of God.The metaphysician on the |
| being associated with the life force, illnesses or | | | | other hand, knowing Cosmic and natural laws, |
| feebleness of the physical body are caused by | | | | understands the impressions received to possibly |
| the escape of the soul from the gross form. In | | | | be thought-forms-mind creations of fearful beings. |
| extreme cases the soul force was "captured" by | | | | Man radiates thoughts, and these thoughts, |
| some evil spirit and it was the task of the | | | | perhaps without a basis of truth, are received by |
| shaman, the tribal witch-doctor to recapture the | | | | psychics. The unfortunate thing in all of this is that |
| soul and restore it to the corporeal body. The | | | | thoughts are creative. What we habitually think |
| ability of the shaman to dissociate his incorporeal | | | | about with intense emotion have a tendency to |
| aspect from the gross form supposedly facilitated | | | | materialize. So dire predictions often come true; |
| this sort of work.The Ancients' concept of the | | | | however it does not have to be. We have to |
| soul has evolved throughout the ages, and even | | | | learn to eliminate fear. When psychics make |
| now our scientific understanding is constantly in a | | | | predictions they are instilling and intensifying fear |
| state of change. Our conceptions regarding the | | | | among the masses. Now this is a vicious cycle. |
| soul is associated with our various notions | | | | When people are made fearful by psychics they |
| regarding God. As man evolves so does his | | | | begin to imagine more catastrophic horrors and |
| awareness of the soul and his Source. Man has | | | | these thoughts radiate out again to susceptible |
| formed many ideas regarding the nature of his | | | | psychics who repeat the whole procedure over |
| creator. In this context it can be seen that the | | | | again. The momentum eventually grows until it |
| phrase, "God creates man, and man creates God" | | | | manifests physically.However, let us not digress |
| has a basis in truth.Among the ancient cultures, | | | | too far and return to our subject: Parapsychology |
| the Egyptians and Hindus were the most | | | | has established various avenues of research for |
| advanced in their understanding of the soul. We in | | | | determining the reality of the soul and the survival |
| particular refer to their mystics, hierophants, and | | | | of personal consciousness. Although the results of |
| sages. They regarded man as a microcosm with | | | | their research are inconclusive by the standards |
| many aspects, both material and incorporeal, with | | | | of mainstream science, parapsychologists have |
| each aspect having its own function to play in the | | | | been successful in acquiring evidence and vital |
| life and destiny of the soul. Their many teachings | | | | knowledge that when analyzed seemingly |
| live on today in contemporary metaphysico-occult | | | | validates the age-old belief in the existence of the |
| philosophy. The ancient Greek philosophers and | | | | soul and its survival of bodily death. Nevertheless, |
| sages such as Thales, Plato and Pythagoras | | | | parapsychologists have formulated various |
| derived much of their occult knowledge from | | | | theories as to their findings, not all of which aligns |
| these wise priests of the Orient.SCIENTIFIC | | | | with the traditional view of the soul. It is also |
| VIEWSAlong the scientific vein, certain schools of | | | | important to note that the term "soul" is rarely |
| thought believe the self or ego to be a | | | | used in mainstream science or parapsychology. |
| by-product of a brain function, and yet what | | | | The terms "mind," "consciousness," and |
| gives rise to this function is not known, and only | | | | "personality" are often used instead. |
| given an educational guess. The section of the | | | | |