Catholic Scientist
But this is a self delusion resulting from the constant nervous input to the brain with no input from the brain.
Well the brain does input in the sense that it coordinates the nervous system and its responses. With the sensation of a body and the emotions and feelings mitigated by the chemicals within our brain we have a very good illusion of a transcendent "soul".
Further we find that our emotions and feelings that some attribute to a immaterial soul can be altered or even shut down by physical changes within the brain {alcohol,drugs, damage to the structures of the brain} and such is presumably not a possibilty for something that is immaterial.
Is it that the delusion is just that good, maybe that I want to be deluded? I've considered all this and still have to conclude that I do have a soul. (Not that you're trying to convince me otherwise.)
Well I think deception is more likely than delusion in that we are capable of lying to ourselves and ,indeed, there are studies that seem to bear out the idea that the deceit is often necessary in order to maintain a healthy functioning mind. The list of strange conditions that hint strongly that the brain is complex in ways that are truly strange. Conditions such as Caprgras or Cotard's syndrome or Blindsight or phantom limbs seem to be very difficult to explain with the inclusion of a soul that is presumably immune to such things.
As you say though I do not try to convince you of the validity of my view but simply wish to point out that your notion of the soul has to explain the same things that any other person must regardless of their
POV.
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