(2021-06-06, 08:16 AM)Valmar Wrote: Well, the brain is made of matter, no? Matter is inherently physical, and so are the physical forces, like gravity, electricity, etc.
To my thinking, at least, this physical realm is merely a construct ~ a spiritual reality with very particular qualities, if you will.
To interact with this reality, we need to "lower" ourselves to the level of this reality somehow, and the brain plays a role in helping ground us to this reality.
But what's matter? I don't think anyone actually knows, we just have measurements (maths which is mental) and observations (sensory so also mental).
If there is only one substance, one "stuff", then the brain is also made of the same "stuff" as the soul. Even at different levels there's just different arrangements of that "stuff" (which might just be Mind).
In a spiritual realm someone could curse you to be depressed, and this would involve some kind of structural/causal relationship. If someone gives you a potion to cure that curse, that also involves some interaction between variations of the fundamental "stuff".
Similarly there is something about the structure of the brain that impinges on the emotional well being of a person, and some treatment from neuroscience can help the person. It doesn't mean the consciousness is "physical" in the sense that mind=brain and there's no afterlife.
'Historically, we may regard materialism as a system of dogma set up to combat orthodox dogma...Accordingly we find that, as ancient orthodoxies disintegrate, materialism more and more gives way to scepticism.'
- Bertrand Russell
- Bertrand Russell