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The Scientific Theory of the Soul

>
>At least we won't get into boring logical arguments, like I do with the
>Mormons.

I have also often talked with them on the street, but they are very fixed in their
ideas and they think only Morman religion is right.. Everyone else is going to
hell. So I can't go along with that. Krishna, God is in everyone's heart. He knows
what we are thinking and what our motivations are. So He doesn't mind what we call
ourselves, He doesn't see Mormans, Christians and Hare Krishna's. He sees us all
as His fallen sons and daughters. He wants to help us come back home, back to
Godhead, because that is our natural position. We will be happy then. But He's not
going to force us. He has given us independence, He won't interfere with that.

>
>Yes, anyway, I've understood the significance of each individual living
>creature, that makes sense, because I see each individual consciousness
>as belonging to the much more general phenomenon of Consciousness.


Yes. There is a supreme consciousness. We are conscious of our whole body. But
there is a supreme consciousness that is conscious of everyone's body. This
consciousness pervades everything. So an entity possessing such "universal
consciousness" is truly "all knowing".

>
>I am human, but a non-human would say, I am this or that. The keyword
>is I. Everyone is I. Everyone is really the same person in the sense
>that all are conscious, but as to where God fits in to it, I really
>couldn't say.

Yes. But you are not a human. You are the I, that's correct. But you are not the
body. You, the "I" are currently in a human body but the same "I" will continue to
exist after your current body is finished. Your next body will be determined by
your consciousness at the time of death. You could get a better body, like those
of the demigods in heaven, or you could be degraded also, into an animals body or
sent to the hellish planets. So we are not the body. We are the soul within the
body.

>
>Put it like this: if I die tomorrow, some other life will begin
>elsewhere on the planet, and if it's some kind of laboratory research
>non-human, then of course it's a saddening waste of life (be it ever so
>humble).

Yes. You've got the idea. But it may not be on this planet, it could be anywhere
in the universe. But if your life is successful and at the time of death your
consciousness is spiritual you won't have to take birth again. You can go back
home, back to Godhead, and return to your original spiritual body which is
eternal, full of knowledge and full of pleasure. That's what we are looking for.
Everyone wants pleasure, everyone wants knowledge and no one wants to get old and
die... But in the material world we are full of ignorance, full of anxiety... It's
not nice really!

>
>So many wasted lives, held in contempt, don't you think?
>
>Death is fearful because we don't know what the 'next' consciousness
>will be.
>

Yes. Even the atheists fear death because they really don't believe there is
nothing after death...

I have just written a "Scientific" theory of consciousness and I would very much
like your input. I plan to present it to the scientists. Their idea that life
comes from chemicals is so childish. They can't show it. It is nonsense. But we
have to prove that the soul theory is valid in their terms... So any ideas would
be most appreciated.

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!


Madhudvisa dasa

THE SCIENTIFIC THEORY OF THE SOUL
---------------------------------

INTRODUCTION
The intention of this paper is to put forward a scientific theory stated according
to the currently accepted "scientific method" which provides a verifiable and
falsifiable theory establishing the existence of an eternal spiritual particle
present within every living entity. The symptom of the presence of the soul in a
body is consciousness. This scientific theory makes predictions and can be tested
experimentally.

DEFINITION OF THE "SOUL THEORY"
The "soul" is defined as a non-material, eternal spiritual entity present within
any living being. The symptom of the presence of the soul within a body is

consciousness. The soul continues to exist after the destruction of the body and
it existed prior to the creation of the body. The material body develops, changes
and produces by-products [offspring] because of the presence of the soul within.
The material body deteriorates in due cause of time and when it is no longer a
suitable residence for the soul it is forced to leave the body. This we call
death.

IS THE "SOUL THEORY" RELIGIOUS?
The "Soul Theory" stands completely on its own. It says nothing about the
existence or nonexistent of God. Although most religious people accept the concept
of something other than matter that continues to exist after death and caries the
person on to another life there are also atheists who accept such an entity
exists. In India there are both theistic and atheistic philosophies accepting the
presence of the soul. It is a compelling and convincing explanation of many things
we experience.

THE "SOUL THEORY" EXPLAINED
There exists, within this material universe, three types of energy: gross
material, subtle material and spiritual. The gross material energy consists of
earth, water, fire, air and ether [defined as the "space" within the universe].
The subtle material energy consists of mind, intelligence and false-ego [defined
as the identification of the body as the self]. The spiritual energy consists of
the soul [the individual living entities] and the supersoul

The presence of the soul in any living entity is indicated by consciousness.
Although we cannot actually see the soul, we can see its symptoms. We cannot "see"
electricity but when we see an illuminated light-globe we can see the symptom of
the presence of electricity. Similarly when we see consciousness we see the
symptom of the soul.

Any material body inhabited by a soul will undergo changes. It will be created, it
will grow, it will produce by-products [offspring], it will dwindle and ultimately
it will die.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
The Soul:
A spiritual particle present within any living entity whose presence causes the
entire body to be pervaded by consciousness, the symptom of the soul. The soul is
eternal, it has no birth and it never dies. The soul is the "person within the
body", or "the ghost in the machine". At the time of "death" the soul leaves the
body and is transferred to the womb of it's next mother's womb according to it's
accumulated "karma".

Any material body inhabited by a soul will undergo changes. It will be created, it
will grow, it will produce by-products [offspring], it will dwindle and ultimately
it will die.

Karma:
Karma means literally "actions". It is described by the physical law that each
action has an equal and opposite reaction. This universal law is not limited to
physical actions, it works for any action. If we commit violence against another
the reactions generated and we must experience violence upon ourselves in the
future. This "karma" or the reactions to our actions is not immediate. The karma
is stored in our hearts and it will mature and fructify in due course. If at the
time of death there are still karmic reactions stored within the heart which we
have not  yet experienced then we have to take birth again in the material world
in a body suitable to enjoy and suffer the stored karma.

Ether:
The space within the universe.

False-Ego:
The "ego" is the identity of the soul. In reality the soul is a spiritual person
possessing an eternal spiritual body full of knowledge and ever increasing bliss.
However, because of misusing their independence the souls in the material world
misidentify with the material body. They think, "I am an American man", or "I am
an Australian women". But such identification is false. We are only temporarily in
a particular body. It is for seventy or eight years only, then we have to change
bodies again. Our next body may be completely different. There is no guarantee
someone who now has an "American" body will be again born as an American. There is

not even a guarantee of birth in the human form. One can take birth in any species
of life. So this identification with the material body is "false ego".

EXISTENCE PROOF
Life or consciousness is the symptom of the soul. There is no other explanation of
consciousness available. No one has been able to show life, consciousness can be
generated from matter. And there are many inconsistencies which cannot be
explained within the present framework, without considering the existence of the
soul. Although there are very clear indications that valid scientific data could
be collected on areas such as out-of-body experiences and past-life-recall because
the current scientific theories don't accommodate the possibility these things
could exist there has been very little real scientific study in these areas.

There is a large body of data relating to out-of-body experiences. Currently
science cannot relate to or study this body of evidence as the current scientific
view cannot accommodate the possibility of a "person" being able to leave their
body and observe what is happening to their body from a different perspective. A
large body of evidence is certainly there and it requires scientific study and the
"Soul Theory" will enable this. Unless there are two separate entities, the body
and the soul, out-of-body experiences would be impossible. But it seems they are
not. This is compelling proof of the existence of the soul.

There are many verifiable accounts of "past life experiences". This is another
area currently outside the boundaries of science but it could be studied in terms
of the "Soul Theory". If there was no soul, no entity that continued from one life
to the next, there could be no memory of "past lives". Another strong  proof of
the existence of the soul.

EXPERIMENTAL PROOF FOR THE "SOUL THEORY"
The "Soul Theory" makes many predictions that can be experimentally tested and
also one can propose experiments which, if successfully carried out, could
disprove it. So it is a theory suitable fro study using the currently accepted
"scientific method".
     - Predicts out of body experiences are possible
     - Predicts past life recollection is possible
     - Predicts "unembodied" souls are possible
     - Predicts life cannot be produced from a combination of chemicals

"Unless there is a soul present within matter it will not go through the cycle of
birth, growth, production of by-products, dwindling and death. This cycle is a
symptom of the presence of the soul. The soul is placed within matter by other
living entities and then develops."
Proof:  Analytically study all living entities and confirm that all living
entities are caused, or born from "parents", other living entities.
Falsify: Show life can be created from matter only [a chemical mixture of earth,
water, fire, air and ether.] Then show the resulting combination of matter can
exhibit the symptoms of life [growth, changing, production of by-products
dwindling and vanishing.]

"The soul is placed within matter by another living entity then a material body is
developed around the soul from matter."
Proof:  Analytically study living entities to confirm their source is another
living entity.
Falsify: Show living entities can be produced by a combination of chemicals. The
resulting living entities must be able to exhibit the symptoms of the presence of
the soul, ie: consciousness, and undergo the transformations of growth, change,
production of by-products [offspring], dwindling and death.

FUTURE WORK
The "Soul Theory" opens up a vast field for research and study based on the
scientific method. It opens up the areas of past-life-recall and out-of-body
experiences to rigorous scientific research and it also enables science to study
all manner of previously unexplained phoneme from a new angle.

REFERENCES
The science of the soul is described in the Bhagavad-gita, the timeless jewel from
the Indian Vedic texts. A full understanding can be gained from this source.

Extensive data and documentation is available in the areas of past-life-recall and
out-of-body experiences which could form the basis of much scientific research

work. The "Soul Theory" will also enable many rigorous scientific studies to be
carried out in this area to produce more conclusive data and clarify the
interactions of the soul and matter.
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Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!