If the brain rots at death, and the soul is conscious, then how is the afterlife possible?

Question

--and answer the question without using the highly ambiguous terms "energy" "light" and "atoms" when discussing souls, please. The question is how the mind can possibly survive death when its material base stops functioning.

This is not a riddle, despite some of the evasive answers below. It's quite a simple question, really. But let me phrase it another way: "In one sentence or less, provide definitions for 'soul' and 'mind' that are different." If the soul isn't mind, what is it? Can the soul think? How about taste or smell? Does it get emotionally aroused? Last I read, these capacities were based in the brain--which again is snuffed out by death. So, back to the question...

Ugh...I forgot to add 'electricity' to the list of nonsense terms.

Oh, and let's try to think for ourselves this time. No quotations, please, Bible included. I only want to know what you think, off-the-cuff answers to this one are highly preferred.

Still waiting...

Ok, here we go. Fill in the blanks:

"The mind is...whereas the soul, in contrast, is..."

I'm familiar with science, yes. Was your answer supposed to be scientific? I've no qualms with your use of the word electricity, I suppose, so long as you use the term in a proper operational sense. To say that "consciousness is composed of electrical signals that are reabsorbed" after death is about as informative as mashed potatoes. If you're referring to neuronal firing, then say so, and tell me precisely what this has to do with the survival of the 'soul' after death. It's a pretty thought, that bits of our unique identities are somehow embedded in immortal "eletricical" elements, but it's far from clear how this would work in practice. Again, I'd like a new idea here, rather than pilfering a page from "A Dummies Guide to Einstein?" or Genesis.

Answer 1

you must understand the soul science by hindu mythology

Answer 2

The body and the soul are two different entitites. At some point, probably conception (although we don't know for sure), the two are brought together. When our body dies, the soul is then parted from it again and goes wherever it is destined to go. For this reason, it is pointless to arrange cryogenics, where your dead body is frozen to hopefully be revived if a cure is found for whatever illness killed you. Even if they managed to restart your circulation, there's no-one there! All you would ever be is an artificially running machine incapable of anything but lying where you had been placed. Your 'real' self will be somewhere else entirely.

Answer 3

Think of it like this then, considering you cannot accept allegories and such: Our brains are governed by electricity. Electricity does not die, it simply travels on to the next thing, like being absorbed into the Earth. Therefore, our consciousness, being made of electrical signals, are immortal. So of course the "mind" will survive death. Just not in the way you may have expected.

Simple enough for you?

:)

Electricity is nonsense!???? Have you even HEARD of science?
Tell me then, HOW is electricity ambiguous?
You really HAVE lost the plot, haven't you! I now agree wholeheartedly with a previous poster who made the correct observation that you cannot accept anything other than the answer YOU want, regardless of any truth. Imbecile. You're as bad as a fundamentalist christian! LOL!!

Answer 4

OK assuming that there is a soul and an afterlaife, why would it require a material base to work? Simply put, if there the soul exists and is concious then there must be some mechanism for retaining the function of the brain without requireing it to actually be present (a bit like an install disk, I would guess)

Answer 5

I KNOW THIS! (As much as anyone does)!
The soul is actually based in your aura, when scientists say that energy can't be destroyed, only transferred, the energy from the body transfers to the aura (which already has its own energy) so do the memories. Sorry to use the word 'energy' but thats what it is, couldn't think of another word! Auras can be seen by kirilian photography and the energy of them is ever changing dependant on the health of the physical body.
Thats why people see ghosts as people sometimes, your aura stands about 4 inches away from your physical body and is an exact replica. If the soul is earthbound, it keeps the shape of the body last inhabited!
I'm a past life regression therapist, so I'm speaking from what I know!

Answer 6

the mind is your consciousness. the soul is your physical body including your consciousness.

and i know you don't want bible quotes, but anyway: genesis says adam came to be A living soul. it doesnt say he has a soul. and ecclesiastes9:5 says the dead are conscious of nothing. the teaching of an immortal soul or spirit is a pagan teaching which originated in babel along with teachings about the cross and hell

Answer 7

I'd prefer to think that it's the memory that survives death and not the mind. The spirit takes over the memory of the soul. I'd like to think that the mind is more associated with our free will. I am not saying all these assumptions are correct. It might be all wrong. Why I prefer it that way? Because I believe in karma and reincarnation.

Answer 8

The soul does not exist as some form of self sustaining energy. The brain is responsible for what we call a soul and once the structure of the brain is gone so are we.

Answer 9

This question is one that cannot be answered. Christians live by faith, and not by sight. Even scientists do not understand how the human animal is creative, while other species are not.

To expect an answer from such a question like this, indicates to me that perhaps your brain is beginning to rot already- unless of course you're already dead and it's your soul asking the question.

Answer 10

Man is created in the image of God, I think that may refer to the fact that we have three parts, mind, body and soul as God has three parts, God the Father , God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

When we are in our mothers womb we have a mind, a body and a soul and are eternal beings. When we call on Jesus and are saved we receive the Holy Spirit which guides us in Truth.

Your body will die if Jesus does not take you first in the rapture, your mind and soul will live forever and you can receive a new glorified body in Christ. The only real choice is if you will live in fellowship with God or separated from God forever.

You get to choose, don't we have a loving God.

I live as a brother to Jesus and Son of God the Father. When I die I will have the mind of Christ and a new body and new home.

I don't fear death, to live is for Christ and to die is gain. I am proud to say I worship and Love God and will serve him all my days and then for eternity.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Answer 11

Gen 2:7 We are the soul. Ecc 9:5 The dead know nothing. We have a spirit(breath) but that goes back to God at death, and carries nothing of us with it, it is the breath and not thought, Ecc 3:21; 12:7.