Does consciousness transcend the human brain?

In the spiritual world it is said that the rational mind is a barrier to understand the true nature of consciousness. Due to its abstract and formless nature, when studied, many times it journeys outside logic. It’s complexity is intriguing, yet fundamental  to understand the essence of the human being and why we differ from all other life forms in this planet.

Consciousness is the light of our existence. It is the reason we experience the sense of self and yet we do not know where it comes from. Due to education, we have not been encouraged to explore reality beyond matter. The idea that the self transcends the limits of the body is still hard to absorb. There are so many opinions regarding consciousness, and in this study, it’s necessary to go beyond traditional scope of scientific methods and empirical observations. Here we will open the doors to the metanature of the subjective mind and explore the possibility that the source of consciousness is external to the body.

Many say that the nature of our consciousness comes from complex processes of the neuronal network of the brain. There are many studies surrounding this theme and one of the most prominent neuroscientist and philosopher, Antonio Damasio, has extensive studies about this. For decades he has dedicated his work to the understanding of consciousness and its relationship to the brain. Main key concepts and definition have been established by him, one of them called the “Convergence Zone Theory”, suggesting that consciousness emerges from the integration of information in specific brain regions. But in his ted talk, he admits that not even he is certain about its nature. Until today, the scientifical community does not know where the root of our awareness lies.

There is no clear evidence relating awareness to the brain. We know that certain aspects of it can be related to the integration of information from different brain regions. But the study of consciousness is very unclear if it is related exclusively to the brain. In fact, there are studies showing the opposite. In near death experiences (NDEs ), there are a variety of vivid and profound phenomena, such as visions, feeling of leaving the body, encounters of loved ones and spiritual entities. But the big question here is not the experience per se. During these experiences people are clinically dead, and many do not present brain activity. This generates inquiring regarding the nature of these experiences and if they truly are related to the brain. The possibility that these experiences do not originated in the brain generates the possibly that a part of the “self” transcend the physical mind.

Dr. Jeffrey Long, oncologist and investigator of NDE´s, suggests that the experiences are more than mere hallucinations or imaginations. He argues that they represent genuine transcendent experiences and are the proof that our consciousness is not an exclusive result of neural activity.

The concept that the consciousness goes beyond matter is somehow confusing and sometimes too “spiritual” or “mystical”. It is hard for us to see existence beyond the physical reality because we were taught to see the world through this dogma. We are told that all of the mind expressions are an outcome of quantifiable neurological processing. Basically, it is stated, even though science knows that this is not factual, that all manifestations of the mind, including consciousness, is a product of the central nerve system. It is true that our thoughts are the result of a very complex network of neurological synapses. Our emotions arise from the interconnectivity of many systems, including the neurological, endocrinal, and immunological system. But “dogma science” has not discovered the nature of our complex consciousness. So, excluding the possibility that awareness transcends the body is illogical.

The study of consciousness is not palpable and it definitely brings forward the question if we transcend matter. This is seen as irrational for many, but history has proven over and over again, that many convictions shouldn’t be seen as certain. Sometimes, if not every time, there are breakthroughs in any field, old ideologies are denied. The perception of human reality is constantly changing, and it will definitely continue to change. Recent discoveries in the non-dogmatic scientifical fields are proving that many principles still taught are wrong. This will eventually create changes in the educational system and  will revolutionize the way of thinking of coming generations.

In the medical field, the study dedicated to this relationship is called psychoneuroimmunology. Today we know for a fact that our emotions and state of mind play a huge role in the physical manifestation. Many say that the mind even has the power to cure the body. Dr. Joe Dispenza is a prominent researcher in the capacity of the mind to create positive changes in the life, including the body. He states that through intentional thought and meditation practice we can cultivate positive changes in our health and heal the body. His research has shown amazing results using these techniques and can now be considered factual. You can read more about his work on his website.

The mind-body relationship has completely changed the way medicine proceeds in the treatments of physical illness. Today, emotions are always considered in the treatment. Previously, this correlation was completely excluded and even seen as ridiculous by many scholars, just like the topic of this article today.

The educational system teaches us laws, norms and constants, and everything abstract is not included in most of the world education, beyond art and philosophy. And even these matters are highly structured and methodical in school. This creates highly stimulated left-brain people, and poorly stimulated right-brain people. This is a barrier to the real perception of reality, because to perceive reality in a complete sense we need to use both sides of the brain and sometimes even transcend our neurological perception.

The ability to look beyond certainties allows us to discover more realities. It is rather ignorant to deny new information due to the attachments to old ones. Unfortunately, this is reality. When new ideas surge it can take years or even centuries to be exposed and accepted by the masses. And the master minds behind these innovated ideas are often seen as crazy. Einstein is a great example for this. He was seen as outrageous with his new principles of physics. Today his discoveries are taught worldwide and is considered one of the greatest geniuses of human existence.

In moments of change, many resist. The bringing of new clarity to old structures is challenging. Studies such as the origin of consciousness will bring new light to science and a new world perspective will arise with them. We can see this online and all-over social networking. A new language is already rising. The concept that the human species transcend matter is everyday more credible through a logic and scientific point of view. As science evolves it is obvious that the door to the metaphysical world will open.

Let’s stay open to the new discoveries and break the old patterns of believe. Every society in History had to do this to evolve. This time it will not be any different. Allow change to emerge so we can experience growth in our perception.