Science, technology and the arts

51 Something these researchers must surely have found out is the fact that a dangerous atheism exists that diverts man’s attention from the TRUTH! • There might be a chemical process taking place in the brain, but it doesn’t assist the soul. It would perform even better without the brain – because the brain only curtails the soul’s freedom. An interview with the neurologist Sir John Eccles, Nobel Price for Medicine The Magazine Focus published this interview in its 16 th Issue in 1995 under the rubric: “Research and Technology”, titled “Connection with God”. Neurologist Sir John Eccles states that “the soul” exists disconnected from the body – even after death. Focus : As a dualist, you would like to verify that the soul exists independent from the body and that is can continue its existence after death. What supports your theory? Eccles : I believe that the question in regards to the origine of self can only be answered through religion. It is given to us; it represents God’s spirit in us. This theory also explains how consciousness could only have developed during the evolutionary process on a purely biological basis. Focus : Therefore animals also possess a consciousness already? Eccles : At least mammals. But only man possesses a consciousness of self . This is the great difference. Cats and dogs do not recognise their own image in a mirror, neither do infants. With the appearance of mammals 200 million years ago, the spirit also began to develop. The world then was “without spirit”. Compared to man, mammals possess a similar, but smaller cerebral cortex. Even insect devouring antediluvian mammals therefore had conscious experiences and feelings. Focus : What exactly produces consciousness? Eccles : The spirit influences the brain by having an effect on its microscopic structures. I see a starting point of this in certain cells of the cerebral cortex: The pyramid cells; actually their appendage, the dendrons. One cell has up to 10,000 connections to neighbouring cells: The synapses. These in turn contain tiny pockets – so-called vesicles and they are filled with neurotransmitters. Once a nerve stimulus reaches the cell, the vesicles open up and release the messenger molecules. They travel across the gap that separates the synapses of the two neighbouring cells, thereby passing the stimulus on. When a massive number of synapses are involved, this process also triggers very complex brain activities – for instance thoughts. Focus : What effect has the spirit in this? Eccles : Once an impulse reaches a nerve cell, every vesicle releases its neurotransmitters but only with a certain probability. My theory is that consciousness modifies this probability. Focus : Did you contrive the concept of “psychonen” for this? Eccles : Yes. We are dealing with “mental units” and they penetrate the dendrons. The compilation